Host Nation Update, March. 12, 2024
Spring festival in Stuttgart – How much will a liter of beer cost?
The spring festival (Fruehlingsfest) is on its way. Startin Saturday, April 20 to Sunday, May 12, it will be celebrated at the Cannstatter Wasen in S-Bad Cannstatt.
Even if the hosts don’t like to hear it, the beer price still serves as the key currency. While a liter beer cost up to 13.20 euros at last year’s Spring Festival and up to 14.20 euros at the Volksfest, guests will have to pay up to 13.80 euros for a liter beer at the Spring Festival 2024. At Marcel Benz’s Hofbräu tent, the liter will cost 13.80 euros. “Actually, we could have charged more due to the increase of taxes on food from 7 to 19 percent, but it was not passed on to the customers. Benz has also invested a lot of money. The stage will be in the middle of the tent, so the band can be seen from all sides. This means more movement for the musicians so that you can see more than just their backs, but also more insights. There will also be a standing area for several hundred people in front of the stage. Karl Maier from Göckelesmaier is also investing in his tent again. “We’re completely rebuilding one box and the Pilsbar,” he says, adding that the offer has to be right to meet demand. These days, the offer must include a smart tent, lots of boxes and niches, music, all kinds of drinks and food, far more than just the traditional roasted chicken. “We don’t charge admission,” says Maier, “we earn our money through the consumption of food and drink.” And if the costs of security, energy, craftsmen, raw materials and the higher VAT on food increase, then unfortunately prices have to be raised. “We try to do this appropriately,” says Maier, “people feel the same as we do, they realize that everything is getting more expensive, and of course we have our costs, but we also want to offer an enjoyable evening at the end of which the guests say: that was worth the price!” In any case, the weekends in all the tents are almost fully booked. (Stgt Nachrichten, Mar 12, 2024)
Train cancellations in Baden-Württemberg – Another conductors’ strike started today
The strike by the train conductors’ union GDL has also started as planned in Baden-Württemberg. A spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn said this morning that it was not yet possible to assess the exact impact of the strike. There was also initially no further information on the GDL’s participation in the strike. However, a GDL spokesperson said on Monday morning that many train conductors had joined the strike because of the unsuccessful legal action taken by Deutsche Bahn against the strike.
Trains operated by other railroad companies such as Go-Ahead Baden-Württemberg and SWEG are once again expected to run as normal for the most part. They are not directly affected by the GDL strike, as both companies announced in advance. However, there may still be occasional train cancellations or disruptions. Passengers should check their connections before setting off. The GDL is fighting for higher salaries and fewer working hours at Deutsche Bahn. The crux of the conflict is still the demand that shift workers should only have to work 35 hours instead of 38 hours for the same pay. (Stgt Nachrichtren, Mar 12, 24)
Traffic jams around the Filder area – FDP claims that Traffic Minister Hermann (Greens) purposely delays B27 expansion
8 o’clock in the morning, Leinfelden-Echterdingen: Dennis Birnstock, FDP member of the state parliament and Filderstadt town councillor, and Christian Jung, transport policy spokesman for the FDP state parliamentary group, have deliberately invited people to a meeting at an early hour in Bernhäuser Straße on the B27 tunnel to talk about the expansion of the federal Autobahn, which has long since been decided and is supported by the FDP. While the lanes towards Stuttgart are busy this morning and traffic is flowing, the situation is very different on other days.
“In the section between Aichtal and the A8, the B27 is regularly overloaded, especially in the morning in the direction of Stuttgart and in the afternoon in the opposite direction,” the Stuttgart Regional Council stated years ago. Traffic jams with delays of ten to 15 minutes are not uncommon, and Filderstadt and Leinfelden-Echterdingen suffer from slow-moving traffic. The consequence: a six-lane expansion of the B27 was not only decided, but was also classified by the Bundestag in the “urgent need” category back in December 2016. However, from the FDP’s point of view, this is not happening fast enough. It is unacceptable that “hours and days are wasted in traffic jams” on the B27. Jung blames the state and Transport Minister Winfried Hermann for the fact that the expansion plans are progressing so slowly. According to the accusation, the Greens and Hermann have repeatedly “looked for things to delay the project because their goal is to have fewer cars on the roads.” Due to this criticism, the ministry was already considering bringing forward the northern part of the expansion project – i.e. between the Leinfelden-Echterdingen Süd junction and Echterdinger Ei – in the summer of 2022 due to the higher traffic load there and postponing the southern part for the time being. This has not gone down well in Filderstadt. The fear: a mere shift of congestion and more traffic to the Filderstadt districts. (Stgt Nachrichten, Mar 12, 2024)
Böblingen’s “Polar Night” on Saturday, March 16
After a four-year break, Böblingen’s live music night is now back with a few new features. Chris Rohr wants to stick to the tried-and-tested concept, where live music fans pay one entry fee and can then enjoy a lively “band hopping” from one pub to the next. The Polar Night takes place on Saturday, March 16, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the center of Böblingen. 22 bands and music acts will each play four 40-minute sets in the participating pubs and other venues – including the Bonifatiuskirche, the Alte Amtsgericht and the V8 Hotel on the airfield. A shuttle bus, which will also be playing live music, will provide a quick transfer to the next stop during the breaks.
Admission wristbands are available at the Brauhaus, Seegärtle, Bootshaus and B-Drei as well as at the Volksbank on Friedrich-List-Platz. Detailed information about the Polar Night and all the bands can be found at wwww.polarnacht-bb.de (SN, Mar 12, 2024)