Remseck on Neckar - A town on the river / a town in flow

 

Panta rhei – everything is in permanent flow: As the Old Greeks used to say. It isn’t like that in Remseck!: As the car drivers comment, who day-to-day are trapped here in traffic-jams. But – as we put it: Besides traffic everything in Remseck is continuously changing…

Literally this means: Remseck is situated not just on one, but even on two rivers! It is precisely here where little, agile Rems turns the corner (Ecke) and joins wide, inalert Neckar. Hence, in 1975, the new town was called ‘Remseck on Neckar’.

Quite a poetic start - followed by rapid changes. The number of inhabitants exploded from 10.000 to 23.000, an ever increasing upward trend. But demography won’t spare Remseck, so future change will bring less citizens, yet more challenges.

Change and alteration have been steady companions of our young town - a child of 1975’s reforms in the county administration sector. Remseck only owes its existence to politicians who decided to merge five independent boroughs in one single town.

But that is not all. In 1995, Remseck started a housing project on a former US-military estate called Pattonville, which became town’s sixth and latest prospering district. Even the German President, Horst Köhler, was impressed by the alteration from sad barracks to a garden village with more than 4500 residents.

Today there are 22.700 Remseckers - or is it still: 22.700 Aldingerians, Hochbergerians, Hochdorferians, Neckargrönningerians, Neckarremserians and Pattonvillerians?

 

A change in attitude from rivalling, local patriotism to one communal identity as citizen of Remseck is in full swing and no longer castles in the air (metaphorically: Zukunftsmusik, literally: music of the future). Nevertheless, it is unlikely the phrase “I am a Remsecker” will (already) spontaneously escape anybody’s lips.

Remseck still is a town in the process of defining itself. An important means to this end was its rise to county town in 2004. This turned the unimportant recreation area, as which Remseck served for the surrounding thriving towns, into a centre of some political impact. It now confidently secures its (inner and outer) interests: e.g.: claiming a new bridge as by-pass to reduce traffic in the centre of town.

However a proper centre does not yet exist. The so-called ‘New Centre’ is the master project in Remseck.

Where today two rivers, three bridges and three districts meet, where tram rails end and long-distance traffic divides the town, an urban centre is planned paying attention to the configurative qualities of the two rivers Rems and Neckar.

The specific value of water and riversides long since has been realised by town council. Meanwhile many ambitious projects got started, which make the rivers on our doorstep part of our experience again. Neckar and Rems are to be restored, sandy beaches to spend leisure time as well as spawning grounds – a nature protective scheme – are in the making.

And because water and flow are so characteristic for our town, Remseck is bold enough to apply for participation in ‘Landesgartenschau’ (a special scheme sponsored by county funds to improve towns and areas by landscape garden shows).

Obviously Remseck remains a town in motion.

 

So where does the music play?

Of course everywhere in Remseck.  But in regard of the festival ‘Zukunftsmusik’ (music of the future) we intend to encourage artists to interact mainly with our School of Music for Young Performers, perhaps including amateurs active in the field of citizens’ engagement.

There are more than 900 children and young people dedicated to music and singing at this school. Where all instruments -from block flute to tuba- as well as  rock, pop, jazz and musical are taught since 1978. More than 30 qualified music teachers, who co-operate with other schools, offer lessons in all districts. A monthly concert on Wednesday has become a much appreciated forum for the juniors. On many official and private occasions pupils and teachers of our music school are performing.

 

Who is conducting?

Information on the project may be obtained from Raphael Dahler, head of the Kultur- und Sportamt (Department of culture and sport), tel. ++49 (0)7146-289-145, e-mail dahler@remseck.de and under www.remseck.de