The Saarpfalz district can look back on its 50th anniversary this year. Cause for celebration? "Definitely," confirms District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo, who praises the commitment of the towns and municipalities in the Saarpfalz district to this anniversary of the territorial reform and who himself is inviting people to a worthy ceremony in Homburg on 15 May.
To mark this anniversary, the magazine "Saarpfalz", which celebrated its 40th birthday last year and is now under the editorial direction of cultural manager Dr Andreas Stinsky, focuses on the regional and administrative reform of 1974 in its May issue.
Its history began with the government declaration after the 1970 state elections, in which the re-elected Minister President Dr Franz Josef Röder announced a comprehensive regional and administrative reform in Saarland. After intensive wrangling over various district models, it was decided in December 1973 that the two independent districts of Homburg and St. Ingbert would be merged into one district. The then spelling "Saar-Pfalz-Kreis" was only changed to the current spelling in May 1989 by a district council resolution and after approval by the municipal supervisory authority. The reason given at the time was to do justice to the historical and geographical circumstances.
Homburg was designated as the district seat. St. Ingbert, however, became a medium-sized town and thus retained responsibility for certain state tasks as well as the independent car licence plate IGB.
The term of office of the first district administrator for the Saarpfalz district, Albert Schwarz, lasted until 31 May 1985 and included the construction of the Forum as a new district office building.
On 25 June 1985, Clemens Lindemann succeeded Albert Schwarz as district administrator. Like his predecessor, he was appointed to this office as a state civil servant with the approval of the district council. After that, the citizens only decided on the top position in the district administration by direct election, which Clemens Lindemann won in 1996 and 2004. In 2012, there was no competitor for the office, so he was once again confirmed as district administrator by the district council. One focus of Clemens Lindemann's work was on labour market policy. In youth welfare, the Saarpfalz district became a pioneer of preventative programmes under Lindemann's leadership. And in the cultural sector, he provided an important impetus with the support of the district council by establishing the Bliesbruck-Reinheim European Cultural Park in 1988. To this day, the project has continuously developed into an archaeological and cultural beacon in the Saarland. Other of his achievements can be read about in the "Saarpfalz" newspaper, as well as those of the incumbent district administrator.
Dr Theophil Gallo officially took office on 26 June 2015, having had to take over from his predecessor, who was still in office, for almost a year from 4 July 2014. Dr Gallo's term of office officially ends on 29 May 2025. In addition to a comprehensive reorganisation, Dr Gallo focused from the outset on the IT area, which is now the central interface in the administration due to the rapid pace of digitalisation. For the Bliesgau biosphere region, the Saarpfalz district and, first and foremost, the district administrator as head of the association took on the leading role in November 2015, now in its ninth year. In addition, crisis management was increasingly required in various areas: the refugee crisis, coronavirus and the war in Ukraine are just three examples. Last but not least, the expansion of municipal partnerships was and is not only a matter close to District Administrator Dr Gallo's heart. In July 2022, it also resulted in an "International Alliance for Peace and Cohesion in Europe", which he initiated and which is unique in Europe to date. Nineteen districts and regions from Germany, France, Poland and the USA have joined forces to take responsibility for the European integration process and international peace policy at local level. In the fifth decade of its existence, the Saarpfalz district has undergone a far-reaching transformation from the former, more traditional district administration to a service-orientated, European and cosmopolitan district. It can also be described as a "European district".
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo explains: "The Saarpfalz district is a real-life example of a successful European model region at municipal level. I am proud to have played a major role in shaping this part of the Saarpfalz district's development history. The citizens who have settled here can also lay claim to this, helping to shape the way we live together through their wide-ranging commitment in both their professional and private lives and setting the tone. The Saarpfalz district is a district for a lifetime. This means that the district administration is there as a competent service provider for people in different life situations and takes care of them. We need the districts, the Saarpfalz-Kreis, to be able to fulfil the challenging tasks of the local community and to meet the needs of the citizens. I would like to thank everyone who has been an important driving force behind the district administration over the past 50 years and continues to be so today. Of course, this also includes the members of the district council as well as the various other democratically legitimised committees and the representatives of the various "Group subsidiaries". These include Kreissparkasse Saarpfalz, the district hospital and the business development organisation. And I congratulate us all on a remarkable and eventful '50 years of the Saarpfalz district'".
Speeches by Reinhold Jost, Saarland Minister of the Interior, Building and Sport, Professor Dr Hans-Günter Henneke, Chief Executive of the Deutscher Landkreistag and Udo Recktenwald, Chairman of the Landkreistag Saarland, will provide a worthy setting for the anniversary at a ceremony on 15 May - after the 29th session of the district council of the 2019/2024 legislative period.
The "Saarpfalz" is expected to be availablein bookshops from mid-May or from the Saarpfalz district, e-mail [email protected].