© Pepe Lange
Interview with Kiel's Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer
“Visit us in Kiel and let’s think together about what we can do to protect the oceans.“
Shortly before the start of The Ocean Race Europe in Kiel, we spoke to the Lord Mayor Dr Ulf Kämpfer about team spirit on board and visibility in the world, Shackleton's art of leadership and manoeuvring in political waters, sailing and marine conservation – and why too much broad-leggedness can be difficult in an Olympic bid.
Dr Ul Kämpfer
Lord Mayor of Kiel
Kiel is known as the "Sailing City" and has a close connection to sailing. What can cities learn from sailing?
Well, we chose the slogan "Kiel.Sailing.City" for a reason. We are the only major German city by the sea. We have a sailing tradition with the Olympics, Kiel Week and many other high-ranking events such as the Ocean Race Europe. But we also always want to convey something different. Because sailing is a way of life: proving yourself as part of a team. I create something in a community and have a lot of fun doing it. Kiel.Sailing.City. stands for this quality of life.
So it's much more than just "sailing"?
We are not just a sailing city that offers sailors the conditions they need to be successful and that makes sailing so attractive. We also want to live this as a city, that's the other side. We have the ambition that there are not only traditional windjammer parades here or that we can look back on two Olympic Games, but that we always want to keep up with the times - and not just in sailing. Of course, an incredible amount is happening in this area, for example with foiling, which allows boats to literally fly over the water these days. Sailing is becoming faster and more technical. It is reaching new target groups and we have to keep pushing ourselves to achieve this, even if we want another Olympic Games. We have to keep proving ourselves and keep learning.
As modern as sailing has become, traditional seamanship is still present on board. Teamwork, pulling together. What can you learn from this seamanship, whether at work or at home?
I once read the book "Shackleton's Art of Leadership". For many, sailing is a profession and a vocation, it can be wonderful. But when you're exposed to the elements, it can be very dangerous and deadly. As Lord Mayor, I am not only responsible for the finer things, but also for public services. I have to deal with coronavirus crises as well as refugee movements and the effects of a war in Ukraine. Things can get very serious and existential on board.
© Kiel-Marketing
The Malizia Seaexplorer at The Ocean Race Flyby 2023 on the Kiel Fjord
You not only enjoy gliding along, but are also responsible for cooking on board ..
(laughs)... that too. That's exactly what's so important when sailing: being there for each other and being able to rely on each other. You not only have to be "well chosen", but also competent, especially in a crisis situation when the weather changes or you suffer an accident. Then there is no more margin for error. The sea may forgive a lot, but not everything. I think that's a very good realisation for politicians, who are supposed to guarantee people a safe life. It is not enough to be just a fair-weather politician or a fair-weather captain.
“Marine conservation, climate protection and the protection of nature are very important messages. It is important to emphasise the preciousness and fragility of the oceans.”
Ulf Kämpfer
Sailing always means travelling, reaching new cities, new countries. The motto of the Ocean Race Europe is "Connecting Europe". The teams will call at seven European harbours and cross the finish line in Montenegro. With this in mind, what wishes would you like to give the crews on board?
First of all, the sport of sailing takes centre stage. It's a spectacular race in which I wish every team the success they deserve and a lot of fun at the same time. The two go hand in hand. I am also a passionate sportsman and need the competition. Of course I want to win, but if it doesn't work out, it's not worthless, it's still part of the experience of competing and enjoying the sport. The teams should retain both.
Another important aspect is the protection of the oceans. As it says on Boris Herrmann's sail: A race we must win. Marine conservation, climate protection and the protection of nature are very important messages. It is important to emphasise the preciousness and fragility of the oceans.
Of course, "Connecting Europe" also has a political dimension. How is Europe developing within itself and in the world? We are living in very turbulent times. We don't just have to look at the refugee boats in the Mediterranean or tsunamis. Europe is currently struggling to hold itself together. And a regatta that centres around Europe shows us what Europe actually stands for. We have something in common that goes beyond our geography, namely the idea of Europe. At a time when this can no longer be taken for granted, it is also important to celebrate this.
Fun comes first, and I know from Boris Herrmann, Rosalin Kuiper and other teams that they are particularly pleased to be starting in Kiel of all places. Boris Herrmann developed the OceanPack years ago with his marine conservation initiative in cooperation with GEOMAR and SubCtech. The device takes over 20,000 water samples on board every day, the results of which provide scientists with important findings. How exactly is this close connection between the sea and marine conservation practised in Kiel?
We traditionally have a great deal of scientific expertise in Kiel. We have the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research and a strong university. In addition to SubCtech, there are many other companies in this field, such as the Institute of Maritime Energy Systems at the German Aerospace Centre, which is developing modern and emission-free ship propulsion systems here.
Our port is possibly the world leader in shore power and wastewater treatment plants and is well on the way to becoming climate-neutral. I believe we are the only municipality in Germany to have a marine conservation officer. We were the first German city to declare itself a marine conservation city. We have set up development funds. We celebrate the Day of the Seas and Oceans and support the privately financed Cinemare Ocean Festival. Boris Herrmann was a strong driving force who combined sailing with responsibility for the oceans. We were happy to pick up on this.
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“We are currently facing a rollback when it comes to climate protection, and the message should come from Kiel: We have to do something. We have to do it quickly and decisively.”
Ulf Kämpfer
Many of these initiatives will certainly be presented at the summit of The Ocean Race Europe, which you will attend alongside numerous other personalities from politics and business - both nationally and internationally. The summit will have an enormous media impact that will reach far beyond the Kiel region. What will people out there learn about Kiel?
First of all, Kiel will be on their radar. Of course, sailors all over the world know Kiel, we are a great city by the sea, but we are not the centre of the world. That's why it's great if we become even better known for our values and issues. It is important to me that sailing in Kiel is our anchor of identity. But the topics of sustainability, climate protection and marine conservation are now equally important. There is a close connection: sailing in dead seas, as is the case in large parts of the Baltic Sea, extreme weather events, rising sea levels or storm surges - none of these can be separated from sailing. Many sailors have now realised this. But society as a whole has not yet fully realised this. We are currently facing a rollback when it comes to climate protection, and the message should come from Kiel: We have to do something. We have to do it quickly and decisively.
You don't have to be grumpy about it, you can still enjoy life and sailing. That's not a contradiction. But it should not be ignored. We can no longer enjoy sailing without realising that there are many problems in the area of marine and climate protection. The summit is a strong signal in this regard.
© Kiel-Marketing
The summit has an international focus, but Kiel also has local initiatives for the people of Kiel on marine protection with the "Sealevel" in Kiel's Holstenstraße. How can we bring these difficult issues closer to the people of Kiel?
As I said, we are living in turbulent times in which many people are very busy with their everyday lives and their own worries. I can understand anyone who doesn't say: "I'm going to do some research on the internet or go to a specialist event on marine conservation or climate protection." Nevertheless, we want to reach people. This is precisely the idea behind the Sealevel and the even bigger idea of a digital marine centre for Kiel. We don't just want to reach the already convinced, we want to convey serious topics and knowledge in a playful way. We want to develop awareness for climate and marine protection. We are already succeeding in doing this with many people as well as with day-care centres and school classes that visit the Sealevel. Our aim is for people to go home a little more aware and smarter. The next time they are faced with their own decision, it might have an effect: "Do I decide in favour of something that helps protect the climate and the oceans, or do I ignore it?" That would be a social change. My basic idea is still to create a marine centre that is visited by 250,000 people a year, especially young people. We also have a million cruise tourists in the city ..
... the centre would have a beacon effect that would be internationally visible. The "cruisers" could make a corresponding contribution ..
... exactly, the marine centre would only be 500 metres away from the jetties. They are in a holiday mood and can learn something fascinating about the oceans, which they can then take out into the world. So that the seas remain as valuable and beautiful as they still are in parts today.
The Olympics also have enormous appeal for the host cities. The advertising phrase "Kiel can do the Olympics" sounds a little cautious. As if someone had questioned whether Kiel can do it.
Well, we have to be a bit humble in Germany when it comes to Olympic bids. We've now tried seven times without success, but I think it's time for another ambitious and professional German bid. On the other hand, we can be very self-confident in Kiel. Although we have an Olympic centre in Schilksee, the core of the building dates back to 1972 and we have serious competitors in Rostock and Warnemünde. Incidentally, during the last Olympic bid together with Hamburg, we received feedback afterwards that we were a little too broad-legged.
It's probably a fine line between North German understatement on the one hand and a little too much sailor's yarn and broad-leggedness on the other.
Arrogance would be the wrong attitude. I think we can point to what we organise year after year with Kiel Week, the Ocean Race and many other high-class world championships and sailing events with a reserved North German self-confidence. We can score points with that, so there's no need to make a big fuss. That simply speaks for itself.
“A sporting event like the Ocean Race Europe reminds us how important the value of team spirit is. And not just in the region. In the end, we as humanity are a community of destiny.”
Ulf Kämpfer
And it fits the motto under which the Ocean Race Europe starts in Kiel: "We all sail in the same boat." Kiel is home to around 250,000 people with just as many wishes and needs. Does Kiel stand for the idea that everyone is "sailing in the same boat"?
That's a challenge that we sometimes master better and sometimes worse. However, I believe that in Kiel, although we are not a rich city, we stick together overall and that it is precisely our diversity that holds us together. We are seeing a drifting apart in many western democracies. A sporting event like the Ocean Race Europe reminds us how important the value of team spirit is. And not just in the region. In the end, we as humanity are a community of destiny. And what better way to express this than the shared challenge of protecting the oceans and the climate?
You have been Lord Mayor of the City of Kiel since 2014 and your term of office is coming to an end. If you were to throw a message in a bottle into the Kiel Fjord today and someone, somewhere, found it, what message would it say?
I would extend an invitation: "The fact that you have found this message shows our solidarity. Visit us in Kiel and let's think together about what we can do to protect the oceans."
© Kiel-Marketing GmbH – Interview: Ralf Löwe / sonofasailor.de
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