The planned construction of a college for tax officials in Kronach will take years. As things currently stand, teaching could probably start in the 2030/31 winter semester, a spokeswoman for the Upper Franconian district town told the German Press Agency. The university is intended to train specialists for the tax offices. They are currently being trained in the finance department at the University of Applied Sciences for the Public Service in Herrsching am Ammersee (Starnberg district).
This move is also to take place in the course of the relocation of authorities from Munich and the prosperous surrounding area to more structurally weak areas. It has been the state government’s policy for many years to distribute universities and other state institutions across the country in this way.
It has been clear since 2020 that the teaching facility with 600 study places will be relocated to Kronach. Previously, from 2014 onwards, only a partial relocation of 200 study places from Upper Bavaria to Upper Franconia was planned. Because significantly more space is needed for 600 students than for 200, the Bavarian Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Finance are still looking for suitable property. A spokesman for Kronach state parliament member Jürgen Baumgärtner (CSU) said two locations in the district town on the edge of the Franconian Forest are currently being discussed: a property belonging to the Munich agricultural group BayWa AG and the river master’s office of the Kronach water management office. Construction reports are already available for both possible locations, said the MP’s spokesman. The responsible authorities are currently checking this.
Despite the lengthy process, the future university in Kronach is viewed positively. “I am pleased about the Free State’s plan,” said Mayor Angela Hofmann (CSU). “For Kronach, a university for the public service means: academic training for specialists on site, a further revitalization of the city center and the associated increase in the attractiveness of our location for families.”
In Herrsching, meanwhile, the joy is less great. Immediately after the plans became known, there was protest, especially since the school had only been renovated and expanded in 2013. As always, when an authority is supposed to move, those whose jobs are to be relocated are particularly opposed. However, the issue is not yet acute.