As host, First City Councillor Eric Neiseke welcomed those present to Salzgitter City Hall and began by thanking the arbitrators on behalf of the Lord Mayor, the City Council, the administration and personally. Arbitration is a special honorary office: the Salzgitter City Council has elected the arbitrators and their representatives for the term of office from 2025 to 2029. "This is a great responsibility and a great challenge for all of you, which cannot be appreciated highly enough," emphasized Neiseke. He wished them much energy and skill for their tasks.
Renate Löffler, director of the local court, thanked the arbitrators for their voluntary work, which deserves respect and recognition. "They perform an important task in the area of civil law," she said. By seeking a joint solution with the disputing parties, many disputes are resolved by the arbitrators in advance, so that it often does not even come to a court hearing. "This creates legal peace," she added, "you deserve great respect for this."
Carola Benninghoven-Struß, deputy director of the district court, swore in the newly elected arbitrators and bid farewell to the retiring arbitrators, of whom only Klaus Katzbach was present on this day as he was stepping down after five years in office. She thanked all the arbitrators for their special commitment and good cooperation. Her special thanks went to Ulf Küch, Klaus Katzbach and Ingrid Grecko, who stepped down as arbitrators.
The arbitrators Ulrike Donat, Frank-Joachim Hillebrecht, Hans-Georg Schmidt, Holger Strübig and Michael Heidenblut are extending their terms of office for the third and second time respectively. They were confirmed in office by the Deputy Director.
She appointed the following as new arbitrators/deputy arbitrators: Cordula Dönitz for arbitration district 3 and Özcan Irkan for arbitration district 2 and wished the new honorary arbitrators every success in their new role, which they should approach impartially and independently. She wished them all a lot of energy for their voluntary work and promised them the support of the local court.
Special appreciation
Frank-Joachim Hillebrecht was honored for his ten years of service as an arbitrator. Carola Benninghoven-Struß presented him with the certificate with congratulations from the president of the district court as well as a bouquet of flowers and thanked him for his voluntary work in arbitration district 2. The First City Councillor joined in the thanks by presenting him with a gift: "Your voluntary work deserves respect and appreciation from all of us," emphasized Eric Neiseke.
Information:
Names of the elected arbitrators
Ulrike Donat (Arbitration District 1: Bruchmachtersen, Salder, Fredenberg, Lebenstedt (Section I, Section II and Section X*), Lesse, Reppner, Osterlinde, Lichtenberg)
Your representative is Holger Strübig.
Frank-Joachim Hillebrecht (Arbitration district 2: Engelnstedt, Krähenriede, Alt-Lebenstedt, Lebenstedt (without section I, section II, section X*).
His deputy is Özcan Irkan.
Cordula Dönitz (arbitration district 3: Hallendorf, Bleckenstedt, Sauingen, Üfingen, Beddingen, Thiede, Watenstedt, Drütte, Immendorf, Heerte, Gebhardshagen, Engerode, Calbecht).
Hans Georg Schmidt (arbitration district 4: Salzgitter-Bad, Gitter, Ringelheim, Hohenrode, Groß Mahner, Barum, Beinum, Flachstöckheim, Lobmachtersen, Ohlendorf)
His deputy is Michael Heidenblut.
(*For explanation:
The Lebenstedt district was divided into sections after the city of Salzgitter was founded.
1st section I: from the road to Salzgittersee to Theodor-Heuss-Straße/east bounded by Kattowitzer-Straße
2nd section II: bounded to the southwest by Wiesenweg, to the north by Willy-Brandt-Straße, the eastern boundary line forms the middle of the city park to Schölke, Peiner Straße and the highway form the south-eastern and southern boundaries of the section;
3. section X corresponds to today's Seeviertel)
Names of the retired arbitrators
- Representative Ingrid Grecko (Arbitration district 2)
- Ulf Küch (Arbitration district 3)
His deputy: Klaus Katzbach
What is the role of an arbitrator?
The tasks of arbitrators are many and varied: for example, in the event of a dispute, damage to property, insults or non-compliance with house rules in an apartment building, they have to arbitrate and mediate between the disputing parties in such a way that the conflict is resolved and a legal dispute is avoided.
This honorary office can be held by citizens who are at least 30 years old and live in their arbitration district. Arbitrators must be suitable for the office in terms of their personality and skills. They must be known in the residential area (arbitration district), have authority and be able to deal with the parties to the dispute in an impartial, objective and level-headed manner.
Applicants should be experienced in life, communicative and able to deal with people. Legal training is not necessary. The honorary office, which is important for the community, requires neutrality and impartiality. The arbitrators approach conflicts objectively and without prejudice.
Appointments are made through an advertisement and selection process. The arbitrators (and their deputies) are elected by the city council for a period of five years.
The Salzgitter district court is responsible for supervising the arbitrators. The City of Salzgitter is the point of contact for organizational issues. Volunteers can turn to the district court with their concerns regarding legal issues. The work is subject to constant supervision by the local court. The city pays an annual expense allowance for costs incurred in connection with the work as an arbitrator. All arbitrators receive training and further education for their work. A regular exchange with the arbitrators is also part of this. Arbitrators receive a workbook with all the information they need at the start of their work.
