Esslingen in turmoil: Citizens decide on the future of the library!

Esslingen in turmoil: Citizens decide on the future of the library!

There is currently a lot of movement in the discussion about the location of the city library in Esslingen. The initiators of one citizens' initiative are campaigning for a vote in which citizens should decide whether the library stays in the Bebenhäuser Pfleghof or moves to the old Kögel fashion store. Around 5,000 signatures are required for the referendum, hundreds of which have already been collected. Around 60 supporters were present at the initiative's first meeting, a sign that the issue affects many people in the city.

The Esslingen local council recently approved the move to the Kögel House with a narrow majority. But the resolution will not be implemented for the time being because the citizens' petition was announced, which must be submitted within three months of the local council's decision. The aim of this is to put the decision about the library location in the hands of the citizens. Esslingen.de reports that the first measures have already been taken to plan the future of the library in Esslingen.

Background of the discussion

Mayor Matthias Klopfer considers the proposal to move to the Kögel House to be important in order to avoid vacancies and to make the city library future-proof. The investment of around 20 million euros would provide an additional 700 square meters of audience space that is barrier-free and can be used flexibly. 80 learning and work spaces are also planned on the first floor, which will primarily benefit families and young people.

But not everyone is convinced of this solution. Critics are raising concerns about the financing of the move and the development of a new cultural quarter in the Pfleghof. Martin Auerbach, one of the council members and supporter of the initiative, emphasizes that all Esslingen citizens should have the right to decide on the location of the library. Jörg Sanzenbacher, a fellow campaigner, also reports support for the citizens' initiative, even from those who do not fundamentally reject the move to the Kögel House.

Legal framework

The citizens' initiative is an instrument of direct citizen participation that is regulated by local laws and constitutions. Buergergesellschaft.de explains that a citizens' initiative is admissible as long as the topics are not included in the negative catalog, which excludes financial and budgetary questions. The voting question must be clearly formulated and the necessary signatures must be collected.

The next meeting of the initiative will take place on July 23rd at 7:30 p.m. in the Pliensauvorstadt multi-generation house. Here we will continue to discuss how to collect the required signatures and what further steps are necessary to successfully implement the citizens' initiative. However, Wolfgang Drexler, the initiator of the first referendum in 2019, does not want to get involved in the current discussion.

It remains exciting to see how the situation will develop and whether citizens will ultimately be allowed to have their say on the future of their city library.