As an SPD politician, Karin Rehbock-Zureich spent several decades giving something back to her homeland. Among other things, she represented the constituency of Waldshut for eleven years in the German Bundestag. Having joined the party in 1978, she was chairwoman of the Jestetten-Altenburg local SPD association just ten years later.
You might also be interested in thisJestettenBye bye Ira Schelling! Employees and companions say goodbye to Jestetten's mayorShe held this position for 25 years. In 1994 she was elected to the Waldshut district council and to the Bundestag. There she worked until 2005, among other things, as deputy spokeswoman in the transport, construction and housing working group of the SPD parliamentary group. In 2012, Karin Rehbock-Zureich was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for her many years of voluntary work. She is still a member of her party today.
SPD person through and through
"For me, then as now, no other party came into question," the now 75-year-old is certain. "I used to have arguments with my father a few times because of my political views." Her parents were never members of the SPD. "In general, Baden-Württemberg has never been an SPD stronghold."
It was all the more valuable for her to be able to represent her homeland in the 15th German Bundestag. "I even managed to drag all sorts of ministers to the Upper Rhine," the former teacher recalls with a laugh. The talks always focused on putting the issue of aircraft noise and pollution in the High Rhine communities from Zurich Airport on the agenda.
You might also be interested in thisBad SäckingenAgainst violence against women: That's why Schönau Castle is shining orange until December 10thWith success: thanks to her good contacts with the SPD federal transport ministers Reinhard Klimmt, Kurt Bodewig and Wolfgang Stolpe, she was able to persuade the then federal government to unilaterally impose an implementing regulation (DVO) in 2002.
To this day, this DVO protects people from additional aircraft noise from Zurich Airport during off-peak hours and at weekends. “Hohentengen has always been heavily burdened by the approach path. The noise was unbearable around noon and around 5 p.m.,” the former SPD politician recalls.
You might also be interested in the district of WaldshutThe district of Waldshut receives the European Energy Award for its commitment to climate protection"You could even watch the planes extend their landing gears, they were so close." While Karin Rehbock-Zureich puts her memories into words, she starts to smile: "At some point the then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder came to ours Encounters always say: Here you come again with your aircraft noise.”
As a member of the Committee for Traffic, Construction and Urban Development, the Jestetten traffic expert said she also campaigned for the further construction of the A 98 and for the Jestetten and Oberlauchringen bypasses. A prerequisite for the Lauchringen bypass was her initiative to include the B34 in the federal traffic route plan.
The Bundestag is moving
In conversation, the 75-year-old remembers a special story about her active time as a politician. It has to do with the move of the Bundestag from Bonn to Berlin: "We moved step by step, but I've never forgotten the year 1999. Because that's where we moved to the Reichstag building in Berlin."
You might also be interested inSwitzerlandClear majority in Switzerland for the Covid 19 law: This is how the cantons near the border votedIn July 1999, members of parliament, ministers and employees moved around 50,000 cubic meters of goods, including around 36,000 books and 11,000 meters of files, to Berlin in 24 trains. "When I got to my apartment on my first day in Berlin, there wasn't a moving truck in sight, and my room was empty." In the evening, when there was still no one there, she called the trucking company.
It was only then that it became clear: Nothing is arriving today - the forwarding agency had had delivery problems. "At least I wasn't the only one, others felt the same way. But it was my first impression of Berlin and my beautiful apartment on Hackescher Markt.”
After eleven years in the Bundestag, Karin Rehbock-Zureich retired at the same time as Gerhard Schröder. "He dropped out a year before the end of his term because he had hoped to get a better election result for the SPD at the time," the jubilee explains the decision of the current former chancellor.
She hasn't planned a celebration for her 75th birthday today: "Maybe in the closest family circle. But the rising corona numbers simply won’t allow more this year.” In any case, she believes that German democracy will survive the Corona crisis.
