Die Alpen

Is the disappearance of the Alps as a space for human life and economy still preventable? Are they degenerating into an amusement park for the surrounding metropolises? Werner Bätzing takes stock of his decades-long engagement with the unique natural and cultural landscape of the Alps. Bätzing describes how the Alps emerged as a space for life and economy and as a cultural landscape, how they were completely transformed (and continue to be) in the 19th and 20th centuries by tourism, industry, urban growth, transportation, and the collapse of mountain agriculture, and he presents an overview of the current situation and today's problems facing the Alps. Finally, he demonstrates how modern economic and lifestyle forms can be connected with traditional alpine environmental experiences, allowing the Alps to become a diverse and decentralized space for life and economy in new ways.