https://gh.copernicus.org/articles/ Recent articles of the journal Geographica Helvetica en https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-237-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-237-2026 <b>Grounded relationalities, the socio-ecological (de/re)territorialization of São Paulo's urban marginalities</b><br> Lucas Lerchs<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 237–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-237-2026, 2026<br> This study retraces the production, loss, and defence of a self-built urban settlement in the ecological peripheries of São Paulo. This study explores how such self-built marginalized communities build and defend their territory in the face of environmental laws and urban expansion. It shows how everyday relations with land and the ecologies – what the work calls grounded relationalities – are both the basis of home and the target of oppression and potential resistance for the evicted families.  Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-223-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-223-2026 <b>Festivalisation in a new light: characteristics and objectives of light art festivals in Germany</b><br> Jochen Burger<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 223–236, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-223-2026, 2026<br> This qualitative study researches light art festivals in Germany. Over the past 25 years, 25 light art festivals have been implemented by various actors, mostly in small- and medium-sized cities across Germany. The analysis indicates that public authorities do not adopt this format solely for the purpose of promoting the city's brand and attracting tourists. Instead, these events are also founded with the aim of defamiliarising routines and addressing multiples challenges in city centres. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-207-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-207-2026 <b>Declining red brick factories in Greater Cairo (Egypt): unveiling military-led urbanization through its productive peripheries</b><br> Corten Pérez-Houis<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 207–222, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-207-2026, 2026<br> This paper deals with Cairo's contemporary urbanization through one of its main building materials: red brick. Although the Egyptian capital has been expanding for the last few decades, the production of this building material is being challenged. The modernization policies implemented by al-Sisi's government have led to a technical standardization of red brick and an economic marginalization of its factories, with concrete block emerging as a competing material. Thu, 19 Mar 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-193-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-193-2026 <b>Klassenzusammensetzung und die Produktion verräumlichter Gemeinschaften in Barcelona-Sants</b><br> Martin Sarnow<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 193–206, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-193-2026, 2026<br> The article analyses the production of spatialised communities in the Sants district of Barcelona from a historical-materialist perspective. The case study outlines how rising rents, displacement and forced evictions threaten existing social structures, while at the same time new spatialised communities are produced in struggles against neoliberal urban development. The composition of these struggles reflects an international, heavily feminized, and precarious working class. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-179-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-179-2026 <b>Preparing for war: citizenship, militarization and the agencies of children and youth in security politics</b><br> Kathrin Hörschelmann and Lukas Dreßen<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 179–192, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-179-2026, 2026<br> This paper examines how young people are enrolled in military security politics as a politics of killing and letting die that is enabled by generational injustice. Based on the analysis of the three case studies of military recruitment and citizenship in France, Sweden, and Latvia, the paper argues for greater attention to the militarization of young people’s lives and to the ethical and generational justice implications of this. Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-171-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-171-2026 <b>German Theory: Ein Nachwort</b><br> Benedikt Korf and Eberhard Rothfuß<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 171–177, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-171-2026, 2026<br> In this afterword to the themed issue German Theory, we explain the origins and meaning of German Theory as a constellation of German-Jewish thought that although it has its origins in the cultural and intellectual life of Weimar still has something important to say to contemporary human geography and its theoretical debates. Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-155-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-155-2026 <b>Between faith and nature: sacred landscapes of South Tyrol in nineteenth-century travel accounts</b><br> Lorenzo Brocada<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 155–169, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-155-2026, 2026<br> This study explores how religion and nature shaped the Alpine landscapes of South Tyrol in the nineteenth century. By analyzing travellers' writings and images, it shows how faith was expressed through mountain spaces and how these sacred places helped form local identity. The research reveals that sacred landscapes are dynamic, linking memory, belief, and a sense of belonging that still resonates today. Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-137-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-137-2026 <b>The menhir: aesthetic politics of radioactive waste disposal in northern Switzerland</b><br> Rony Emmenegger and Federico Luisetti<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 137–153, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-137-2026, 2026<br> Geological disposal projects rest on the assumption that radioactive waste can be safely managed through its spatio-temporal separation from human life at the surface. This paper examines how a local farmer in the Zürcher Weinland – one of the regions considered for nuclear waste disposal – disrupted this assumption by rendering the radioactive hazard perceptible through a series of landscape interventions. Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-123-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-123-2026 <b>The productivity of necropolitics</b><br> Timo Dorsch<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 123–136, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-123-2026, 2026<br> This analysis addresses the question of the role of violence in maximizing capitalist profits in Latin America. It reveals that violence is not a consequence of personal brutality but rather a structural component of a very specific form of labour. The labour carried out through violence, and the human bodies that endure it, form a mode of production that is more similar to what we are familiar with than we usually realize. Nonetheless, even here, resistance is possible. Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-107-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-107-2026 <b>Urban climate neutrality: Swiss development projects and urban climate finance in Rajkot</b><br> Fritz-Julius Grafe and Christian Jung<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 107–122, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-107-2026, 2026<br> This paper explores how Swiss development agencies strategically facilitate climate finance in Rajkot, India. By anchoring climate finance locally, these projects promote climate-resilient infrastructure while advancing Switzerland’s geopolitical and economic goals. The study examines the formation of state–capital hybrids and explores the shifting role of the state under current climate finance practices. Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-87-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-87-2026 <b>Conflits et apprentissages militants: le mouvement pro-ukrainien en France face à la guerre (2014–2024)</b><br> Hervé Amiot<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 87–105, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-87-2026, 2026<br> How do you advocate for and send aid to a country at war thousands of kilometers away? This is the questions facing the Ukrainian diaspora in France since 2014 and the "first" Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The article shows that pro-Ukrainian activists, who are largely new to the cause, are building their practical know-how "on the job" by experimenting with other activists, consulting professionals (especially in the medical field), and interacting remotely with their contacts in Ukraine. Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-77-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-77-2026 <b>Political feelings in ecological crises – an Introduction to the Theme Issue “Emotional society-nature-relations” [Emotionale Gesellschaft-Natur-Verhältnisse]</b><br> Jan Winkler and Boris Michel<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 77–85, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-77-2026, 2026<br> The editorial introduces the special issue on socio-environmental emotionalities. It stresses the importance of analysing the emotional and affective dimensions of shifting society–environment relations in the context of climate change and socio-ecological crises. Based on a political and spatial conceptualisation of emotions and affects, the editorial asks about their role in shaping power relations and subjectivities, while engaging with the rich contributions to the special issue. Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-69-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-69-2026 <b>Bordering the academy: comment la frontière de Damoclès empêche de travailler sur la Palestine?</b><br> Clémence Lehec<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 69–76, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-69-2026, 2026<br> The author offers a retrospective of her researching on borders in Palestine in the late 2010's experience, in the form of commented narrative reconstructions. The author describes and analyzes the processes of silenciation and the obstacles encountered in conducting research on Palestine. She intends to raise questions about what is build as legitimate or not within the academic space, reflecting on the power relations that act as structural brakes on the production of knowledge. Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-51-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-51-2026 <b>La métropole en enquête: action collective et circulation des savoirs dans les réseaux contestataires de l'aménagement urbain</b><br> Lucile Garnier<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 51–68, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-51-2026, 2026<br> This article explores how metropolitan areas influence citizen mobilization in response to the negative effects of urban development. Based on a survey conducted in Grenoble, it analyzes the reaction of non-institutional collectives to the dynamics of metropolitanization. Drawing on pragmatic sociology, it shows how these collectives develop learning processes and spaces for self-education, where activist knowledge circulates and is constructed. Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-35-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-35-2026 <b>Imaginaires et gestes de la mort en cendres: une recherche-création pour explorer la dispersion hors des cimetières et des jardins du souvenir</b><br> Eléonore Bak and Pascaline Thiollière<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 35–50, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-35-2026, 2026<br> Based on an ongoing research-creation project, we take a look at practices that are emerging outside the traditional funeral framework: the scattering of human ashes in "natural" spaces. While the ultimate aim is to add to the body of scientific knowledge around death and ashes (practices, imaginaries, gestures, public policy, citizenship, etc.), to achieve this, it aims to use creative methods of collection and analysis, that can best reveal the full breadth of these experiences. Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-21-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-21-2026 <b>Rhythmic rush: everyday outpatient care within microgeographies of home and “service complex systems”</b><br> Dominique Luzia Kauer<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 21–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-21-2026, 2026<br> To understand how care standards affect everyday elderly home care, I conducted fieldwork in rural Germany. I found that strict guidelines on the time spent on care tasks impact the bodies of nurses and clients, as well as carers’ routines. Moreover, they alter the living spaces of the clients. All these findings suggest that digital technologies and standardized procedures can significantly influence care quality and everyday intimate encounters in the home space. Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-1-2026 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-1-2026 <b>Die Geopolitik der Emotionen – Zum Verhältnis von Sprache und Emotionen in geopolitischen Krisenzeiten am Beispiel der Bundestagsdebatten über den russischen Expansionskrieg in der Ukraine</b><br> Lilly Anjana Lautermann and Paul Reuber<br> Geogr. Helv., 81, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-1-2026, 2026<br> In view of the increasingly polarising and emotionally charged geopolitical debates of recent times of war, the present article aims to understand the relationship between emotions and geopolitical imaginations with reference to Sara Ahmed's Cultural Politics of Emotions and introduces a methodologically viable approach for a qualitative-interpretative analysis of the emotionalisations of geopolitical discourses. Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-527-2025 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-527-2025 <b>Mapping climate-change-related processes affecting most frequented routes by French mountain guides</b><br> Xavier Cailhol, Ludovic Ravanel, and Jacques Mourey<br> Geogr. Helv., 80, 527–544, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-527-2025, 2025<br> This study examines the impact of climate change on Alpine climbing routes in the western European Alps. By identifying the routes most frequented by French mountain guides across various Alpine massifs, the research combines historical comparisons, contemporary surveys and detailed mapping of geomorphological and glaciological processes. Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-509-2025 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-509-2025 <b>L'expérience située d'un public et de ses problèmes: écologie d'un rassemblement à Sainte-Soline (France)</b><br> Romain Cazaux<br> Geogr. Helv., 80, 509–525, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-509-2025, 2025<br> Using an ecological and pragmatist approach, this article explores how a shared understanding of a problematic situation emerges within a public gathering. The analysis focuses on the protest held in Sainte-Soline (Deux-Sèvres, France) in October 2022, where several thousand people assembled to oppose the construction of substitution reservoirs (often referred to as "mega-basins"). Fri, 05 Dec 2025 08:39:32 +0100 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-501-2025 https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-501-2025 <b>Queering urban commons: (re)negotiating space, time, labor, and power in marginal urbanities</b><br> Leandra Maria Choffat<br> Geogr. Helv., 80, 501–508, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-501-2025, 2025<br> This article examines how marginal collectives that organize around access to land and housing in Switzerland negotiate power dynamics to avoid reproducing existing inequalities. It considers what queer collective practices of organizing time, space, and labor add to these negotiations while also working to disrupt capitalist inequalities in contemporary urban contexts. These arguments are illustrated through examples from participatory observations. Wed, 03 Dec 2025 08:39:32 +0100