During his visit to the Rhine-Neckar district on 18 June 2025, Friedrich Haag, FDP Member of the State Parliament for the Stuttgart II constituency, learnt about current challenges and opportunities in the field of heritage conservation and the sensible use of commercial land. A key item on the agenda was a tour of the Etex Germany Exteriors GmbH site, with particular focus on the approximately 2.7-hectare listed Etex Hall within the area of the ‘Interkommunales Gewerbe- und Industriegebiet Heidelberg-Leimen’ special-purpose association.
The association’s deputy chair, Mayor Claudia Felden, warmly welcomed the FDP delegation led by Friedrich Haag and expressed her gratitude for the support from the State of Baden-Württemberg. She was particularly pleased about the association’s inclusion in the 2023 Urban Development Funding Programme. This, she said, was an important contribution to the implementation of key measures within the association.
During discussions with those involved, Haag emphasised the importance of a modern, economically viable heritage policy.
“Heritage protection is a legitimate concern, but it must not delay or prevent sustainable urban development. The ‘discretionary power’ of the state heritage authority, without clear criteria, often deprives local authorities and investors of planning certainty. They must be involved at an early stage so that modern usage concepts can be advanced, even for listed buildings. We call for: cultural monuments to be classified as such only from the age of 50 and the
Background:
The Etex Hall is an outstanding example of industrial architecture. It was designed according to plans by the renowned architect Ernst Neufert, a pioneer of modern industrial architecture and a close collaborator of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius. The hall has been a listed building since 2020 and is regarded as a rare example of rationalised post-war industrial architecture. Its striking design and flexibility of use make it a key site for combining heritage conservation with sustainable site development.