Between mythical and post-industrial wilderness

The term “wilderness“ is nowadays often discussed as distinct from the cultural landscape or landscape in general. Nevertheless, this distinction is not objective, but it is rather a cultural construct. In this sense, Nature, traditionally perceived as independent phenomenon, is a socially constructed reality. In this paper it is argued that at least two important aspects in the perception of wilderness can be identified. The first is that wilderness can be represented as something cruel or ungovernable; the second one identifies wilderness as an uncultivated area. The evolution of wilderness perception is described. The concept of post-industrial landscape is presented as a conjunction of the previously characterised approaches, which unifies culture and wilderness. Examples of cultural and biological importance in post-industrial landscape are presented.