Unfortunately this page does not exist in the desired language.

Manfred Rommel Airport

A mayor with his sights set on the future

Manfred Rommel: a man of many words. Words with which he championed tolerance and integration. But also words with which he helped transform Stuttgart into one of the strongest metropolitan regions in economic terms. Rommel stood his ground – not only when he was elected Lord Mayor of Stuttgart in 1974, but also when, despite protests and criticism, he arranged for the terrorists Gudrun Ensslin, Andreas Baader and Jan-Carl Raspe to be buried together in 1977.

He always pursued his vision for Stuttgart: he wanted to develop Baden-Württemberg’s capital into a modern and cosmopolitan economic centre. In 1977, he championed the establishment of the Stuttgart Transport and Fares Association (VVS), thereby laying the foundations for the S-Bahn network. A city that looks to the future and brings people together: with the construction of the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in 1983 and the 1993 World Athletics Championships, Manfred Rommel moved closer to this goal.

In addition to reducing the city’s debt and approving the Stuttgart 21 project, he also contributed to Stuttgart’s forward-looking development by supporting the extension of the airport’s runway in 1996. Manfred Rommel died in 2013 at the age of 84. Even after his death, the memory of this popular politician lives on, for example through a scholarship awarded from 2018 onwards to support young academics – or through the addition of ‘Manfred Rommel’ to the name of Stuttgart Airport.

In memory of the Lord Mayor

Anyone taking off or landing at Stuttgart Airport will see, when looking out of the aeroplane, large lettering on the front of the terminal: ‘Manfred Rommel Airport’. The long-serving Lord Mayor of Stuttgart and Chairman of the Airport’s Supervisory Board had a close connection to the STR and was a constant advocate for its long-term viability. Baden-Württemberg’s regional airport was therefore named after him in 2014. Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH honours its advocate and patron in a wide variety of ways and in many places – whether through the terminal lettering, welcome signs on the access road or quotes from Rommel displayed on the monitors in the passenger terminals.

Biography of Manfred Rommel

Biography of Prof. Dr. h.c. Manfred Rommel

24 December 1928	born in Stuttgart
1956	State examination in law
1971	Director-General at the Ministry of Finance
1972	State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance of the State of Baden-Württemberg
1974	Elected Lord Mayor of the City of Stuttgart
1977	Joint funeral for the terrorists Gudrun Ensslin, Andreas Baader and Jan Carl Raspe despite protests – thanks to Manfred Rommel. President of the German Association of Towns and Cities
1978	Foundation of the VVS and launch of the S-Bahn service in Stuttgart
1983	Construction of the Hanns-Martin-Schleyerhalle
1993	World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart Budget consolidation as the basis for reducing the City of Stuttgart’s debt
1994	Decision in favour of the Stuttgart 21 rail project Establishment of the Stuttgart Region Association
1996	Extension of the runway at Stuttgart Airport to 3,345 metres Honorary citizen of Stuttgart
2009	Launch of the Manfred Rommel Prize by the German-Turkish Forum Stuttgart
7 November 2013	Died aged 84
2014	Stuttgart Airport is given the suffix ‘Manfred Rommel’
2018	The City of Stuttgart awards thefirst Manfred Rommel Scholarshipfor young academics

Commitment to the airport

Manfred Rommel and Stuttgart Airport

Stuttgart Airport GmbH recorded just two million passengers in 1974, the year in which Manfred Rommel was elected Mayor of Stuttgart. This office automatically made him chairman of the airport’s supervisory board, meaning that no strategic decision regarding the development of the state airport was taken over the following 22 years without his approval. Making Stuttgart Airport fit for the future – and thereby safeguarding Baden-Württemberg’s economic strength – was a matter close to Manfred Rommel’s heart. He was particularly committed to the relocation and extension of the airport’s sole runway.

The 1996 expansion at a glance

Before the 1996 expansion, Stuttgart’s runway was 2,550 metres long and was situated 1,380 metres further west than it is today, towards Weidacher Höhe. For decades, the hilltop imposed restrictions on air traffic to and from Stuttgart. For westbound take-offs, the weight of the aircraft was strictly limited. Consequently, not all heavy cargo could be transported, and even fuel had to be loaded with strict attention to weight. Transatlantic flights, for example to the USA, could therefore only be operated with a stopover to refuel for the long journey. The relocation of the runway to the east and its extension to its current length of 3,345 metres provided a significant solution. Furthermore, the additional safety distance from the Weidacher Höhe meant that an electronic instrument landing system could be installed. This means that approaches are no problem even in poor visibility.

Manfred Rommel championing the runway

Manfred Rommel expressly supported the extension and reconstruction of the runway. He listened to the concerns of those opposed to the project, but argued his case just as passionately. “If the matter were less important, I would have remained silent. But it is important for the future of many people in this city, in this region and in this country, even if many of you have not yet realised this,” said the then Lord Mayor in 1988 before the Stuttgart City Council. “The path to this safe and functional airport lies in the planning approval decision. If we do not take this path, we should not be surprised if, one day, our business location is no longer as attractive as it is at present, or if unemployment rates are no longer as low as they are now.”