The municipality of Kleinblittersdorf organised the Biosphere Festival for the third time. The Friendship Bridge, the symbol of the municipality of Kleinblittersdorf, also played a key role in the Biosphere Festival on 30 June. It and its predecessor bridges have symbolised the friendship between France and Germany since 1866 and this summer also symbolised the building of a bridge to a good future for people and nature. The motto of this year's biosphere festival was "Savoir-vivre to the power of 2 - experience sustainability and Franco-German friendship". And this motto was lived up to, as the guests got to know the people of the biosphere, its themes and projects and also experienced the pleasant proximity to France.
The organisers were a little worried about the weather forecast in the run-up to the event with the predicted passage of thunderstorms and heavy rain for Saturday evening. Would the festival have to be cancelled? No, fortunately that didn't happen. After an assessment of the situation at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning, the decision was made to hold the festival as planned. Even the rather modest weather forecast for the day did not put a spanner in the works after intensive preparations by the beach operators, the municipality of Kleinblittersdorf and the Biosphere Association. Of the 109 exhibitors announced - including numerous clubs, associations, etc. - 96 ultimately set up their stands in the early hours of the morning.
The festival began at 10 a.m. with an ecumenical service in St Agatha's Church, followed by the opening by the association's chairman Dr Theophil Gallo, the regional association's director Peter Gillo, the mayor of Kleinblittersdorf, Rainer Lang, and Karl-Peter Fuhr, head of Kleinblittersdorf.
The flow of people only started a little later. But despite repeated bouts of rain, many families were drawn to the popular biosphere festival, which has a brilliant reputation far beyond the biosphere reserve. "If it says biosphere on the label, there must be biosphere in it" - the event once again impressed with the authenticity and sustainability of its offerings and the guests appreciated this. They came in large numbers by bus, train and bike. Drivers, on the other hand, were patiently guided to designated car parks, such as the Bur Busse site, from where they were taken to the festival by shuttle service.
All in all, the exhibitors were satisfied at the end of the day, as Pia Schramm from the Biosphere Association reported, as she stayed in contact with the stand operators throughout the day and captured their moods. She often heard that although the sales were not quite as lavish as at previous festivals, it was possible to engage in much more intensive dialogue with the guests, advise them and make contacts ...
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo was delighted that the biosphere festival was so well received. "I can say that we have now come full circle - in the Saarbrücken Regional Association. As the designated head of the association, I experienced my first biosphere festival in 2014 in Rilchingen-Hanweiler, my last as head of the association ten years later in the municipality of Kleinblittersdorf in the centre of Kleinblittersdorf. Yes, this is a well-rounded event and it makes me proud to see how the Bliesgau Biosphere itself, as well as our festival, has developed over the past ten years. I can't thank the organisers, the towns and municipalities, all those involved, the associations, volunteers - simply all the helping hands - enough for their contribution to this incredibly multifaceted event, where people meet peacefully, experience the biosphere together and celebrate. Thank you very much," said the association chairman.
Julia Saar (l.) and Michelle Schmitt from the Biosphere Association. Photos: Sabine Groll