Natur- und Umweltschutz in der Stadt. Bürgerschaftliches Engagement, Initiativen und politischer Verhaltensstil in Mainz und Wiesbaden.

Abstract

The history of the environmental protection movement in Germany has raised much interest among researchers over the last few years. Surprisingly, cities as case studies have played a limited role in this context. This paper presents results from a research project that emphasises the relevance of the urban perspective and the importance of urban groups for the dissemination of the political agenda of environmental protection. Drawing on examples from the German cities of Mainz and Wiesbaden, this article analyses the different forms which civic commitment for the protection of nature and environment took in the 1970s and 1980s. It shows that a pluralisation of political styles took place, which helped to establish the discourse about nature and environmental protection within the cities' societies and beyond.