Litigation about the Congress House

Created: 04/15/2022, 07:00

By: Andreas Seiler

A perennial favorite in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: the future of the congress center.

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Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Garmisch-Partenkirchen's long-running congress center is gaining ground - and is now being fought with legal means.

Opponents of new construction lodged a legal complaint against the market town with the district office.

Harder facts and figures are required.

The question of what should become of the veteran congress center is a never-ending story.

The topic is polarizing.

The expectations of the property on Richard-Strauss-Platz are high and diverse.

It should not only serve the citizens and culture, but also increase potential in the conference and congress business.

A new building or a renovation – or a solution somewhere in between.

The municipality relies on citizen participation, which is currently ongoing.

At the end there should be a council request followed by a referendum.

Referendum 2019: Clear majority for preservation

What doesn't make things easier: Such a vote already existed.

In 2019, a clear majority spoke out in favor of preservation and refurbishment, including partial new construction.

This result is no longer binding, but one could derive a political obligation.

Jörg Setzpfand and Dr.

Christoph Elschenbroich, initiators of the citizens' initiative "Save our congress center".

You are now starting a new attempt.

Local councilor Anton Hofer (Garmisch+Partenkirchen together) is at your side.

Together they filed a legal oversight complaint with the District Office.

Their demand: the market should finally follow up on the decisions made by the municipal council in 2019 and 2020 to implement the will of the citizens and to get the renovation going.

This involves a series of investigations and calculations which the three complainants consider to be important.

The focus is on a use, operation and space concept as well as a detailed cost estimate.

Critics speak of a "procrastination tactic"

Sitzpfand, Elschenbroich and Hofer are anything but in agreement with the municipality's approach.

"Nothing happens," criticizes Elschenbroich, who speaks of a "procrastination tactic".

The decisions are valid.

That's how Hofer sees it: either you implement them - or you cancel them.

It is crucial that reliable numbers come to the table - also for the new construction variant.

In his eyes, citizen participation is a “request concert”.

Settlement made a harsher judgment, speaking of a “sham democracy”.

His assumption: "The result is certain: It should be a new building."

Mayor Elisabeth Koch (CSU), meanwhile, is promoting the open-ended participation process: "Looking back doesn't get us any further." You want a "broad dialogue" with the citizens to define what the congress center should do.

Koch appeals to the deposit, Elschenbroich and Hofer to get involved constructively.

She could not comment on the legal supervision complaint, she said on Wednesday, because she did not yet have the letter.