Ditzingen – more than a town


This courageous statement created by the marketing department indicates that Ditzingen is not lacking in self-confidence.

The term more attributed to a town is ambiguous:

These four town districts: Ditzingen, Heimerdingen, Hirschlanden, Schöckingen – are they exceeding the town, because of the open spaces that lie in between?

24.000 inhabitants and 11.000 employees – is this an exercise in arithmetic, which adds up to more people commuting to Ditzingen?

On the occasion of the first project organised by the KulturRegion Stuttgart in 1992/93 (‘Platzverführung’, an extensive joint sculptural exhibition in 18 towns), the artist Lawrence Weiner referred to the self-concept of Ditzingen as being different with his sculpture titled ‘‘one potato, two potatoes, three potatoes and more’’.

 

Now let us look for the particular.

The District Administrator of Ludwigsburg calls Ditzingen a ‘City of Music’. – In addition to the activities offered by various associations (like music society, song circles, concertina societies and ‘Guggenmusik’-ensembles) there is an especially active music school. At the moment, more than 1.000 children and young people are attending the Ditzingen School of Music for Young Performers, which is co-operating successfully with all schools.

With the result that primary, secondary and grammar schools provide:

_ a string-orchestra for 9 and 10 year-olds

_ a guitar-ensemble for 9 and 10 year-olds

_ several bigbands; integrating to some extent mentally handicapped pupils (repeatedly awarded a prize!)

_ a choir

_ a class of wind players


The music scene of young people is dominated by bands playing hardcore, punk and rock music.

 

Neighbourhood events

During the project called ‘Heimerdinger tonART’, experimental sounds were to be discovered. Two organ factories presented their electronic instruments, whereas one of the owners introduced an innovation in the field of surround sound. Moreover dialect sounds met sounds made by model aeroplanes of Heimerdingen’s ‘Modellflugclub’, and clay balls served as percussion instruments in a garden.

Schöckingen’s cultural contribution was labelled ‘HOLZwege’, because the smallest of the four districts is home of many artists working in wood, of antiquaries and, last but not least, a nearby wood with an inviting hut.

The population exploded in the quarter of Hirschlanden from 1.500 to 5.000 during the last 40 years, which finds evidence in several multi-storey buildings. Hence, it is not to be seen at first glance that history has shaped the town. This remarkable aspect is proved by the Hirschlanden Warrior deriving from Celtic times.

Ditzingen plays a moderate role, though this quarter – also referred to as nucleus of the town– has a lot to offer. Here the river Glems flows with five mills still producing flour. The two churches (one belonging to the diocese of Speyer and the other one to Constance) indicate that once there was more at stake than mere religion.

 

Ditzingen – more than a town!

More on it at http://www.ditzingen.de (including a video and two web cameras).

Even more Ditzingen to be obtained, if you send a mail to Wolf@ditzingen.de

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