There were primarily economic reasons for the decline: Alongside the downturn in mining, in the wake of German unification other sectors such as the textile and furniture industries found themselves in crisis. One hurdle to tapping into new business sectors, such as tourism for example, is the face of the town itself, which was destroyed during the mining years. The fact that the old town was torn down is a major burden on the town. The research project by Dr Manuel Schramm and Prof. Simon Runkel sets out to investigate the creative way the inhabitants have tackled this loss. How did the locals cope with the loss of material places associated with memories? Did the loss of the old town prompt an exodus to the West or to other regions in East Germany? And what impact did and does this have on local biographies and practices? Are there strategies of resilience in approaching incisive experiences of loss and what factors favour their adaptation?

In two sub-projects, the researchers analyse what impact the demolition of the old town continues to have on the town’s cultural and social identity: In the historiographical section the focus is on the transformation in the local perceptual, knowledge and mnemonic culture as well as in how the authorities handled resettlement and protest. In the socio-geographical section, the current shared atmosphere of loss is traced on the basis of biographies and lifeworld experiences and the locals’ related practises explored together with them.

The overall result is a micrology of loss that measures the interaction of historical, geographical, cultural and social factors in a confined space and contributes to a better understanding of the phenomenon of “Lost Cities”. The project’s findings will be presented at two workshops and also published as a monograph. Furthermore, the plain is to discuss new prospects for Johanngeorgenstadt locally in the context of a future workshop and in this way lend voice to the local population’s concerns.