Continuing to Strengthen the City Centre

Interview with Klaus Schmotz

As a “Central Town in a Rural Region”, Stendal was looking for widespread cooperation beyond the county limits as part of the IBA process. Was this a too ambitious goal?

Klaus Schmotz: We succeeded in forging regional cooperation between the cities of Arneburg, Tangermünde and the Hansestadt Stendal. However, there is simply not enough space in other places and heads for new ideas that stretch far into the future and whose implementation require significant time and patience.

What did the three cities agree on?

Klaus Schmotz: We want to undertake as much as we can together in commerce, education, tourism and culture so as to create greater efficiency. Urban development must concentrate on certain core areas to make better use of existing infrastructure. The cities have different strengths: Arneburg is the industrial centre, Tangermünde the “tourist highlight” and Stendal is the city of education and services.

What is so special about the Hansestadt Stendal?

Klaus Schmotz: The University of Magdeburg-Stendal, the Altmark Theatre, the adult education centre, the St. Catherine‘s Church Music School, the Music and Art School, all forms of schools and care facilities and an interesting museum landscape. In the variety of educational services, Stendal is unique as a regional centre. Quite rightly, work within the IBA process has initiated a networking of these services.

The Hansestadt Stendal wishes to offer a broad spectrum of basic public services. This needs a lot of protagonists.

Klaus Schmotz: We have them, e.g. in healthcare with a good supply of doctors, pharmacies and the Johanniter Hospital. There is the “Citizens‘ Initiative Stendal” as an exemplary project targeted at caring for dementia patients and their families, a broad spectrum of retail trade, in culture, in social institutions and sports facilities; there is a Winckelmann Society as backer for the Children‘s Museum, the Children‘s University in the university itself, the club „KinderStärken“ and much more. We are a leading service provider in the region with the Judiciary Centre, the District, County and Labour Courts, the DPP, the Inland Revenue and much more.

What will the Hansestadt Stendal present in the IBA Year?

Klaus Schmotz: Initial considerations for an IBA participation involved the entire region. From 2009 onwards, we concentrated above all on seeking possible solutions to strengthen the central location. From April 14, 2010, onwards, we want to present the result of this “thinking ahead in years” to the general public. The Stendal inhabitants enrich our considerations with ideas and dedication which can give us all courage that we can and will solve the existing and future problems for and with the people in our community. Although we have not completed any construction projects, IBA 2010 has provided us with creative impetus.

Strengthening of the inner city as a residential centre, a place of work and lifestyle, was also among the planning workshop topics.

Klaus Schmotz: It is the main focus of our urban development. A survey has revealed that contemporary construction is also possible in the city centre and that this does not mean you have to do without green areas. We have generated interest beyond the city limits that our city is a place to live with all the services and facilities you need.

With what expectations did you enter the IBA process and what has been fulfilled?

Klaus Schmotz: We wanted to create a feasible picture for the future until 2025, and we have got it. I can see good signs of cooperation in the city triangle, for the continued development of the local educational landscape and the alignment of the technical infrastructure with the demographic transformation. We discussed the necessary perspectives for our urban land-use plans so that the city centre development is and remains the focus. We need to get the citizens involved to implement all of this, and we will continue to concentrate on this task in the current and in the years to come.