The two-story wine barrel sauna with a round fireplace fits into the image of Rheinhessen and the nouveau riche people of Mainz, who from then on let it rip.
Because they no longer even know what to do with all the money they have owed since the outbreak of the Corona crisis, above all to the city-based vaccine manufacturer Biontech SE;
which appropriately also has its headquarters in An der Goldgrube.
But no!
In the municipality, which has been highly indebted for decades with up to 1.3 billion euros, nobody has become megalomaniac.
And the sauna, which is well worth seeing and which in the future will probably also attract some people from Wiesbaden, if not even a few from Frankfurt, will be installed without any money from the city.
However, the swimming pool operator, a subsidiary of the public utility company, can only afford this transparent showcase project because the municipality is finally able to fulfill its obligatory tasks itself.
That was often different in the past.
Municipal companies had to step into the breach more than once because the city treasury was once again empty.
That this has changed is a blessing for everyone involved.
For years, there were unsuccessful arguments with the former investor about the elimination of construction defects in the Mainz pool.
And when its operating company filed for bankruptcy, there was a real risk of a dead end.
Only thanks to the Biontech millions can the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital, which has just transferred ten million euros to its chronically underfinanced transport company for the purchase of a few articulated electric buses, can now also help the local sports clubs, guarantee school swimming and permanently for comparatively ensure low admission prices.
Sometimes "everything comes together," said Mayor Günter Beck (Die Grünen) on Friday.
Not only that one was able to get rid of most of the old debts very quickly.
There is currently “real money” for the millions invested.
It should be like this or at least something similar in all municipalities if the distribution of money between cities, states and the federal government would work properly.
In fact, they have to wait in Offenbach, Rüsselsheim and Darmstadt for the miracle that just happened in Mainz.