Since the development of the lignite mine in the north of Cottbus (1978) seven municipalities were destroyed and 906 residents had to be relocated. The strongest opposition took place in the municipality of Lakoma. The vast majority of that time about 150 inhabitants was resettled before the reunification in 1989/90 despite protests and some farms were demolished. Then the village was as deserted or ghost town largely empty. In May 1992, vacant buildings were occupied by environmental activists. A year later an association was founded, which, inter alia sought to legalize the occupations and to implement a common village use. This association received in 1994 the right for interim use of Lakoma until 2003. More than twenty people inhabited at that time the remaining part of the village. After expiry of the interim use contracts (in 2003), the owner of the village (Swedish government owned enterprise Vattenfall) evacuated the village by police violence and despite continued resistance. Afterwards, all but two houses at the entrance of the village close proximity to the main road were teared off. In 2004 a two-hour documentary was made about the conflict as well as many other documentations and articles in the local press and in national newspapers. The activists were supported by various EJO’s including Robin Wood, Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND). Protest actions have included occupation of the village (1992-2003), tree occupations (2005-2007), and open letters to the EU commission. In 2008, the village Lakoma disappeared permanently from the countryside north of Cottbus. In the spring of 2010, the coal mine reached the town center. The mining in the Cottbus-Nord mine will continue until 2015 and flooded in 2018. Thus, the former village Lakoma is a part of the future Cottbus East Lake.