Fritz Kuhn

Fritz Kuhn’s eight-year term as Lord Mayor of the state capital Stuttgart came to an end on January 6, 2021. Within the framework of an official ceremony in the large meeting hall of the city hall, which took place corona-conditionally without guests and media representatives, he was said goodbye on Monday, January 11. The farewell ceremony was accompanied musically by the Gee Hye Lee Trio. The moderation took over Jens Zimmermann.

First Mayor Dr. Fabian Mayer said at the farewell ceremony: “Climate change has been a leitmotif of Lord Mayor Fritz Kuhn’s term in office in several respects. None of his predecessors did as much to improve air quality in Stuttgart and achieved as much in this area as he did. A hallmark of his policy here is that sometimes things first have to be uncomfortable in order to improve permanently and sustainably.” As an example, Mayer cited the fine dust alarm, which, in conjunction with other measures, has ensured compliance with the fine dust limits.

On the subject of “climate change,” Mayer went on to say, “When OB Kuhn took office, the city was polarized and divided over S21. Today, not all, but certainly many have made their peace with the controversial major project. Kuhn has managed to gain acceptance among critics and reconcile opponents and supporters. That has contributed to an improvement in the atmosphere.”

According to Mayer, characteristic of OB Kuhn was his “quiet and cautious action.” “He did not pursue a radically transformative approach. Rather, it was always important to him to preserve what had stood the test of time, while at the same time changing and optimizing it and adapting it to the requirements of our time. In this way, he reset many different courses.”

In the Corona pandemic, he said, Kuhn did an extraordinary job. Mayer praised, “The quality of a mayor always shows itself in exceptional situations. Kuhn saw early on and before many others what an epochal challenge we were facing and did not hesitate.

and did not hesitate to implement important measures. As a sovereign crisis manager, he led the city with a steady hand and great overview through this difficult time.”

The First Mayor concluded by saying, “OB Kuhn is a kind of counter-model to the type of populist. He doesn’t just talk people’s mouths off and isn’t out for short-term effect for the sake of his own advantage. He doesn’t have to think long and hard to find an attitude, he has one.”

Baden-Württemberg’s Minister President Winfried Kretschmann paid tribute to his party colleague and long-time companion, saying: “I have known Fritz Kuhn for 40 years now, and our paths first crossed in the early 1980s. As founding members of the Green Party, we both shared the same conviction: It’s not enough just to be against something. As a politician, you also have to point out realistic perspectives and actively shape the world we live in. As a steer, as an analyst, as a thought leader.”

The Minister President went on to emphasize that “Fritz Kuhn also mastered the many challenges of his last political office with flying colors, despite the travails of the levels with constantly changing majorities in the municipal council. With a debt-free budget, with committed climate protection, with sustainable mobility and a diverse cultural scene, Kuhn has brought this great city far forward. Not to mention his shrewd tact as crisis manager during the refugee crisis and the Corona pandemic. I thank Fritz Kuhn for his work, his friendship and for what he has done for our democracy and for our community in many decades of successful politics.”

Waltraud Ulshöfer, Fritz Kuhn’s wife, outlined the basic line of his work: “Fritz’s political vein was determined by his clear positions on content. He was committed to a people-friendly and ecological city. The citizens could rely on him to stand by his positions consistently.” At the same time, her husband’s political conceptions were “free of dreaming,” instead his imagination was in the strategy of how something could be changed. Ulshöfer: “Fritz based his power to act on the assertiveness of the better arguments.”

Finally, Kuhn himself took to the lectern and recalled his forty years as a Green politician and his eight years as Stuttgart’s mayor: “I am glad and proud that I was able to serve and help shape our country and our city for forty years. For me, it was important to see lasting change in the substance. Stuttgart has become a sustainable city and culturally richer. It has a reputation as a cosmopolitan city - and I would like to see this tradition continue in the future.”

The former mayor went on to say, “Stuttgart has a lot ahead of it. Some things are planned, some things have been started. We need not fear for our city. Stuttgart has an excellent future ahead of it: it is an economically strong and culturally rich city, a world-class science and university location, and has a committed citizenry. If these cards are played, the city will be in a good position.”

Kuhn issued a warning regarding the “enemies of democracy”: “What worries me most is what is happening on the right-wing fringe of our society. Democracy is a great gift and there must be no sympathy for those who want to destroy it. That’s what we have to stand up against and defend democracy.”

Final, Kuhn thanked the entire city administration and the citizens of Stuttgart: “It’s been an honor to serve this city for eight years.”

Dr. Frank Nopper was elected as the new Lord Mayor of the state capital Stuttgart. His assumption of office has been delayed due to appeals against the election and associated deadlines. Dr. Nopper will be able to take office at the end of January at the earliest. The prerequisite for this is that the objections against the election have been rejected with final effect, i.e. no lawsuits are filed. In this case, the official introduction of the new mayor in the municipal council can take place on February 4, 2021.

From his successor, Dr. Frank Nopper, Kuhn wished “that the tradition of integration and a cosmopolitan city be continued, regardless of party affiliation.” Earlier, Minister President Kretschmann had once again congratulated the new mayor on his election and said: “I have great respect for local self-government and work together with the city leaders in the state in a good, cooperative partnership. I am also very happy to offer this to the newly elected OB of Stuttgart, Dr. Nopper, and I am sure that we can accomplish a lot for the good of the city, the region and the state.”

As mayor, Kuhn worked along his vision of a sustainable, cosmopolitan and culturally rich city. He had emphasized this in early December in the review of his eight years in office. According to his own statements, his political approach was “to make the city as a whole a beacon in terms of its infrastructure.” In doing so, he had paid attention to the tense relationship between “economy and ecology” and had endeavored to achieve a balance. There had been successes in the areas of mobility, energy and climate, where important decisions had been made, and these developments were irreversible. In addition, strengthening the cultural infrastructure and the creative location was a focus of Kuhn’s work.

As head of the city, he went on to say in his review, he had “not smiled problems away or swept them under the carpet, but addressed them clearly and worked through them”. Kuhn: “I did things that had to be done out of a sense of responsibility, without looking at popularity ratings.”

The last ten months of his tenure were dominated by the fight against the coronavirus. During the pandemic, he was in demand as crisis manager and head of the administrative staff. In early December, he said: “Cities prove themselves in the crisis, not in the sunshine. My hope is that we can defeat the virus in the first six months of 2021. To do that, we’re going to need a lot of continued caution and a quick start on vaccination in as large numbers as possible.”