Local news translated – July 28, 2023

Graphic by U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Public Affairs Office

Host Nation Update, July 28, 2023

🎉 Remember to visit our Summer Festivals & Special Events roundup to see what’s happening in the region! 🎉

🚆🚧 Summer construction work impacts S-Bahn (July 29 – Sept. 9) and Schönbuchbahn (Aug. 19 – Sept. 10) 🚆🚧

New construction site in Stuttgart – Standstill on the Weinsteige (S-Degerloch)

For several days now, construction crews have been busy renoting the Obere Weinsteige in Degerloch on behalf of the city’s civil engineering department. The work starts at the intersection “Auf dem Haigst” and is carried out in sections up to Karl-Pfaff-Strasse. Although the B 27 remains passable in both directions, only one lane at a time will be available to motorists until the end of construction on September 8.  This has consequences, of course, because several thousand commuters have been stuck in traffic jams on the Weinsteige since Monday – both in and out of the city. Readers of our newspaper report a loss of time of up to one hour for just “four kilometers”.  Police were also on duty in the construction zone on Wednesday, but not because of traffic or an accident. “There were problems with a pedestrian traffic light, but technicians fixed them during the day,” a police spokeswoman said. A traffic signal set up by the construction company was turning green far too often for pedestrians. Until the problem was fixed, two police officers made sure motorists and pedestrians were safe.  The measure on the Obere Weinsteige is the first of more than 20 major construction measures that the civil engineering office has deliberately scheduled for the vacation period, when there is less traffic. “The fact that traffic jams can still occur cannot be completely avoided on an access road,” says city spokesman Oliver Hillinger. But the project on the Obere Weinsteige in particular is very important because the road surface there was in a very poor condition.  (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, July 27)

Pedestrian zone in Böblingen – Bahnhofstraße fully closed for two weeks

For some time now, Bahnhofstrasse has been like a bottleneck at the intersection with Wilhelmstrasse. Construction is taking place on both sides, and the construction sites need their space. Now, a full closure is imminent, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to take a detour.  Bahnhofstraße will be fully closed at the height of the construction sites for about two weeks starting this Thursday. The reason for this is that a sewer must be connected. A detour for pedestrians and cyclists via Olgastrasse past the new Pulse building will be signposted. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, July 27)

Bridge renovation in Stuttgart/Leinfelden – Drivers have to put up with a long detour

The bridge in the course of Schönbuchstraße (L 1192) over the A 8 in the Stuttgart-Rohr area will not be passable in the coming weeks. it will be repaired from July 28 until probably the end of August 2023. In the process, the transition structures, i.e. the connecting components of the road and the structure, will be replaced. For motorists, Schönbuchstraße will be closed in the area between Berghaustraße and Paracelsusstraße during the entire construction period. A secured area will remain open for cyclists and pedestrians, who can continue to use the bridge. Traffic on the A 8 is not affected by the construction work.  The detour for local traffic in the direction of Leinfelden-Echterdingen will be from Robert-Koch-Strasse via Liebknechtstrasse and Industriestrasse to Nord-Süd-Strasse and from there on to Leinfelden. In the opposite direction, drivers also have to drive through Leinfelden onto Nord-Süd-Strasse and then on to Stuttgart-Vaihingen.  Members of the local council in Leinfelden-Echterdingen voiced criticism weeks ago; they expect traffic jams. Interregional traffic will be diverted via the B27. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, July 27)

Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) – New shuttle bus takes passengers to platform 16

Since the main station is being rebuilt in the course of the realization of Stuttgart 21, there have been complaints from travelers about significantly longer distances to and from the trains. People with walking disabilities suffer from it, in particular. Now a free shuttle service is to provide relief.  Up to now, Deutsche Bahn has offered customers the option of being picked up from the station forecourt and taken to the respective train via its mobility service center by making an appointment via a hotline. Up to now, this has not been possible on a spontaneous basis. The new service is designed to do just that: From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the evening, a shuttle bus will now run every five minutes between Arnulf-Klett-Platz and platform 16 at the main station. The stop is to be set up at the level of the traffic lights on Königstraße. This is intended to achieve “a short-term improvement in the current situation for mobility-impaired travelers at the main station,” writes the city administration.  The shuttle bus is already on the road and passed the pilot operation in April and May well. According to the railroad, 1,801 people were transported in the first of the two months, and 3,213 in the following month. And the number is likely to increase significantly in the near future.  (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, July 27)

Start of vacation at Stuttgart Airport 

Shortly after 8 a.m. today, on the first day of the summer vacations, there is a great deal of activity at the suitcase check-in counters with the numbers 160 to 169, where Eurowings accepts baggage for flights to Split, Naples, Thessaloniki and Hamburg, and all four waiting aisles are full.  Stuttgart Airport reports that despite a clear recovery after COVID, passenger numbers have by no means reached pre-COVID levels: “During the 2019 summer vacations, approximately 2.2 million passengers arrived, and this year we are expecting around 1.5 million passengers during this period,” Beate Schleicher, the press spokeswoman for Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH, told our newspaper. Even on an annual basis, passenger numbers are significantly below those of the record year 2019, when 12.7 million passengers flew: After the Corona slump (3.2 million in 2021, 3.6 million in 2021), around 7 million passengers flew in 2022, and the airport expects 8.3 million for 2023.  In many companies, even after COVID, online meetings replace many a business trip.  At the start of the vacations in Baden-Württemberg, it was lively but not chaotic on Thursday with 260 registered flights. Around 9 a.m., waiting times at the security checkpoint were 15 to 20 minutes, and the queue in front of the Eurowings check-in counters had shrunk by more than half.  According to the airport, the first check-in counters opened at 3:30 a.m. due to the school vacations. “From our point of view, the vacations started smoothly,” says Beate Schleicher. Until the coming weekend and the other vacation weekends, a high passenger volume is expected.  (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, July 28) 

Filderstadt – Fruit trees may be harvested free of charge

Fruit lovers can rejoice: This year again, apples, pears and plums can be harvested free of charge in Filderstadt. Last year, for the first time, the city offered the fruit from its own orchards for free. Since the offer worked very satisfactorily the city administration advertised it again this year on its Internet site. In addition, this “emergency program” contributes to the fact that everyone can eat healthy, organic and balanced.   On the web page there are respective maps in which all those municipal fruit trees are listed which offer this free service. The number of individual fruit tree species is also listed there. Interested parties are free to choose and may help themselves.  The city expressly asks that only ripe fruit be harvested. Otherwise branches could be damaged or torn off. In principle a respectful contact is presupposed. The city does not have to be informed which fruit tree one chooses. However, individual trees may not be marked or reserved.  Fruit harvest information and site maps can be found here: https://www.filderstadt.de/start/service/AKTUELLES.html (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, July 28)

Ostfildern wants to continue their firework festival “Flaming stars” 

The fireworks festival “Flaming Stars” will take place in Ostfildern until at least 2025. The 19th edition of the “Flaming Stars” festival will take place from Friday to Sunday, August 25 to 27, in Scharnhauser Park. Many clubs from Ostfildern and the surrounding area will also participate in the three-day festival. More information at their homepage https://flammende-sterne.de 

Illegal parkers are a big problem during the three days. This was pointed out by the Ostfildern city council in its submission on the future of the festival. The organizers offer again a combined ticket, so that people can come to the festival by bus or by streetcar.

On Friday, August 25, the group Devico from Belgium will be guests. On Saturday, August 26, “Fireworks America” from USA will perform. On Sunday, August 27, Nanos Fireworks from Greece will complete the trio. All musical fireworks will begin at 10:15 p.m. Award ceremony on Sunday at around 10:45 p.m. (Stgt Nachrichten, 27 July)

Here are the weekend events in Stuttgart – CSD – Rainbow flags in the city

This Saturday, July 29, the rainbow flags will fly in Stuttgart – with the Christopher Street Day Parade as the highlight. The diversity can also be seen in many other events.

Anyone who comes to the courtyard of the Old Palace these days will be amazed. Palm trees, deck chairs and parasols combine to create a summer oasis. It is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Please note: Café Dürnitz is closed on Mondays. There will also be a water playground. What is possible? Splashing and experimenting with pools, gutters, wheels and pumps. Buckets and shovels are available on site. Good for world explorers: there is an open workshop every afternoon until August 27.   

The bitter seriousness behind the CSD parade becomes clear on Saturday morning – during a guided tour of the permanent exhibition at the “Hotel Silber” place of remembrance on Charlottenplatz. The show details the injustice done in the region by Paragraph 175 of the Criminal Code, not only in the time of Hitler’s Germany, but also in post-war Germany. The tour (10:30 a.m.) will be followed by a talk with Shadi Amin. The exiled Iranian is the director of the network “6Rang” and campaigns for the rights of queer people in Iran.  

For life: “yidishe muzik” (Jewish music)

Up to and including this Sunday, July 30, the 6th festival of ”Yidishe muzik” will be celebrated around Schoettle-Platz in Heslach. Organized by the Tübingen association Connect!, there will be participatory activities and concerts. From 10 a.m. this Friday, July 28, the Generationenhaus Heslach will be transformed into a learning stage for Jewish music. On this Saturday, you can also take your first steps in the Hebrew language – also from 10 am. That Friday at 7:30 p.m., the trio Jetzetle, featuring Jakob, Eva and Tilman Jäger, will play at the altes Feuerwehrhaus (Moehringer Str. 56, 70199 Stgt) Old Firehouse. This Saturday at 8 p.m., the Kammerchor Stuttgart-Heslach sings Arnold Schönberg’s “Three Folk Songs,” among other works, at the Matthäuskirche. The festival finale this Sunday, July 30, will take place from 10 a.m. at the Haus der Israelitischen Religionsgemeinschaft Württemberg (Hospitalstrasse 36). (Stgt Nachrichten, July 27)

Kirchheim wine village – Noble wine selection attracts guests 

Kirchheim does not have a wine-growing tradition, but there are many people in the town below the Teck who appreciate fine wines – preferably in good company. From August 3 to 20, the Kirchheim Wine Village offers the opportunity to celebrate, feast and enjoy under old chestnut trees on the roller skate rink. Every day from 5 p.m., visitors can indulge in fine wines, Swabian delicacies and selected specialties in the lovingly decorated arbors of Robert Ruthenberg (Holz- und Feuer-Laube), Marius Tim Schlatter (Bären-Laube) and Deny Scarlino (Wilder-Mann-Laube), or toast with a glass of champagne in the Bastion Gourmet Lounge at Mario Adornetto.

Since then, numerous Kirchheim restaurateurs have contributed to the success and ensured that the wine-filled Hocketse can already take place for the 34th time. 

In addition to culinary delights, the wine village scores with musicians and entertainment. (Stgt Nachrichten, July 28)