Testimonial Lab: Zeugenschaft als Modus der Kommunikation in gesellschaftlichen Konflikten

Ergebnisse eines Experiments im Rheinischen Braunkohlerevier

Abstract

Far-reaching conflicts and polarized controversies are pervading German society. The Rhenish lignite mining area between Cologne and Aachen became the most important crystallization point for anti-coal protests in Germany due to the disputes surrounding Hambach Forest and the hamlet of Lützerath. On one side of the fence were workers who had found good jobs here for generations. On the other side environmentalists and climate activists questioned this form of energy production and stressed its harmful consequences for the global climate development. Under the title Testimonial Lab, we carried out a real-life laboratory that attempts to make such profound conflicts communicable in a new way. The theoretical foundation for this attempt is the political, ethical and epistemic concept of testimony. From January to May 2025, together with partners from civil society, we tested a new format of indirect “testimonial dialogues” with two groups – one of climate activists and the other of employees from the lignite industry. These dialogues are explicitly designed as an alternative to existing forms of participation and deliberation, which we believe often fail due to unrealistic preconditions. In this paper, we outline the basic assumptions, design, course and results of our experiment, discuss possible difficulties and present initial conclusions for the further development of the format. In the future, testimonial dialogues could also be used in other contexts for initiating new communication dynamics between groups that have become speechless towards each other.