Research and City Council Meeting

---

Firstly we walked into the city in the snow and went to a cafe to discuss the presentation and who would be taking on the specific areas of research needed. We also planned our next research trip to the University hospital and clinics as we would have gone today had the weather been more suitable for the amount of time we would spend there and to take photographs. Furthermore, we discussed a lot about the differences between Tübingen and Durham and some of the similarities regarding planning and traffic as we have been looking into it this week.

We then went to the Culture Museum at Tübingen’s Castle, Hohentübingen, to see their collection from Paleolithic figures that are 40,000 years old to some of the modern day technology we have today. One of the most famous pieces is the wild horse figure, made out of mammoth ivory, found in the Vogelherd Cave at 40,000 years old. The Vogelherd Cave is located in the Eastern Swabian Alps and came to attention in 1931 after the figures had be discovered which were made by humans of the Aurignacian culture.

As well as this there were many other things of interest especially to see some of the history of Tübingen like part of the Orfeus telescope that was created by Tübingen astronomers to determine the physical nature and age of certain stars. There was also information on Wilhelm Schikard who taught at the University of Tübingen and his fame came from his planning of the first mechanical computing machine as well as other successes.

Later on this evening we walked to the City Hall to take part in a Council Meeting and many shops were putting out their Christmas lights. The Mayor of Tübingen, Mr Boris Palmer, welcomed the apprentices from Durham County Council and made us stand up to be welcomed. The meeting soon started and none of us understood what was really being said. Luckily we had Stephan and Mr Blum to help translate which we all really appreciate.

The room is set out with the Mayor at the front and a large screen behind him and the Councillors sitting in a semi circle around him. The citizens at the left side of the Mayor’s position and they have a TV screen in front of them to see the presentation. Apples and water are available for everyone at the back. The atmosphere is quite casual because it is a relatively small council and everyone knows everyone else.

The topic that we have come to see is one of the most important planning concepts for Tübingen. On a large area of green land it is proposed to build a technology research lab and other business on it. This concept was rejected 10 years ago but the city administration has put together a more detailed proposal making it indisputable. The residents nearby to this area are obviously not happy because it is close to their property and on green meadow lands. The residents had come with a few questions and statements for the Mayor. The Mayor took the questions first and then answered them all together after they were asked. The people who asked the questions could not speak after asking the questions so that there would be no debating. After this the Mayor decided to move point 8, the ‘Technologiepark’ development, to the start so that the citizens did not have to wait all evening for a decision. The PowerPoint was shown and explained. One company plans to spend 1 Billion Euros here and other businesses will be going on the site also. Furthermore the site is close to living space so that the thousands of workers can cycle or walk to work. If the development was outside the city then people would have to drive to it and this against Tübingen’s town planning regulations because the city is trying to be greener and protect the woodland areas around the cities.

Once this process was done it came to Councillors to ask questions and to look on their tablets at the plans and documents relating to the case (which saves paper). Eventually the meeting progressed to the 6 or 7 political parties to give their official statement on the plan. There is one member from a satire political group that made the statement that his idea of a petting zoo would have been chosen, although he did not put the idea forward.

Eventually it came to the vote and 36 people voted yes to this plan and one person did not decide and out of 40 votes. This type of large project is unusual for the cities administration to deal with however they have worked hard to create a more detailed concept that has been agreed to be developed more into a full plan.

At the end of the discussion we met a lady who explained to us that she had been one of the first exchange students to go to Durham in the 60’s and that she had made a friend in Durham but had forgotten her name and did not keep in contact. She did say that she had a photograph of her and her friend in Durham so maybe some how she could find this person again.

In conclusion we have learnt a bit more about the differences with development in Tübingen and also the similarities and a bit more of the city and surrounding areas history. We are missing family, pets and our beds but time is flying here and we still have much more to do in the next eight days.

---

Comments

[Greg]

Fascinating
Really interesting to hear how a similar authority in Germany operates its committee system very differently to Durham, and the UK model.