It must be the time of unveilings, joked the mayor, as she, together with Kröber and armed with a pair of scissors, went into action and cut the red ribbon that held the cover together. She was alluding to the history play surrounding the unveiling of the Beethoven statue on Münsterplatz on Sunday. Many members of City-Marketing, representatives from politics and administration as well as Stefan Hagen, President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), and its Chief Executive Hubertus Hille watched the unveiling of the Bonn statue, with which City-Marketing is pursuing one goal above all: To make Bonn's city centre a little more attractive.

Kröber recalled the successful campaign three years ago, when 700 Beethoven sculptures by the conceptual artist Ottmar Hörl could be admired for a fortnight on Münsterplatz. A good 3000 copies in gold and green were subsequently sold. Today, they adorn many a shop window, shop, office, practice or private home. A campaign that made headlines all over the world.

"I hope that we can also make the hearts of Bonn residents and visitors beat faster with this selfie point," said Kröber. The Bonn figure is to remain permanently in the city; if desired, it will also be lent to the city districts for a while, said Kröber in an address to Gisbert Weber, chairman of the Hardtberg business and trade association, who was also among the spectators.

Dörner praised the action of City-Marketing, which was a building block for increasing the attractiveness of the city centre, especially in these difficult times, and which the city had supported financially. As reported, the city council, at the suggestion of the administration in connection with the Corona pandemic, had made money available to the merchants' and trade associations in the city and in the districts so that campaigns to increase attractiveness could be implemented. City-Marketing has received around 60,000 Euro of this. "We have already been able to finance some events with this money, and more are planned," said Meike Reinhardt, honorary managing director of the association.

The Council had decided on a further 150,000 Euro to support the "Bonn53" voucher campaign, which is intended to benefit the local retail trade. From April to June, the vouchers, which are still available at all participating businesses (www.bonn53.de), are to receive a ten percent surcharge with the city's money, so that a voucher for 50 Euro is worth 55 Euro. A campaign that apparently did not meet with much response, as the GA learned. The majority of the city's money was not used and was returned to the city's coffers in accordance with the council's decision, they said.

City Marketing did not want to comment on this when asked. Only this much: "We are still in the process of setting up the voucher campaign," said Reinhardt. Now she and her colleagues are hoping for a successful Bonn Festival with an open Sunday from 30 September to 2 October in the city centre.

„Bonn leuchtet" will also take place as planned from 4 to 6 November. "We are of course taking the current energy crisis into account in our planning," Reinhardt emphasised. There will be no illuminated facades as in the past. "We are currently working on many creative ideas and proposals so that the festival can still take place," she said, without wanting to go into details at this stage.

Original text: Lisa Inhoffen

Translation: Mareike Graepel