In memory of Emil Schüller (1871-1923)
Every morning a glance at the newspaper, a mostly peaceful and reassuring ritual, 90 years ago reserved a sad message for the inclined reader of the Kötzschenbrodaer Generalanzeiger: "On the 2nd Easter holiday in the early hours of the morning, the municipal councillor Mr Emil Schüller passed away after a serious illness at the age of 52." He was the first professional mayor to be elected to the head of the municipality. Coming from Döbeln, he initially took over the management of the savings bank in Kötzschenbroda in 1896. It was not only this task that he seemed to master in the best possible way, as he soon became the right-hand man of the then head of the municipality Friedrich Wilhelm Paul Sewening (1837-1904) and could no longer be separated from his official duties. After Sewening's death, Schüller immediately held the vacant post as a deputy for six months until he was finally appointed to the office of mayor at an extraordinary meeting of the municipal council on 30 June 1904. The general recognition of his efficiency and reliability may have contributed decisively to this election, a fact about which he was exceptionally pleased in his inaugural speech. Schüller also reaffirmed his efforts to deepen the peaceful and neighbourly relationship between the two largest Lößnitz towns, Radebeul and Kötzschenbroda, because despite the renewed rejection of his request, he did not want to lose hope that the two would one day merge to form a united Lößnitz town.
Emil Schüller placed considerable importance on the economic growth of the municipality. In this context, one of his first official acts was to extend the opening hours of the local shops during the large gymnastics festival held on 3 July 1904, because in addition to the 2,000 or so gymnasts, a lively stream of visitors turned the festival into an event.
Once again, the enterprising Schüller succeeded in strengthening the town both economically and as a tourist destination with the 14th Elbgau Singers' Festival (July 1908). The chansonniers, who travelled from all corners of Saxony, not only kept the tills ringing, their wonderful songs in particular filled the streets of Kötzschenbroda with music. A special singing hall was even built (today the Radebeul West sports hall). This, built to provide an appropriate setting for the art of singing, was used again a year later for the purpose of craftsmanship.
The splendid "exhibition of the Lößnitz villages for crafts, trade, horticulture and industry" from 22 May to 28 June 1909 was held in these rooms, among others. The cross-thematic exhibition was intended to provide "an overview of the industrial and commercial development and performance of the Lößnitz villages and their surroundings and thus contribute to the promotion of economic interests."(1) The Swedish graphic artist Carl Lindeberg, who later illustrated numerous books for the Karl May publishing house, designed both the logo and the poster for the exhibition. The exhibition was accompanied by a show organised by the Kunstverein für die Lößnitz. Schüller was particularly active in road construction: Bahnhofstraße, Meißnerstraße and Güterhofstraße are evidence of his achievements. He also rendered outstanding services to the incorporation of Lindenau in 1920 and the active development of the upper part of the town and its infrastructure. He constantly worked on the development of the community and did not even forget about educational institutions. He eagerly promoted the local school system, especially the trade and vocational school. He even masterfully overcame the sometimes difficult situation of ensuring that the population had access to a comprehensive, wholesome diet - as the region was still struggling with the effects of the war.
Last but not least, his persistent commitment to the state parliament and various state ministries helped to initiate the construction of a district court in Kötzschenbroda. A street in Kötzschenbroda now bears his name in his honour. For 125years, the deceased devoted his energies to the welfare of others in the municipality of Kötzschenbroda. He shall be remembered with gratitude!"(2)
Maren Gündel, town archive
Sources: (1) Stadtlexikon Radebeul; (2) Kötzschenbrodaer Generalanzeiger of 3 April 1923
Published in: Official Gazette Radebeul, April 2013