Patrimoine rural et développement local dans les campagnes mecklembourgeoises (Allemagne) : quelles alternatives à la périphérisation ?

Abstract

The rural region of Demmin, located in the north-east of Germany, is affected by peripheralization: population departures, economic weakening, political dependence and stigmatization. The promotion of the natural and cultural heritage could therefore be a way of developing the region. The article questions the extent to which the enhancement of heritage contributes to local development or reinforces the situation of dependency of the region. Heritage-based development projects are often encouraged by public policies, as they allow local actors to federate around a project that they design themselves from the resources of their own territory. However, the post-socialist and peripheralization context of the region limits the supposed benefits of this mode of valorization. Moreover, the strengthening of regional identity and the enhancement of heritage are mainly for marketing purposes, and for customers outside the territory. The risk of local actors losing power in their territory is therefore increased.

Keywords

• rural heritage
• local development
• rural development
•  peripheralization
•  Germany
• new Lander