The Mansfeld-Südharz (NUTS 3) region is an example of long-lasting population decline that characterizes East of Germany. Shrinkage, for this region was linked to the re-unification process (1989) and the subsequent collapse of the copper mining industry. These political and economic changes accelerated negative demographic trends in the area, above all through immediate migration to West Germany (or beyond). This resulted in an “ageing” community and a very sharp drop in fertility rates in the 1990s, from which this region never recovered.

Identity:

Case study: Mansfeld-Südharz

Country: Germany (DE) 

Project: European Shrinking Rural Areas: Challenges, Actions and Perspectives for Territorial Governance (ESCAPE)

Delivery: 12/2020

Population: 139,781

Classification: NUTS3