The Environmental History of Weißenburg

By Ina Brechenmacher

Supervisor: Gesa Lüdecke

This project was a little treasure hunt that changed my view of the small Franconian town of Weißenburg in which I grew up. Through numerous walks through the town, small explorations in and around the city, and reading-sessions involving old (and musty) books on Weißenburg’s history, I have tried to piece together the environmental history of my hometown. Hidden in building materials, under the pavement, in my family history, and in the landscape all around, the town’s [hi-]stories were revealed.



My goal for the Final Project at the RCC, which is also my last major project at university, was clear to me early on: I wanted to bring the key insights I gained during my master’s degree at the Amerika-Institut (with a focus on North American environmental history) and during the certificate program at the RCC back to the community I grew up in and to which I unexpectedly returned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So I decided to create an online blog in the style of scrollytelling, a digital form of storytelling where the content unfolds as you scroll down. This format allowed me to present a collage of historical research, insights I have gained in the environmental humanities, and family stories —all within the context of a storytelling approach that let me be more creative than I could be in an academic article.

I ended up telling the story of my great-grandmother, who owned a small vegetable and fruit store in Weißenburg, while trying to unravel how our food culture has changed over time. I explored the history of viticulture in the Middle Ages, which has left its mark on the landscape around Weißenburg. The history of Weißenburg is entangled with the history of the municipal forest, which has determined how the town developed and expanded and how it looks today. Due to my interest in petroculture, I tried to explore how various modes of mobility have changed the cityscape, and how some residents, for example, wanted to demolish the old town gate, which is now a city landmark, to increase the ease of car travel.



I wanted the blog to be entertaining, easy to understand, and eye-opening for the reader on their next walk through the city. That way, it wouldn’t end up staying in digital space, but would also (hopefully) live on in the reader’s life by giving them a new perspective on their hometown.