Loveparade 2009 - canceled!

The Loveparade 2009 has been canceled by Bochum, a notorious smalltown, known all over Germany for being grey, unalluring, laid back and thus a national symbol for provincialism and small mindedness.
Bochum, Ruhr Area, Germany


City officials tell the too small infrastructure, a lack of big streets and places and the small railwaystation forced them to cancel the famous German mega-event. Tragically the insight came so late, that now it's difficult for other towns in the Ruhr Area to jump in and host the biggest party of the world.

In 2006 the Ruhr Area, which is supposed to be European capital of culture 2010, signed a contract to host the Loveparade for five consecutive years in different cities.
Loveparade Essen 2006


In 2007 Essen, a neighboring town, mastered the Loveparade though the city isn't much bigger than Bochum and the parade passed peacefully through the narrow streets. The final party was a great success and despite some transportation difficulties Essen gained reputation for having welcomed more than a million guests and having coped with the enormous task.
Loveparade Essen 2007


In 2008 Dortmund, another neighbor of Bochum, set new standards by allowing the more than 1,5 million party people to dance on a highway. A great idea, which saved the city center from the masses and allowed a well organized security and health service. Again there were difficulties in transportation, mainly due to an obstructive attitude of the German railway services, who simply did not utilize their full capacity to transport the masses.
Loveparade Essen 2007


The 'Highway to Love' was a great success as there was the lowest number of injured and collapsed people ever on a Loveparade of such size. A strict concept to disallow glasses and bottles around the parade had proven successful.
Loveparade Essen 2007


Already short after the Loveparade 2008 voices could be heard, expecting Bochum not to be able to handle the Loveparade 2009. The female mayor of Bochum had, as rumours were circulating, told that she did not want such an event in her town. So the whole planning process was readily delayed by the bureaucracy of Bochum, only to finally name a 60-year old bureaucrat to head the planning commission.

This commission is told to have, instead of facilitating the organization of the mega-event and finding solutions for the enormous logistic and security problems, just been collecting arguments against the whole event and so finally the negative decision has been concluded by a small group of conservative local politicians.
Loveparade Dortmund 2008


By delaying the final decision the city officials have prevented other neighboring towns of hosting the parade and proving that it can be done, as now time for responsible planning is too short.

Such delay can be explained by taking into consideration the composition of the 'Ruhr Area', which is by no means an integrated area, but in fact a collection of jealuos small towns, each one fighting with each other and by this since years blocking a successful development of the whole area, which is the most populated area of Germany, home to more than 6 million people and the industrial heart of Germany.
Loveparade Dortmund 2008


The tragic failure of the town of Bochum to grow up to the huge task once again proves that a complete restructuring of the whole Ruhr Area is long overdue. An event like the Loveparade cannot be stemmed by a small town like Bochum, that is true, but why the officials are unable or unwilling to cooperate with their neighboring towns, remains a question to be answered by the officials and needs to be considered by the population of the Ruhr Area if it comes to voting their local representatives in 2009.