Whoever talks about the “Talavera” in Würzburg has a clear picture in mind. No, not Field Marshal Wellington, not Napoleon’s troops, and not the town of Talavera de la Reina, southwest of Madrid. The “Talavera” stands for a large car park – and it has always been free for years, decades, oh what: centuries.
Würzburg troops were also involved in the battle between Wellington and Napoleon’s men at Talavera in 1809, in their honor a tourist restaurant was named after the Spanish city and as is always the case: soon not only the restaurant was called that, but the whole square, 1000 Cars find shelter there.
If you catch yourself thinking: Yes, there is nothing more important in this Lower Franconia than a free parking thing – you have never been there. Needless to say, the Talavera is not as important as the residence and the fortress. Nearly.
A small digression: anyone who has ruled out the possibility that something could go ahead in this country without the big historical popular parties – Union and SPD – will see themselves taught better in Würzburg. The Greens have joined forces with the Left, the FDP and others to jointly develop a new transport concept for the university town. One point: Talavera should no longer be synonymous with “free parking”.
However, when it comes to the continued existence of cultural assets (Bockstüten), the people of Lower Franconia tend to get upset, as they say there. Talavera free parking is obviously also a cultural asset, at least according to the current trend. The fact that the climate mayor from the Greens said with a relaxed tongue in a TV interview that his favorite official privilege was the right to park almost anywhere in the city – didn’t make the flushing any less. The CSU felt compelled to photograph the mayor’s VW bus while it was supposedly being parked with privileges and to post it on Facebook.
A citizens’ initiative has also been initiated, and the cause expands into a culture war. Its outcome is completely open. SZ forecast: This feud ends in a draw (fees come, but in smaller coins). As, by the way – at least according to the French interpretation – the battle of Talavera.