"Nuclear waste in our village? Why not? "This attitude is rather rare in Germany. In our neighboring country, Sweden the little town of Östhammar has actually applied for the establishment of a nuclear repository. OSTKREUZ Photographer Maurice Weiss, who photographed the village recently, tells us why. 
© Maurice Weiss/OSTKREUZ
"The people of Östhammar don't look particularly daring. Quite the contrary. Even when they go for a jog, they wear bright safety vests. Anyway, the projected nuclear repository next to their village does not make them worry. They simply trust their structures, the scientific standards, the constant safety controls. And they trust themselves. A large part of the villagers works at nearby nuclear power plant Forsmark. When it's not an anonymous stranger, but one's neighbor that is responsible for the security, that is naturally very reassuring. Especially if the neighbor has already proven its accuracy. After the accident at Chernobyl, Forsmark was one of the first places, where the increased radiation was detected.
For the establishment of the repository the village receives money, of course. But this doesn´t seem to be decisive. What moves people most of all is the desire to take responsibility. 'The waste must go somewhere', they say, and they are disposed to take risks for that.
Östhammar is a popular holiday destination with its wild nature, the many birds and the camping sites. Still, the inhabitants are not worried about its losing its appeal to tourists with the repository. 'Why? Everything is safe' they argue.
© Maurice Weiss/OSTKREUZ
So, the discussion proceeds very differently than in Germany, where the inhabitants of Gorleben have been fighting for decades against the establishment of a repository. I think this has a lot to do with the different structures. In Germany, especially when it comes to nuclear power, political decisions often scientifically substantiated by hindsight. In Sweden, the processes are more transparent and there is another citizen understanding. The Swedes are generally more involved in politics, but are also very consensus-oriented. The German "Wutbürger" (enraged citizen) does not exist here."
Maurice Weiss
More photos here and in the latest "Spiegel"
