Leer – East Frisians are world champions in tea drinking, there are probably no other regions in Germany that have as many lame jokes about them – and East Frisia is also so flat that you can already see in the morning who is coming to visit in the evening. East Frisia is one of the most popular holiday regions in the country and for half a million people it is one thing above all: home.

East Frisia has many opportunities and problems, it has distinct strengths but also weaknesses. We want to devote a month to this topic. The Leer local editorial team of this newspaper is asking itself the question, using the Leer district as an example: What can be done better in the region and what can we already do really well?

Therefore, our motto for September is: “Better East Frisia?!” During this time, we will talk to people from the Leer district about topics such as business, retail, nutrition, transport, housing, life and much more. Experts also have their say in our reports.

Strengths and weaknesses

Our theme month is accompanied by a number of activities. We have come up with a few activities on social media that you can discover on our Facebook and Instagram pages. There will also be a live blog in September that will provide daily updates on the topic of “Better East Frisia?!” We also asked people from politics and society what they thought about our “Better East Frisia?!” project.

What is already good in East Frisia and what could be better? We gave it some thought beforehand.

Better!

1. Preserving traditions: Low German, drinking tea, playing Boßeln, roasting bacon – East Frisia has many traditions that only exist here. They are maintained, often on a voluntary basis. This is what sets the region apart. The East Frisian region is constantly working to preserve the heritage of the East Frisians and to breathe new life into it here and there.

Tea – there is hardly anything that is more associated with East Frisia than this hot drink. Photo: Schuldt/dpa

2. Scientific expertise and economic progress: The Emden-Leer University of Applied Sciences focuses on the needs and concerns of the region in its research and uses this to develop innovations that advance East Frisia. But East Frisia is also developing economically: In addition to Meyer Werft, VW and Enercon and the traditionally strong shipping sector, there is currently a small but rapidly developing sector in Leer: the IT industry has discovered the city for itself.

3. Safety and willingness to help: The number of crimes is also increasing in East Frisia. This cannot be argued away, but it is still low compared to other regions. Extrapolated to the number of crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, the number is still below the national average, said the head of the Leer/Emden police station, Thomas Memering, when presenting the crime statistics recently. The fact that the region is so safe is also due to the fact that people look after each other. If something is wrong with the neighbor’s garden, they point it out. In East Frisia, people help each other.

The shipping sector is important for East Frisia. Photo: Archive

4. Cultural diversity: Is there nothing going on culturally in the countryside? Yes. In East Frisia, high culture is offered at the Musical Summer, the Gezeitenkonzerte or the Young Merchants’ Association. Crime fans also get their money’s worth with the “Friesland” crime thriller on TV, and authors such as Klaus-Peter Wolf and Peter Gerdes write about East Frisia’s dark side in their books. The customs house in Leer has become a meeting place for cool concerts and in many villages there is at least one (Low German) theater group. Who can say that there is nothing going on here?

5. Attitude to life and surroundings: It is difficult to put into words, but anyone who lives in East Frisia can feel it. The attitude to life in the region is something special. Nature plays a large part in this, on land and on water. But the togetherness, the peace and the level-headedness of the people here also make East Frisia a region in which it is good to live.

Better

1. Resistance to change: East Frisia has a long tradition. People are proud of Frisian freedom and what has been tried and tested – unfortunately sometimes to the detriment of innovations and new developments. New ideas are difficult and one or two have already been buried because they would have diverted people from the familiar path. It would be nice to hear “let’s just try it out” more often instead of “we’ve always done it that way”.

2. Local transport: A life without a car in East Frisia? Not possible. The poor local transport network forces even the greatest idealists to buy a car. Sure, the region also lives from car manufacturing, but does that mean that public transport has to be so patchy? Buses run infrequently and are inconvenient, the train stops in Leer and Emden. That’s it. A stop will soon be added in Neermoor, Bunde and Ihrhove, which is great – but there is still room for improvement. This also raises the chicken-and-egg question: is the local transport so bad because nobody uses it, or does nobody use it because the service is so poor?

Travelling by bus? Sometimes a difficult undertaking. Photo: Wolters/Archive

3. Nowling: What couldn’t be better in East Frisia? There’s room for improvement everywhere and everything used to be much better anyway. Yes, we in East Frisia are as good at whining as we are at drinking tea – this newspaper doesn’t exclude itself from that. We also constantly contradict ourselves: nature is important to us, but nature conservation is far too complicated. Yes, was that a nun? And that’s just one example. East Frisians have shown over the centuries what they are capable of (dyke construction), we should do more again and whine less.

4. Medical care: This is not a problem that East Frisia is alone in facing. Rural areas in Germany have it tough: there is a shortage of doctors everywhere. The doctors who are there have their hands full, not to mention specialists or MRI/CT appointments. However, the problem is even more pronounced on the islands. To improve things for East Frisia, telemedicine must be expanded urgently.

The supply of doctors is a problem in East Frisia. Photo: Molter/dpa

5. Dependence on subsidies: East Frisia is no longer the poorhouse of the nation. It has successfully left this reputation behind in recent decades. The region is flourishing, but also because the EU, federal and state governments are investing. Very few municipalities can shine on their own. VW, Meyer and Enercon are no longer as crisis-proof as they used to be. Things could get better if new, large employers come to the region. East Frisia has the prerequisites.

Be there

But we are not the only ones who want to think about the topic. You, dear readers, are also asked to have your say. Please share your thoughts on “Better East Frisia?!” with us or take part in our survey. Or come and visit us: On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, members of the editorial team will be standing in front of this newspaper’s media store on Mühlenstraße in Leer and would like to discuss opportunities and possibilities in East Frisia with you.

The theme month will end with a large closing event. On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 7 p.m. in Leer, we want to bring our experts together with readers and other decision-makers from East Frisia and discuss “Better East Frisia?!” The experts will be available to answer questions and provide suggestions on various theme islands. If you would like to be there, please register at [email protected].