Markus Söder recently turned 55, but he entered Nuremberg’s Nazi semicircle – the congress hall – for the first time on Friday. For the first time, as a Nuremberger? This will have to be explained to people who are not familiar with the area: only the front end of the Nazi building is open to visitors. The upper floors of the semicircle, on the other hand, where the Nuremberg opera interim is to be accommodated in the future, are usually not accessible for fire safety reasons. “Moving and impressive” is the walk through the seemingly endless corridors, says Söder.
Söder makes no secret of the fact that “two emotional worlds” collide in him when he thinks of using the Nazi building for cultural purposes in the future. “Doubts” plagued him “whether you can imagine that” – now the belief in “opportunities” prevails. Then Söder says something that should shape the debate about the future of the area. The necessary hall for opera performances, a new building, will “stay in the long run”. He is convinced of that.
A permanent structure? The Prime Minister’s statement can be seen as a turning point. So far, the stance of the CSU-led city has been clear – and above all clear in the CSU: They are planning an “interim”. It was interpreted in such a way that the new house would be dismantled for probably 50 million euros as soon as the opera returned to its renovated house in the city center.
Admittedly, critics already consider the suggested demolition to be a political ploy to appease monument conservationists. After all, the competent state office comes to the conclusion that the considerable “concerns” about a new building on the site, which is a listed building, can only be put aside if “deconstruction” is guaranteed. But when the time comes for the demolition in question (probably not until 2035) – critics fear that the city could no longer feel bound by the former requirements. And use the hall for the alternative scene.
Culture Mayor Julia Lehner (CSU) emphasizes again: “We are planning an interim.” But also says the city council has not determined what will happen afterwards. Söder adds that of course you can opt for demolition. But he was curious to see what “the Court of Auditors” would say about it. It could be, says one of the visitors, that Söder “came very close to the truth”.