Long-running hits excite the Vogtlanders | Free press

Göltzschtalbrücke between desire and reality: July 15th marks the 170th anniversary of the inauguration of the Göltzschtalbrücke, the largest brick bridge in the world. For the “Free Press” it has been the focus of reporting over the years. This is ensured by the “Eighth Wonder of the World” itself, 574 meters long, 78 meters high, with 81 arches on four floors, built from more than 26 million bricks – and now electrified. A masterpiece of engineering. A dark chapter is that people repeatedly took their own lives here. After the series of suicides in 2001/02, the railway secured the bridge better against unauthorized entry. The tourist development, which never really got going, makes headlines. The Vogtland balloon, a tethered balloon that could rise to 150 meters, proved to be a real attraction from 2000 to 2013 with a four-year break. But that’s over. The Northern Vogtland Tourist Association has been offering guided tours of the bridge since 1992. Full catering is currently missing, as is a visitor center. A feasibility study should now show ways into the future. And the application for the Göltzschtal bridge as a Unesco World Heritage Site has been initiated. (gb)

Waldbad Brunn – the dead live longer: In 2025 it will be 100 years that the swimming pool and park, as the Waldbad Brunn in Auerbach was originally called, will exist. And at the moment there is a chance to celebrate the anniversary in a renovated facility. A project group in the city council is working on a redevelopment concept that provides for the construction of a new swimming pool and two outdoor pools for non-swimmers. Although the final decision has not yet been made and the financial framework is tight at 5.3 million euros, federal funding of 2.3 million euros has already been approved. The longstanding debate about the year-round pool in 1998 and partially closed again in 2005 has taken a surprising turn. Because until a year ago, the tenor was not to make any new investments in the now almost completely ailing bathroom. The city administration in particular saw it as a bottomless pit. The fact that the mood tipped mostly towards preservation can also be attributed to the tireless efforts of the Waldbadförderverein, which was founded in 2012 with the aim of reopening the indoor swimming pool. (suki)

Road construction B 92 – a never-ending story: The construction of the federal highway 92 in Oelsnitz is the long-runner in the upper Vogtland. The road in Oelsnitz has been fundamentally expanded since the spring of last year. The facets surrounding this million dollar project regularly fill newspaper columns. And the contributions always get the greatest attention, as a large part of the people in the upper Vogtland are directly or indirectly affected by them. Those indirectly affected, who as drivers cannot pass the artery, primarily need information about diversions, partial openings, alternative traffic routes. Here the service character of the contributions comes first, because nobody wants to stand in front of a locking disk unexpectedly. It is the task of the editorial team to obtain this information and disseminate it with a wide reach. And then there are also those directly affected. These are residents who have their business behind the locking disc or people who live on an otherwise quiet residential street that suddenly becomes a main road as an alternative route. Your worries are frenzy, child safety, or noise. Here the editors are on the go as a caretaker and give people a voice. (tb)

Garbage dilemma in the Vogtland district stinks to heaven: The legacies of the defunct GDR included massive environmental and waste loads. Whole mountains of rubbish had to be turned into landfills. A lot has happened, but the district authority, headed by District Administrator Rolf Keil (CDU), is further away than ever from the transparency that people in general and the fee payers in particular are entitled to. The renovation of the largest household waste dump in Zobes should be completed by the end of 2020. The announced on-site meeting is still a long time coming. In addition to funding, there are also funds from the fee payers’ money. But the district had diverted money for a waste recycling plant that flopped and was shut down. The loans still have to be paid off. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The introduction of the new waste system became a laughing stock because the district authority sank into the chaos of the bin and sent notices to the deceased. Garbage collectors from the district’s own companies KEV, DSG and Glitzner ensure reliable collection of the waste despite the bankruptcies, bad luck and breakdowns. (ur)

Photos: David Rötzschke (2), Christian Schubert, Bernd Weißbrod / dpa

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