Comment from the Franconian perspective by honorary chairman Joachim Kalb
Joachim Kalb
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Media professor Kilian Moritz opened the “Franconian season” in early 2021 with a bang. A rethink regarding the unbearable under-representation of the “Franconian”, which has persisted for decades, when it comes to culture and entertainment in the broadest sense of the word is called for. The WiF issue 1/21 dealt with it extensively, apart from the great media coverage in the spring (reports / letters to the editor). A “first change of heart” in the BR was then indicated in October by a well-made music program entitled “Music and Singing from Franconia”, which was initiated by the SZ newspaper group and Professor Moritz and was shown on BR television at prime time . We want more of it, and above all we do not want our centuries-old Franconian culture, landscape and tradition – as is usual – to have moderators explained in the old Bavarian dialect, which is partly incomprehensible to us *. But it is also now the time for our Franconian cultural workers of all stripes, especially the musicians and their fans, to make a new attempt and approach the BR with specific suggestions and contributions.
At the Franconian Day 2016 in Hof, district home keeper Günter Dippold complained that the state exhibition on beer took place in Lower Bavaria at that time. The then Prime Minister Horst Seehofer promised him a national exhibition Franconia in Franconia. According to the announcement, the promise will take place next year with a national exhibition of the three Franconian administrative districts (in Bavaria) “Typically Franconia” from May to November on a large scale in Ansbach.
After the election campaign slowly got underway in July, the report on the industrial settlement program of the Bavarian state government “Invest in Bavaria”, which had been unmasking since 1999, would have to be more precisely called “Invest in Munich / Upper Bavaria” even under a Prime Minister from Franconia is more than shameful. A clear indication that Mr. Söder continues to tolerate the fact that there has been a state development program in Bavaria since 2013 in combination with the home ministry, which stipulates that approximately the same living conditions are to be created in all parts of the country, intentionally by a likewise state economic program (Invest in Bavaria) has been systematically undermined for 22 years.
Even federal ministers from the south of Bavaria such as Mr Scheuer and his predecessors have been successfully ignoring the largest rail electrification gap in the European urban network between Hof and Regensburg for 30 years, despite the list of priorities. Again postponed and kicked away.
In its first “Equivalence Report for Bavaria”, the SPD state parliamentary group complains above all that rural areas are at a disadvantage compared to large urban centers. MdL Klaus Adelt has made 10 written inquiries about the population development, income, work, debts, municipal finances, food, local transport, rail. The latter is also a major problem here. Here, too, the same long-running hits for decades. It spontaneously reminded me of the ten inquiries from Member of the Bundestag Wolfgang Hoderlein (SPD) and Member of the Bundestag Christine Stahl (Greens) in the 90s and 2000is Years.
In August, a Bavaria-wide headline, “The Hetzer with the rascal mask” made us sit up and take notice. What was meant was Ludwig Thoma, a “pillar saint of old Bavarian culture”, after whom many streets – also here in Franconia – are named. Who does not know them, the BR films from the 60s, which until today – like the episodes from the Chiemgau Volkstheater – are repeated over and over again. It was found out almost unnoticed that Ludwig Thoma, before he died in 1921, was one of the worst agitators, especially against Jews, and even called in the Miesbacher Anzeiger to kill people of a different faith and political conviction. The only 150 to 200 visitors a year to the Ludwig-Thoma-Museum on Tegernsee explain a lot.
In September the election campaign was in full swing, of course with all sorts of unsightly side effects. For example, some journalists said that they had to devote entire pages of interviews and reports to unsuccessful representatives of the Bavarian Party (Bavaria’s own state) for decades, which actually do not interest anyone, how little later the election results show. Always a nuisance the appearances of AFD candidates, some of whom are in the sights of the protection of the constitution, who, as so often with the Germany or Bavaria flag, unfortunately sometimes appear in the press with the Franconian flag. Thank God, but to no avail!
The election took place in September. Already at the beginning of December there was a new government, the special Bavarian role in the federal government has suddenly come to an end, climate protection is the focus, Corona is taking off itself to a high point. What that means for Franconia was partly clear beforehand.
With regard to climate change, we have been hardest hit for years compared to the eastern Bavarian hill country and the Danube region as the main region. In addition, we still have to watch how the state forest administrations in distant Munich help with their wrong decisions, for example to destroy one of the last large beech forests in Germany in the Steigerwald.
As far as the necessary energy transition is concerned, however, we have a blatant lead over the south, which, however, from a German perspective brings us little attention and little fame, since we are – as I believe – unfortunately not a separate federal state. Franconia in itself has many times more solar parks, photovoltaic systems and wind turbines, as well as cables with monster masts, than “the self-proclaimed paradise on earth” below the Danube. You have to look for such “climate improvers” there for a long time. It is different with the spread of the corona virus and the percentage of people who have not been vaccinated. The absolute front runner in Southeast Bavaria, and we have to pay for it without being asked.
Unnoticed by many, Environment Minister Glauber from Forchheim sent us and a radiation research institute to Kulmbach, even though there is neither a nuclear power plant nor a nuclear research institute (Munich). Several scientists have declared the nearby Fichtel Mountains to be unsuitable due to the risk of earthquakes and porous granite rock, but it is still listed as suitable. Experience in countries such as France shows very clearly that with repositories it is always important that there is little resistance on site. In the Fichtelgebirge, this requirement is met in any case thanks to the reliable loyalty to the CSU, despite neglectful treatment by Munich. Just think about it!
Happy Holidays everyone! If you can, not with a “Bavarian Christmas star” or a “Bavarian orchid” from the discounter Norma, but with a Seidla beer, a glass of wine or mulled wine from our Franconian home region. Hold axundbleim.
Joachim Kalb
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