Giessen – attractive and welcoming
Mayors reveal their insider tips in the deutschland.de series “My city”. Part 29: Mayor Dietlind Grabe-Bolz from Giessen.
Ms Grabe-Bolz, what is special about your city?
Giessen is the city with the highest concentration of students in the whole of Germany – about 35,000 of our approximately 84,000 inhabitants are young academics. The city is correspondingly young and dynamic. One in four inhabitants are under 30 years old. Yet Giessen is much more than one big uni. We are also the economic and shopping centre of the mid-Hesse region. The city has also been the location of a refugee camp since the middle of the last century, offering refugees in need a first and friendly home. Giessen is a genuine kind of place, it's not uniformly styled: colourful, innovative, cosmopolitan and incredibly lively.
What do you see when you look out of your office window?
I have a view of Giessen's new central urban location: Berliner Platz, a cultural focal point with a city theatre offering opera, drama and ballet, the congress hall, a large cinema where university lectures are also held, and our 'Kulturrathaus' (cultural centre) with its art gallery, concert hall, the city archives and city library. There is also a major bus station. There is always something going on here, from early morning till late in the evening – a dynamic, central hub where you can really experience our city.
Where in your city do you most like to spend your time?
I really enjoy being in the city hall, because – as I said before – here I'm always in the midst of urban life and can immerse myself in it at any time. I like Berliner Platz – for working, for living and for simply chilling. I also like to spend time on the Schiffenberg – to go jogging and to relax. Other places I love to be are in the new Wieseckaue park and on the River Lahn – to look around, chat, meet people and enjoy the city after a day's work. Each of these places is unique.
Which of your city’s personalities do you value most?
As an old and renowned university city, Giessen has the advantage of having been home to sons and daughters whose actions have changed the world. Justus Liebig, who gave the uni its name, invented his extract of meat here (Oxo) in order to combat world hunger. Georg Büchner wrote the Hessian Courier here, inspiring the democratic movements and struggle for freedom in the run-up to the 'Vormärz', Germany's 1848 March Revolution. Horst Eberhard Richter, a renowned psychoanalyst and peace activist who was known and sought-after all over Germany, made a significant contribution to the social development of our city. But it is also the heroines and heroes of everyday life – who I have the pleasure of meeting in my work – that make our city the social city that it is: the many unnamed volunteers who help people in need and make life worth living – like the "Queens of Hearts" in the protestant hospital.
What would you like to show tourists?
The weekly market on a Saturday with its colourful hustle and bustle, the wide range of goods offered by its traders, most of whom come from the region and sell local products; the many encounters and chats you can have there, followed by coffee on the church square. And if you're lucky, in May and December you can hear the 'Tower Brass Band' serenading the city from the church tower at 12 noon.
Where can visitors best get to know the people in your city?
At festivals and the big community events. People in Giessen love celebrating together. Festivals and culture unite generations and overcome social and cultural differences. A wonderful example where you can experience this is the traditional Giessen City Festival. For three days in August the inner city is the meeting place for the entire region. The Musical Summer on our landmark mountain – the Schiffenberg – also brings the people together. And in recent years another event on the River Lahn has earned itself a regular place in the calendar: 'Schlammbeisers Lahnlust', with thousands of Giesseners lining the banks of the river and having a great time.
And where do you most like to spend your vacations?
On my bike – almost anywhere will do. In France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria – or in Germany's many beautiful landscapes – the main thing is I'm in the saddle! The last trip took my husband and me to the Slovenian Alps. I find I can relax and recover best in the countryside – and if that involves being a little sporty, that's fine with me!
