Günther Bentele and the discovery of paintings

The fate of the Hornmoldhaus seemed sealed in the mid-1970s. Nobody thought about preserving the historic town center or even a historically correct renovation of the community center, which was now housing for migrant worker families. “The house was going to be run down,” recalls the Bietigheim native. It was only unclear whether it would be used for a multi-storey parking garage in a central location or for the planned extension of the town hall. Bentele sums up what the people of Bietigheim thought about the building in Swabian: “The Glomb must go!” The majority of the local council felt the same way.

The reservations and resistance that Günther Bentele and his fellow campaigners faced were correspondingly strong. In 1974, the German and sports teacher founded the “Citizens' Initiative for a Humane City of Bietigheim”. The civic engagement was initially triggered by the traffic planning at the time. A bypass road supported by stilts, the so-called southern bypass, was to be built along the southern side of the historic town center. Concern for the Bietigheim skyline and the building fabric of the old town center became central local political issues over the next few years.

The work of the citizens' initiative has not only led to a rethink among the population and the local council. In retrospect, Bentele is proud to say that the successful Bietigheim historic center redevelopment project is of state-wide significance. The Bietigheim experience was incorporated into the Baden-Württemberg State Monument Act passed at the beginning of the 1980s.

By then, the citizens' initiative had already fulfilled its task of “setting the right course” in Bietigheim. Bentele continued his involvement in local politics on the local council from 1981, and the initiative set itself new goals, this time in preparation for the 1989 State Garden Show.

Benteles' commitment to preserving the Hornmoldhaus, “for a while it was probably my second home”, now dates back a good twenty years. He has remained an active and busy man. Director of Studies Bentele now also teaches the subjects of history and ethics, for which he has acquired a teaching license on the side. Bentele is a published author on urban and regional history and in recent years has also written novels for young people on historical subjects. These include award-winning novels such as “Wolfsjahre”, published by Thienemann Verlag in Stuttgart in 1997. And perhaps another one will follow. He sent a manuscript to the publisher just yesterday. And he still finds time for a lecture or a reading in the Hornmoldhaus.