Rolf Peter Sieferle was born in Stuttgart in 1949. He studied history, political science and sociology. He received his doctorate in 1977 and his habilitation in 1984 in the field of modern history. Sieferle has been extraordinary associate professor at the University of Mannheim since 1991, and professor of history at the University of Sankt Gallen since 2000. His book Der unterirrdische Wald (The Underground Forest), published in 1982, is considered a fundamental work in the series of historical works describing the spread of coal as an energy carrier. His speech about "destroying the underground forests" became a metaphor for the exploitation of natural resources and the wasteful way of life fueling the future. Rolf Peter Sieferle took his own life in Heidelberg in September 2016.

Sieferle created an anamnesis and diagnosis of the well-being of German society, which, thanks to its historical foundation, clear sociological-political representation, and prognostic power, is still relevant today. A few years later, in 1998, he revised the text, but unfortunately this version was no longer published.