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Some are fighting for the forest area, others for a better connection: in the Dannenröder forest, the dispute over the extension of a section of the motorway has been latent for decades; now it could become serious.
By Sandra Scheuring, hr
At first glance, the protest camps in the middle of the forest have something of the Robin Hood romance. Activists have been camping in self-made tree houses and tents in the Dannenröder forest for almost a year. Barricades were erected to prevent the police from evacuating. A prominent newcomer arrived a few days ago: the environmental activist and captain of “Sea Watch” who has become known as a savior of the sea, Carola Rackete moved out and wants to stay for the moment. “It just seems catastrophic to me that such an old forest is cut down for a highway in 2020,” she says. “I think we really need a completely different transport concept in Germany, especially one that can be reconciled with the Paris climate targets.”
Many of the activists are from the region. But there have also been groups that have already fought for the Hambach forest, which was to give way to open-cast lignite mining. They get the support of radical left activists, some from other European countries, who want to impose an anti-capitalist social order.
Bitter discussion
The construction of the motorway has a long history, as does the protest: parts of the Dannenröder forest must be cut down to further extend the A49. The motorway should better connect Kassel and Giessen and link the central region of Hesse. Supporters and opponents quarrel bitterly. The first clearance could begin Thursday, but the camps would have to be cleared first.
The first plans were made 40 years ago, since then several routes have been planned, rejected and re-planned. The complaints from environmentalists and neighbors were finally dismissed in July, when the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the construction of the A49 could continue.
Of a total of about 60 kilometers of highway, about half has already been completed. The current conflict concerns the last two construction sections between Schwalmtal and Ohmtal’s triangle on the A5. In Homburg (Ohm) parts of the Dannenröder forest area need to be cleared, this is particularly controversial. Because the forest is an ancient, intact deciduous and mixed forest. It has been in the possession of the Barons Schwenck zu Schweinsberg for centuries.
To close the gap on the A49, 27 hectares in the Dannenröder forest have to be felled, or about three percent of the total area in an area that is particularly worthy of protection. A water protection zone will also be built along the road. According to the construction company DEGES, around 85 hectares of forest will be cut down for the expansion. In return, compensatory measures are foreseen in a total area of 750 hectares, 85 hectares of forest will be reforested.
Advocates for highway construction
Many residents of the noise-affected alternate routes are in favor of widening the highway. For decades they have been waiting for relief, especially from heavy goods traffic. Unlike the activists in the forest, who get a lot of attention, they see themselves as a silent majority. For example, trucks pass through Neustadt, Kirchhain or Niederklein, day and night. Entrepreneurs in the region are also urgently waiting for the gap to close.
The IHK Kassel-Marburg, which represents the interests of 86,000 member companies, expects a strengthening of the regional economy. “For companies, the A 49 means significantly better accessibility, better connections, and therefore a massive reduction in transport times and therefore logistics costs,” says Ulrich Spengler, Deputy General Manager . “Small and large companies in the area also benefit from this, because many employees also have shorter routes.”
Fear of a violent escalation
It is not clear how it will continue. But it became clear that the activists do not want to voluntarily withdraw. Observers fear violent clashes with the police. Because before the cleanup work begins, the protest camps must be cleared. As in the disputes over the Hambach forest, several thousand police officers from all over Germany could be deployed.
