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Brown cattle in the Allgäu Alps: part of the rural sound
Photo: IMAGO
The Free Voters want to preserve sounds and smells such as the ringing of bells, the crow of cocks or the "smell of fresh pretzels" as cultural assets. We demand that the sensory heritage in rural areas be better protected," says a resolution that the Bavarian state parliamentary group wants to pass at its May retreat.
"Solutions must be found to avoid or resolve conflicts between residents and professional groups." Church bells were part of the sound of many villages, as was the tinkling of cowbells in the Bavarian Alps. Unfortunately, there are always "complaints from residents who feel disturbed," the paper says, sometimes by the "smell of freshly baked bread."
In connection with the sensory heritage, the Free Voters also mention traditions such as the cattle drive or the keeping of chickens. The "natural cry of the rooster" is part of village life and everyday agricultural life, as is the "conservation breeding of ornamental and pedigree poultry". When it comes to odors, MEPs cite emissions from local craft businesses, such as beer brewing.
Group leader Florian Streibl refers to France, where there have been rules for sensory heritage since 2021. A corresponding Bundesrat initiative from Bavaria fizzled out. It concerned an amendment to the Federal Immission Control Act and was based on the French model.
Now the parliamentary group is "emphatically calling on all other federal states" to join in and "fight together for the preservation of sensory heritage in rural areas". In the state election campaign, the Free Voters are making a name for themselves as the voice of rural areas.
Fri