Location
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The former East German DDR operated a vast amount of open-cast coalmines for fueling electricity plants. Nowadays most coalmines are shutdown and converted into man made lakes - many are now recreation areas. An impression of Gräbendorfer See – in the south-east near the Polish border.
Open cast coal mining in the DDR
The former DDR region under Berlin has an amazing amount of man made lakes – most of them retired open cast coal mines. Nowadays many of these lakes have their own recreational scene after several years of being cleaned-up, redeveloped and filled with water.
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| Open cast mine turned into a natural lake - many can be found in East Germany - former DDR |
In the German language they even have a word for these lakes: Tagebausee, which translates into something like open cast mine lake. In 2000 the German ministry for environmental protection researched more than 500 of such lakes. More than 50 % have stabilized and integrated into the natural surroundings. Others are still acid some with PH values of 2 – 3 due to the nature of the mining activities.
Gräbendorf lake in East Germany.
The Grabendorfer lake in the former DDR is located in the south - east in the region of Cottbus near the Polish border. This lake a gem with an easily accessible shore line surrounded by a cycling / walking / skating path of several Km.
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| Gräbendorfer open cast mine sanatized into a natural lake - a recreation area. |
Grabendorf lake scene – “The desert is in us”
Ben Wagin – a German visual artist – made the Grabendorfer lake his workshop and planted several of his works – with a touch of Nietzche “Die Wüste ist in uns”. A reference to Nietzsches poem "Die Wüste wächst":
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| Ben Wagin Art at the Gräbendorf Lake - "Die Wüste ist in Uns". |
and Gräbendorf torched into the metal of old coal train wagons:
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| Ben Wagin Art at the Gräbendorf Lake - Gräbendorf cut out of coalmine train wagons |
The canal boat is visible from the road - and has certainly baffled us and likely many others.
Gräbendorf lake activities
The lake was also the place to be for the 5th Breeza festival in july 2011. Great surrounding for such an event.
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| Breeza summer festival at Grabendorfer See |
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A PADI dive center – Waldi’s Diving Center - on the shores of the Gräbendorfer lake. The dive center has a floating house on the lake.
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| PADI dive center – Waldi’s Diving Center See |
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And there's lots of space to park a truck - another "WOMO stellplatz" / RV / Mobilehome / campervan parking area in Germany.
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| Parking at Gräbendorf Lake - lots of space at many spots along side the lake |
More information about Gräbendorfer See
Ben Wagin Art |
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| Gräbendorf Lake info - East Germany - former DDR |
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Other interesting public coal mines in Europe
- The Red hills of Rio Tinto in Spain
- Huge bucket wheel excavator in Germany
- Deep open cast mine Cap Decouverte in France
