Debate and Opposition
The Stuttgart 21 project has been a controversial issue among politicians and locals since the idea of a through-station for long-distance trains - running under the existing station - was first noted in the mid-1980s.
Since 2009 numerous protests against the disputed project have taken place. On 30 September 2010, hundreds of demonstrators were injured when the police used water cannons, pepper spray and batons against protestors. The following day, more than 50,000 people took part in the largest demonstration against the project so far.
Since late 2006, there have been negotiations between DB, the Federal Government, the Baden-Württemberg Government and the city of Stuttgart over the sharing of the costs of the project. On 28 June 2007, a high-level conference was held and adjourned between DB chairman Hartmut Mehdorn, Baden-Württemberg Minister of Finance Gerhard Stratthaus and Stuttgart mayor Wolfgang Schuster. At the meeting, agreement could not be reached over the allocation of construction costs risks.
On 19 July 2007 it was announced by the Federal Government, the State of Baden-Württemberg and DB that the project had been approved. Identified funding sources are: DB (€ 1,115 million), the State of Baden-Württemberg (€ 685 million), and the Federal Government (€ 500 million). The agreement also made provision for possible increases over the € 2.8 billion estimate of up to € 1 billion, with Baden-Württemberg agreeing to fund up to € 780 million and DB agreeing to fund up to € 220 million. According to the statement, € 2 billion would also be invested in the railway to Ulm, with the total budget amounting to € 4.8 billion.
Shortly after the funding agreement was announced the political opponents of Wolfgang Schuster were quick to condemn the Stuttgart mayor for backtracking on a promise made during the 2004 mayoral elections - namely that he would allow the population of Stuttgart to decide the fate of Stuttgart 21 if the additional costs of the project amounted to more than € 200 million. On hearing the promise at the time, Alliance '90/The Greens candidate Boris Palmer withdrew his candidacy for the second round vote, recommending that his supporters should back Schuster instead.
In October 2007, a petition and public demonstrations were started, sponsored by private individuals with the backing of Alliance '90/The Greens and a variety of citizens' and environmental organisations. Its aim was to collect 20,000 signatures and thus force politicians to take the issue to a local referendum. The petition gained 67,000 signatures but political wrangling started over whether the issue could be decided by a local referendum in the first place. Legal experts claimed that, as the project was not being financed solely from Stuttgart coffers, it was not for the city of Stuttgart to take the final decision.
Not only since this 2007 decision to go ahead with the project, when the plan to commence with the demolition of the current railway station in early 2010 and to finish by 2020 was announced, has the project been controversial among the city's population.
On 11 October 2008, about 4,000 citizens of Stuttgart demonstrated against the demolition of the Hauptbahnhof's north wing. Since the fall of 2009, there have been weekly demonstrations on Monday evenings. On 1 October 2010, the biggest protest so far took place with an estimated 100,000 people taking part in the demonstration against the project.
The protests are organized by, among others, a grassroots initiative, Leben in Stuttgart (Life in Stuttgart), the local branch of the German Green Party and the environmental organisation Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland. They are suggesting a renovation of the current railway station, including creation of some new railways, but respecting the cultural heritage of the Hauptbahnhof terminus and the natural heritage of the adjacent Schlossgarten (Palace Park). The park (see Old Castle (Stuttgart) and New Castle (Stuttgart)) by Nikolaus Friedrich von Thouret, is part of a cherished green space that connects the inner city with the banks of the Neckar river. During the estimated construction time of at least 10 years, the project would cut off connections to other park areas of the city, known collectively as the Green U due to their U-shaped form.
On 30 September 2010, police action against protesters blocking the Schlossgarten site resulted in more than 100 injured, school children amongst them.
Prior to the recent escalation, Frei Otto, one of the architects responsible for the project, cited a 2003 report for calling for a halt to the project. He alleges the ground in the area is allegedly too unstable for large scale underground works. Some critics suggest the cost of the project might rise to € 18.7 billion.
In November 2009, members of the International Council on Monuments and Sites stated that the Hauptbahnhof was a building of exceptional quality, whose integrity should be maintained.
On 27 November 2011, a referendum was held to decide whether the state of Baden-Württemberg should cease funding for the project. 58.8 percent of the votes cast were against such a withdrawal (and thus in favour of the project).
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