The article “Desires for Sustenance – Feral Infrastructures in Bitterfeld-Wolfen” traces the chemical Lindane, produced in the Bitterfeld chemical park between 1951 and 1982, and its past and ongoing entanglement with the wildlife, soil and water in the Bitterfeld-Wolfen region. It tells a tale of the desire for sustenance, industrial production, pollution, unforeseen consequences, territorial fights against wild boars and strategies to contain a ripple effect of events that started more than 100 years ago. Through the example of Lindane, this story, positions the ground as a repository, a life-source, a disputed and dynamic territory of human and non-human relations, and a carrier.

The article was the result of a short research project on the theme of post-industrial landscapes in the town of Bitterfeld-Wolfen that started in 2024 as part of the Bauhaus Study Rooms, and ultimately resulted in an article for the platform Atlas do Chão. ‘Atlas do Chão – Ground Atlas’ is an online platform that maps locations around the world that have a special relationship with the ground.

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A collaboration with:
Carlos Jawaad Issoop (co-author)
Lili Carr (editor and project lead)