30 scientists and technicians changed their jobs after the peaceful revolution in 1990 and went into politics or established democratic structures in administration, municipalities, schools and universities.
Development work in the city, region and throughout Germany
21 of them report on their motivation, their life's journey, their successes and their disappointments. Through their scientific and technical education, this group was specially trained to analyze problems and find solutions. Never before and never since have so many technicians and scientists been involved in politics and left their mark on it. They achieved a great deal - united Germany can still benefit from their experience today.
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Schipanski, former rector of the Technische Universität Ilmenau, former chairwoman of the Science Council, Thuringian Minister of Science and President of the State Parliament, invited the ministers, state secretaries, members of parliament, district councillors, mayors, councillors and employees of the ministries to report on their experiences. Thus, many interesting stories have been gathered, they report, for example, on the rebuilding of waste management in the Ilm district, on the reprivatization in the city of Ilmenau, the development of new industrial areas, new construction of hospitals and gymnasiums, the democratic restructuring of the Ilmenau Technical University and the reorganization of the school system.
But the view goes far beyond the district: The traffic route plan German Unity, the reconstruction of the old town of Erfurt, the rehabilitation of the tar lake Rositz, the reconstruction of the Brocken railway, the reorientation of the Carl-Zeiß-Foundation, the establishment of the world's largest mineral exhibition "terra mineralia" in Freiberg/Saxony and the rescue of the Maxhütte Unterwellenborn are some examples of the reconstruction work done.
The book was handed over in the Ilmenau town hall by the chairman of the board of the Universitätsgesellschaft Ilmenau - Freunde, Förderer, Alumni e. V., Prof. Dagmar Schipanski, the mayor of Ilmenau, Dr. Schultheiß, and the president of the TU Ilmenau, Prof. Dr. Sattler.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon. The book is also available for sale through the Universitätsgesellschaft Ilmenau - Freunde, Förderer, Alumni e. V.