Wilhelm Knötgen, from the municipal works department; Eduard Hein, the council messenger; and Brigitte Damisch, a long-serving cleaner at the Siedlung School Centre, were bid farewell as they entered their well-deserved retirement. For many decades, Wilhelm Knötgen ensured that the drains remained spotlessly clean whilst driving the ‘Helicopter’, the town’s largest and most expensive vehicle. As a municipal messenger, Edi Hein was a welcome sight in all departments and always lifted everyone’s spirits with his mischievous smile.
For Brigitte Damisch, her departure coincided with her 25th anniversary of service with the City of Kitzingen – as it did for Adelheid Grosche. Staff Council Chair Wolfgang Zürrlein described the cleaning staff, with a smile, as “the City of Kitzingen’s feel-good managers.” Sonja Roith-Heinrich and Andreas Barber, together with the other two, bring the total to 100 years of service. Jens Pauluhn highlighted “the excellent collaboration in the civil engineering department” with Sonja Roith-Heinrich and expressed his regret at her move to the finance department. As a cemetery gardener, Andreas Barber does “an important and valuable job”, according to Head of the Municipal Administration Peter Grieb. Manuel Schömig, too, had nothing but praise. “Calm, matter-of-fact and with an incredible wealth of knowledge,” he said of his colleague.
Julia Then, Sabrina Ratz and Christian Schwarz have each completed a total of 15 years’ service with the City of Kitzingen. Julia Then is a mainstay at the Tourist Information Centre. Head Christina Richard is “very grateful for her daily commitment”. Like Julia Then, Sabrina Ratz “always has a smile on her face”, as Claudia Lunde emphasised. Over a total of 18 years – including her apprenticeship – Sabrina Ratz has worked in a wide variety of departments at the town hall and has been part of the building control department for the past eight years. Christian Schwarz is an integral part of the civil engineering department and is active as a member of the entertainment committee. His line manager, Jens Pauluhn, particularly highlighted his “meticulous approach to work”. “And the fact that everything you do always makes perfect sense.”