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Graphic novel about the Green Belt: memory and nature united!
Experience the interactive comic reading “Rose and Robert” on German unity and nature conservation on November 5th, 2025 in Sonneberg.
Graphic novel about the Green Belt: memory and nature united!
Today, November 5th, 2025, the duo Jochen Voit and Lilya Maleeva are presenting their graphic novel “Rose and Robert” as part of an interactive comic reading. This event is a successful initiative by Anke Geier, the Thuringian state representative for coming to terms with the SED dictatorship, and Christian Beck from Catholic Adult Education. The 35 years of German unity are commemorated here, and the reading takes place in close cooperation with the Thuringia Nature Conservation Foundation instead of.
A central topic of the reading is the “Green Belt in Thuringia”, which comes into focus as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site. This band stretches an impressive length of 1,400 kilometers along the former inner-German border and symbolizes both the memory of the division of the country and an important biotope network. The protection of the Green Belt was decided in Thuringia as a national natural monument in 2018, while Saxony-Anhalt and Hesse followed suit.
The path to world heritage
What exactly is the status of the Green Belt? At the end of 2023, the Conference of Culture Ministers decided to propose the Green Belt as a mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site for the German tentative list. The initiative aims to permanently protect and recognize the natural and cultural value of the Green Belt. Germany officially proposed the Green Belt to UNESCO at the beginning of 2024.
The events under the motto “On the way to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site – The Green Belt in Thuringia” offer the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic. The series starts in September at the Schifflersgrund Border Museum and culminates in a two-day conference in Probstzella. Both the natural and contemporary historical dimensions of the Green Belt are examined.
A lively retreat
How important this green belt is for biodiversity is reflected in the large number of rare animal and plant species that have settled here. The golden fritillary, pearl mussel, lynx and lady's slipper orchid are just some of the important species that protect this region. Nevertheless, around 11% of the areas in the Green Belt as a whole have not yet been renatured, which is important for future recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With this in mind, the Thuringia Nature Conservation Foundation has also initiated projects in order to be able to protect and connect the Green Belt even better. These include tree planting campaigns and storytelling cafés that link the history of the former inner-German border with today's environmental situation.
The German Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) has once again called for the protection of the Green Belt to be promoted. Olaf Bandt, the BUND chairman, underlines its importance as a symbol of democracy and freedom and appeals to the federal states to also designate their part of the Green Belt as a national natural monument. The UNESCO application is to be pushed forward with a special World Heritage office that was set up to coordinate and support the nomination process.
In this sense, the proactive measures and events are not only a sign of remembrance, but also a commitment to preserve the green heritage for future generations. It is therefore up to all of us to protect and promote this valuable piece of nature and history.