University towns of Görlitz and Zittau

Today, the mayors of Zittau and Görlitz, Thomas Zenker and Octavian Ursu, jointly signed the application to confer the title “University City” on the Saxon State Ministry of the Interior (SMI) in the presence of the Chair of the University Council, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Welf-Guntram Drossel, and the University Rector, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch. All preparations have now been completed; once the SMI makes its decision, all official town entrance signs will be labeled accordingly.

“We are very pleased about this,” explains Alexander Kratzsch. “On behalf of all university members, I would like to thank our two host cities for this explicit commitment, which underscores the importance of our university as an essential partner in urban and regional development.” Mayor Ursu calls the new signage a significant step and a good example of intermunicipal cooperation . “For us, the university is an important partner for urban and regional development. Together with the newly established research centers in the region, it holds enormous potential for positive development.” Mayor Zenker is also pleased: “We collaborate on many levels and in numerous projects, and we mutually benefit from this good partnership. We are now making our journey toward becoming a major research region in the heart of Europe even more visible to everyone.”

Zittau and Görlitz had passed the resolution on March 21 during their respective city council meetings almost simultaneously for symbolic reasons. University Council Chair Welf-Guntram Drossel immediately brought the news to the joint meeting of the Senate and the University Council: “Now that’s a successful start to an important decision-making meeting. An official designation like this is recognized even beyond the region and seen as a commitment. I’m very pleased that Zittau and Görlitz, in particular—as locations of special regional importance for education and research—are consistently working together on this.”