Stuttgart 21 III: Archaeological Excavations

About the sound

Stuttgart 21 is one of the biggest construction projects in Germany. It includes the underground construction of a new central station for the city of Stuttgart as well as the creation of a new network of tracks and tunnels that allows high speed trains to pass in the area, possibly reduces travelling times and connects Stuttgart to international transport networks. It is conducted by Deutsche Bahn and co-financed by public money.
However, despite enthusiasm from its founders and the industry, the project has been heavily criticised. Not only has it become much more expensive than expected, but there are also doubts about the efficiency and safety of the new central station as well as about the actual benefit of the high speed tracks. Moreover, the construction fuelled protests and many discussions on protected buildings and nature reserves within the city such as historic parks.
An aspect of the construction site is the archaeological work by the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege (Baden-Würtemberg). Archaeologists explore the sites of construction carefully before mechanical diggers dig deeper into the ground. This recording was made at the excavation site of an artificial canal of the Nesenbach, which had been built in the late 1600s. Another part of the canal was built around 1805. You can hear the archaeologists dig into the ground with spades and shovels as they take small objects out of the ground. In the background a small mechanical digger and the more distant sounds from the main construction site can be heard.

Sound: Konrad Gutkowski
Photo: Kathinka Engels