Honorary citizen panels wander from the town hall to the local history museum - speculation about the "dark sides" of some dignitaries
Created: 04/04/2022, 07:00
By: Andreas Mayr
Gallery of dignitaries: The honorary citizens of the municipality of Uffing in the reception hall of the town hall.
On the left is a large bust of Klaus Bahlsen, biscuit manufacturer and philanthropist.
© Mayr
The plaques in the town hall of Uffinger, which commemorate honorary citizens who have already passed away, will go to the local history museum.
This was decided by a majority of the municipal council.
Uffing
– The ghosts of the past catch up with Uffing once again.
After the cause of Adolf Hitler and his (symbolically) revoked honorary citizenship, the community is now taking a further step.
It moves all plaques of honor from the former (dead) honorary citizens from the town hall to the local history museum.
"History is in the right place here," says Mayor Andreas Weiß (independent).
In addition, the honorary citizens and their vita appear on the website.
In the case of the German dictator, with appropriate information on the circumstances of his honor and denial.
You can find more
current news from the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Merkur.de/Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The decision was made with 11:3 votes, but not without clear criticism.
Marcus von Bechtolsheim (WGU) did not understand why the portraits of honorary citizens had to be banned from the town hall.
In 2015, during the renovation of the building, a notables' corner was created in the entrance area.
All honorary citizens are shown there, along with a picture and notes on their benevolence.
"Hardly anyone goes to the local history museum," believes Bechtolsheim.
List colleague Wolfgang Mayr also considered the town hall to be the right place to exhibit the meritorious Uffinger.
"Honorary citizen has something to do with honor - and that belongs in the town hall," he said.
Together with Dr.
Thomas Hartmann (WGU), the two spoke out against the redesign.
Mayor Weiss himself came up with the idea. His approach: "The town hall should be a place of the now." That is why the municipality continues to grant living honorary citizens a place in the administration.
But the title expires with death anyway, which means that the personalities automatically have historical value for the place and are in good hands in the local history museum.
In addition, the mayor referred to complaints from the population.
Uffinger, who pointed out the dark sides of other dead honorary citizens, reported more and more.
There are various personal experiences that support these allegations, Weiss explained.
However, he did not want to say the names publicly.
This fact seemed to Bechtolsheim as if they wanted to get rid of them as quickly as possible from the town hall.
"Then you have to deal with the doubts,"
he stressed.
Weiß assured him and his colleagues that he had no intention of "hiding our history".
He only considers the town hall to be the wrong place for enlightenment.
Michaela Mück (WFU) was not bothered by the redesign either.
In contrast to the former mayors (their portraits also hang in the town hall), very few honorary citizens actually worked in the town hall.
A reference to the exhibition in the local museum was enough for her.
All panels will soon move 200 meters north.
In addition, the municipal councils anchored a passage in their statutes that regulates the annulment of the title in the event of "unworthy behavior".
A two-thirds majority is required for this drastic step.
Soon the recipients of the Uffinger Ehrentaler will end up on the website – the second highest award in the village, which can only be given to ten living citizens who have rendered services to the village.
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