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4 Restoring, Reintroducing, Rewilding: Creating European Wilderness

From the book Greening Europe

  • Anna-Katharina Wöbse and Hans-Peter Ziemek

Abstract

This chapter examines changing understandings of wilderness in Europe duringthe twentieth century, and how these ideas took shape in relation to thereintroduction or return of wildlife. Looking at selected species providesconcrete examples to the various understandings of animal agency in therestoration of an earlier natural state and shows how actors from variousEuropean states cooperated and exchanged animals and expertise. The animalsproduced their own dynamics, which presented a constant challenge to humanactors, and did not adhere to the boundaries established by humans. Thisgives rise to fundamental discussions about how much wilderness is desirablein Europe and the ways in which the dichotomy of wilderness andnon-wilderness is constantly being undermined.

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