Westdorf. “Once again, Westdorf has impressively demonstrated why rural areas are so attractive: because the village community is vibrant, sustained by voluntary work and the desire to shape its own future. Thank you very, very much for your sustained commitment.” This was District Administrator Markus Bauer’s response to Westdorf’s performance in the national competition “Our Village Has a Future”. According to the competition organisers, the village, along with five other localities, is one of Germany’s ‘bronze villages’.
An evaluation committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Home Affairs had visited the small town in the Salzlandkreis earlier this week as part of its tour of Germany to gain an impression of life there. The District Administrator had personally welcomed the committee, together with Aschersleben’s Mayor Steffen Amme and other representatives of the Salzlandkreis, and had promoted the town in the best possible light. The Salzlandkreis had funded the subsequent presentation using funds from the Salzlandsparkasse’s profit allocation. The district administrator had previously handed over 5,000 euros to the local heritage association for this purpose.
Markus Bauer says: “We can be truly proud of the commitment shown in Westdorf. There, people are taking matters into their own hands to make their home town even more attractive. This strengthens the entire Salzlandkreis as an attractive place to live, do business and pursue research.” The District Administrator emphasises: “This commitment shown by the residents, led by Mayor Ronny Küster, deserves every possible support, not just within the context of this competition.”
In 2024, the district administration had called on all villages in the Salzlandkreis to take part in the competition. Mehringen, Zens and, indeed, Westdorf made the greatest impression on a jury from the region at the time. At state level, Westdorf then came out on top alongside Spora in the Burgenlandkreis and Dessau in the Altmark. All three villages represented Saxony-Anhalt in the national competition, in which a total of 26 villages from across Germany took part. They all demonstrated how they are responding to social, environmental and economic development in their villages.
In the view of District Administrator Markus Bauer, they are all winners, regardless of the result. “In Westdorf, we have seen the impetus the competition can bring to village life. The local heritage society, sports club, fire brigade and choir have grown even closer together. That was really wonderful to see.” The District Administrator also thanked the competition’s organisers. “It is hugely important that the whole country sees how community life can be shaped outside metropolitan areas. We can see that life in rural areas is a genuine alternative.”