Last updated: 23.12.2023, 10:00 a.m.
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Looking back on 20203 and looking forward to the Corbinian Year 2024 in Freising: Mayor Tobias Eschenbacher. © City of Freising
With a greeting for the holidays, Freising's Lord Mayor Tobias Eschenbacher addresses the population and looks back on 2023.
"Our city is on the threshold of "1300 Years of Korbinian in Freising 2024", a big, truly groundbreaking year of celebrations that will bring us national attention, not only through the Bavarian State Exhibition 2024 "Tassilo, Korbinian and the Bear - Bavaria in the Early Middle Ages". Associations and organizations from Freising and our twin cities provide many opportunities to combine past and present and to celebrate Korbinian's great legacy, "Freising in Europe", together. In the anniversary year, following the completion of the extensive renovation, we are also reopening the Asam building and the expanded city museum as a forward-looking cultural and civic centre – a beacon in a year of celebration that can justifiably be regarded as a once-in-a-century event in its historical context.
Joy and problems
There was justified reason to rejoice not only because of the much-noticed inauguration ceremony for the modern SteinPark schools in the year that is coming to an end – a year that has also caused us all great concern because of climate change, wars and terror in the Middle East. The consequences have long since reached the German economy and thus our everyday lives. The city council and administration are striving for a balanced budget that will allow us to continue to meet our diverse tasks in 2024 without far-reaching cuts. Unfortunately, the nationwide shortage of skilled workers is likely to remain a particular problem, which also affects to a large extent the pedagogical staff required for childcare and thus especially our families.
The Experience Room
Despite a massive onset of winter, Freising was able to celebrate the almost complete completion of the road construction work in Bahnhofstraße and Obere Hauptstraße in the section from Schiedereck to Marienplatz in December, and thus finally also implement the pedestrian zone in the heart of the old town, which was decided in 2014 – we are pleased about the further improved quality of stay, which makes the newly designed city centre a truly high-quality experience space. Back in May, we opened the area around the open Moosach and saw that more than an "eye-catcher" or a popular destination for relaxing summer breaks on the seating steps had been created: The city climate benefits from the open watercourse, as we experienced in the past hot summer.
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
Since spring, the newly designed Lindenkeller staircase has also been very popular, not only on the way to cultural events. With the large sustainability show "Paths to the Future for You and the World", a joint project of the Volunteer Meeting Point, the Local Agenda and seven cooperation partners, a demanding accompanying program led a large number of guests not only to the traveling exhibition for three weeks in autumn, but also to discussions and workshops.
Culture had a lot to offer
With the 4th Freising Summer Miracle, the Freising District Court Garden once again experienced a much-praised renaissance as a venue for a fine cultural festival, which was once again able to secure an enthusiastic audience; At our peaceful, cheerful folk festival 2023, the new festival host family Mörz celebrated its premiere - beautiful memories of many events that have inspired Freising in the past year. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Rotary Club donated a model of the city, which has become a much-visited attraction at Marienplatz, not only for our foreign guests. SV Vötting celebrated its 75th anniversary, THW was able to look back on 75 years of indispensable help in technical emergencies and disasters and supported Slovenia with its bridge construction train in August after the flood events, which had also severely affected our twin town Škofja Loka.
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Thanks to rescue and relief services
Despite all the restrictions that the massive onset of winter at the beginning of December probably meant for all of us, we in the city and district of Freising managed to make ends meet comparatively well in the past year, not least thanks to the competence and cooperation of our rescue and assistance services. A big thank you should therefore go to the volunteer work and the many people who fill it with life in Freising - even the high anniversaries that we were able to celebrate this year remind us of the range: 135 years of the singers' hoard to celebrate, 75 years of the Freising adult education centre, 70 years of the Freising-Lerchenfeld Warriors and Soldiers Association and the Attaching Warriors, Soldiers and Citizens Association, 60 years of the fire brigade marching band, 35 years of the Freising Amateur Theatre, 25 years of the town band or ten years of Kultur-gut! Freising e.V. – Examples of a lively cultural and club life, which makes Freising so special in all its diversity!
With a first business reception after the forced break due to the pandemic, the city was finally able to bring local companies together again for networking at HAWE in July - with its own company newsletter and a trainee fair in February 2024, our business development department is setting new accents to further strengthen the location offensively.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to the city council and administration for their good, constructive cooperation with a sincere appreciation for the great voluntary commitment, which was once again decisive for the attitude to life that characterizes Freising: Our city is growing, but it remains familiar through offers and services that come from the middle of the population and therefore create a sense of togetherness and familiarity. Without the commitment that volunteers make due to their personal competence, Freising would not be as we know and appreciate it.
With best wishes for happy holidays and a good, happy new year
Tobias Eschenbacher