Feature photo: Europaplatz Heilbronn
Heilbronn has a Europe Square, even if this does not immediately catch the eye of those unfamiliar with the area and even many of Heilbronn's citizens.
After much digging, the EUROPA-UNION Heilbronn and the Young European Federalists succeeded in 1971 in getting the city of Heilbronn to rename its Mannheim roundabout Europaplatz. In terms of Europe, Heilbronn was way ahead of most German cities; This is not the only reason why Heilbronn was officially presented with the European flag by the Council of Europe at this time, which, by the way, can no longer be found.
For a good two years now, members of the EUROPA-UNION Heilbronn have been asked more and more often by interested citizens, namely why on the one hand the Europaplatz is so neglected and on the other hand why the city is so cautious about the subject of Europe.
The EUROPA-UNION Heilbronn has not received any or only insufficient information from the city administration or the members of the municipal council in response to its own inquiries.
In Heilbronn there are also few other signs, signs or symbols that profess to our common Europe. I personally only know of one sign that indicates that the institution marked with it is funded by the European Union. In addition, the European flag can actually only be seen if authorities are forced to hoist the European flag in addition to the state and federal flag on public holidays.
However, I am aware of three very positive exceptions to this rule. Since the BUGA days, the European flag has been fluttering happily in the wind on the Insel Hotel, and a Heilbronn pastor and a dentist from Heilbronn have each raised their own European flag in front of their house.
It would be so easy, at least on Europaplatz, to let a European flag fly prominently. I am no longer talking about a corresponding sign, which could also be recognized and read by car, bus or cyclist drivers. Or even a display board with further explanations, which, by the way, were put up in abundance in Heilbronn on a wide variety of topics as part of the BUGA.
And only true fantasists dream of a corresponding work of art in Heilbronn, which could present the recently renovated Europaplatz in a whole new splendor.
Addendum:
Since I have now been asked by several readers how I would imagine such a work of art and I particularly like the humor of the questioners, I am now happy to reveal my idea:
The work of art would be a laser-generated 3D effect, which shows a Europa directly above the square, which, depending on the current situation in the EU, is more or less skillfully riding a bull in rodeo style.
And the whole thing is larger than life for the sake of visibility alone.
Addendum:
At least those responsible for the Insel Hotel have reacted in the meantime, unfortunately caught up with the European flag and replaced it with the German one, which is not bad in principle, but also so normal again that it hardly has any meaning. Incidentally, the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin in Stuttgart has solved this far more intelligently, but this is also a completely different price range.
"We'll always have Paris."
Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca (1942)
