Quality of life in the country
New ideas are helping to raise the quality of life in rural areas.
Conurbations such as Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich attract attention with their economic clout and cultural attractions. Yet half the German population lives in villages, small municipalities, and rural towns, and in these regions many communities face structural challenges. This year, with a view to ensuring the quality of life in the country and preserving Germany’s rich diversity, the competition “Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” draws attention to ideas from rural regions. Here are three examples from 100 award-winning places in Germany.
Leased line to the doctor
In Bad Rothenfelde, a community in Lower Saxony, doctors monitor patients’ aftercare from afar with the help of electronically transferred data. In this rural region on the southern tip of the Teutoburg Forest, heart patients can go home quickly after surgery while still being cared for by the experts at the Schüchtermann Clinic – thanks to telemonitoring. In the opinion of the jury the project offers prospects for rural health care. www.schuechtermann-klinik.de
The taste of the countryside
Nationwide, consumers can use a new online platform to find the best regional food products. “Straight from farm to kitchen” is the motto of the “Taste of Heimat” website. Initiated by director Valentin Thurn, who made the documentary “Taste the Waste”, the Internet platform whets our appetite for fruit and vegetables from local farmers. A regional search helps find relevant services in the surroundings: Which restaurant has a seasonal menu? Who delivers crates of vegetables? Where can I harvest produce myself? www.tasteofheimat.de
Art meets wind power
Wind farms and electricity pylons dominate many rural regions, often to the chagrin of locals, who regard them as an eyesore. In Schöppingen in North Rhine-Westphalia, artists from the “power generator plant artist village” developed aesthetic models for generating power that are fuelling discussion about green energy in rural areas. A wind turbine, for example, whose rotor blades display a jumping stag, rather like in a flip book. www.stiftung-kuenstlerdorf.de
