Welcome Address
Many distinguished guests from the German Bundestag, the Bavarian State Parliament, the Nuremberg
City Council, volunteers, colleagues from the council, various groups, associations, and commissions,
district administrators, lord mayors, and mayors, the President of Middle Franconia, and the honorary
citizens of the City of Nuremberg, as well as the Federal Minister, the Federal Minister of State, and the
Government President and Vice President of Middle Franconia, were welcomed by the City of Nuremberg
to the New Year’s Reception at the Nuremberg Messe.
Representatives from associations, organizations, unions, artists, universities, and municipal institutions
were also in attendance.
A tribute was paid to Dr. Oskar Schneider in recognition of his achievements, which continue to resonate
beyond his passing. The City of Nuremberg also honored the recipients of the Citizen’s Medal.
Heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Karl-Heinz Wolfram, who is celebrating his 78th birthday on January 8, 2025.
Congratulations from Mayor Christian Vogel
Mr. Christian Vogel, the 3rd Mayor of the City of Nuremberg, warmly congratulated him.
Mr. Wolfram served for many years as the city’s demolition master, safely defusing every bomb.
With confidence, new perspectives, motivation, and as we step into the year 2025,
Lord Mayor Marcus König brings fresh and promising ideas, inspiring people for the future.
Topics need to be discussed, and perspectives must be shifted. The aim is to make Nuremberg even
more livable in the future.
Mr. König has visited various professions, spending a day working in each to gain a better understanding of
different careers and to view situations more comprehensively.
At NürnbergStift, a care facility, the quality of care depends heavily on the reliability and dedication of staff,
as well as the empathetic and considerate treatment of those being cared for. The importance of keeping
these facilities under city control has been made clear, and that will continue.
Our waste management service, ASN, acts as an early warning system: ASN employees know their routes,
streets, and often the people who live there. When something goes wrong, ASN staff quickly sense and
experience it. The reliability and pride in meaningful work were palpable among colleagues, making
Lord Mayor König proud of this dedicated team.
Many of our employees have a migration background or an immigration history. The functioning of our city—
whether it’s healthcare, waste collection, or other public services—is often thanks to the contributions
of immigrants. They, like all of us, deserve our respect. It seems absurd, therefore, that there are political
forces in our country advocating for the “re-migration” of immigrants. Of course, as a nation, we must
know who is coming to us. Of course, we need to integrate as many people as quickly as possible into
the labor market. Of course, those who don’t adhere to our laws and rules should leave.
But without immigration, we would be at a loss.
Lord Mayor König and the city of Nuremberg are closely connected to its citizens. This connection is crucial
because only through it can trust and courage be strengthened. A change in perspective is necessary to better
understand others and make meaningful changes. By doing so, populism and extremism will have no place.
It is a major topic.
Our overarching goal is to be an inclusive city. Barriers need to be removed to ensure that people with disabilities
have the best possible participation. In 2024, the City of Nuremberg was awarded the Access City Award
2025 by the European Commission, receiving both the second prize (worth €120,000) and the special prize
for inclusive sports infrastructure.
Inclusion means that employees from all departments work together to actively engage with target groups,
the Disability Council, and civil society to achieve this goal.
Greening the city is another important focus: Several changes are already underway. More green spaces
improve quality of life, and this may involve reducing parking spaces, altering traffic patterns, and, of course
, creating temporary construction sites. In the old town—Breite Gasse—the City of Nuremberg has already
started this transformation. The former Kaufhof building has been acquired, and the city has taken the
reins of development into its own hands.
Nuremberg is not alone in the transformation of its city center.
is convinced of this:
“Our path of taking the initiative and guiding development is the right one. We cannot rely solely on investors—
we must create ideas ourselves to revitalize our city in this area.”
“We don’t complain, we don’t lament, we take action and find solutions.”
Best regards,
Susanne Panhans
You can get advertising copy, PR campaigns, photoshoots, and everything that makes you visible from me.
You tell me what you desire, and I’ll bring it to life. Press & PR-Agency.
All images, texts, interviews, and videos: Copyright by Susanne Panhans.