Few people know that Ferropolis/Graefenhainichen is located in a former coalmining region, Wittenberg, and during GDR years the nearby chemistry industry caused remarkably severe pollution.
This area was known as Bitterfeld. Nowadays, the environment seems natural and clean, a lot has been done to make it a surrounding worth living in. Lakes, woods, leasure sites, you can all find it here. Regarding to the press, the industry focusses on solar engineering and renewable energy.
We also find a very high unemployment rate and vanishingly few young people – They all moved to the cities or to the western part of Germany.
Naaaah, talking schmalking: It still is a nice place. You got the picture.
Here are the photos:

Click here to open the Melt! 2009 set on Flickr