The combination of physical objects having an industrial origin in a ‘landscape’ or an ‘(old) industrial landscape’ can be interpreted as the result of a reciprocal social process of changed societal contexts on the one hand, and the implied transformations in physical space on the other. While ‘industry’ and ‘landscape’ were initially understood as opposing antipodes based on a sentimentally influenced understanding of landscape, old industrial objects in post-industrial societies are subject to modified viewing and interpretation patterns, on the basis of which ‘(old) industrial landscapes’ can currently be spoken of without causing major irritation. Accordingly, the current contribution focuses on central lines of development in the transformation of changed patterns of perception and interpretation, additionally questioning current developments and research-related outlooks.