Urbani izziv Volume 15, No. 2, December 2004
: 135–138
(Thematic articles)
doi: 10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2004-15-02-007
Author
Liana GEIDEZIS
BUND-Project Office Green Belt, Nürnberg, Germany
liana.geidezis@bund-naturschutz.de
Melanie KREUTZ
BUND-Project Office Green Belt, Nürnberg, Germany
melanie.kreutz@bund-naturschutz.de
Title
Green Belt Europe – nature knows no boundaries: From “Iron Curtain” to Europe’s lifeline
Abstract
The “Iron Curtain” divided Europe for almost forty years from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. It was a political, ideological and physical barrier, most strongly expressed in Germany. Despite its inhumanity, this border granted nature a pause for breath: nature flourished and developed something extremely rare in intensively used landscapes – the so called Green Belt. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, a lifeline of habitats about 8.500 km long runs through Europe. It originated from the project Green Belt Germany, initiated by BUND, the vision of a European Green Belt development. It can become a backbone of an ecological network that is a global symbol for trans-boundary co-operation in nature conservation and sustainable development. Moreover, it connects people and shows that the enlarged European Union has not only a cultural but also a natural heritage. The Green Belt is a unique chance to overcome the old boundaries and barriers between East and West – a living symbol of growing together in Europe.
Key Words
green belt, iron curtain, Europe, border, lifeline, habitat network, biodiversity, trans-boundary co-operation