Gorleben

Gorleben is a municipality in the Gartow in the Lüchow -Dannenberg in the north- east of Lower Saxony. The region is also called the Wendland. Near the town is the famous nuclear waste storage facility.

• 5.1 traffic

Geography

The small town is located on the left-hand bank of the Elbe ( German river - km 492 ) to about 20 meters above sea level. While the east, north and northwest expands the protected Biosphere Reserve Lower Elbtalaue Elbe river landscape, joins in the south a large pine forest area in the so-called " Gartower Tannen". This largest contiguous German private forest, which is the property of Count Bernstorff to Gartow, is on an extended flight Anda height that is caused by periglacial processes. The entire region up to the hills of Drawehn in the West is within the Elbe- glacial valley, which was recently formed as meltwater main channel during the Weichsel glaciation. Biogeographic the area is already counted for subcontinental influenced East German lowlands (see also: Biogeophysical main unit group " Wendland and Altmark "). Geographically, it is remarkable among other things, the saaleglaziale moraine of Höhbeck, which rises in the middle of the Elbe valley lowland Pleistocene as "island".

History

Gorleben was first mentioned in 1360 by deed of the reign Dannenberg (Elbe ). At the site of an old fortress. The name " Gorleben " probably derives from " Goor " ( Schlick; Slavic Gor, however, "mountain" ) and " live " from (heir ).

On 1 July 1972, the neighboring community Meetschow was incorporated.

National and international recognition gained the town of Gorleben by the plans for the establishment of a national nuclear waste repository as well as the regularly occurring under strong protests from nuclear waste shipments to the existing above-ground interim storage in the forest south of the village.

The community benefited financially from the massive settlement of nuclear regulatory bodies and one of the wealthiest communities in Lower Saxony.

The councilors of the municipality agreed to the establishment of the interim storage facility in 1981, although they had originally spoken out against the camp. The decision was unanimous. The absolute majority of the Council had the CDU. Both German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl opposition leader had visited the community in advance in order to convince the councilors. In the four months after the decision 's election opponents of the camp from the state gained about 20 % of the vote. After deciding the coexistence changed sustainably in the region.

In April 1984, the local situation worsened when protesters first blocked all access roads Wendland. The first transport took place in October 1984.

In 1995, first time, a big day in connection with the Castor transports instead. Since then find appropriate transport instead of almost a year. In the context of transport, it always comes back to massive clashes between opponents of nuclear power, local farmers and the police. Since the farmers repeatedly tractors as part of their protests used in the past, they are now regularly confiscated in advance by the police and taken to a central warehouse.

Policy

The municipality is part of the Gorleben Parliament constituency Elbe and the Bundestag constituency Lüchow -Dannenberg - Lüneburg.

Community structure

The community of Gorleben has existed since the municipal reform of 1972 from two localities:

• Gorleben
• Meetschow

Parish council

The Council of the Municipality Gorleben has nine members, spread since the local elections on 11 September 2011 to the following groups of voters and parties:

• Wählergemeinschaft Gorleben (WG): 5 seats
• SPD: 2 seats
• Independent voters Community ( UWG): 2 seats

Mayor

Mayor of Gorleben is Klaus Hofstetter (SPD).

Culture and sights

• Chapel Gorleben
• Village church Meetschow

Economy and infrastructure

In the municipality of several facilities are located for nuclear waste disposal:

• Transport container storage facility
• Waste storage facility
• Gorleben pilot conditioning plant
• Exploration mine for a repository

Traffic

The national road 256 Dannenberg - Gartow performs Gorleben. At the " Gorleben hook ", a oxbow lake of the same, you have a public marina and a base of the Waterways and Shipping Office Magdeburg, Wittenberg outskirts.