The year 1986 brought catastrophe for humankind and the environment. A nuclear power station exploded in the Ukraine, and a chemicals accident in Switzerland killed off almost all the aquatic life in the Rhine. The impact of the two events worldwide was and continues to be immense. The events became deeply rooted in society=s collective memory and are regarded as the hour of birth for the environmental movement, both in Germany and internationally. This volume not only traces the two events, but also explains the relationship between state and society and the emergence and influence of the New Social Movements, linking the presentation of German history with issues of technical, environmental and social history.

Dr. Peter Bilhöfer teaches history in grammar school and is a lecturer at Karlsruhe University of Education.