The state of Lower Saxony will be three quarters of a century old - that is a serious, state-supporting matter.
But in Berlin the “Spaniards of the North” show that they can also celebrate.
Berlin - Lower Saxony presented itself with a happy review for its 75th birthday in Berlin. Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) welcomed the “fan curve of the most beautiful of the 16 federal states” on Thursday in the state representation in the government district. There are many federal state representations within a few meters - and some of them are also three quarters of a century old this year, like their neighbors North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.
Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz appeared late to the Lower Saxony party because of an important date - "I have no idea what that could be," joked Weil about the exploratory talks between the SPD candidate for chancellor with the Greens and the FDP.
Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller and his successor Franziska Giffey were guests, as were Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (all SPD).
It was a home game for Lower Saxony Hubertus Heil (SPD), Tilmann Kuban (CDU) and Jürgen Trittin (Greens).
"Lower Saxony, some people claim, is brittle," said Weil, but called this an incredible mistake.
"Actually we are the Spaniards of the north."
That set the tone for an evening full of humor and self-irony.
Above all, the artists gave new facets to the state's secret anthem - the “Song of Lower Saxony” with the crackling refrain “We are the Lower Saxony, storm-proof and overgrown”.
Singer Denise M'Baye from Wendland started her pop song like this: “In Wendland on the Elbe we stand hand in hand on the dike.” Swing singer Juliano Rossi languished not “from the Weser to the Elbe”, but “from the Wera to Elke ”.
And cabaret artist Dietmar Wischmeyer wrote as "Günther the tractor driver": "We are Lower Saxony, fundamentally stable like tractor axles."
The mockery hit everything and everyone that evening: the state capital Hanover, VW with the diesel scandal, pig farming, wind farms, Lower Saxony exports to Berlin and Brussels such as Gerhard Schröder, Christian Wulff or Ursula von der Leyen.
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There is still some way to go before the actual state birthday.
After the Second World War, the British occupying forces founded the new federal state on November 1, 1946 from the states of Hanover, Braunschweig, Oldenburg and Schaumburg-Lippe.
Weil remembered these beginnings.
"Lower Saxony was a country that was in large parts extremely poor" - for example in the Emsland or along the former zone border with the GDR.
Now Lower Saxony is a strong agricultural and industrial country, "a country in the heart of Europe".
Above all, North Germany has never experienced peace as long as it has in 75 years of Lower Saxony.
“That is really a great result.” In addition to many other activities for the anniversary, a ceremony is planned for November 1st in Hanover.
dpa
