30 km outside of Cologne lies the biggest open pit mine of Europe. Opened in 1978, this massive hole has deep consequences not only for the climate, but also for the local area. Multiple villages were relocated and a diverse movement formed, protesting against a re-routed highway and the destruction of the Hambach forest.

One of the relocated villages is the former Morschenich (now Bürgewald). Most residents moved due to the expanding mine. In 2020 however, RWE, the company running the mine, decided to waive the excavation in the area and the village was left intact. For the former residents, this was tough news, as they had already started new lifes.

In 2023, the old church caught fire and burnt down. The circumstances are still not fully investigated, however, we were lucky to find that the old bells are stored in a barn in the village. They are most likely deformed from the heat and a former resident told us that they cannot be used anymore.

I found the bells to be very interesting and meaningful, not least because the church used to be a social center in the village. Some residents are said to demand the destruction of their old houses and I could imagine their relation to the church in the old village might not be an exception.

I initiated a dedicated visit with a group of interested people and we recorded the bells using various exciters and playing techniques.

The Hambacher Forst (“Hambi”) was mostly destroyed for the expansion of the mine. Starting in 2012, activists occupied the forest. In 2018, people were evicted in what was one of the largest police operations in Germany. In 2020, the preservation of the forest was agreed on by the government.

We visited the area, talked to activists and recorded the sounds of the surroundings. The listening perspective from the forest with its wildlife was particularly striking to me, as the sounds of the mine operations are also always present.

The residency was organized by the team of Guterstoff Festival. The group of ten artists will continue to work together with the goal of presenting their works in 2027 as part of the festival, which will happen in Bürgewald and Cologne.