"Frankenbad Square and the entrance to the Old Town around Breite Straße and Maxstraße are popular places for partying in the evenings and especially at weekends," says the council. This frequently leads to conflicts with residents who are disturbed by music and loud conversations, broken glass and people making a mess on their properties. This is where in future the night mayor will come in and smooths the waters.

There are models in Amsterdam, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Osnabrück and Münster. In these towns, mayors keep an eye on the party culture and intervene where necessary. The post is on the basis of an hourly contract totalling twelve hours per week. The candidate is expected to have an eye on how the scene is developing in terms of urban spaces and players - and be able to network them.

The night mayor also serves as an interface to the city administration and the police, but "cannot be a substitute for regular patrols by the police and the public order office," the city council says. It is important for the job to have a high level of social competence when approaching people. "It would also be ideal if the person lives in or near the old town, but at least has a good knowledge of it in terms of space and socially."

(Original text: R ichard Bongartz; Translation: Jean Lennox)