On this evening, many people reflect on what is really important in life: Humanity and charity, trust, affection and love.

I hope that you feel the warmth of the Christmas message on this day and during the Christmas holidays and that you pass it on.

The peaceful time between the years also invites us to look back on the year that is coming to an end and to get in the mood for the coming year 2017. We think about very personal experiences and plans, but also about events that are important for everyone.

These days, I would particularly like to thank the people in our city who dedicate their time and energy to serving the community and are therefore unable to celebrate Christmas with their families and friends; especially those in the fire department, police, emergency services, nearby hospitals and social institutions.

My respect and appreciation goes to the many volunteers in our city who have impressively demonstrated and continue to demonstrate that each and every individual can achieve a great deal together with others. No matter how high the mountain you are facing may seem, you can climb it together. The important thing is to set out - not just to talk, but to act. We, the citizens, have done this in many different ways over the past year.

"Man alone can do very little and is a forlorn Robinson: only in community with others is he and can he do much."

This quote from Arthur Schopenhauer aptly summarizes this collective action in Salzgitter.

Because this year, many citizens have done a great deal for other people and made a contribution: be it for children, for senior citizens or in our clubs, in the fire department, in the technical relief organization, in the rescue service, in churches, in religious communities and many other facilities and institutions in our city. At the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016, many people volunteered to help refugees in particular. Although the state authorities were responsible for the initial reception, they were overwhelmed by the situation. It is thanks to these volunteers and municipal employees that the reception and accommodation of people fleeing war zones could be ensured. I am proud of these citizens and my employees! It was only thanks to their courageous efforts that the dramatic situation on the ground could be mastered.

But contrary to what we often hear, the challenges of refugee aid are not over just because hundreds of people no longer have to be accommodated and cared for every day. Quite the opposite: when the mountainous challenges are over, the challenges of the plains begin - in other words, integrating the refugees now living here into nurseries, kindergartens and schools, into the job market and into our society. Teaching the German language and the ways in which we live and interact with each other to people who largely come from completely different cultural backgrounds, who often had misconceptions about what to expect here, who are separated from families and social groups to which they naturally belonged in their home country, is the key to peaceful coexistence.

Regardless of this human solidarity, as Lord Mayor of this city and in my role as President of the Lower Saxony Association of Cities and Towns, I have strongly advocated that the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony reimburse the local authorities in full and promptly for the costs they have incurred as a result. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case.

I continue to call with all clarity and urgency for fair funding and full reimbursement of the costs incurred by local authorities because they perform many federal and state tasks. It is unacceptable that a large number of cities, municipalities and rural districts find themselves in financial difficulties without having caused them. The municipalities must not be left alone. Otherwise, there is a threat of cuts in the provision of municipal services for citizens.

We must not and will not leave our Salzgitter AG alone! 4,000 people sent an important signal at the Steel Action Day in April 2016. The steel industry belongs to Germany, to Lower Saxony and to Salzgitter. To keep it that way, there must be fair competition on the international market. That is why I naturally joined the ranks of those who protested for secure jobs, against cheap steel imports from China and the increase in the price of CO² certificates. With the unanimously adopted resolution "Preserving and promoting environmentally friendly steel production in Germany", the Salzgitter City Council also took an unequivocal stand on the side of our "steelworks" in March 2016. After all, steel is the origin and heart of Salzgitter. I stand by this statement and it is visibly displayed on a poster in my office. Together with the steelmakers, the works councils, the trade unions and the Executive Board, we are fighting for these jobs and for Salzgitter as a location.

Salzgitter is the third largest industrial location in Lower Saxony. This must be preserved and expanded, because a flourishing economy secures Salzgitter's livelihood. I have followed the events in and around Volkswagen with concern. However, I am firmly convinced that the Group will overcome its crisis in a stronger position and will continue to produce and train in Salzgitter.

At MAN Truck and Bus, the very successful chapter of truck assembly may have come to an end, but a promising new chapter has begun. In the newly created component plant and spare parts center, crankshafts for all MAN engines and all non-driven axles for MAN and Scania are now produced from Salzgitter.

However, it is just as important to attract new companies and businesses to Salzgitter and the region. That is why I would like to work with the Mayor of Braunschweig to create an inter-municipal commercial and industrial area north of the A39 at the city boundary between Braunschweig and Salzgitter. We both see great development potential here for the benefit of new jobs for the people in our cities. Whether and to what extent this project can be realized will be clarified in a feasibility study next year and decided by the two councils.

It is now beyond question that investment in education is a decisive location factor in the competition to secure and attract business enterprises. However, this is not the only reason why education is a top priority in our city. Education right from the start is crucial for children's later academic and professional success and thus for their future careers. To this end, we are continuing to invest in crèches, daycare centers and schools, thus creating optimal framework conditions. It is equally important to me that high-quality jobs are filled by graduates of local schools in order to effectively counteract the expected shortage of skilled workers and demographic trends.

In the recent past, Salzgitter has set a pace in education and family policy that is second to none. Salzgitter took exemplary steps with the complete exemption from fees for kindergarten attendance, increased staffing levels in day nurseries, massive school refurbishment, an exemplary careers guidance program and family-friendly Baulandförderung.

This approach has proven its worth. More and more people are choosing to live in Salzgitter and the demand for building land remains high. There are currently well over a thousand inquiries for around 400 building plots. This shows that the Baulandförderung for young families and the urban development strategy are the right approach and are bearing fruit. Salzgitter has been growing steadily again since mid-2014 and already exceeded the 100,000 population mark at the end of 2015. We have thus regained our status as a major city. A huge success that the Lord Mayor, administration, council and city society have achieved together.

One more word on mobility: not only are KVG buses becoming more attractive, but ÖPNV in Salzgitter and the region is also becoming more attractive. The Lord Mayors of Braunschweig and Wolfsburg, many members of the state and federal parliaments in the region, our Minister of Economic Affairs and our Minister President have joined me in campaigning for the region. Together, we have received an additional 25 million euros a year from the state of Lower Saxony for the expansion of local transport in our region. With this approved funding, we now need to work through the backlog in ÖPNV in our region in a sensible way. In my view, improving the connections and networking between the three major cities of Braunschweig-Salzgitter-Wolfsburg is of particular importance - for these cities, but also for the region.

This strong regional cohesion is also visibly reflected in the "Appeal of the Region". At the beginning of 2016, I was joined by members of the council, many mayors, mayors and district administrators of neighboring towns and districts, AG Schacht Konrad, IG Metall and around 700 citizens of Salzgitter during the visit of Federal Environment Minister Dr. Barbara Hendricks to Salzgitter to call for Schacht Konrad to be put to the test once again. We will continue to fight in solidarity to ensure that the expansion of Konrad is ruled out, that retrievability is discussed and that the repository is reassessed according to today's standards.

We now have another year ahead of us with many hopes, wishes and good intentions. In addition to the further improvement of municipal finances, the priority in the near future is to ensure the cohesion of the people in our city and to further develop Salzgitter into a child- and family-friendly learning city.

I sincerely wish you a relaxing and reflective Christmas, a happy New Year and a peaceful and successful New Year, above all health and God's blessing.