What I associate with Saxony is:
Home, culture, innovation, nature, awesome people, and Dresden, one of the prettiest state capitals of all.
To me, “typical of Saxony” means...
Well, the unmistakable local dialect.
To me, home means...
The famous German writer Horst Bienek once said, “Home isn’t something you pass along to the next generation. It’s in my head and my soul.” I think that’s right. To me, home means coming home, settling in, feeling comfortable, a sense of coziness and safety, family and friends.
There are some preconceptions about the people of Saxony. The one that bugs me the most is...
The fact that recently, whenever I travel out of state, people are constantly asking me what’s “going on” with us here. In most cases, they mean the Pegida demonstrations, high percentage of people voting for the AfD party, and right-wing extremist protests and clashes. That annoys me because there are so many people in Saxony who stand for different values and are actively working to promote democracy, cosmopolitanism, tolerance, peace, and a society where we can all get along.
My favorite places to be are...
Definitely the Berzdorfer See lake, which is practically right in my backyard, and then the Neisse Valley and the Zittau Mountains.
I enjoy living and working in Saxony because...
There are so many dedicated and courageous people here and Saxony stands for diversity, culture, and innovation.
My favorite Saxon food is...
Saxon-style potato salad and Bockwurst – always with Bautzner mustard, every time!
If I were to describe the people of Saxony in three words, I’d say...
Pigheaded but lovable, fans of travel and action, innovative and creative.
I think the biggest challenge Saxony will have to face in the future is...
Not focusing just on the further development of the “flagships,” but actively, continuously, and reliably working to strengthen our rural areas, since they hold a lot of potential for all of Saxony. Everyone who is affected by structural changes, like the pivot away from coal, should be shown solid ways forward, in and for Saxony. It’s important to listen to them and take their ideas and visions into account, while at the same time taking their concerns and fears seriously and supporting them on the journey.
There’s a project that is dear to my heart that I’d like to pursue in Saxony, and that is...
I am especially excited about projects that deal with equal involvement and participation, democracy, and civil courage and with strengthening rural areas. I like participating in those.
How do you think Saxony’s image has changed in recent years?
We’ve already seen positive change in many areas, but we still have work to do in the years to come to solidify what we’ve built and present ourselves as a livable, lovable, cosmopolitan state. Everyone is more than welcome to pitch in and help!
