Stuttgart Central Station's Redevelopment: Common Humorous Remarks Concerning the Construction Project
In 2010, the satire show "Extra 3" moderated by Tobias Schlegel took aim at the controversial Stuttgart 21 megaproject. The installation, titled "S 21. The Monument - Chronicles of a Grotesque Derailment," was created by sculptor Peter Lenk and featured around 150 figures, including a central figure representing Minister President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), struggling with ICE wagons instead of snakes.
The satire show also joked about "shut up bags" being distributed against S21 critics in a Swabian manner, a reference to the heated debates surrounding the project. The then Minister President of Stuttgart was Stefan Mappus during this time.
The installation sparked a heated debate about its location and now stands on the private property of the artist on Lake Constance. The work was meant to recall actors involved in the Stuttgart 21 megaproject.
Fast forward to 2022, and the mockery continued. John Cleese, a Monty Python star, lost his desire to walk in Stuttgart after seeing construction sites from his hotel room. An Austrian railway company used advertising banners to mock Stuttgart Central Station and promote travel to Austria. Netflix's advertisements also joined in, making fun of Stuttgart 21, following a tradition set by Britons, Americans, and Austrians.
US influencer Zac Ryan, in a reel titled "An American takes the train in Germany for the first time (Stuttgart 21 Edition)," gained experience with German trains and Stuttgart Central Station. Hazel Brugger, a stand-up comedian and moderator, also expressed confusion about Stuttgart Central Station.
In a surprising twist, Stuttgart's woes even reached the entertainment industry. British comedian John Oliver made a segment on his show "Last Week Tonight" poking fun at the project's delays and costs. The segment, titled "Germany's Great Train Disaster," aired in 2018.
Despite the satire and mockery, the Stuttgart 21 project continues to move forward, with plans to complete the project by 2027. The artist who created the work "S 21. Das Denkmal - Chronik einer grotesken Entgleisung" is HA Schult. The project, while controversial, has certainly made for an interesting chapter in Stuttgart's history.
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