Mara Joergens // Hajen – a rural perspective. Making the values of an almost forgotten cultural landscape tangible again.

 

 

In my work, the example of the village Hajen in the Weserbergland is used to explain how social awareness for the values of cultural landscapes - here especially of the rural area characterized by villages - can be created and how these values can be experienced again. The current form of agriculture and the disappearance of the human scale in it, as well as the loss of grown cultural landscapes are a reflection of the current lack of social awareness for these values. With my concept of a station route, I would like to show how the ecological, aesthetic, historical and cultural values of cultural landscapes can be communicated and brought to the fore again, thus also creating more quality of life and places of recreation. In addition, the aim is to re-establish people's lost connection to the vital area of agriculture and to create an incentive to take a critical look at the current design of agriculture and agricultural landscapes, since this large area of "open land" is completely omitted from the aesthetic planning. The designed stations highlight elements of cultural landscapes through their design, describe agriculture, encourage participation or show natural processes. Exploring and experiencing the stations is a pleasure and a sensual experience. The human scale becomes tangible and the stations emphasize the richness of variety, the excitement and the liveliness of cultural landscapes. The stations bring the viewer closer to natural processes and create a proximity to agricultural production. Cultural landscapes contribute to the uniqueness and beauty of a region as well as to the identity of rural areas. In order to preserve them, it is a first step to close the gaps concerning the knowledge of the content and value of cultural landscapes. This is necessary, since identity makes a place attractive, creates a sense of connection and thus makes it worth living there. This is of great importance for the future of villages in rural areas, having to struggle with population decline and vacancies.

 
 

Examiner: Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Axel Sowa
​Co-Examiner: Dr.-Ing., Universitätsprofessor Christian Raabe

Contact Graduate: mara.joergens@rwth-aachen.de