Despite social media: The joint newsletter of the three communities of Grafrath, Kottgeisering and Schöngeising is still an important means of communication - even 50 years after the first edition. The mayors don't want to do without it
Grafrath/Kottgeisering – It started with the newsletter in April 1974. Number 1 of the first year was called “ Bulletin of the Grafrath and Surroundings Tourist Association with official announcements from the municipal administrations of Grafrath and Kottgeisering”. The club was very famous back then - but has long since been dissolved. And the “official announcements” were more of an appendage and only mentioned in the subheading of the title. Nevertheless, the two mayors at the time, Max Huber (Grafrath) and Ludwig Kratz (Kottgeisering), wrote a foreword on the front page. In it, the two emphasized “the imperative need for joint action”, whereby “sobriety, objectivity and practicality should be and remain the principles of our joint municipal work”.
Türkenfeld was there from 1976
What is also noticeable: Schöngeising was not yet there at the time - two years after the start, Türkenfeld, which then belonged to the Graf-rath administrative community, was added. After Türkenfeld left the VG in 1980, the municipality of Schöngeising became co-publisher as a new VG member.
But back to the beginning. On the first two pages of the first issue, the then district local custodian and local chronicler Wolfgang Völk praised the start of a series on the local landscape and the Upper Ampertal natural area. It starts with a historical excursion into its origins. But unrelated topics also came up: a good year later, Völk wrote an essay on the front page on the topic “Germanic menu was simple – women were respected”.
Hedge trimming was already an issue back then
Official announcements are reported on just over one page of the eight-page first edition - although it is noticeable that cutting back the bushes on the sidewalks was already an issue 50 years ago. There were also announcements from the parish offices back then, such as the fact that a holy mass would take place in the church in Höfen on four out of five days of the week (today there is only one). The opening hours of the Kottgeisering municipal office are similar. This was open every day, even on Friday afternoons. Nowadays the “contact point” is only open once a week.
In the club's announcements, the Grafrath club boards complain about the closure of the Märchenwald restaurant (probably in anticipation of the final cessation of operations) and thus the large hall. This has a negative impact on club life. The section “Parties report” is about a CSU meeting in which the state parliament candidate Manfred Hölzl criticizes the disadvantage that Bonn is putting Bavaria at a disadvantage.
Of the advertisers at that time, the only ones left today are the “Zum Dampfschiff” restaurant and the Dischl company, which operates as “Construction Glazier – Ready-made Windows” (which was also looking for a “glazier’s helper” to join immediately).
With the October 1976 issue, the tourist association disappeared from the title, and the “Oberes Ampertal and Surrounding Area Interest Group for the Promotion of Public and Non-Profit Affairs” took its place. Tourism concerns also played a major role. With this edition, the municipality of Türkenfeld joined for the first time. From then on, all three municipal coats of arms adorned the cover. And from 1980 onwards, today's VG trio Grafrath, Kottgeisering and Schöngeising have been publishing the paper.
Manufactured in Schöngeising
The newsletter underwent a significant change a few years ago with the switch to color printing. Incidentally, the production takes place in the Gauck printing company in Schöngeising.
“Despite all the enthusiasm for social media, the newsletter of the Graf-rath administrative community is and remains the linchpin of publications, information and appointments in the communities,” says Grafrath’s mayor Markus Kennerknecht. “The printed newsletter is still a central component of public relations work, not least because it also appears digitally on the VG homepage,” says Kennerknecht, who, as VG chairman, is responsible for the press law and is happy to promote the newspaper uses personal words, for example at the end of the year.
Let's read what's bothering the neighbor
Kottgeisering's mayor Andreas Folger also doesn't want to miss the newsletter: "Especially in Corona times, the paper has developed into an important means of communication, especially since the participation of visitors to local council meetings has since declined and remains at the lowest level." The town hall boss is also interested in the information of the neighboring communities: “I can take some topics, some suggestions with me.”
Editorial deadline on the third of the previous month
Both mayors agree that the newsletter will be around for a long time. However, it is questionable whether it will still be in printed form in ten years. But despite all the digitalization, readers are certainly happy to still have something to browse through for a while. Perhaps a purely digital edition would increase the speed and thus the topicality: articles and advertisements must be submitted by the third day of the previous month - 50 years ago the 25th of the previous month was enough.
Picked up earlier while shopping
But unlike back then, when the paper could be picked up at the grocery store or butcher, today it is delivered to every mailbox.
You can find even more current news from the Fürstenfeldbruck district at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.