Rust Belts: West-East Comparisons – and Beyond

The Special Issue aims to stimulate a comparative discussion of the divergent developments of (heavy) industry in Europe since 1970, and seeks to encourage East-West comparisons to identify differences and, more importantly, similarities. The articles focus on industries such as shipbuilding and steelmaking, and regions such as the Great Lakes and the Ruhr. In doing so, they shed light on different industries and regions in crisis. The authors address meta-questions such as the definition of a crisis, the key actors and their interactions, the impact of the second wave of globalisation, and the consequences of the collapse of state socialism between 1989 and 1991. Finally, the changing importance of the analysed industries over time is examined.