Nature’s reclamation of military landscapes from 1914-1945 – a field case study of the current appearance and management of polemological ruin-landscapes in France.

Abstract

This thesis explores whether natural recovery in war-affected landscapes constitutes deliberate passive management or simple abandonment. Through comparative analysis of WW1 Fort Douaumont and WW2 Fort Simserhof in northern France, the research examines how natural processes shape polemological landscapes over time. Using photographic comparison, aerial imagery analysis, and field observations across 54 locations, the study identifies four criteria distinguishing passive management from abandonment: intentionality, boundaries and control, monitoring, and communicated purpose. Fort Douaumont exemplifies deliberate passive management through postwar afforestation that protects ground contaminated with unexploded ordnance while honoring unrecovered soldiers and supporting ecological succession. In contrast, many WW2 fortifications appear genuinely abandoned despite significant ecological value, lacking the recognition and frameworks that characterize intentional minimal intervention. Field data reveals that abandoned military structures provide critical habitat for specialized species including bats and cave spiders, while bomb craters support rare amphibians and plants. However, complete non-intervention can reduce biodiversity as ecological succession progresses. The research concludes that passive management constitutes a valid strategy for war landscapes, particularly where active intervention is dangerous or inappropriate, but requires formal recognition in heritage policy to distinguish it from neglect.