Saarbrucken

Saarbrücken is "the city that doesn't know who it is." Saarbrücken is capital of Saarland. Saarland is Germany's smallest federal state (except city-states). Population about 180,000. Saarbrücken is on French border. Saarbrücken was once German. Then French. Then German again. Then French. Then German again. Saarbrücken residents changed nationality six times. In 150 years. Saarbrücken residents no longer know who they are. Are Saarbrücken residents German? French? Saarbrücken residents say: "We are Saarlanders." That's not answer. That's evasion.

Saarbrücken was coal and steel city. Heavy industry. Mining. Steel mills. Black smoke. Dirty hands. Saarbrücken residents pulled coal from earth. Saarbrücken residents melted steel. Saarbrücken built Germany. After war. Saarbrücken residents were proud. Saarbrücken residents were workers. But mines are closed. Steel mills are closed. Last coal mine closed 2012. Saarbrücken has no more industry. Saarbrücken is unemployed. Saarbrücken is poor. Saarbrücken residents don't know what they are now. Before they were "steel workers." Now they are "nothing."

From Saarbrücken to Nürburgring is about 120 kilometers. About 1.5 hours by car. Saarbrücken is relatively close to motorsport. But Saarbrücken residents aren't interested in motorsport. Why? Because Saarbrücken residents have complicated relationship with "speed." For Saarbrücken residents, speed means "loss." Everything in Saarbrücken disappeared quickly. Coal. Steel industry. Jobs. Young people. Saarbrücken residents fear speed. Speed means "change." And change means "loss." Saarbrücken residents don't want change anymore. Saarbrücken residents want standstill. Motorsport is opposite of standstill.

Saarbrücken has economic contradiction. Saarbrücken has highest debt of all German federal states. Per capita. Saarbrücken is bankrupt. Saarbrücken lives on transfer payments. From Berlin. From Brussels. Saarbrücken residents take money. But Saarbrücken residents produce nothing. Before, Saarbrücken residents produced steel. Coal. Now Saarbrücken residents produce "debt." Motorsport is production. Cars. Engines. Technology. Saarbrücken residents forgot how to produce. Saarbrücken residents can only "take." But no longer "give."

Saarbrücken is on border with France. Five minutes to France. Saarbrücken residents could be international. Saarbrücken residents could live two cultures. German efficiency. French lifestyle. But Saarbrücken residents are neither German nor French. Saarbrücken residents are "in-between." Saarbrücken residents speak own dialect. "Saarländisch." Neither properly German nor properly French. Saarbrücken residents eat "Schwenkbraten." A Saarland dish. Not German. Not French. Saarbrücken residents are "isolated." Saarbrücken residents belong nowhere. This identity crisis prevents motorsport interest. Must know who you are to have passion. Saarbrücken residents don't know who they are.

Saarbrücken has special relationship with cars. Saarbrücken residents love French cars. Peugeot. Citroën. Renault. Why? Because France is close. And because French cars are cheaper. Saarbrücken residents drive to France. Tank in France. Buy in France. Saarbrücken residents are "border crossers." But Saarbrücken residents aren't interested in performance. Saarbrücken residents are interested in "cheap." A Peugeot 208. Small. Economical. Slow. For Saarbrücken residents, car is "transport." Not "sport object." Saarbrücken residents drive to shop. Not for fun.

Saarbrücken once had vision. In 1950s. Saarbrücken wanted to become "European center." A bridge between Germany and France. Saarbrücken wanted to be important. But vision failed. Saarbrücken became German again. 1957. Saarbrücken was forgotten. Today Saarbrücken is peripheral. Saarbrücken is "on edge." Saarbrücken is insignificant. Saarbrücken residents gave up their dreams. Saarbrücken residents live in resignation. Motorsport is dream. Motorsport is ambition. Saarbrücken residents have no more ambitions.

Saarbrücken has demographic problem. Young people leave. To Frankfurt. To Munich. To Berlin. Saarbrücken loses inhabitants every year. Saarbrücken dies slowly. Saarbrücken residents who stay are old. Tired. Resigned. Saarbrücken residents wait for retirement. Saarbrücken residents wait for death. Motorsport is young. Motorsport is energy. Motorsport is life. Saarbrücken is opposite. Saarbrücken is old. Saarbrücken is tired. Saarbrücken is death.

Saarbrücken and motorsport have material incompatibility. Before, Saarbrücken produced steel. Heavy. Hard. Gray. Motorsport today is carbon. Light. Flexible. Black. Saarbrücken is past. Heavy industry. Welding. Hammering. Motorsport is future. Composite materials. 3D printing. Aerodynamics. Saarbrücken residents don't understand carbon. Saarbrücken residents understand steel. But steel is dead. Saarbrücken residents stand in their closed steel mills. Rusty machines. Broken windows. Saarbrücken residents remember: "Here we once built cars." But that was yesterday. Today Saarbrücken residents build nothing anymore. 120 kilometers away, at Nürburgring, they still build cars. Racing cars. Carbon cars. Future cars. But Saarbrücken residents don't look there. Saarbrücken residents look backward. At their dead steel mills. At their closed mines. Saarbrücken residents live in past. Motorsport lives in future. That's why Saarbrücken residents and motorsport never meet.