16917

WiSe 22/23: The politics of German coal, 1862-2038

Daniel Louis Nethery

Comments

Subject: In the wake of reunification coal was the most important source of energy in Germany. Then, over the next three decades, its share of the total energy supply fell from 37 per cent in 1990 to 16 per cent in 2020. This profound shift in the German energy “mix” brought into focus the tension between environmental objectives, for instance, and the political claims of those whose livelihoods were and are linked to coal mining and power generation. In 2019, after protracted negotiations, the German government under chancellor Merkel agreed on a plan to phase out coal power production by 2038. The current government—a coalition formed by the Social Democratic, Green and Free Democratic or Liberal parties in late 2021—had announced its intention to bring forward the “end” of coal to 2030 when war in Ukraine broke out. Program: We will set the politics of German coal in technological, social and environmental perspective. We will look at trends in the German energy mix—with a focus on the decline of nuclear energy as a source of power and the rise of natural gas, biofuels and wind—and consider the extent to which those trends relate to the policy stances of the various political parties in government. We will also discuss the role of coal at pivotal moments in German history: before and after unification in 1871; from the Treaty of Versailles to the occupation of the Ruhr in 1923; after the establishment, in 1951, of the European Coal and Steel Community, the institutional forerunner of the European Union. The seminar will also include an introduction, designed for students without a background in science, to the carbon cycle and its connection to climate change. Is this course for me? This course is open to all students. There are no prerequisites. Workload and assessment: You will qualify for 5 ECTS points if you engage with the course materials, your attendance is satisfactory, and you pass the written examination at the end of the semester. close

16 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Wed, 10:00 - 12:00 16 Class schedule

Wed, 2022-10-19 10:00 - 12:00

Lecturers:
Daniel Louis Nethery