Thorsten Schorr

Oberursel’s No-Win Financial Situation

November 4, 2013 By Graham Tappenden

It can’t be easy being in charge of Oberursel’s finances. After two rounds of spending cuts and tax increases, the town’s budget could budget could be in the black to the tune of around €4.5 million after a sudden windfall of corporate income tax (Gewerbesteuer) and further cuts in the culture department.

That is, it would be if the next higher level of government – the Kreis – had not increased the amount that the town has to pay for their services, including the school, by almost €11 million for the coming year, leaving with the town with a deficit in 2014 of just over €6 million.

So once again the town called a meeting of its residents to discuss the next round of savings, holding it this year in the Burgwiesenhalle in Bommersheim. The hall may not have been full – around 160 people turned up – but there were a significant number of children and teenagers present to protest against the planned cuts in funding for the “Jugendtreffs” in Weißkirchen and Stierstadt. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Photos Tagged With: Bommersheim, Budget, Bürgerversammlung, Burgwiesenhalle, Ferdinand-Balzer-Haus, finance, Haushalt, Jugendtreff, protest, Stadthalle, Taunushalle, Thorsten Schorr

Why Oberursel needs to have a culture of making savings

April 26, 2013 By Graham Tappenden

Oberursel’s town council may have approved the 2013 budget last December, including a range of tax increases and cuts in services, but the council obviously does not have the last say in the matter, because since then the town has been waiting for it to be approved by local government regulators.

That approval arrived last week and allows the town to move forward on projects such as the new traffic lights for the Frankfurter Landstraße. But it is coupled with a series of restrictions in place not only for the current year, but for future budgets as well.

It is expected that the town: [Read more…]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: approved, Budget, culture, Frankfurter Landstrasse, Kulturbuehne, open-air theatre, savings, swimming pool, Thorsten Schorr, town twinning, Traffic Lights

Carnival Procession 2013: Magistrat der Stadt Oberursel

February 18, 2013 By Graham Tappenden

(Click to enlarge)

Filed Under: Carnival, Other News, Photos Tagged With: carnival, Christof Fink, Dr. Christoph Müllerleile, executive, Georg Braun, Hans-Georg Brum, Henchenstrasse, Karnevalsumzug, Magristrat, procession, Sabine Kinkel, Taunus-Karneval, Thorsten Schorr, Town

25 Years (and more) serving the Town and the Fire Service

February 10, 2013 By Graham Tappenden

When Holger Himmelhuber passed one of his friends washing a fire engine at the Bleiche, it was an encounter that would go on to change his life. Not only did he join the “Oberursel-Mitte” fire brigade on that same day in 1976, but 5 years later he played a role in creating the “Jugendfeuerwehr” (youth fire brigade) and shortly afterwards became responsible for maintaining the equipment as well.

Some years later, in 1988, he took on the role of “Wehrführer”, putting in him charge of the town centre’s fire brigade, located in the Marxstraße. It was at this point that he because an “Ehrenbeamter”, which roughly translates as being a voluntary civil servant.

That was 25 years ago, and to celebrate a number of members of the fire brigade, along with his family, gathered at the town hall for a presentation made by the town’s treasurer Thorsten Schorr. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Photos Tagged With: Ehrenbeamter, Feuerwehr, Fire Brigade, fire service, Förderverein, Gefahrenverhütungsbeauftragter, Holger Himmelhuber, Jugendfeuerwehr, Marxstrasse, Stadtbrandinspektor, Thorsten Schorr, Wehrführer, youth

Sabine I. in charge of the town hall

February 7, 2013 By Graham Tappenden

Sabine I. with her royal household in the town hall on Monday, where she will rule until Ash Wednesday. Also in the photo are treasurer Thorsten Schorr and Mayor Hans-Georg Brum. (Photo: Stadt Oberursel)

Filed Under: Photos Tagged With: Hans-Georg Brum, Rathaus, Sabine I., Thorsten Schorr, Town Hall

Carollers at the town hall

January 6, 2013 By Graham Tappenden

Carol singers in German do not go from house to house before Christmas eve, they do it afterwards instead – specifically between 27th December and 6th January.

During this time, the so-called “Sternsinger”, organised by the local church and who are sometimes translated as “star boys”, go from house to house to collect for a particular good cause using the year’s motto and dressed as the Three Kings.

This year the motto is “Segen bringen – Segen sein!” (bring a blessing – be a blessing!) and the money raised will go to help children worldwide, in particular in Tanzania. With the whole country taking part, it is not unusual to raise over €40 million.

Before they leave they write 20*C+M+B+13 on the door frame, the letters standing for “Christus mansionem benedicat”, or “God protect this house”. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Photos Tagged With: carol singers, Carollers, Christoph Müllerleile, Rathaus, Segen bringen - Segen sein!, St.Ursula, Star boys, Sternsinger, Thorsten Schorr, Town Hall

September: A winner at the KSfO Sports Day

December 31, 2012 By Graham Tappenden

After completing a circuit of sporting activities at the KSfO Sports Day in September, Gabi Wietschorke from Bommersheim won first prize in the tombola of a weekend for two people half-board in the 5 star Aqua Dome Hotel in Längenfeld, Tirol, sponsored by Thomas Cook.

She was presented with her prize by Bernd Lienhard and Markus Bialuch from Thomas Cook, and the town’s treasurer, Thorsten Schorr.

Filed Under: Other News, Photos Tagged With: Bernd Lienhard, Gabi Wietschorke, KSfO, Markus Bialuch, Sports Day, Thomas Cook, Thorsten Schorr, winner

Christmas Market in Oberursel 2012

November 30, 2012 By Graham Tappenden

The Christmas Market in Oberursel was opened on Thursday, 29th November, 2012 by Mayor Hans-Georg Brum, accompanied by the Fountain Queen Vanessa I, City Manager Wolfgang Bräutigam, Fountain Master Harry Hecker, Treasurer Thorsten Schorr, Alderman Wilfried Abt and Council Chairman Dr. Christoph Müllerleile.

The market stretches from the Rathaus through the Vorstadt and Strackgasse to the Marktplatz.

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

Filed Under: Other News, Photos Tagged With: Bill Barron, Christmas Market, Christoph Müllerleile, crafts, Frank and Carol Rust, Hans-Georg Brum, Harry Hecker, Lomonossow, Rainer Hoffmann-Alfke, Rathaus, Rathausplatz, Rushmoor, Silke Welteke, Stefan Remes, Strackgasse, Thorsten Schorr, Vanessa I., Weihnachtsmarkt, Winfried Abt, Wolfgang Bräutigam

Why Oberursel can’t afford to build a new swimming pool

September 7, 2012 By Graham Tappenden

The Stadthalle was packed full on Wednesday evening for the “Bürgerversammlung” to discuss the new swimming pool.

Hans-Georg Brum (Mayor)

It all started off quite well, with the mayor Hans-Georg Brum asking the question “if we don’t build it now, when will we?” and pointing out the value of the new indoor swimming pool for the schools in the town and in general for children, youths and older people, stressing the fact that it was not just for the swimming club (SCO) and the lifeguards (DLRG).

With a nod to the financial problems he asked the politicians in the town to stand behind the project, claiming that if everyone wants it to happen, somehow it will be possible. For this he received a round of applause.

The next presentation was about the building itself, but finally led to the calculation of how the project is going to be financed. For the first time, the public were shown a list of the pieces of land that are to be sold off to raise the capital. Or at least, the roads in which these pieces of land are in.

Perhaps most interesting at this point was [Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Photos Tagged With: Bürgerversammlung, DLRG, Hallenbad, Hans-Georg Brum, Schwimmbad, SCO, Stadthalle, Stadtkämmerer, swimming pool, Thorsten Schorr, treasurer

New organisation structure at Oberursel town hall

April 2, 2012 By Graham Tappenden

The town hall administration in Oberursel has been restructured to reflect the outcome of the last election for the town’s parliament.

Left: Alderman Christof Fink (Green party)

Centre: Mayor Hans-Georg Brum (SPD)

Right: Treasurer Thorsten Schorr (CDU)

There will be more about how the town administration is structured in a future blog post.

Filed Under: Rathaus Tagged With: administration, Alderman, Christof Fink, Hans-Georg Brum, Mayor, Thorsten Schorr, treasurer

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