structural development

Hello! 

Last weekend, Zittau really came alive again with "Summer in the City". Members of our structural development project team were there with an information stand - to introduce themselves and to get in touch with the public.

Laura Horst , Clara Hartung and Nino Gehler answered questions from interested parties about the major process of structural development in the district of Görlitz. Nobody knows exactly where the development is going, but in any case there are already great , big, very modern ideas to make the district and its residents fit for the future. With all the technical knowledge and also the existing infrastructure of the historically grown Lausitz energy region, there is a claim to become a model region for hydrogen research. already very well- developed Lusatian Lake District , the Unesco World Heritage sites, the city of Görlitz and the Zittau , tourism also has the best prerequisites for becoming a great pioneer for an ever-expanding, sustainable industry in an even more attractive home. And this in a Europe surrounded by the Hirschberg valley, the Lower Silesian forests and the Giant and Isar mountains .

But what does the neighbor, the self-employed, the master craftsman who is looking for a child want, what do the parents want for their children who want to leave the region, what do the young people want for their future at home? And what is viewed critically, negatively or perhaps not at all or noticed in public? Laura, Clara and Nino led committed discussions, exchanged contact details for further discussions with interested citizens and also returned questions.

Laura explains how : "We introduced ourselves and our work and asked the citizens to do a little thought game: 'What should Zittau/the LK GR 2038 look like? What ideas do you have for the city? Who benefits from this idea? "The three of them not only spoke to people from Zittau, but also to visitors from the area and many holidaymakers. "The feedback was diverse and ranged from very inspiring conversations with numerous ideas to very critical attitudes," reports the project manager.

"For example, we asked the older people who came to us directly: what does the region have to offer so that their children can come back?" They asked the younger ones what they would like for their future and also what needs to happen here so that they don't migrate. "It was clear that the district of Görlitz is beautiful, that people love their homeland and that many would like to live and stay here." report the three. Even if there were some critical voices about future ideas for the region, the tenor was mostly positive: that our project team opened an office in Zittau from August with its own citizen advice hours on structural development and on the allocation of subsidies for municipal and commercial companies many passers-by surprised and pleased.

The critics, who mostly referred to the difficult and painful process of change in the 1990s, were also asked to engage in further dialogue. "We're still happy about the response," explains Nino, who by nature is always open to other people and doesn't shy away from intensive discussions. " After all, that's the only way we can learn from each other - also from experiences ." Above all, the word "structural change" was heavily discussed. For the people who were affected by the "change" that suddenly swept across East Germany and cost many jobs, it is still a word with a strong negative connotation.

However, the process that is now starting differs significantly from that of the past: on the one hand, many millions of euros are available for the regions affected by the phase-out of coal, in our case the entire district of Görlitz . Not only to make the job cuts socially acceptable , but also to set up the district in a world that is changing ever faster so that we not only continue to preserve and shape our beautiful nature, but above all play an economically relevant role can play And in the fast-paced Internet age, that's only possible if you actively develop. Luckily we have a few years to do that. First of all, all possible ideas are asked for!

We want to call on all residents of the district of Görlitz to actively participate in shaping the future and to help develop it instead of just having to endure the whirlpool of sudden change. "A unique opportunity to take things into your own hands" say Laura, Clara and Nino - and they are all the more pleased to be able to talk to other interested parties regularly from August and in the new Zittau office, when the ideas become concrete, to advise on the grant application. In Bad Muskau our project managers Uwe Garack and Saskia Brosius  will provide the same service - general advice on project ideas and pointing out and examining funding opportunities. Let's go after the summer holidays - we'll keep you posted!

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Yasna