Görlitz Görlitz, the easternmost city in Germany, has one topic above others: military equipment.
Görlitz has been known as the hometown of high -quality train wagons since 1849.
From now on it is known for its tanks.
Early in the year, KNDS, a German-French defense group, bought the pride of the city, a carriage factory, from the French Alstom.
Now the Görlitzians are excited for two reasons.
First of all, the wagon factory workers here have always manufactured vehicles on rails. The history of the whole city has been wrapped in railways.
Therefore, according to the local IG-Metall Professional Association, they have been “very, very uncertain” since the beginning of February, when the factory change was told.
This is despite the fact that more than half of the employees can continue at the tanks mill and the rest have good employment opportunities in the immediate area.
– Things are changing and no one knows what the future will bring. People are happy that the future of work is secured, but they are still suspicious, IG-Metal Regional Director Axel Drescher says.
Secondly, many citizens are afraid that Görlitz will become a potential attack.
Fear is reflected, for example, in somebody discussions. It also talks about it Jens Hentchel-Thöricht.
Fear of Fear
Hentschel-Thöricht is a first-term MP on the farm of Saxon State. He represents the new party -wing party BSW, or Sahra Wagenknecht alliance. Last fall, the party rose to three states’ parliaments in eastern Germany.
BSW is opposed to supporting Ukraine and increasing German defense expenditure. The same is done by the far-right AfD party, which received as many as every other Görlitzian voice in the federation elections. AfD is by far the largest party here.
According to Hentschel-Thöricht, the Görlitzians are afraid that their area of residence will become a possible attack on a future outfit.
He lists the reasons for that Görlitz could be subject to enemy.
– We have Europe’s largest military training area in Oberlausitz. We have an east-leading A4 motorway that could possibly form a transport route for soldiers and military supplies. We have an electrified railway that could also serve as a means of transport for military equipment. And soon we have a tank factory.
– It gives the enemy the opportunity to say that Görlitz is a military destination. Now people are drawing a circle at the tank factory and falling if their own home hits the radius of the circle, says Hentschel-Thöricht.
The whole Germany begins to equip
Görlitz perfectly represents events throughout Germany. Throughout the country, industry is preparing to move from civilian production to the weapon industry.
Last week the leader of the gun giant rheinmetallic flashed the possibility translates one from Volkswagen car factories to military vehicle production.
The golden years of German car production seem to be over. Just Monday, Audi, a subsidiary of VW, announced that it would reduce 7,500 jobs.
Yesterday Tuesday, the German Parliament, the Federal Days, approved a mammoth investment package for defense and defense industry. It is funded by debt.
Christian Democrats Friedrich Merzwhich is likely to come through a full translation. Even before the end of February, he swore that Germany would never take debt under his leadership.
Subsequently the President of the United States Donald Trump The new administration has made a clear difference in nest for its European allies. It made Merz change his course.
In Görlitz, the new host, KNDS, will begin to tune in new security arrangements at the end of this year. They are needed more at the tanker factory than in train production.
Next year, parts will be welded to Leopard 2 tanks and PUMA crew wagons.
History present
Görlitz is one of the shrinking cities after the merger of Germany. With 80,000 inhabitants living here 35 years ago, now the population is only 55,000.
In the middle of the city there is a bridge with Poland and Zgorzelec on the opposite shore. Previously, Görlitz and Zgorzelec belonged, but after World War II, the Polish and German border was drawn into the Neisse River.
The Allies did not bomb Görlitz as badly as other German cities. Now the city is like a time travel to Germany’s past.
That is why several famous films, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel or honorary bastards, have been filmed here. Most recently, the city served as a backstage on the Linnake of Promises TV series, where Görlitz plays old Berlin.
Few tourists screamed pictures of Gothic churches, medieval towers, and Art Nouveau or Renaissance-style old buildings in the streets of the Old Town.
Citizens are proud of their history and would like to keep their reputation as a railroad city.
“As a trade union, we are fighting for the fact that the manufacturers of rail vehicles will stay here and do not move to low-paid countries,” says IG-metal Drescher.
In the city of Bautzen, a half -hour train ride is Alstom’s tram factory.
Left Die Linke Party Chairman of the Görlitz District Mirko Schultze says that it is disappointed that the state and the federal state did not want to develop rail transport more and thus secure the future of the wagon factory.
Schultze emphasizes that Alstom is by no means intending to reduce its train trolley production.
-They just move their capacity to Eastern Europe. It should be talked about how to change the development where companies jump where the lowest wages and best tax subsidies are, Schultze says.
However, Görlitz’s center right is pleased with the arrival industry.
Mayor of the Christian Democratic Octavian Ursu emphasizes that when Germany is re -prepared, the armed industry is an opportunity for Görlitz and the field of the future.
– We should not be ashamed that we work for our homeland, he calms the fears of the local radio in an interview.