Film and discussion with Michael Succow
The biologist and peatland expert Michael Succow has made a unique contribution to the preservation and protection of diverse cultural landscapes. Growing up in Brandenburg on the edge of the Oderbruch, he tended his parents' flock of sheep as a child and had many opportunities to observe the diversity of birds and plants. Since studying biology in Greifswald, Michael Succow has always taken a courageous stance and used tactical wisdom to advocate for the good of the earth. As an extremely knowledgeable agricultural advisor, he was sent to Mongolia and Ethiopia in the 1970s and 1980s - without being a travel cadre - and always maintained his independence of thought and action. Even in turbulent times, he remained upright. Without having been a member of the SED, Michael Succow was elected to the People's Chamber of the GDR and was appointed deputy minister in 1990 during the period between the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification. Thanks to long-standing friendships and an unerring inner compass, he succeeded in securing five national parks, six biosphere reserves and three nature parks covering a total of 4.5 percent of the GDR's territory. Michael Succow was awarded the "Alternative Nobel Prize" in 1997 for this masterstroke of socio-ecological commitment. Since 1999, he has been working with the "Succow Foundation" worldwide on peatland and climate protection, rewetting, biosphere reserves, protected areas and nature-oriented management of landscapes.
The documentary "How does nature work?", which premiered in November 2025! (2025), premiered in November 2025, pays tribute to Michael Succow's life's work in impressive images with a novel symbiosis of original footage and AI-supported artificial reenactment. We are delighted to welcome Michael to the screening and the subsequent discussion.
Michael Succow has been closely associated with Klein Jasedow and other agricultural projects in Lassaner Winkel for many years, including as a member of the advisory board of the "Kleine Dorfschule Lassaner Winkel" and the magazine "Oya".
Admission free, donations requested.
How does nature work? A film by Carsten Krüger Filmproduktions GmbH & HaDeZett gGmbH, Kathrin Succow. By Jakob Friedrich and Jason Krüger (2025, 60 minutes).
The film was funded by: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Umweltstiftung Michael Otto, Dieter Mennekes Umweltstiftung, Michael Succow Stiftung, Maria Opitz-Döllinger Stiftung.
