Bad kissingen wants to get to grips with summertime
In the fight for overnight guests, bad kissingen has been using the motto "time" since this year. "Discover the time", is the slogan with which the city and the public baths present themselves to the public. The city now wants to go one step further. On the initiative of the economic demandor michael wieden, it is to be investigated to what extent bad kissingen can take on a nationwide pioneering role in the phasing out of daylight saving time.
There are two reasons for this from wieden’s point of view. "Over 75 percent of germans want to get out", he said in the economic committee. And: "the topic has a first background, which concerns our core competence health." The economic promoter refers to medical findings from various disciplines – including chronobiology, sleep research and neurology – which assess the time change as unhealthy. Among others, professor till roenneberg (LMU munich) and professor emerita anna wirz-justice (universitat basel) are available as expert advisors. The city works with "reputable scientists who have an appropriate reputation in research, the public and the companies", emphasized how. The project is not just a crazy idea, but will help to further raise the profile of the town as a health location. He expects this to attract widespread public attention. "There is a media benefit if we do this in a serious way and not in a flashy way."
The committee members had a long and controversial discussion on wednesday. Mayor kay blankenburg (SPD) made it clear that it is not a question of bad kissingen strikingly opting out of summer time and setting up its own time zone. "This is not a cheap marketing gag, but a serious idea. We want to be the pioneers of a movement that puts an end to the time changeover", he said.
Criticism and sometimes harsh rejection of the project came from all factions, with the exception of the SPD. CSU faction spokesman michael heppes said with a view to the settlement of luxury hotels, budget consolidation and the world cultural heritage application, that bad kissingen should put its energy into other tasks. "I am of the opinion that the project will not bear fruit for bad kissingen", he said. Fellow party member steffen hortler agreed: "i don’t think we should spend any money on it." Sigismund von dobschutz (freie wahler) warned that media attention could have a negative impact. "We run the risk of being ridiculed by the uninformed general public."
"I don’t see the risk in this first step", replied blankenburg. The idea must not be allowed to become a tabloid number. Wieden assured that the city will not incur any additional costs from the feasibility study, which he plans to present before the next committee meeting.
Ultimately, wieden and the oberburg mayor succeeded in winning a slim majority of the rate. The economic committee instructed the economic requester to conduct the study by a vote of seven to four. Wieden has until mid september to explore ways bad kissingen can lead the way in phasing out daylight saving time.
