European coal mining basins in France, Germany and Poland

C.O.A.L. take part in the revival regional identity of four adjacent coal mining basins: in France (Nord-Pas de Calais), in Belgium, in Germany (Ruhr), and in Poland (Upper Silesia). These areas are linked by a common geological story, a heavy industrial development, a same coal mining culture, and a same industrial heritage. All of them are faced with economical, social, and environmental reconversion. In these old european industrial regions, transformation and revitalization process is a challenging issue, and protection of the industrial heritage is an important factor of regional identity.

All these features can be summarized and read into the landscape. So the partners of C.O.A.L. have chose to federate on coal mining landscape topic. We want to analyse, explain, interpret landscape with different ways of cultural expression, and to give rise to an intercultural dialogue between art and science.