Tuttlingen – centre for medical technology
Mayors reveal their insider tips in the deutschland.de series “My city”. Part 17: Mayor Michael Beck from Tuttlingen.
Mayor Beck, what is special about your city?
Tuttlingen can be characterised very well by two ideas: “city in squares” and “world centre for medical technology”. The former stems from the fact that our city was rebuilt as a classicist planned city based on a quadratic street plan following a major fire in 1803, while the latter refers to our strong medical technology cluster: no less than 400 companies in this sector have their headquarters in and around Tuttlingen.
What do you see when you look out of your office window?
My view crosses Rathausstrasse towards Marktplatz, the market square, which – how could it be otherwise in Tuttlingen – is a perfectly regular quadrilateral. In the middle stands the Pyramid Fountain, which has meanwhile become a well-known landmark of our city.
Where in your city do you most like to spend your time?
I enjoy going to the Honberg – the ruin of a medieval castle on a beautifully wooded hill. Although it is in the middle of town, it is a wonderful oasis of tranquility.
Which of your city’s personalities do you value most?
I don’t want to name any individuals in particular here, but above all I am impressed by the numerous inventors who have built up successful businesses from very small beginnings with a lot of ingenuity and hard work.
What would you like to show tourists?
I enjoy taking people who don’t easily run out of breath to the top of one of our two townhall towers. From there you have a wonderful panoramic view of everything that makes Tuttlingen what it is.
Where can visitors best get to know the people of your city?
It’s best to visit during Honberg-Sommer, our festival in the castle ruin. The whole of Tuttlingen comes together for two weeks in the summer at concerts and in the beer garden.
And where do you most like to spend your vacations?
Either on a bicycle in our immediate surroundings or in France.
Medica, the fair for medicine and medical technology, from 12 to 15 November 2014 in Düsseldorf
