Krisenregionen im Spannungsfeld zwischen Strukturerhaltung, Umstrukturierung, exogenem und endogenem Krisenmanagement.

Das Beispiel der Stahlstadt Sulzbach-Rosenberg

Abstract

In the course of the present economic structural changes, it is above all the old industrial regions that are threatened and affected by structural crises. Precipitating the danger of progressive destabilization, dramatic crises arise when dominant large-scale enterprises collapse. Regional political counter-measures for tackling such crisis situations can be differentiated as two ideal-typical strategies: one, striving to preserve the traditional structures, and the other, and more promising one, aiming at regional restructuring, which requires a greater measure of engagement of endogenous forces. On the basis of a study of the cause of the Steel Town of Sulzbach-Rosenberg, processes of spatial development setting in after the collapse of Maxhütte, the chief local employer, are empirically re-enacted. They focus on mechanisms and effects of the crisis management, as well as situations of actions and reactions by employees and small business who or which were affected by the crisis, the latter part being conducted in microanalytical detail. The result was that, thanks to measures taken by the crisis management and individual initiatives of those affected, it was possible to achieve considerable success in the stabilizations of endogenous potentials. Essential components in the successful tackling of the crisis were on the one hand the energetic engegament and the initiative of the endogenous forces, together with purposeful efforts for regional restrucutring and, on the other hand, the partial preservation of Maxhütte and the material support of redundant older employees through state transfer benefits. Although the manner of the successful handling of the crisis at Sulzbach-Rosenberg cannot simply be transferred to other crisis regions, considering their different circumstances, the information gained from the study of the case permits strategic elements and systems-goals to be identified and stressed, which seem in principle to be particularly well suited to contribute to the solution of crises of regional structure.