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Augsburg – A City with its Own Public Holiday

Mayors reveal their insider tips in the deutschland.de series “My city”. Part 14: Mayor Dr Kurt Gribl from Augsburg.

07.08.2014

Mayor Gribl, what is special about or typical of your city?

Augsburg is the only city in Germany with its own legally enshrined public holiday that applies only within the city limits. On 8 August, we celebrate the Augsburg Peace Festival, which dates back to the 1648 Peace of Westphalia that heralded an end to the suppression of protestants during the Thirty Years’ War.

Equally, however, Augsburg is a former Free Imperial City and the home of the Fugger family, the place where Leopold Mozart and Bertolt Brecht were born, the city in which the diesel engine was invented and a city able to apply for Unesco World Heritage status on account of its historical water management systems. Last but by no means least, Augsburg has the Puppenkiste – its puppet theatre. Although the people of Augsburg are proud of the fact that their more than 2,000-year-old city offers a very broad spectrum of attractions, they do not make much of a fuss about it – which is one characteristic feature of Augsburg.

What do you see when you look out of your office window?

Our historic town hall that was built by master builder Elias Holl in the 17th century. It is one of Europe’s most impressive town halls and is regarded as the most important secular building of the Renaissance era north of the Alps. Its highlight is the Golden Hall, which is one of the most significant late-Renaissance cultural monuments in Germany. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed during heavy bombing in 1944, but has since then been painstakingly reconstructed.

The town hall is located in Maximilianstrasse, or Max-Strasse for short, which partly runs along the ancient Roman road Via Claudia Augusta and constitutes the heart of the city. The street is named after Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519), who often liked to spend time in Augsburg and cultivated intensive relations with the Fugger family. Max-Strasse is one of South Germany’s most prominent roads in terms of art history on account of its unique Renaissance gabled architecture. That said, it is a bustling boulevard rather than a museum, and was greatly enhanced when the city centre was modernized.

Where in your city do you most like to spend your time?

At Lueginsland, a former fortification on the north-eastern fringes of the city centre. It was restored back in 1915 and made accessible to the public. Featuring flights of steps, paths, children’s playgrounds and terraces, it has become an idyllic haven in the city centre. And as its name suggests – Lueginsland is a Swabian word meaning “look into the land” – there are fantastic views of today’s city of Augsburg from the top. What is more, Lueginsland is a highly successful example of practical preservation of historical monuments.

Which of your city’s personalities do you value most?

Helmut Haller and Erhard Wunderlich, two exceptional athletes who were born and laid to rest in Augsburg. The euphoria sparked by Haller’s return from Italy to FC Augsburg in 1973 will always remain part of Augsburg football history. In 1999, Erhard Wunderlich was named handball player of the century in Germany. I played handball myself and am therefore able to appreciate just how outstanding Wunderlich’s sporting achievement was.

What would you like to show tourists?

The 320 ton autoclave at aviation industry supplier Premium Aerotec. This gigantic machine is needed when the front rump section of the Airbus A350 is being manufactured. At its new development centre in Augsburg, the company is researching lightweight construction methods and new materials designed to make aeroplanes lighter, safer and more environmentally-friendly in the future. It all comes down to carbon – an issue that is taken very seriously in Augsburg.

Where/on which occasions can visitors best get to know the people of your city?

In the Botanical Garden for one thing, as it is a place where many Augsburgers love to spend time all year round. In addition, our city market right in the heart of the city is a popular meeting place – and not only when it comes to shopping for fresh groceries. From there, many people like to go straight to the football on Saturdays – the FCA’s home matches are an unbelievable magnet for people from all over the region.

And where do you most like to spend your vacations?

Enjoying breakfast until lunchtime somewhere between Borkum and Berchtesgaden.

www.augsburg.de

www.augsburger-puppenkiste.de

www.premium-aerotec.com/Augsburg.html

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