Ambassador of Lower Bavaria

What is and what does a Lower Bavarian Ambassador do? Only the other « Lower Bavarian Ambassadors« address their peers ironically with »your excellence«, there are no salaries and residences, no official car, secretaries and cocktail parties at government expense and they don't issue entry visas. The title stands for an honorary office with a patriotic mission.

Within the framework of his professional possibilities and using his good name, the ambassador should promote the local environment, industrial locations and the holiday resorts in their area of Lower Bavaria.

»Lower Bavaria at the top!« is the slogan of region's marketing. The exclamation point suggests this, not that this is a self-opinionated exaggeration maxim meaning: »Everybody else is underneath!« The ambassadors should rather profess themselves to Lower Bavaria and serve the objective, to promote or maintain high standards within their regions. This means working together with the local economy, culture and the press, to improve the general conditions, make better use of opportunities and promote the attractive living environment.

The ambassadors are appointed by the Lower Bavarian state president, are supported and ceremonially sent out by the regional marketing to represent the region »urbi et orbi«. Hitherto circa 19 women and men from the 9 rural districts and 3 county boroughs of the region have been chosen: entrepreneurs, academics, presidents of important organisations, well known artists, sports persons and nationwide active journalists from Lower Bavaria. Basically the ambassador system is an amalgamation of personalities who have previously served this mission.

In the past the good natured but self-confident Lower Bavarians had the reputation of carrying in one pocket a rosary and in the other a fixed blade knife. A Lower Bavarian ambassador must also exercise the same behaviour today. However the accoutrements have been somewhat refined: a certificate of accreditation, files with info material and his visiting cards. It is left open to the ambassador what he does with them – the main thing is to leave a good impression and cause no embarrassments.

To profess oneself to Lower Bavaria is firstly to learn the differing regions including their top areas and companies, to promote them and present them as attractive economic locations or beautiful holiday destinations: the old agricultural land and the modern high-tech industry in the valleys of the Isar, Inn, Ilz, Regen, Rott and the Danube, as well as from the »east coast« of Munich Airport to the Bavarian Forest-Bergen Arber, Rachel, Lusen and Dreisessel along the boarders to Austrian and the Czech Republic. With its medium sized towns, the region has a decentralised structure, but has good road and rail networks and the Danube waterway.

When considering the economy, culture and tourism, the individual regions have their own very different strengths, but in education and health care, in sport, leisure time activities and shopping they are all well equipped. The ambassadors can highlight the natural quality of life as a soft location factor.

The honorary Lower Bavarian ambassadors are effectively »cheap competition« compared to the public and governmental officials in the local councils, boroughs, county councils and federal administration, but they have certain advantages and liberties. They are employed in their region as private people, also across the boarders between counties and constituencies, they are not civil servants, have no political mandate and don't need to consider any public authority hierarchy, instructions or adhere to party discipline. If they choose to make politics is their business. Lower Bavarian ambassadors are therefore a casual »society for free thoughts and open debate«.