The ambitious Unesco project of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district has stumbled after the strict no of the municipality of Eschenlohe.
Despite the damper, District Administrator Anton Speer (Free Voters) speaks out in favor of the application.
However, the decision rests with the district council.
At the end of July, the committee should make a decision.
District
- The timetable is in place: On June 24th, as stipulated in the script, the Environment and Agriculture Committee will deal with the district's planned application for the Unesco World Heritage Seal.
A hot topic: Because the project is controversial - and has come under increasing fire in recent months.
Another preliminary consultation follows on July 6, this time by the district committee - before the district council decides on July 23 whether to throw one's hat into the ring.
The outcome of the vote is completely open.
Even insiders don't dare to make a forecast.
Eschenloh municipal council says no
Efforts to obtain the exclusive title of the renowned, international organization for the unique cultural landscape and the associated management between the Staffelsee and Karwendel have been going on for around ten years. But in the middle of the home stretch, the resistance is increasing. Preliminary high point: The Eschenloh municipal council unanimously rejected the candidacy and withdrew its own parcels. A major setback, because the Loisach community is a giant in terms of area - and would have played an important role on the application card. For example, parts of the Murnauer Moos belong to it.
The question arises: Does the whole thing still make sense at all? District Administrator Anton Speer (Free Voters) leaves no room for doubt and does not deviate from the chosen course: “I am behind it. We will continue to pursue this, ”he says. But ultimately he only has one vote in the district council. Of course it is regrettable, said the head of the district authority, that Eschenlohe is not there. But this setting of the course will be accepted and implemented. In Speer's opinion, the advantage of the Unesco label is obvious: This could be very helpful in maintaining the small-scale agriculture in this country. But how do you deal with landowners who - like Eschenlohe - do not want their parcels to be part of the World Heritage? Speer remains vague: if it makes sense, he explains,individual or contiguous areas can be extracted. But: "There shouldn't be a lot of cheese holes."
Fear of even more requirements and restrictions
For critics, on the other hand, Unesco is anything but a huge opportunity.
Rather, they fear even more requirements, controls and restrictions.
Such a prominent award, it is warned, will also crank up the onslaught of masses - and that in a region that is already groaning under the consequences of excessive tourism.
But the information policy of the district authority also gets bad marks.
Eschenloh local councilor Klemens Jais is annoyed that there has been far too little talk with the landowners - an accusation that is heard over and over again.
The representative of the Bavarian party gave a devastating verdict: "For me, democracy looks different."
Anton Kölbl (CSU), Mayor of Eschenlohe, like Jais, makes no secret of his rejection of the application: "This is not for us." The Unesco seal, he is concerned, would make things much worse. Kölbl: "Then there is another authority that wants to have a say." Kölbl does not believe that the entire Unesco project could be endangered after the much-noticed no from his hometown: "Eschenlohe is not the decisive factor."
Klaus Solleder, district chairman of the Bavarian Farmers' Association, remains emphatically relaxed: “It's a shame that Eschenlohe took this step. But that's democracy, ”comments the Unterammergau resident. But he is still optimistic that the project will still succeed. Solleder: "We still have enough other areas."