Who Owns My Village?

After the unification of Germany, the popular holiday destination of the Island of Rügen (formerly a part of East Germany) began to lure investors. Will the village of Göhren become a commercial resort with limited space for the locals? Building permissions have been granted by the Göhren council, but as the locals see their unique landscape disappear, their discontent grows. The forest where their children used to play has been cut down, replaced by a luxury hotel and cable car. An enormous multistorey carpark is permitted to stand for 80 years, and a spa resort is being planned on the most beautiful beach in the village. Investor Wilfried Horst is behind all the projects, and the village government has been obliging him for a number of years. But the locals’ patience is running out and communal elections are near. This story about the power of local activism was filmed by Göhren native Christoph Eder. (One World)