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00:00 At the end of this beach there is a gift, a house for the Asian style tea, a generous donation from a local millionaire to the municipality of Temendorfirstrand. Are you happy with his gift?
00:15 No, never.
00:17 For several years, this strange gift has remained the focus of disagreement between the region and the donor.
00:24 If I give you something, you can't make decisions, either build it that way or if you don't want to do that, you can refuse it.
00:32 What does wealth affect their cities and towns?
00:37 Who decides what happens in it?
00:42 I don't like to force myself for a long time. I like to always keep the right to make new decisions.
00:50 It is a new regime and not the democracy we know.
01:13 From the first moment, the local representative, Jorn Eckert, had a dubious view of the gift presented to the sidewalk.
01:22 He was not convinced that the donor was really acting for the good of the municipality of Temendorfirstrand and he saw that he was right.
01:30 The quality of the building materials and manufacturing was poor and all the windows had to be replaced.
01:35 The cost of these damages from 2017 was about 800,000 euros and is estimated to be another 30% increase,
01:44 which means more than a million euros to fix the damage now.
01:48 The dispute over the house of the tea began more than nine years ago,
01:52 and at that time, Jorgen Honcke, the donor, the landlord and the owner, visited us with the art of the East Axis in his house
01:59 and told us that he worked very hard to get every cent of his wealth.
02:05 I wake up at 5 in the morning for 40 years, then I exercise for two hours.
02:10 It is a matter that I am proud of and it benefits me.
02:13 For 35 years, I have been fighting for two hours of exercise every morning.
02:17 There are 100 non-working push-ups in Lübeck, and they are happy to come and exercise for a good price.
02:25 His big dream was the house of tea, which was nothing but a model at that time.
02:32 What do you want to put here?
02:34 Art, exhibitions, reading clubs and similar things.
02:37 Full glass faces, all in white, all over the Gulf of Lübeck.
02:43 Just like his white, white houses behind the sand dunes on the beach.
02:48 The financial supporter spent at least a million euros on that project at that time,
02:52 and the house of tea was called Mikado, in honor of the publishing house that was dedicated to it.
02:56 He received strong criticism, considering it a win-win announcement,
03:01 but Honke did not care.
03:03 Those who do not have an argument say this.
03:06 I think Mikado is better than Jürgen Honke, and I do not want this.
03:10 But it does not bother me because it will be built at the end of the summer.
03:13 He got what he wanted, as the house of tea is located above the Gulf of Lübeck on a man who donated it.
03:19 And as for the cost of the continuation, Honke rejected all the claims and accused his critics of being famous.
03:26 And the local council is still suffering from the flaws of the building.
03:31 Does this mean that the council has learned the lesson?
03:35 Yes, of course.
03:37 Jürgen Honke had some other ideas, but the municipality rejected them all without hesitation.
03:44 However, donations are a good thing in itself.
03:47 But who decides where the house of tea, university or opera house should be built?
03:52 The parliaments or the millions of people?
03:54 The wealth of the rich can cause problems.
03:58 We traveled to the city of Kiel, where the big plan for one of the football champions has become bigger than his abilities.
04:05 This is the story of the Hallstein stadium.
04:08 To support the ambitions of the second-degree Hallstein Kiel club, which needed an urgent update.
04:15 The rich and encouraging Hallstein club sponsor Gerhard Lothier wanted to build the new stadium.
04:23 The man of great work, 81 years old, planned according to a slogan "not for half the solutions".
04:29 The new stadium is suitable for cars and includes a center for events and conferences, a sports store, a betting office and a parking lot of cars, consisting of five floors.
04:42 To achieve this, the small parks must be demolished and the sports hall demolished.
04:47 We do not know if Gerhard Lothier was aware of the impact of his plans on those expected to step aside because of them, but he refused our request to hold an interview.
04:57 As one of the greatest pioneers of work in the city of Kiel, he has a tangible impact on the capital of the state.
05:03 Locals know him as the founder of City Park shopping centers on the outskirts of the city.
05:09 It is a suitable shopping for cars, where the stands and large spaces and the same architects designed the stadium.
05:15 During the games, residential areas near the stadium are crowded with cars and cars encouraging people.
05:21 People are worried that when the conference center opens, there will be more traffic congestion.
05:27 Earlier this year, the nearby parks were planned to prepare for the new road.
05:34 Be careful not to slip there.
05:37 The locals and environmental activists founded a civic initiative.
05:41 There is a feeling that everything has been decided and completed, even if we registered our objection in any way.
05:57 It is not that we are against the expansion of the stadium itself, but it should not be done in these extreme dimensions,
06:07 as the plans include a center for conferences, which is not suitable here at all, in addition to a huge road that extends to a thousand cars, which is too much.
06:17 In the case of Holstein in particular, there is another important factor, which is the investor.
06:27 I see it as a project for the purpose of pride, as he wants to build a memorial statue for himself here.
06:33 As soon as Mr. Luthier presents a list of his wishes, it is implemented immediately.
06:38 It seems that no one is interested in publishing alternative proposals.
06:43 These are among those who demand a complete rethinking of the expansion plan in the age of climate change.
06:50 They want a smaller stadium, without cars, and perhaps made of wood as well.
06:55 The plan presented by Gerhard Luthier for the city has changed completely.
06:59 As a result, a demand of 30 million euros of tax money has been accumulated.
07:04 And Alwis Altman from the Tax Payers Association does not agree with this.
07:08 Mr. Luthier is a loyal supporter of the club, and this is a very good thing, but it is not good at all.
07:15 What is the other good side of the matter?
07:19 In fact, it is a way to improve his image so that he can make money through the City commercial mark.
07:27 But he does not contribute much to the project in its entirety, as the investor wants a comprehensive package.
07:32 If the city and the state do not agree on plans of this size, the size of this comprehensive package will be modified to become more balanced.
07:40 There will be ways to do that, but I am not afraid to say that.
07:44 I am just a supporter of tax money, and I say that it should not be spent on money and spend it without borrowing.
07:52 The professional football game is saving money, and the profits are not bad either.
07:57 We have a club that is the most famous in Kiel, and it is like Bayern Munich, but in handball.
08:04 And they do not get any public money, and I think that's good.
08:10 Public money is dedicated to popular sports and school sports, not professional sports.
08:20 How does the club see this? The German club earns about 1.1 billion euros from its own television broadcast rights.
08:28 The players and managers also earn millions.
08:31 So how come there is no money to expand the second club?
08:35 On the day of the shoot, rumors first appeared that Gerhard Luthier wanted to withdraw due to the high cost of construction.
08:42 And the president of the Hallstein club, Stephen Schneecklott, seems nervous.
08:48 The fact is that if the stadium is expanded, it will require 30 million euros of tax money.
08:56 Why do you need the money if you receive 6 million from the television broadcast rights every year and you pay a fine?
09:06 I can't answer that.
09:14 You are mixing things up. And it seems that you did not do your research well on the subject. I have nothing to say.
09:21 The interview was interrupted quickly. Yes, the media spokesperson intervened.
09:26 Okay, but he doesn't want to talk to us in front of the camera.
09:30 It seems that the questions related to money are annoying here.
09:34 It is clear that they consider the question about allocating tax money for football to be ridiculous.
09:40 Our photographer tried again.
09:43 Who is making money from this now? The investor or the club?
09:47 This is if you are involved in football. I can't make money from it.
09:52 You can't make any money from football? Yes.
09:55 Yes, this is very interesting. Really? Or anyone?
09:58 Yes, I am happy to explain the matter.
10:00 Yes, please explain that to us. So in football ...
10:03 But not in front of the camera.
10:05 Why not?
10:06 I can't do that.
10:07 Why can't you? I don't understand. Of course you can make money from football.
10:11 The question that your colleague asked is ...
10:14 Who ...
10:15 Who benefits from the expansion if the project is implemented as planned in the ideal scenario?
10:23 Yes, as I said. The club will naturally benefit from a new field that we need and that has a modern infrastructure.
10:33 The presence in the second German league will attract attention in all of Germany to the city of Kiel.
10:40 And so the capital of the state of Kiel will necessarily benefit.
10:46 So when the investors invest a lot of money, do they simply act based on their interests and their sporting passion?
10:54 You can say that.
10:59 In the summer we had an appointment in the municipality.
11:03 At that time, Gerhard Luthier's expansion plans were still on the move.
11:09 And the focus was on the development plans.
11:12 Olof Kampfer knows the criticisms related to the movement of traffic and the environment, as well as Luthier.
11:19 What we want to know is, to what extent can the financial advisor pressure a city that suffers from a shortage of money?
11:29 How does it work? Tell me what's going on behind the scenes. Give me a glimpse of that.
11:34 In the end, I said, we might be able to pay 20 million in taxes.
11:39 Then he said, no, that's not enough. We need 30 million. So how does it work?
11:44 In fact, I'm talking to the public.
11:48 Let's be more clear.
11:49 No, no, it's not different from the usual.
11:52 There is always a conflict, of course.
11:54 No one can force a city to plan to build a stadium by showing its development and support.
12:00 On the other hand, no one can force a city to spend millions on building a stadium.
12:06 In other words, we need a discussion and a dialogue to agree on a common solution.
12:11 It is possible for both sides to say, yes, this is the way the project can succeed.
12:18 In the case of Luthier, the critics say that the city welcomes him more than it welcomes you.
12:23 For me, it's the opposite.
12:26 I will be happy if the company wants to have a stadium that is likely to consist of a variety of different partners, to save us from this burden.
12:34 If I want to be the lead, I have to make all the decisions myself.
12:39 And then I have to tell the residents of Kiel that the city is not enough for the 10 million we have raised now.
12:45 And not 11 million and 300 thousand, to be precise.
12:48 This means that we will have to spend more money, then we can build the stadium in the way we want.
12:54 But this means that on the basis of taxes, they will spend more than that a lot.
12:58 And we will have to bear the financial risks.
13:02 And after one day, it turned out that Gerhard Luthier frozen his plan, primarily because of the high cost of construction.
13:09 And his office says that the development plan has received a majority approval.
13:14 As for who will pay the costs now, no one knows that.
13:19 Success or failure, often the financial spies keep track of everything.
13:25 What drives them?
13:26 Hamburg has the highest percentage of millionaires.
13:30 And we will meet one of the richest men in Germany today,
13:33 which is Klaus-Michel Kuhne, the main contributor to her company, Pag-Lloyd, and his wife, Christine.
13:39 The shipping company celebrates its 175th birthday in the city hall of Hamburg.
13:45 In the rich Hamburg society, financial care is a positive thing.
13:51 Kuhne also puts his profits in his charity, which distributes 30 million Swiss francs annually.
13:58 [Music]
14:09 The billionaire is ready to make an interview.
14:12 The interview was made on the Alster River in a luxurious hotel he owns.
14:16 Every time he visited his city, he was amazed.
14:19 His father moved the family's main headquarters to the tax havens in Switzerland a long time ago.
14:25 The Kuhne family has not paid taxes in their home country, Germany, since then.
14:30 Klaus-Michel Kuhne made us wait for two hours.
14:33 He left us nine hours to think about his company.
14:37 He directs the 30 million Swiss francs to projects that clearly comply with his interests and interests.
14:45 He is investing his wealth in logistics services in the area of the ports in Hamburg.
14:50 His company has established the Kuhne Logistics University to train workers in this sector.
14:56 He is one of the supporters of the football team that supports the local Kuhne club.
15:02 The Elbphilharmonie hall also benefits from his passion for classical music.
15:06 [Music]
15:11 Continuous critical reports about Kuhne appear.
15:15 The latter was about the re-treatment of his company Kuhne & Nagel,
15:19 to pass it through the Nazi era.
15:21 He agreed to the interview only because he wanted to talk to us about the financial support activities that he is running.
15:27 I apologize for the delay.
15:30 You could have enjoyed your stay, but you are still very active. Why?
15:37 Yes, because I have a lot of interests.
15:41 This keeps me young physically and mentally before everything.
15:46 At the same time, it is my duty, if the expression is correct.
15:50 If you are successful, you must allow others to participate in this success.
15:55 I see this as a safe way to invest money instead of paying taxes or spending money on unnecessary things.
16:03 [Music]
16:07 The main benefit of Kuhne's empire is the Elbphilharmonie music house,
16:12 where the billionaire runs the world-famous music concert hall and donates a million euros to build it.
16:19 Anyone in Hamburg can have a thousand coins in his hand.
16:23 There is a wall with the names of the donors,
16:26 where the name of Kuhne, who chose Switzerland as his home, is placed next to a famous group of other families in Hamburg, such as Otto and Rimsma.
16:36 The distribution on the wall is simple to some extent.
16:40 The names on the wall are mostly for individuals and organizations that donated more than a million euros.
16:46 Some of the donors and companies prefer not to disclose their identities,
16:50 as we have some very famous companies that support us without announcing it.
16:56 [Music]
16:59 The Kuhne Foundation is one of the six main sponsors, and the name is clear on the wall.
17:04 According to a contractual agreement, there is also a Sky Lounge,
17:08 which bears the name of his wife, Christina, and Klaus-Michel Kuhne.
17:13 This place can be used to welcome friends or business partners on the special floor.
17:20 [Music]
17:28 Of course, no one spends money in this way without a reason,
17:32 there is a reason behind his doing so.
17:34 The reason may be his great passion for music or because he enjoys social space,
17:38 that is, he does good and talks about it.
17:42 - Hassan, does he interfere in the program as well?
17:45 - Interference is an exaggerated word.
17:48 He is a man who enjoys firm opinions and does not like everything that is presented in Elbphilharmonie,
17:53 as he has very specific preferences and does not hide that.
17:56 [Music]
18:00 - How do you imagine it? You are a great donor,
18:03 and if you say that contemporary music is not one of your interests and you do not really like it,
18:08 do you think this will cause others to be nervous?
18:11 - No, no, unless I stop supporting them, but I will not reach that point.
18:16 I will give my opinion, and I am a very open and straightforward man.
18:21 - But this is a possible possibility, as if you say, "I will stop donating because this is not my duty."
18:28 - If there is something that really bothers me, or if the nature of the offers there has completely changed,
18:32 this is not far-fetched, and I do not like long-term commitments.
18:37 I have supported the establishment of this music festival for three years in advance,
18:42 but this is the longest period I will commit to,
18:46 and I always like to keep my right to make new decisions.
18:52 [Music]
18:54 - Do good and exercise your influence.
18:57 Klaus-Michel Kuhne surprises Hamburg with a new set of cash gifts,
19:02 but not everyone accepts it with satisfaction.
19:05 Irhalia Kuhne is a clear reaction of the public to his plans to donate 120 million to the local club,
19:13 which he wanted to be a means of securing more influence on the club's board of directors.
19:19 His last appearance in the establishment of a new opera house caused widespread controversy,
19:23 and the Ombudsman rejected him because there was an opera house in the city.
19:28 Kuhne has a lot of money to donate, and this is not surprising.
19:33 The company's profits are huge, about 6.2 billion euros in 2021 alone.
19:41 Klaus-Michel Kuhne has earned about 1.9 billion euros in profits.
19:46 And given the existence of special laws for shipping companies known as "cargo tax",
19:51 the tax imposed on the company's profits is only 0.65%.
19:58 Critics say that the amount that goes to the tax havens is too little to be satisfied.
20:04 - Looking at the current profits of the Hapag-Lloyd company, this is absolutely correct.
20:08 - Does this mean that you suffer a little because of the huge profits?
20:11 - Yes, it's true. It's a lot.
20:14 - A lot?
20:15 - A lot, a lot. This is not my idea.
20:18 And when I first learned how to calculate the tax on these cargoes, I was very surprised.
20:23 And this is a historical paradox, given that this is not found in any other sector.
20:27 And I find that strange, to be honest with you.
20:30 The responsibility of the cargo tax falls on the head of the Hamburg government.
20:35 The cabinet has recently voted against the cancellation of these tax benefits for shipping companies.
20:40 This proposal was presented by Norbert Hackbusch,
20:43 on behalf of the left party in the city of Hamburg's parliament.
20:48 The billionaire leftist politician watches over Kethup.
20:53 - In fact, the first thing I would like to say is that his national duty is to pay taxes in Hamburg,
21:00 even though he feels that he is a citizen of Hamburg. But he does not do that.
21:04 - In our interview with him, he said that he also wants to respond to the community,
21:10 while doing good things. Why are you not happy about that?
21:14 - Because he acts as if he were the master of the palace, if the expression is correct.
21:19 He has accumulated wealth for reasons that we can discuss for a long time.
21:23 He does not enjoy being a tyrant just to say,
21:26 "I will give you money and do what you want with it because I have received a lot."
21:30 No, he wants to make decisions.
21:33 For this reason, he always tries to pay his privileges to others.
21:37 This is a new regime, not the democracy we know.
21:44 Wealthy people are witnessing an outstretched growth,
21:49 and more of them are investing their money in institutions.
21:52 But the charitable institutions do not pay any taxes.
21:56 Critics say that it is better to put money in the treasury of taxes
22:01 than to put it in institutions.
22:03 And it is better to leave the state and democratic institutions
22:07 to decide how to spend money, not to individuals.
22:10 - Yes.
22:11 - What is your opinion on this?
22:12 - First of all, I do not agree with that.
22:14 I do not see the matter in this way at all,
22:16 because it is well known that the state is not able to manage itself in a correct way.
22:21 First, there was a big gap due to bureaucratic procedures.
22:25 And secondly, state organizations may not act or think in a commercial way.
22:30 From a theoretical point of view, the private sector should be given a wide field
22:34 to ensure that things are going much better.
22:41 Should the role of the government be reduced or increased?
22:44 We are on our way to Mainz to attend the Youth Political Festival,
22:49 which also deals with tax justice.
22:52 Stephanie Bremer from a wealthy family is attending.
22:55 By using the game's style, she explains that inheritance is just a matter of luck,
23:00 and that the rich like her pay very little taxes.
23:04 She is participating with the other millionaires in the Tax Me Now initiative,
23:10 and they are now charging me a tax,
23:13 which is a requirement that is considered strange in some ways.
23:17 - It is not like if I give something, I become poor.
23:21 No, not at all.
23:23 But if I give something, the state will be able to invest more in environmental protection
23:28 and in educational systems and worker health, or whatever you choose.
23:39 Stephanie Bremer can live a calm and comfortable life, that's enough.
23:44 I wonder what drives you personally? Why do you go this way?
23:49 Unfortunately, when we say that we are a group that benefits from these tax advantages,
23:55 but we support change so that everyone's life improves, and not just our lives,
24:00 people like us are more likely to be attracted to the rich than to the many non-rich,
24:04 who are accused of good.
24:06 But we cannot be accused of that.
24:09 Also, many people refuse to give charity,
24:12 and it is not reasonable to solve social problems with a good amount of money,
24:19 or with temporary solutions in the form of charity.
24:23 Yes, the state is not good at distribution,
24:27 but I see that it is doing a good job in accomplishing many tasks.
24:35 In cooperation with the Tax Justice Network,
24:38 the TaxMina initiative and the calculation of the amount of additional revenues
24:43 that can be deposited into the public treasury
24:46 if taxes are imposed on the income from inheritance, capital, assets,
24:50 and other assets owned by those with corrupt wealth,
24:54 the tax activists reached an annual figure of 80 billion euros.
24:59 The good thing is that the rich are less in Germany,
25:04 and if we stick to democratic principles,
25:07 and if the majority decides something,
25:09 then the minority will be subject to that, unfortunately.
25:12 There is one person in Heilbronn that everyone feels his presence in all parts of the city,
25:21 and he is currently the richest person in Germany.
25:24 The head of the Schwarz group,
25:26 and the owner of two groups, Lidl and Kaufland.
25:29 The man born in Heilbronn, Dieter Schwarz.
25:33 Have you heard of Dieter Schwarz?
25:35 Of course, everyone knows him.
25:37 This man owns Kaufland and Lidl.
25:41 I don't know him personally, so we don't see him in the archives.
25:44 No one is allowed to publish his photo until after his death.
25:47 Does he have an impact on the city's life?
25:50 Of course, he owns almost everything here.
25:53 What do you think of this?
25:56 I'm glad he's investing his money here.
26:00 He could have moved it to Switzerland.
26:03 We are lucky to have Mr. Schwarz.
26:06 If he wasn't here, the city center wouldn't have been so beautiful.
26:10 He is indeed a role model.
26:12 For you as well?
26:14 Yes, for me as well.
26:16 It's good that he offers a lot, but this is a weapon with limits.
26:21 We also need people who don't necessarily have money,
26:24 and they have great ideas, and that's not the case here.
26:29 That's not the case here.
26:31 Dieter Schwarz, the well-known and mysterious man,
26:36 is not a person who does interviews,
26:38 and no one knows his face.
26:40 But everyone knows his passion, education and research.
26:43 He founded a school in the city,
26:46 which includes 16 buildings and 5 universities,
26:49 with a special focus on business and trade.
26:52 Every child in Heilbronn knows the experience of Lidl.
26:56 The big shot critic is ashamed to appear in front of the camera,
27:00 and they say that Schwarz enjoys a very large authority,
27:04 and that his dealings with the city authorities are mysterious.
27:07 It's hard to see what's inside,
27:09 like the structure of his company.
27:12 Lidl is a complicated company,
27:16 which includes, among other things,
27:18 7 institutions and 4 charitable companies with limited responsibility.
27:23 Some of the profits may go in this direction,
27:26 where taxes are forgiven,
27:28 and the son of the noble Heilbronn, Dieter Schwarz, is under control.
27:32 The next billionaire's achievement was also a great success,
27:37 where Heilbronn won the contract to establish the AI Company.
27:41 It was chosen from 5 locations,
27:44 including Freiburg, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart.
27:47 So why did Heilbronn choose?
27:49 A question also aroused by the politician of the state,
27:52 the deputy of the Free Democratic Party, Hans Dieter Schirrer.
27:55 The Ministry of Economic Affairs pointed out that the city of Heilbronn won the contract
28:00 because the AI will be inside the university pyramid,
28:04 and that the funding is guaranteed.
28:07 That is, Dieter Schwarz's institution has agreed to compensate the lack of money.
28:16 In short, the regulators may say that it has been bought.
28:21 They may assume that.
28:25 Who bought what from whom?
28:27 Dieter Schwarz said, "I will finance the project for you."
28:31 Then the expert committee said,
28:33 "If there is someone who funds that, it will be great."
28:37 Then we ignore the other possible, least important effects.
28:41 Were you not able to evaluate the standards?
28:43 No, never. I have verified that again after today's meeting.
28:47 The minister's response was that it was a secret matter and that it would not be disclosed to us.
28:52 We simply want to see a disclosure of the standards and the process of evaluation that led to this decision.
28:58 And I think we owe that to our citizens.
29:01 Even if only one euro is spent on a particular matter,
29:05 we must submit to the questioner.
29:08 The Ministry of Economic Affairs insists that the expert committee, with high competencies,
29:14 made its decision in a transparent competitive process.
29:18 But the details of the financing remain a secret.
29:21 The secrecy is important, as told us by Dieter Schwarz's institution.
29:25 We had an appointment with Heilbronn's headquarters in the municipality.
29:31 But the most shocking thing is that he canceled the interview in a short time
29:35 and sent the press release in his name.
29:38 But soon it became clear to us that it would not tell us anything about Dieter Schwarz's strength and influence in the city.
29:43 So we insisted on a specific appointment with the headquarters, and suddenly he had time for us.
29:49 Dieter Schwarz's headquarters supported Harry Mergel in his election campaign.
30:00 There is a rumor that the two men are friends and that they meet in the Lions Club.
30:05 It seems as if we have entered a world of mysterious rumors and beliefs.
30:10 There is always a lot of secrecy, and it is said that the relationship between Dieter Schwarz and politics
30:17 is a very reliable relationship, and so on.
30:20 Do you understand that? And that people abroad think about these things?
30:27 Absolutely. We are an open society.
30:30 You do your job and verify if there is anything that should be revealed and shared with the right people.
30:36 And from here this kind of story is created.
30:39 And I think that nothing can be done about that.
30:42 And as I said, we had a certain amount of experience, and we can benefit from that.
30:47 I will ask the direct question then. What is the nature of your relationship with Dieter Schwarz?
30:52 What is the nature of your relationship with each other?
30:56 We have a relationship that I trust.
30:59 Are you two friends and have known each other for a long time?
31:02 I heard that you are both from Heilbronn.
31:05 If you have a strong relationship with someone and you want to stay in this direction,
31:09 you will not talk about it much.
31:12 What will happen when Dieter Schwarz dies, as he is a plague in the Senn?
31:16 What will happen then?
31:21 We will see about that. He is in good health and I hope he lives a very long time.
31:27 I wish him that from the bottom of my heart, but I still think he is over 80 years old.
31:32 What will happen when a great donor like him stops his activities?
31:37 I am convinced that he took that into account and took all the necessary measures.
31:44 That is, that funding will not suddenly be cut off.
31:49 That too.
31:51 Do you really think so? Do you hope so or do you know it?
31:56 I am like you now. I only think so.
31:59 You think so?
32:01 Yes.
32:02 The attempt was worth it.
32:05 We are forced to try another path and meet the representative of the Transparency Initiative,
32:11 which is called "Ask the State",
32:13 where Maxik Ron Moller and his colleagues are heading to the authorities with specific inquiries,
32:18 demanding the freedom of information law.
32:21 And in many cases, this helped them break the silence of the ministries and offices.
32:26 But in Heilbronn, Maxik Ron Moller faced some early and unusual obstacles.
32:32 The figures at the state level indicate that the cost of inquiries can reach 500 euros at the maximum.
32:40 Heilbronn did not set a maximum price at 500 euros, but at 10,000 euros.
32:45 A slight difference.
32:48 This is very interesting. How do we explain that?
32:51 It is a disastrous matter, for sure.
32:53 No one can pay this cost.
32:55 Exactly. No one can pay that, so no one uses it again, and then the law is effectively abolished.
33:00 Good.
33:01 Heilbronn City has informed us that the state's legislation allows for these extreme drawings.
33:08 Today, Maxik Ron Moller can reach the meetings of the municipal council.
33:14 What led to the sale of the university's land to the Dieter Schwarz Foundation?
33:19 The mayor told us that everything is transparent and recorded in the documents,
33:24 but Maxik Ron Moller does not agree with that.
33:27 The key points are really hidden and we cannot see them.
33:32 I want to know how the projects are planned and implemented, and at what cost.
33:36 What are the contributions provided by the city and the foundation?
33:39 What are the opinions taken into account?
33:41 Is there any participation from the citizens?
33:44 These documents do not answer any of these questions.
33:47 During this time, we sent seven separate inquiries to the governments of the city, region and state, without a schedule.
33:57 One of the reasons mentioned is that the Dieter Schwarz Foundation did not agree to exchange information.
34:03 What is the situation with the donations?
34:07 We are looking for a donor who can look after the children's needs, and we found him in Lübeck.
34:16 The city includes 122 institutions.
34:19 Michel Haukel founded one of them and provided about 400,000 euros to local schools again this year.
34:26 He prefers to receive the results personally.
34:32 - Hello, can we come in? - Yes, please.
34:36 He donated to the construction of a team for five days of this season.
34:41 How was the food and accommodation? Are you satisfied with that?
34:47 It was very good in fact.
34:49 We had to build a boat for ourselves that we all could fit on.
34:58 Are there any other comments?
35:00 I think it's good that if no one could do anything, the whole class was encouraging him to do so.
35:07 There were some barriers before, but because each of us interacted a little with people who we do not usually associate with,
35:16 it helped us to be more consistent.
35:19 I'm interacting more with the class now.
35:23 Excellent.
35:25 I'm glad you did that, and I'm glad to hear your positive comments. Thank you very much.
35:32 Thank you, thank you, Mr. Hertzman.
35:35 - Goodbye! - Goodbye!
35:39 This is true and direct, and you can ask questions. It's perfect.
35:45 What is the benefit of doing this?
35:51 We established the institution because we don't have children, and I say we have a lot of children now.
35:57 We live for that, and that's the essence of the whole story.
36:01 Sitting in the office and receiving an application and being approved is not a pleasant thing.
36:05 The essence is here.
36:07 Director Jörg Halterman may consider himself lucky,
36:10 as thanks to the donor, Howcool, many schools have offered him,
36:14 such as anti-corruption programs or mediators to solve disputes,
36:19 and a photographic project and exploratory trips, where the institutions finance more than 30 projects here.
36:25 We can be happy whether in Lubeck or Kiel or Newmunster,
36:29 if there are donors or institutions that support schools when the budgets are low.
36:34 In fact, it will be more fair if we receive funding from the federal government,
36:38 and if all schools are equitably equipped and funded.
36:42 This is how the performance of vocational training in a city like Liancid is achieved.
36:47 Exactly.
36:48 Michael Howcool chooses the schools himself to cooperate with his institution,
36:55 and says that the harmony between the donor and the school administration must be consistent.
37:00 Today, the annual budget meeting is held at the Education Committee,
37:04 and the city now relies on the institution's generosity.
37:07 The way things have been going for years now,
37:10 is that we receive students from you at the end of the academic year,
37:14 regarding the projects you want to implement in the next academic year,
37:18 to improve the skills of your students.
37:21 Yes, let's start with training Markborg on concentration.
37:25 We really want to continue that, and we have shown that in the previous year.
37:30 Exactly, we applied it in our school for the first time in the previous year, and it was successful.
37:36 As for the journey of getting to know the new fifth grade,
37:39 they want to swim.
37:41 Is this something you can help with,
37:43 with focusing on swimming and on children who have not yet learned that?
37:47 We are open to that idea, especially my wife.
37:50 Everyone in Lubeck must be able to swim.
37:53 We are open to that idea, especially my wife.
37:56 Everyone in Lubeck must be able to swim, with all this water in the city.
38:00 I will discuss this with the board of directors,
38:03 consisting of five members.
38:05 You have to support me, but my wife stands by my side.
38:09 About 14 projects were discussed in total in the meeting,
38:15 with the increase of some costs.
38:17 Now it is time to do the calculations.
38:20 Will the donor agree?
38:23 It is a long list of wishes,
38:25 and now we must move on to the essential details, Mr. Hawkol.
38:29 These are three points, four plus two, plus nine more,
38:33 plus two more points, which is about ten points.
38:37 And so the result becomes 20,000.
38:41 How much was the amount last year?
38:43 16,000.
38:45 The costs have really increased.
38:48 The Association of Parents contributed a large amount last year,
38:51 about 3,000 euros.
38:53 If we agree on this amount,
38:55 I know that the school's association will also agree on it.
38:58 This is close to what is required,
39:00 in one way or another, like last year,
39:02 perhaps more or less, so we can sign on that.
39:05 Great.
39:06 Amazing.
39:07 We can fulfill all the wishes then.
39:10 Yes, we can.
39:11 We can fulfill all the wishes.
39:13 We can fulfill all the wishes then.
39:15 How convenient.
39:17 This is great.
39:20 So, we'll fill the house.
39:22 Yes.
39:24 I noticed that everyone was a little quiet at that time,
39:28 waiting to see if they would agree or not,
39:31 whether the cash flow depended on their vote or not.
39:35 Doesn't this seem like a traditional way in your opinion?
39:38 As if it were something from another century?
39:41 I would say that I am very optimistic,
39:44 because this is the case.
39:46 Many experts say that the free market economy
39:49 and the money flow to pay taxes to public treasuries
39:53 are very important.
39:55 In this respect, I think it is difficult to achieve a good balance
39:58 between what is suitable and what ordinary citizens can collect for themselves.
40:02 What we feel comfortable about,
40:04 in a fundamental way,
40:06 is that there are people who say,
40:08 "I will donate a share of the company's profits to charity."
40:13 Michel Haukel inherited many properties,
40:18 and made them his own.
40:20 More than 20 years ago,
40:22 he and his wife decided to invest their money in an institution.
40:25 Since then, the limits have become unclear in an increasing way.
40:29 What are the things that the state should pay taxes to all schools?
40:33 And where should institutions intervene?
40:36 In the past, institutions were not supposed to be funded
40:40 by anything that was included in the state's tasks.
40:43 But this agreement was broken about 17 years ago
40:47 when the Pusill Foundation
40:49 offered to fund the reform of the heating systems in Lubbock schools.
40:53 Everyone said, "This is not true."
40:55 If the state is not in a place where schools are allowed to be heated properly,
40:59 this is not something that the institution should do.
41:02 But we have not said anything of this kind yet.
41:05 Do you think this is wrong?
41:07 No, to some extent.
41:09 Sometimes it shocks us that the state does not take some things into account.
41:14 For example, to this day,
41:19 the country is still unable to deal with the digital transformation process,
41:23 and the Internet is not available everywhere.
41:25 Yes, but we always say,
41:27 if we have the means to provide help quickly and freely,
41:31 we will do so.
41:33 Like the things that the state does not have the flexibility to manage.
41:37 Because school students need tablets now,
41:40 not after three months.
41:42 It is good that there is a certain level of competition
41:45 between the government and private funding.
41:48 Because there are certain things that the state cannot do.
41:51 If it is completely new and the state is not ready to take responsibility,
41:55 institutions can intervene.
41:58 Of course, their donations help,
42:01 but even the Hawko family cannot escape the dilemma
42:04 that all financial sponsors face.
42:07 In the end, the donor alone decides who will receive his money
42:11 and who will be supported.
42:15 So, have a nice evening.
42:17 [Music]
42:22 [BLANK_AUDIO]