Thuringia wants something new from old people: Green heart in focus!

In September 2023, a symposium took place in Bad Liebenstein, which focuses on tourist marketing in the state of Thuringia. During this event, historians and tourism experts discussed the potential revival of the slogan "Green Heart of Germany". Michael Brodführer, the former mayor of Bad Liebenstein and current district administrator of the Wartburg district, spoke out for the revival of this slogan, which was supported by the FDP in the Thuringian state parliament. The AfD, on the other hand, proposed the slogan "Thuringia - heart of Germany" as an alternative.

Knut Korschewsky, the tourism spokesman for the left faction, expressed concerns about the ethnic past of the term “green heart”. His parliamentary group criticized the initiative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and instead called for better framework conditions for the Thuringian economy. Andreas Schubert, the spokesman for the Left Economic Policy, described the term as historically burdened. In contrast, Andreas Bühl, the CDU parliamentary group leader, defended the slogan and emphasized its importance for Thuringia's identity. He criticized the current motto "This is Thuringia" and "Discover" Thuringia as genetic and interchangeable.

history of the slogan

The term "green heart in Germany" was first used in 1896 by the writer August Trinius. In his book "The Green Heart of Germany- a hiking trip through the Thuringian Forest", which was published in 1910, Trinius combined hiking and nature descriptions with cultural and historical descriptions. Historian Steffen Raßloff made it clear that Trinius cannot be seen as the pioneer of the National Socialists. The term was used both in the Weimar Republic and afterwards by the tourism authority of the Free State of Thuringia, but was exploited by the National Socialists and disappeared during the GDR era. With the founding of the state of Thuringia in 1990, the slogan came back to the fore.

In addition, another contribution reported about Thuringia as a geographical center in Germany, which has a forest content of 33 % and offers numerous tourist sights. On October 28, 2024, the "Round Table for Tourism in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district" took place in the Saalfeld palace chapel, in which various players from the tourism sector took part. The aim was to discuss the region's tourist potential.

The highlights in the region include the "Thuringian Meer", the fairy grottos, Rudolstadt with the Heidecksburg and Bad Blankenburg. The district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt comprises 54,568 hectares and is known for its forest nature. Discussions during the round table focused on the improvement of tourist structures and marketing strategies across national borders. Markus Daldrup from Trendours presented Bust tours through the region, while Yvonne Wagner, the managing director of the fairy grotto, invited to a champagne reception in the "Märchendom" of the fairy grottos.

In 2024, the fairy grottoes were able to welcome the 20 millionth visitors. In addition, the 2nd district tourism day will take place on November 18, 2024 in Rudolstadt. Hans-Peter Gaul, Honorary President of CTOUR, was awarded the “Silver Citizens' Medal on May 31, 2024 for his services to the city of Saalfeld.