The debate about the rehabilitation, recultivation, and design of open-pit mining wastelands in East Germany after 1989/90 is the subject of this study. Markus Schwarzer analyzes the ideas, values, and symbols of landscape that characterize the aesthetic perception, scientific exploration, and planning transformation of these wastelands. For his investigation, he has selected key concepts from the southern Leipzig area, the Dessau-Bitterfeld-Wittenberg region, and Lusatia. The author highlights the cultural content of landscapes in the respective concepts and interprets the shift in discourse regarding post-mining landscapes.