All language subtitles for Mysteries.of.the.Abandoned.S09E22.1080p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-BTN_track3_[und]

[narrator] A devastated
Liberian landmark

with American origins.

They thought they could
only fulfil their potential
in Africa.

[narrator] A Belgian town i
the shadow of its destroyer

[woman] It had to
expand or die.

But one group
of people decided
to do something about it.

[narrator] And a mountainto
retreat in Bolivia

drained of its lifeblood.

This building
looks like it's teetering

on the edge of the world.

[narrator] Decaying relics.

Ruins of lost worlds.

Sites haunted by the past.

Their secrets
waiting to be revealed.

In the heart
of Liberia's capital,

a disintegrating tower
dominates the skyline.

In the middle of a busy street

in downtown Monrovia
is a run-down skyscraper.

[Dr. Mabry] What has survive

are these
decorative concrete slabs.

Who are the people
depicted here?

The inside is every bit
as decrepit as the outside.

Crumbling walls,

rotting stairwells,

it's just a mess.

[narrator] There are still
a few lingering traces

of its former grandeur.

The standout feature
is this massive abstract
stained glass window.

One large room
looks like an auditorium.

Could this have been a cinem

You would never believe
that this was once

one of Liberia's
most important buildings.

[narrator] Built by
a centuries-old organizatio

with foundations
in an American exodus,

this hollow skyscraper

would witness
their spectacular downfall.

Looking after
this decaying building

is an impossible task
for its janitor, Losonny Gra

[translation] This building
used to be very beautiful.

Very modern.

These were all offices.

You can see
how this place was looted.

Destroyed by human hands.

[narrator] Before
its untimely demise,

this was
Monrovia's cultural hub.

The building was
a combination of offices

and an entertainment center,

housing the largest auditori
in the entire country.

[translation]
This was a theater.

They used to have
movies and shows here.

All these things
used to happen.

It even had the best
restaurants in Monrovia.

[narrator]
But its original function

was primarily political.

[translation] This building
was constructed

under the reign
of the True Whig Party.

[narrator] Built as
the headquarters

of the political party

that would dominate a centur
of Liberian politics,

it was named after
the organization's
first president,

EJ Roye, an American.

[Sascha Auerbach]
Edward James Roye
was born in Newark, Ohio,

and when he was 31 he decide
to move himself to Liberia.

He became a very wealthy
and successful merchant,

to the point at which
he could even travel

to the United States
in his own ship.

[narrator] Roye's rise
to the head

of one of the world's
oldest political parties

and the Liberian presidency

began in the turmoil
of 19th-century America.

In 1816, a group
of influential white Americans

got together to discuss
what they saw as

the problem of growing numbers
of emancipated African slaves.

They believed that
with their newfound freedom,

the former slaves
would find it difficult

to integrate
into white America,

and they thought they could
only fulfil their potential

in Africa.

So they established
an organization

called the American
Colonization Society, or ACS,

to fund and organize
the transportation

of former American slaves
to West Africa,

and to set them up
when they arrived.

The federal government
also assisted the ACS

in buying an area of land.

[narrator] This land
would eventually become

part of modern Liberia.

Tempted by a new life
away from the nation

that had seen them
enslaved for generations,

thousands set sail
for Liberia's shores.

Altogether, some 15,000
African Americans settled,

and they became known
as Americo-Liberians.

They built
American-looking homes

that resembled
plantation homes,

they built
American-looking churches.

They tried to create
an American society,

essentially, in Africa.

Even its flag reflects
this relationship

to the United States,

because the two flags
are strikingly similar.

[narrator] In 1869, a group
of these Americo-Liberians

established
the True Whig Party.

Only American settlers
and their descendants

were allowed to vote,

so this eliminated
any possibility

of competition
from competing parties.

[narrator] When Roye
took office in 1870,

he was immediately faced
with financial crisis.

His goal was
to modernize Liberia,

particularly its schools
and infrastructure.

But the way that
he went about raising money

for these projects
would be his downfall.

[narrator] He took punishin
loans from British banks,

which Liberia
soon defaulted on,

spiraling into recession.

Deep resentment
grew towards Roye.

He was accused of embezzlement

and even brought to trial,

but managed to escape
before the sentencing.

Less than two years
after coming into office,

he was overthrown,
and died in 1872.

[narrator]
The exact circumstances

of Roye's death are unknown

One theory suggests he drown

while swimming to the safet
of a British ship

waiting in Monrovia's harbor

Although one might think
that Roye's presidency

ended in disgrace,

he is actually regarded
as a hero in Liberia,

which is why
the party's building

was built in his honor.

Some believe that
this headquarters building

was actually constructed on
the spot where he was killed.

[narrator] Completed in 1965

nearly a century
after his death,

the EJ Roye Building
stood testament

to a century
of Americo-Liberian control

But it wouldn't end up
being in use for very long,

because Liberia
was about to be shaken

to its very foundations.

[narrator] In 1965, Liberia'
oldest political party,

the True Whigs, moved into
their new headquarters,

the EJ Roye Building.

Originally formed
by African Americans

who emigrated after
the abolition of slavery,

this building became
the newest center

of their near 100-year reign

But it wouldn't be the party's
headquarters for long.

In 1980, a coup detat
would bring an end

to the party's long rule.

[narrator] Aggrieved by
centuries of dominance

by the Americo-Liberian
ruling class,

Master Sergeant Samuel Doe

led a group of
indigenous Liberian soldier

into the president's mansion

There, they executed
the president,

and began targeting
his ministers

and party headquarters.

[translation] What led
to the destruction

of this building was the war

They felt the former regime

had been in power
for too long.

Many government officials
were killed.

13 were publicly executed
on the beach.

[narrator] After the True Wh
Party was ousted from power

the EJ Roye Building was
confiscated and left to deca

A government agency eventually
took over the building.

[Sascha] It became so dereli

that it had to be closed
for reconstruction.

[narrator] In 2005,
the True Whig Party

made a bid to return to
frontline Liberian politics

But reclaiming
the EJ Roye Building

is an uphill struggle.

They still see the building
as the party's,

and a fierce legal battle
is ongoing

to stop any construction

or possession of the buildin
by government officials.

The party has filed
a US $10 billion-lawsuit

against the government.

Even in its ruined state, this
building is still regarded as

a symbol and an icon
of Liberia and Monrovia.

[narrator] High in
the Andes Mountains,

above the city of La Paz,

a ramshackle complex
sits alone and exposed.

This building
looks like it's teetering

on the edge of the world.

The paint work has degraded,
roof panels are missing,

and there's a faded grandeur
to the place.

[narrator] As you get closer

other structures appear to
rise out of the barren earth

This strange glass pyramid

looks more like
an art installation.

[narrator]
Here, the air is thin

and the weather is ferocious

[Sascha] This is
extremely high altitude.

17,500 feet above sea level.

That's higher than
the base camp A at Everest.

This place was once busy
and bustling with tourists

who would come
from all over the globe.

You can see
something pretty dramatic

has taken place.

[narrator] This isn't
an isolated case.

What happened here

is happening
all across the planet.

And the ramifications
are only just beginning.

This is Chacaltaya
in western Bolivia.

Together,
these dilapidated structure

hold an extraordinary claim
to fame.

This is the highest ski resort
in the world.

But it doesn't really resemb
a ski resort anymore.

The slopes are empty,
the bars, silent.

[narrator] Samuel Mendoza
is the guardian of this site

[translation] I have been
taking this route

for 42 years.

I come from
further down the mountain

where there is a big lake.

From there, I walk all the w
to the mountaintop.

This has been the most
important thing in my life.

[narrator] He still remember

what this place was like
in its heyday.

[translation] It was
really busy on this mountain

The skiers would come
to here and get off,

and they would go down again

The whole mountain
was covered with snow.

Skiing was brilliant
all year round,

and it was rated
as a class one site

for international
skiing competition.

This place was so popular,

it even hosted
national ski championships.

[narrator] After a day out
on the slopes,

visitors could
let their hair down

at the resort's central hub

the Club Andino refuge.

[translation]
They spent the day skiing

and the night here
amongst friends.

They played guitar
and drank wine. It was fun.

Very joyful to be here
with them.

[narrator] Samuel would sta
up here most nights.

[translation] I lived here
for many years.

But we only had candles.

No electricity.

This cabin has been
a very important place for m

Almost like my home.

[narrator] Living and skiin
this high, though,

was extremely taxing
on the human body.

[translation] We're 5,300
meters above sea level.

Some people get unwell
because of the lack of oxyge

This pyramid is here for tho
who had altitude sickness.

They would go inside
and there was oxygen for the

[narrator] Locals have
another method

of dealing with
the altitude sickness.

[translation] I drink coca t

and that is what
protects me most.

It takes a while to boil
because of the lack of oxyge

It is good for the health,
the altitude sickness,

the headaches
and the stomach aches.

[narrator] For a long time,
Chacaltaya thrived.

But unbeknown to many,
the resort was doomed.

[narrator]
Chacaltaya in Bolivia

was once the highest
ski resort in the world,

and a playground for the ric
and adventurous.

But a hidden threat was
about to change everything.

This used to be
a full-scale glacier

that lasted all year round.

But as you can see,
from the lack of snow and ic

the situation has changed
in recent years.

[translation of Samuel]
I first noticed it in 2002.

The rocks were warm.

You could still ski,
but not down the whole slope

only half of it.

Scientists set up
a measuring station

to monitor the size
of the glacier,

and they noticed it was
losing mass every year.

As global
temperatures increase,

the atmosphere
gets warmer and warmer,

and the altitude
at which things freeze

keeps getting
higher and higher.

[Alexis Pedrick] Once the
glacier began to lose mass,

it only accelerated.

And this is due to the color

which determines
its reflectivity.

So as it lost ice
the color kept getting darker,

as the lower layers mixed
with more and more dirt.

[narrator] Nobody appreciate

quite how fast
this would happen.

In 2005, scientists predicted

that this glacier would last
another 10 years.

However, this was optimistic

By 2009,
this 18,000-year-old glacie

had completely disappeared.

[narrator] With it came
the closure of the resort.

[translation] Now,
because of climate change,

we don't have any snow.

It's all like this.
It's just rock.

For me, it's sad
to see it without snow.

Without skiing, no glacier.
It's such a shame.

[narrator] The ramification
were far greater in La Paz,

almost 6,000 feet
below the resort.

These glaciers
are not just commodities

for tourists to enjoy.

They're essential
to supplying water

to the neighboring
communities.

[Alexis] They depended
on the glaciers

to hold the water
during the rainy season,

acting like a dam

so that it would be availabl
during the dry seasons.

And now
that this glacier is gone,

water rationing
has become a reality

for people
in these communities.

[narrator]
Today, the mountain is silen

Yet, Samuel still takes
his familiar route

to check on the refuge.

For him, not all hope is los

[translation] There are
no more visitors,

and there is no more money
for maintenance.

Hopefully, one day,

it will snow again.

[narrator] This, however,
is looking evermore
like a wishful dream.

As the situation
with global warming

only gets worse
around the world,

the situation at Chacaltaya

is just gonna grow
more and more extreme.

The glacier is likely
never going to return.

[narrator] On the banks
of Belgium's River Scheldt

lies the carcass
of a once thriving town.

We're on the outskirts of
Antwerp, Belgium's second city

and a key piece of real esta
within Europe.

This is an ordinary
working class neighborhood,

sandwiched between a city
and acres of farmland.

And it looks
just really, really abandoned.

[narrator] Remains of
the lives lived here

point to a recent exodus.

There's hardly a window
that isn't boarded up,

and the streets
are quiet and silent.

It's almost like
a time capsule

but from very recent history.

[narrator] The dereliction
on show

doesn't offer an easy answe
to what happened here.

This is not Pompeii. There's
no huge natural disaster here.

But where are all the people?

[narrator] Dieter Verschoore
is a local journalist.

He has always known
the Belgian town of Doel

as a shell of its former sel

When lots of people
lived here,

you had a bakery
and you have a grocery store

and even a gas station,
which is now all abandoned.

[narrator] Although
the majority of the town

is boarded up and empty,

there are signs that
a few stalwart residents

continue to live amongst
the relics of a better time

And as you can see,

everything is being
closely watched by cameras,

because they do have
a lot of vandalism,

and they're trying everythin
to prevent that.

This particular sign says,
"This isn't a zoo."

Just to prevent
people or tourists

standing around here
and staring at their house.

Because how would you feel
if someone just comes

and stands
in front of your house

and takes pictures of it?

[narrator] Doel's inhabitant
have been locked in a battl

for the survival of their to
for over half a century.

The cause of this fight

lies just beyond
its vacant streets.

So, right in front of me
is the nuclear power plant
of Doel.

It's really an institute here.

When you mention
the name Doel,

you immediately say,
"Nuclear power plant".

[narrator] It wasn't
the specter
of nuclear meltdown

that emptied the town,

but another mega-project
on the far side of the river

The port of Antwerp
is one of the busiest

and biggest sea ports
in the entire world,

and it has been
at the top of that list,

not just in recent history,

for hundreds
and hundreds of years.

But in that time,
shipping has changed.

[narrator]
As global consumerism took o

in the second half
of the 20th century,

the infrastructure it requir
began to feel the strain.

Trade is ramping up in really
fascinating, dynamic ways.

There's not only food,

there are chemicals,
there's clothing.

If the port of Antwerp
were to stay competitive,

it had to expand or die.

[narrator] Port authorities
soon turned

their attention to Doel.

They see this
quaint little village

sitting just across the river.

And they don't
just see a village,

they see opportunity.

[narrator] In 1963, the tow
was earmarked for demolitio

to make way for an expansio
of the port,

marking the start of
a 50-year battle to save Doe

This is a tiny village
against the state

and an incredibly wealthy
port authority.

First, they have to get rid of
the resident population.

[narrator] The authorities
began a coordinated effort

to remove as many
residents as possible.

It's actually made illegal

to construct any more houses
in this area.

[Sascha] Most folks
just gave up the ghost.
They pack up and leave.

And the place
starts its transformation

from thriving, quaint village
to ghost town.

That must be very weird
to have to leave your homes,

leave everything behind,

everything you know
about your childhood,

that must have been terribl
for those people.

[narrator]
Despite the pressure,

the people fought back.

Local councilor
Boudewijn Vlegels

remembers how it played out

[translation] It was a grou
formed here in Doel

by citizens who over the yea
came together

to oppose the plans
to demolish the town.

The work of the activists

certainly rose
the profile of Doel.

Suddenly, people in Antwerp
were aware

that this area was not goin
to go down without a fight.

If the authorities wanted
a quiet land grab,

the activists made sure that
this was never gonna happen.

[narrator] By 1978,

after 15 years
of battling the plans,

it seemed that
David had beaten Goliath.

[Dr. Mitchell] The plans
to clear the village

were placed on hold,

but this is by no means
the end of the story.

[narrator] In 1978,
residents of Doel in Belgiu

received some good news.

The government had announce

that they would no longer
demolish the town

to make way for the expansio
of Antwerp port.

But by the 1990s,
it became clear

that the battle
wasn't over yet.

[translation]
They were worried

because they didn't know

whether they would be allowe
to keep living here.

There was a lot of insecurit

[narrator] Starting in 1995

the authorities again looke
to empty the town.

They offered to buy the homes
of any remaining residents.

And they gave the impressio

that the longer
the residents waited,

the lower the offer
on the homes would be.

It's about this time
that the population of Doel

goes from about 900
to 300 or 400

and things really become
desperate at this point.

Officially, the idea
was that the houses would b

rented to residents

as the fate of the village
was being decided.

But what happened was

a lot of the buildings
were simply abandoned,

and started
to fall into disrepair,

which suited the authorities
just fine.

[narrator] But just as
the previous generation had

in the 1960s and '70s,

residents and concerned
citizens pulled together.

One group decides
they're not gonna lay down

and just take it.
They're gonna fight.

There were protests,
there were rallies,

there was petitions.

People wanted their voices
to be heard.

[narrator] The battle
to save the town

went back and forth
for over a decade.

Despite all
the campaigners' efforts,

in 2008,
all seemed to be lost.

The authorities
took the brutal decision

to send in the bulldozers.

They knew it would look bad
and it did.

But the bulldozers went in

and started
knocking down buildings.

[narrator] But soon,
there was a breakthrough.

In 2009, it was ruled

the state could not forcibly
remove the residents.

So the bulldozing was stopped.

They were essentially
at a stalemate.

The state being stopped in
its tracks by the proletariat.

[narrator] In 2018,
more than 50 years after

the first plans to destroy
Doel were announced,

the remaining residents

received a welcome bit
of news.

It was decided
that the port of Antwerp

would be extended elsewhere,

leaving the residents
of Doel safe.

[translation] I'm convinced
that Doel has

a bright future ahead of it

and that we can
turn it into something grea

for the whole region to enjo

[narrator] In Cleveland, Ohi

sits a once-noble structure

intended to help satisfy

humankind's desire
for knowledge.

It looks like
a pretty, residential road

on the edge of east Cleveland.

But if you look closer,

you'll see that
it's a hulking building

sitting on a hillside
overlooking the town.

It's got odd wings
going off in different angles.

But most dramatically,

there are two large domes
on the roof.

The old domes are majestic,

but they're completely
falling apart.

[narrator] Built at a time
of technological innovation

this site played its part i
a great scientific discovery

It's clear
this was an observatory

meant for gazing
into the heavens.

But the neighborhood it's i
was not the kind

you would typically put
an observatory in today.

Vines and decay have
accumulated on the walls,

but somehow,
the academic grandeur

has remained intact
for all these years.

The overall aspect
is one of sadness, really.

Clearly, this was an importa
structure in its day,

and now it is neglected.

[narrator] Who built
this center of learning?

And how did
the march of progress

bring it all crashing
back down to Earth?

[narrator] In East Cleveland
Ohio, lie the remains

of a pioneering
scientific structure.

I was here on my wedding day.
I was married

in the observatory
41 years ago.

[narrator] Monica Pershey
lives locally.

Back in 1980,
her husband-to-be

was studying
the history of astronomy.

The observatory was
their dream wedding venue.

[Monica] It was snowing.

Late December.
Very, very cold.

We were married in the morning

so it was still
kinda dim and cloudy.

And it was a beautiful
building at the time.

And it was warm
and cozy inside.

[narrator] Like many
of this city's residents,

this building holds
a special place
in their hearts,

which makes its demise
all the more upsetting.

[Monica] I kind of feel lik
it didn't have to be this wa

Things do fall apart,

but the vandalism

is particularly heartbreakin
to me.

It was very different
than it is now.

The room had a large
brass rail in the middle.

Along the walls were murals

Notably astronomers, Galileo
Copernicus, as I recall.

There was a lot of woodwork

It had a very luxurious fee
to it.

[narrator] The observatory
was first opened in the 1920

The story of its conception

dates back
four decades earlier,

when two men,
Worcester Reed Warner

and Ambrose Swasey,
decided to go into business

So, in 1880,

Cleveland was one of the most
important iron-making centers

of the Unites States.

The Warner and Swasey Compan

quickly became
a leading manufacturer

of precision tools
and machine instruments.

But it was
with their telescopes

that they managed
to change the world.

They weren't academics,
they weren't scientists,

and they certainly
weren't astronomers.

They were just
two passionate individuals

who desperately wanted
to know more about

what's out there beyond Eart

[narrator]
The successful businessmen

were also
keen philanthropists,

and tried to put
their wealth to good use.

[Rob] Looking up at the star
on a clear night

was their shared passion.

But they wanted it to be
so much more

than just a hobby.

[narrator] This is the Warne
and Swasey Observatory,

named after the two men
that funded its construction

For many years,
this is where students from

what is now Case Western
Reserve University

did astronomical observations.

It was a prime, prime site.

[narrator] John Grabowski
is a historian

at Case Western University
today.

As a Cleveland native,

he understands the importanc

of the observatory
to the local community.

This site is really...

It's a landmark
of the city's history

because it links
to several things.

One, it links
to the rise of science

and astronomy in Cleveland,
and that really links direct

to the creation of the Case
School of Applied Science

in 1881.

The telescope
Warner and Swasey made

for this observatory

was a 9.5-inch
refractor telescope.

In 1920, when this telescop
was installed,

it wasn't really
on the cutting edge.

There were much larger
telescopes in use

in other parts of the world

[John] We are
now in the dome room

for the first telescope
that was here.

And as we look around
the dome room right now,

you can see the mechanism,
the rollers to move the dome,

you can see the slick

where the telescope
would have been through.

So this was, you know,
the mechanics,

the typical mechanics for
an observatory at that point.

[narrator]
As the decades passed,

the capability of
the observatory's telescope

was soon eclipsed
by more powerful models.

If this site was to play
any meaningful role

in scientific advancement,

it was going to need
some serious investment.

In November 1941,

a brand-new 24-inch telescop
was installed.

[John] Well, the second dom
was for a larger telescope.

It has spectrometer,
it has technologies

that allow them
to capture images

and that really enhances
the seeing here.

Over the next 20 or so years,

some really significant work
would be done

at this observatory.

Scientists managed
to prove the theory

that the Milky Way
was a spiral galaxy,

and the cooler stars
were located near its center

This is a really
important discovery

in understanding
both the formation of galaxies

but also their evolution,
their life cycle.

[narrator]
But the observatory's positi

at the forefront
of astronomical research

was under threat.

A powerful force was
encroaching from the west.

The outskirts of Cleveland

turned out to be
a really unfortunate place

to build an observatory.

As the city grew,
so did the halo of light

that surrounded its downtown
and suburbs.

And with each
new streetlight and home

and car headlight,

the skies became brighter
and the stars became dimmer

It became pretty clear that
the golden age of observation

was coming to an end
for the observatory.

[narrator]
The city's light pollution

meant the observatory
was now only useful

as a setting
for local amateurs

to explore the heavens.

So the observatory
transitioned from being

a place of science
to a place of the people.

This became a great place
for the public to come

and learn a little bit
about astronomy

and get
some wonderful glimpses

of the planets and the stars.

[narrator] It was hailed
as one of the best

in the country
for public viewing.

But by the 1980s,

its star had fallen so low,
it was entirely abandoned.

The observatory
lost its scientific value,

failed to pull in visitors,

and it was the end of an era
for star lovers.

[narrator] The impact of
Warner and Swasey's investme

can still be felt
all across the city.

The observatory
that bears their names

will always
be remembered fondly.

[John] They created
one of the major industries

in Cleveland, but both of th
invested their fortunes

in education and in science

The domes are a place

where generations of students
and scientists

look at the sky
and try to discern

what was out there, and try
to discover new things.

And that makes it special.