The Inselsberg – Rennsteig, radio and big plans

It’s an unforgettable premiere. Mayors of neighboring communities gather at the summit for the first time to film a film about Inselsberg. Exactly where their areas meet on the River Rensteeg. Kai Guzman, the mayor of Proterod-Trucital, has never stood here. He wants to talk about boundaries with colleagues David Ortmann from Bad Shows and Michael Brecci from Waltershausen. The mountain must eventually be developed into an attractive tourist attraction – and that is the big task they face.

The border has so far decided the fate of the mountain. In addition to the three municipalities, there are two responsible regions. In addition, much of the plateau is in private hands. This mixed situation does not bode well so far for the development of Großer Inselsberg. The visitor searches in vain for the concept of the summit among the many houses, building walls and towers. Even traveling by car is difficult. The construction site light hinders traffic to the summit more than it regulates it. There is no solution in sight.

The mountain is known far beyond the borders of Thuringia. It rises strikingly from the landscape and attracts around 150,000 visitors to the summit each year. This also applies to the Bad Tbrzer Hiking Club, which regularly enjoys climbing its local mountain. In addition to the beautiful nature, there is so much to discover, from dinosaur sites to the filming location of DEFA’s classic film “The Cold Heart” to an unparalleled summit view. Even Queen Victoria would have liked to pitch her tent here.

The history of the transmission systems that still send radio and television from Inselsberg into the country is also interesting. During the GDR era, there were many secret rumors about the area – espionage, Stasi, eavesdropping publications. The mountain was heavily guarded at that time. Bernd Bayer, maintenance engineer and operations manager for many years, was in charge of the Inselsberg transmitter with a team of 30 people. He knows how influential the Stasi really is, and is amazed at how self-sufficient the modern facility operates today.

In the next few years, the state of Thuringia wants to develop the Inselsberg Plateau as a gateway to the Thuringia Forest tourist area. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is now launching an international architectural competition. The Free State wants to implement a new concept worth €20 million by 2025.

Writer Britta Bebeko accompanies the exciting stage and examines how mayors David Ortmann and Kai Guzman try to develop a joint tourism area across the Rennesteg River.