Staufen im Breisgau, a small town in Baden-Württemberg near the Black Forest, has seen a noticeable rise in its historic center since 2007. This uplift is not due to natural geological events like earthquakes or landslides, but rather the result of geothermal drilling aimed at heating the town hall. The drilling injected pressurized water into a layer of anhydrite beneath the town, causing it to transform into gypsum. This chemical change caused the rock to swell, lifting the ground at a rate of up to 1 centimeter per month. As a result, 268 houses sustained cracks, with 127 of them suffering severe damage. To address this, the town has been continuously pumping water from the ground to reduce further damage, though no timeline has been set for this effort. In 2007, after renovating the town hall, Staufen sought to heat it using geothermal energy, a method often praised for its environmental benefits. Drilling beneath the historic district reached a layer of anhydrite, a type of rock that is usually stable when dry. However, the introduction of pressurized groundwater caused the anhydrite to convert into gypsum, a process that locks water into the crystal structure. This transformation led to the rock expanding and lifting the ground, which placed stress on the town's historic buildings. The town hall, the very building intended to benefit from the geothermal system, is among those damaged. Banners around the city read "Staufen darf nicht zerbrechen," meaning "Staufen must not break." Similar concerns were expressed in media outlets, such as Der Spiegel's article titled "Eine Stadt zerreißt," translating to "A city is tearing." The ground initially dropped slightly before beginning to rise, creating uneven pressure on the interconnected wooden frames, walls, and floors of the historic buildings. This uneven movement caused significant structural stress, leading to widespread damage. By September 2012, the rate of uplift had slowed to 3 millimeters per month, a decrease from the peak rate of 1 centimeter per month. However, the ground has not stopped rising entirely; it has just slowed. In 2020, the state concluded that continuous pumping of groundwater is necessary to prevent further damage. This ongoing effort highlights the long-term consequences of a geothermal installation that was originally intended to be a quiet and sustainable solution. The situation in Staufen has been documented by various media outlets, including Der Spiegel, Badische Zeitung, and the scientific journal Hydrogeology Journal. While the exact total amount of uplift varies across sources, the rate of uplift is consistently reported: 1 centimeter per month at its peak and 3 millimeters per month in September 2012. This case underscores the complex interplay between human engineering and the natural environment, revealing how even well-intentioned efforts to promote sustainability can have unexpected and long-lasting consequences.