Willa Rubin

It's kind of like an intermediate between hard coal and petroleum coke.

It's kind of like an intermediate between hard coal and petroleum coke.

It's kind of like an intermediate between hard coal and petroleum coke.

Yeah, lignite. Then after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and Germany reunified East and West in the early 90s, a lot of mines in the former East shut down, mostly for economic reasons or they ran out of coal. Then there was this pressing problem.

Yeah, lignite. Then after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and Germany reunified East and West in the early 90s, a lot of mines in the former East shut down, mostly for economic reasons or they ran out of coal. Then there was this pressing problem.

Yeah, lignite. Then after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and Germany reunified East and West in the early 90s, a lot of mines in the former East shut down, mostly for economic reasons or they ran out of coal. Then there was this pressing problem.

There were a bunch of holes in the ground that used to be mines, but now looked like a landscape of Swiss cheese, which is not awesome aesthetically or safety-wise. And so the city of Cottbus has a really interesting plan. And One sweltering day in September, I went to go see one of these pits, 20 minutes east of the city.

There were a bunch of holes in the ground that used to be mines, but now looked like a landscape of Swiss cheese, which is not awesome aesthetically or safety-wise. And so the city of Cottbus has a really interesting plan. And One sweltering day in September, I went to go see one of these pits, 20 minutes east of the city.

There were a bunch of holes in the ground that used to be mines, but now looked like a landscape of Swiss cheese, which is not awesome aesthetically or safety-wise. And so the city of Cottbus has a really interesting plan. And One sweltering day in September, I went to go see one of these pits, 20 minutes east of the city.

At the train station, I met up with Stefan Simonidis-Noak.

At the train station, I met up with Stefan Simonidis-Noak.

At the train station, I met up with Stefan Simonidis-Noak.

Stefan has lived in Cottbus for a long time. He works for the city council, and he's an urban planner working here.

Stefan has lived in Cottbus for a long time. He works for the city council, and he's an urban planner working here.

Stefan has lived in Cottbus for a long time. He works for the city council, and he's an urban planner working here.

Wait, did he just say lake? Uh-huh. Because, Emily, Stefan and his colleagues are turning this giant former mining pit into a huge lake. It'll be the biggest mining pit turned lake in... in all of Germany. It's even in the lake's name, Cottbusser Ostsee. In German, that literally means Cottbus East Lake, okay? But it's also a play on words that means Cottbus Baltic Sea.

Wait, did he just say lake? Uh-huh. Because, Emily, Stefan and his colleagues are turning this giant former mining pit into a huge lake. It'll be the biggest mining pit turned lake in... in all of Germany. It's even in the lake's name, Cottbusser Ostsee. In German, that literally means Cottbus East Lake, okay? But it's also a play on words that means Cottbus Baltic Sea.

Wait, did he just say lake? Uh-huh. Because, Emily, Stefan and his colleagues are turning this giant former mining pit into a huge lake. It'll be the biggest mining pit turned lake in... in all of Germany. It's even in the lake's name, Cottbusser Ostsee. In German, that literally means Cottbus East Lake, okay? But it's also a play on words that means Cottbus Baltic Sea.

And that is like the dream that Stefan and his colleagues are chasing. A mini Baltic Sea right near the city center. Yes.

And that is like the dream that Stefan and his colleagues are chasing. A mini Baltic Sea right near the city center. Yes.