In the “Quartierswende” project, the cooperation between the Green City association and the district committee (BA) Altstadt-Lehel did not go completely smoothly from the start – apart from the green majority faction, the local politicians in the final round were not very pleased with the previous or planned ones Actions. Once again, the controversy revolved around Mariannenplatz, which the participants in an online vote in spring had selected as one of three locations for temporary redesign – also at the expense of parking spaces.
After residents had already resisted a similar citizens’ project in early 2020, the local politicians refused to give their consent and stayed with it, even after Green City had reduced its plans so much that only two parking spaces would have been lost for two months. The BA cannot even imagine the full closure of the connection to Steinsdorfstrasse for a day of action in September. The five-member holiday committee therefore deleted a new application from the agenda, since from the point of view of the CSU, SPD and FDP it only repeated the request that had already been rejected.
In the meantime, the association had rescheduled the other actions on the square around the Lukaskirche, almost bypassing the committee, and relocated them to the private property of the parish. The district committee was only asked to make an assessment and has little objection to an “information cube”, which also serves as an exchange and exhibition shelf, and a pergola with seating.
Nonetheless, a sometimes irritated discussion of principles ensued, above all about the demands and reality of the previous actions on Isartor-Platz and, above all, on St.-Anna-Platz. Stefanie Wagner-Schroiff (FDP), among others, expressed criticism, according to whose impression in the heart of Lehel “a lot has not worked out”. The vegetable patches near a noisy, dusty construction site would have turned out to be the wrong decision. Climbing plants have stunted without climbing aids, tomatoes have become muddy in the continuous rain. In short, according to Stefanie Wagner-Schroiff, an “unpleasant event”, if not “absolute nonsense – how can I trust that things will get better elsewhere?” For Stefanie Wagner-Schroiff, it remains questionable whether “one of the most beautiful squares in Munich needs a turnaround”.
Green City representative Verena Greimel admitted that the campaign had suffered from the weather, but took with “different feedback” from St. Anna-Platz, for example a lot of praise from the visitors and residents of the neighboring senior citizens’ facilities. A piece of information that Wolfgang Püschel (SPD) felt “as a fool of my person”. He hardly believes “that people are happy to see rotten tomatoes” – he also knows something about their cultivation, by the way.
Of the three projects for the turnaround that Green City is implementing in Lehel (in the picture: St.-Anna-Platz), the action on Mariannenplatz is still pending.
(Photo: Thomas Vonier)
Slightly surprised about the horticultural competence debate, the BA chairman Andrea Stadler-Bachmaier (Greens) asked to at least “take some aggression out of it” and, by the way, supported the Green City campaigns. Stefan Blum (CSU), on the other hand, was fundamentally disappointed by these, especially when you consider “with what fanfare and blah” they started. So at best, Blum feels “not bothered” by the ongoing action on Mariannenplatz.
At least there, the Green City concept could make little impression because it was badly trimmed by the BA, said club representative Verena Greimel. A conclusion that Andrea Stadler-Bachmaier does not expressly endorse in her role as chairwoman, but which she did not want to contradict. Together with her Green colleague Ilga Fink, she finally expressly agreed to the project, while Püschel, Blum and Wagner-Schroiff left it with “positive acknowledgment” for the other groups.