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The Fukushima catastrophe dramatically changed the political discourse about nuclear energy in Germany. The use of nuclear energy, long a hotly disputed topic inside and outside the German parliamentary system, is now opposed by an over-arching crossparty alliance. On 1 July 2011, the German parliament passed a multitude of decisions to regulate a nuclear phase-out and prepare Germany, one of the world's biggest economies, for the period after nuclear power. According to the new law, the last German nuclear power plant will go offline and shut down in 2022. The announcement and decision to phase out the use of nuclear power in Germany caused mixed responses worldwide, ranging from harsh criticism to understanding and support. Now, Germany has become the global laboratory for other governments to see if the decision leads to economic stagnation or pays offand causes another economic boom.
I. Introduction
The Fukushima catastrophe hit when State leaders and business managers were talking about a nuclear renaissance. As part of the fight against climate change, nuclear power was again being considered as a clean energy source suitable to keep CO2-emissions low. Even in countries that had opposed it for decades, it became more socially acceptable to at least discuss the nuclear option. For nuclear power operators, Fukushima was a major setback in making nuclear power acceptable again. For the anti-nuclear movement around the world, it was a serious reminder of the unforeseeable danger of human-made nuclear fission.
Now Germany, one of the world's biggest economies, has decided that in a decade it will have switched offthe nuclear power stations that currently supply around a quarter of its electricity needs. To decide if this is just a unique overreaction due to German angst or an example that will inspire other nations to follow in creating a nuclear-free world (at least in terms of energy production), it is important to understand the history and politics that provide the basis for this decision. This article will give an overview of the historic debate in Germany (III.) and show that much has changed in the relationship between Germans and nuclear technology since Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann, in December 1938 first demonstrated nuclear fission in Berlin. Furthermore, it will give an idea of how the...