Melanie Jaeger-Erben on rbb discussing structural change

An rbb24 documentary on the topic "Ore and No Coal: Lauchhammer’s Struggle for the Future and Against the Past", broadcast on 28 October 2025, takes viewers to the town of Lauchhammer – once defined by the lignite and iron foundry industries, now caught between the forces of memory, structural change and regional reorientation. In it, Prof. Dr Melanie Jaeger-Erben examines the social, economic and cultural upheavals of this transformation: how are everyday life, work and community changing in a region in transition? What role do cultural activities and place play in addressing and coming to terms with structural change? In doing so, she builds on findings developed as part of the WIRinRegionen project, which form the basis for the new Centre for Structural Change and Regional Development.

An informative and multi-layered insight into the challenges facing a post-industrial city and into the question of how the future can be shaped here.