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On September 14, 2006, Alexander Otto, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the "Lebendige Stadt" Foundation, opened the two-day international "Changing City" conference at the Colosseum Theater in Essen with an appeal to the grand coalition in Berlin to reform the laws for public-benefit associations. He said the rules are too complex and no longer in line with the needs of modern cities and municipalities. Otto pointed out that hobbies like CB radio or flying model planes are exempted from tax under the public-benefit laws as are dog owners' clubs, while the redevelopment of a city square does not generally benefit from these laws. Otto: "People should invest their ideas, their energy and their money in projects that are to the good of our towns and cities and not in tax consultants and objections to tax rulings."
The 600 plus participants from ten countries included 150 lord mayors, mayors, members of parliament and state secretaries who took advantage of the Essen conference to discuss the topics of urban redevelopment, tourism and education. The international conference of cities was organized by the "Lebendige Stadt" Foundation, which has been holding a major conference of this kind at a different location every year since 2001. The venues for the Essen conference were the Philharmonic Hall, the Colosseum Theater and the Zollverein coalmine industrial complex, a Unesco World Heritage site; it was at this latter venue that Federal Construction Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee spoke on structural change in the Ruhr region.
At the start of the conference, Essen Lord Mayor Dr. Wolfgang Reiniger welcomed the international audience to the 2010 European Cultural Capital: "I am delighted that the "Lebendige Stadt" Foundation and so many guests have come to Essen this year. This event provides us with an excellent opportunity to present Essen to an international audience as a vibrant and attractive cultural metropolis in the Ruhr region."
The speakers at the conference included Federal Construction Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee as well as Saarland Minister-President Peter Müller, Air Berlin CEO Joachim Hunold, E.on Board member Dr. Johannes Teyssen, CSU General Secretary Dr. Markus Söder, Stage Entertainment Board member Maik Klokow, NRW Construction Minister Oliver Wittke and Lord Mayors Joachim Erwin (Düsseldorf), Ernst Küchler (Leverkusen) and Alexander Tschäppät (Bern).
The Foundation conference in Essen was dominated by three core themes: Urban renewal and Revitalization (September 14), Education and Science (September 14) and Tourism (September 15). In addition to outlining the process of structural change in the Ruhr region, the conference also focused on, among other topics, the contribution of contemporary architecture to the development of old towns and cities, how industrial culture can build a bridge between the past and the future, whether public-private partnership models can help to combat empty state coffers and below-par education, and what tourists expect from city breaks.
Federal Minister Wolfgang at the Zollverein complex
One of the highlights was the presentation by Federal Construction Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee at the Zollverein coalmine industrial complex on September 15. The topic: The Zollverein Complex in Essen – From Coalmine to Design, Cultural and Business Venue. This was followed by a tour of the "Entry 2006" exhibition, also at the Zollverein venue. This architecture and design exhibition was put together by internationally renowned curators from the USA (MoMa) and Germany. The central theme of the event was: "How will we live in tomorrow's world? What do the products, houses, clothes and furniture of the 21st century look like?" The exhibition features over 300 objects from more than 20 countries
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