Unique city celebrates its 75th birthday

Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel (center) together with the representatives of the twin cities and Prof. Dr. Heinz Jörg Fuhrmann (right).

Many visitors from the city and region gladly accepted Mayor Frank Klingebiel's invitation to the "birthday party" and enjoyed a varied day that lasted well into the evening.

At a reception in the Fürstensaal of Salder Castle, Klingebiel welcomed guests from the partner and neighboring cities and districts, as well as other guests of honor from politics, business, sport, church and associations who have a special connection to Salzgitter.

At 75 years old, said the Lord Mayor, Salzgitter is one of the few most recently founded cities in Germany and therefore a young city. However, it is more than just a collection of houses. Rather, it is shaped by those who live in it, said the head of the city. Mayor Frank Klingebiel expressed his respect and appreciation to all the people in Salzgitter who have made the city what it is today with their determined actions.

Read more about the topic here:

It was thanks to the courage of those who stood up to the loaded guns of British soldiers in the 1950s and prevented the blast furnaces of the steelworks from being dismantled that the town experienced its second "foundation", so to speak. "Salzgitter never had it easy. There was hardly any infrastructure and no money," said Frank Klingebiel, recalling the city's history. "But there were always people who got stuck in and pulled together for Salzgitter." This attitude has also made it possible to take in more than 5,000 refugees in the city since 2015. Integrating them now is the next most important task.

"Salzgitter's greatest success, however, is that it has continuously increased its population since 2014," emphasized Klingebiel. Before that, the city had to contend with a population loss of 1,000 inhabitants every year. The trend was halted with an increase in quality of life and economic strength. These influxes - without the refugee figures - show how dynamically the city is developing. "I would like to build on this in the future and would like myself and the city to have more room for maneuver than before," said Frank Klingebiel.

In good times and bad, in the past, present and future, Salzgitter is closely linked to the smelter. For this reason, Klingebiel said, he was delighted that the Chairman of the Executive Board of Salzgitter AG, Prof. Dr. Heinz Jörg Fuhrmann, had taken over the welcoming address at the ceremony.

He also emphasized the great sacrifice and confidence of the people who had saved the existence of the smelter after the war. "Salzgitter may not be glamorous," said Prof. Dr. Heinz Jörg Fuhrmann. "But the city and its inhabitants are honest, tolerant and efficient," he emphasized its strong side.

The Chairman of the Executive Board used figures to illustrate the importance of Salzgitter AG for the city: with 10,000 non-precarious jobs, which provide around 30,000 people with an income and thus a livelihood, plus 500 apprenticeships, Salzgitter AG stands for reliable economic strength.

The Mayor of Gotha, Knut Kreuch, the Mayor of Imatra, Rami Hasu, and the Deputy Mayor of Staryj Oskol, Svetlana Vostokova, presented congratulations and gifts to mark the city's anniversary.