Bielefeld – green metropolis
Mayors reveal their insider tips in the deutschland.de series “My city”. Part 15: Mayor Pit Clausen from Bielefeld.
Mr Clausen, what is special about your city?
The people! The people in Bielefeld are very special. A bit different – in a positive sense. As I was born in the Rhineland I can judge that. What's the reason for it? Perhaps it comes from this relaxing city/park landscape: we have all the exciting possibilities of a big city plus the really relaxing benefits of an attractive location near the Teutoburg Forest. Although it is one of our country's 20 largest cities with 330,000 inhabitants, Bielefeld has managed to avoid many of the disadvantages of cities that get too big.
What do you see when you look out of your office window?
The old and the new. Traditional and urban things. Big city and greenery. And people – lots of people. In fact, I see the things that make Bielefeld what it is. Looking from the Old Town Hall, I can see Bielefeld's Old Town. I see the normal, everyday hustle and bustle at the light-rail station, people on their way to the shops in the city or at the weekly market. I see people visiting our city beginning their city tour here. People at the weekly market, students on their way to their favourite scene pub or, in the evening, to the theatre nearby.
Where in your city do you most like to spend your time?
As a dog owner I like to walk a lot, of course. In fact, every Bielefelder is within five minutes' walk of one of Bielefeld's many parks or the heart of the Teutoburg Forest.
Which of your city’s personalities do you value most?
Friedrich von Bodelschwingh. His name stands for compassion and humanity. Friedrich von Bodelschwingh had a major formative influence on the development of the Bodelschwinghian Institutions of Bethel and thus on our city and the people who live here. The former home for epileptics later became the largest church-related charitable institution in Europe.
What would you like to show tourists?
Spontaneously, two very different places come to mind. People say that Bielefeld developed on a linen thread, and well-known textile companies still have their headquarters here today. Tucked away in a backyard in the city centre is the Linen Works Museum. Here you feel that time has stood still since the 1960s. Every time I go there I'm fascinated by the original factory machines and fittings. At the same time the museum – the very fact that the building is still there – reminds me of a sad chapter of German history: for the factory originally belonged to a Jewish family. I would also like to show visitors a building site: Campus Bielefeld. This is probably the cleverest construction site in the whole country at present. There is some big-time investment in education and knowledge going on here – over a billion euros in total. Bielefeld University and the city's universities of applied sciences already have an excellent reputation today. But it's really exciting and impressive to see the future literally being built before your eyes.
Where can visitors best get to know the people in your city?
Getting to know Bielefelders quickly is simply not an option. And this is exactly what makes them a little distinctive. You don't develop friendships easily here, but when you do, you really have friends for life. But you can have some great fun with the Bielefelders at the wine market, for example. Or at the Sparrenburgfest – a medieval market beneath the walls of the castle, the city's landmark. There is simply always something going on – check us out at www.bielefeld.de!
And where do you most like to spend your vacations?
I'm an Africa fan and like to get to know the culture(s), the people, and the flora and fauna in southern Africa.
