The wine market in Memmingen will be car-free. According to a city council resolution, no motorized vehicles are to pass through the square in the center of the city, so far around 6,000 cars are on the road there every day. In order to increase the quality of stay, Memmingen launched a competition, and now the winning design has been determined: numerous trees are planted and combined with seating. A so-called citizens’ forum is intended to invite passers-by “to linger, to meet and to talk”. Three water fountains are created as a play area for children.
The wine market in Memmingen has historical significance because the “Twelve Articles” were created there in the Kramerzunft in 1525, one of the first demands for freedom rights and human rights in Europe – an early form of a constitution, so to speak. In the Peasants’ War at that time, representatives of the peasants had gathered to formulate their demands on the Swabian League.
According to the city, when planning the new design of the square, “the brand-new historical message of the Twelve Articles should be used as a usable symbol of exchange”. “Through the tree planting, the Weinmarkt will gain in quality of stay,” says Lord Mayor Manfred Schilder.