Brown Coal Deposits of the German Democratic Republic

The major source of energy for power generation in the GDR is brown coal. This paper identifies the areas of production, the types of deposit and their exploitation. Techniques for extraction are described, and recent developments in technology mentioned, which have lead to increased efficiency and overall production totals. Apart from providing an indigenous source of fuel, working of brown coal deposits has allowed economic exploitation of associated resources, such as sands and gravels. The mining of brown coal in the GDR is part of an overall planned system for regional and national development, which includes comprehensive reclamation treatments for worked areas, and provides for ‘mining protection areas’ which are designed to prevent conflicts of interest in areas of potential resources.