Hellmut Zundel

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Hellmut Zundel (born March 16, 1928 in Brackenheim ; † December 25, 2016 in Crailsheim ) was a German local politician . From 1954 to 1963 he was mayor of Schwaigern and then from 1962 to 1972 first mayor and then until 1982 mayor of Crailsheim.

Live and act

Early years

Zundel was born on March 16, 1928 in Brackenheim. As a 17-year-old he was already working as an administrative candidate (apprentice and administrative assistant) in the town hall of his hometown from May 1945, and there he quickly found pleasure in local politics.

Mayor of Schwaigern

At the age of 25, he was elected mayor of Schwaigern in 1954.

The foundation of the Musikverein Stadtkapelle Schwaigern eV goes back to his suggestion.

Mayor of Crailsheim

Zundel was first elected mayor of Crailsheim in November 1962. There he made it his mission to develop the city, which was badly shaken by the war, into a small metropolis in the Heilbronn-Franconia region .

successes

Population development of Crailsheim from 1837 to 2017
Aerial view of Crailsheim from 1983, shortly after Zundel's tenure ended

Zundel made a particularly good contribution to the expansion of living space and the establishment of new industries. He succeeded in making the city a federal development site on January 1, 1967, as the only city in northern Württemberg . As a result of these new funding opportunities and the opening of the two federal motorways A6 1979 and A7 1987, many companies, including global companies, settled in Crailsheim.

He also built several high-rise buildings in Crailsheim, first and foremost the Jagstbrücken high-rise , which is still the second tallest building in the city after the town hall tower. The creation of "urban dominants" was always a concern of Zundel.

With his help, the Crailsheimer Stadtblatt was published by the local council on June 20, 1968 .

The Crailsheim city ​​partnership with Pamiers in France also goes back to his work. Zundel was also a great supporter of the city partnership with Worthington in the USA, which had existed since 1949 .

Zundel pursued a consistent policy of incorporation . In 1971 Tiefernbach and Onolzheim, 1972 Roßfeld and Jagstheim, 1973 Westgartshausen and 1975 finally Goldbach, Triensbach and Beuerlbach joined Crailsheim. As a result, Crailsheim was named a major district town in 1972 and he was thus mayor.

However, he failed, among other things, in the attempt to incorporate the community of Satteldorf . He was also unable to assert himself in the planned new construction of the Crailsheim train station or the establishment of a full department store .

Criticism and decline

Last but not least, he was criticized for his polarizing manner, his pronounced self-confidence and his “ gigantic urban planning ”, which earned him the nickname “ Blendax -Max” towards the end of his tenure . Contemporaries complained about his manorial demeanor and accused him of “princely behavior” and even a style of government “like the Ansbach margraves ”. In 1969, the author of the time, Nikolas Lang , even mockingly referred to him as “Village Mussolini ”.

Early on, he had violent arguments with the then District Administrator Werner Ansel . Later he repeatedly came into serious conflict with the Baden-Württemberg government president Manfred Bulling .

In 1982 Zundel was dismissed from his position on suspicion of having used his post for private business at the city's expense. He voluntarily renounced a new candidacy, which at the time was considered very promising.

Later years

Zundel died on Christmas Day 2016 after a long and serious illness at the age of 88. He was buried on December 30, 2016 in the main cemetery in Crailsheim with great sympathy from the population .

Aftermath

Zundel is still regarded by many Crailsheimers as the most powerful Lord Mayor in Crailsheim's post-war history.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Date and place of birth according to the city in mind . Fränkische Nachrichten , fnweb.de, December 29, 2016
  2. ↑ Andreas Harthan: Obituary: Hellmut Zundel shaped the city like no other | Südwest Presse Online. In: swp.de. December 30, 2016, accessed July 10, 2019 .
  3. ↑ 20161225NachrufZundelHellmut.pdf. (PDF; 372 kB) In: s3dffe32708fa9f3d.jimcontent.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Crailsheim City Archives: From a rural town to an industrial site. In: stadtarchiv-crailsheim.de. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Andreas Harthan: Not everything was better in the past | Südwest Presse Online. In: swp.de. November 23, 2018, accessed July 10, 2019 .
  6. ^ Partnership document - Acte de Jumelage. In: winfriedschley.net. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Ryan McGaughey: Former Crailsheim mayor Zundel dies | The Globe. In: dglobe.com. December 28, 2016, accessed July 10, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Dörte v. Westernhagen: The "Blendax-Max" | TIME ONLINE. In: zeit.de. February 26, 1982. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Nikolas Lang: Does Mayor Zundel only want positive reports? | TIME ONLINE. In: zeit.de. February 28, 1969. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Zundel, Hellmut
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German local politician, Mayor of Schwaigern and Mayor and Lord Mayor of Crailsheim
DATE OF BIRTH March 16, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Brackenheim
DATE OF DEATH December 25, 2016
Place of death Crailsheim