ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Connecting Movements Across Continents: West-German Support for the Australian Anti-Uranium Struggle

• In Event: Nuclear History as Global History: Current Debates and New Perspectives 2

English Abstract

In the 1970s and 1980s, uranium mining threatened the lands and livelihoods of indigenous communities worldwide, yet governments like West Germany prioritized energy security in the aftermath of the oil crisis. This paper explores the transnational links between West-German activists and the Australian anti-uranium movement, showing how international solidarity was largely mediated through leading activists, alternative media, and institutional networks rather than broad grassroots cooperation. While a shared global concern over nuclear energy and disarmament emerged, its expression and negotiation remained shaped by national contexts. By analyzing channels of information exchange, advocacy, and mutual support, this study demonstrates that meaningful transnational activism existed long before digital communication.

Author

• Astrid Mignon Kirchhof, Deutsches Museum