Landscapes of conflict: presentation on the environmental history of territories used by the military in Czechia during the 20th century
Abstract
The aim of the presentation is to draw attention to issues related to areas of former and ongoing military use in Czechia, within the context of the history of Central Europe in the 20th century. In particular, we discuss the environmental issues surrounding the establishment, development and demise of military training areas (their territorial development, changes in the landscape and the activities of natural scientists, who were initially opposed to the establishment of military areas and, subsequently, to their dissolution).
Areas used by the military present a spatially significant and, simultaneously, a functionally unique segment in the spatial organization of the landscape. It is necessary to differentiate such areas in terms of their territorial extent, their function and the processes, which impacted their current position in the regional system.
Not only do the current demands of society need to be considered in this discussion, public interest in the protection of the environment and the landscape must also be taken into consideration. Developments over the past twenty years (especially in Central and Eastern Europe) make it possible to compare approaches to both the conversion of military areas as well as to the implementation of concepts regarding their sustainable development.
This presentation is the result of research findings sponsored by a financial grant project GAUK: No. 58610 "Spatial development problems of the former and existing militarily used areas".