Citizen protests in Meßkirch: C1 route against the prince's expropriation!

Citizen protests in Meßkirch: C1 route against the prince's expropriation!

Months of protests and citizens' initiatives in Germany show resistance to planned infrastructure projects, particularly in connection with expropriations. In the Meßkirch and Menge region, three citizens' initiatives are campaigning against the planned northern route for new road construction. These initiatives are instead calling for a C1 citizen route, which they believe would relieve more people. Posters and banners in the region illustrate citizens' desire for alternative transport routes, such as the Swabian reports.

The princely House of Hohenzollern, represented by Raimund Friderichs, has no interest in selling the forest area north of Igelswies and near Josefslust Park. Friderichs emphasized that the prince would have to be expropriated in order to use the forest area for the route. In this context, there is speculation as to how the planning team would react if the C1 public route is identified as the best option.

Historical and legal context

The discussion about expropriations has a long history in Germany. A historical context is provided by the referendum of 1926, in which 14.4 million citizens voted for the expropriation of princes without compensation. While only 11.2 percent of citizens in Sigmaringen were in favor of expropriation, support in Bingen was 59.5 percent. The legal framework for expropriations in Germany requires an application to the responsible regional council, which hears those affected and, if necessary, prepares a valuation report.

A query to the Federal Ministry of Transport currently shows that there are 142 expropriation proceedings in Germany in connection with the construction of motorways and federal roads. These procedures affect owners who do not want to part with their property voluntarily. There are particularly many of these procedures in the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Bavaria the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports.

According to Section 19 of the Federal Highway Act, expropriations are permitted if they are necessary for approved construction projects and serve the public good. While the Ministry of Transport emphasizes that over 95 percent of the required space is procured through purchase contracts, the opposition criticizes the high number of expropriation procedures. The owners' association demands that expropriations should only be used as a last resort.

– Submitted by West-East media