FOR Karlsruhe in the municipal council
We’re seeking the welfare of the city.
Current
The situation in Karlsruhe
Local politics? Climate? Construction projects? Our independent faction of Free Voters and FOR Karlsruhe in the Karlsruhe Municipal Council discusses the topics of the month in front of the camera and on the microphone. We give a review of what was decided for Karlsruhe, an outlook on what is on the agenda, and discuss major issues such as stadium construction, state theater or social affairs.
Display chaos at KVV: Digital information displays work unreliably
Since the end of November 2025, malfunctioning digital passenger information displays (DFI) have been causing considerable frustration among passengers in the Karlsruhe city area. Despite several announcements of improvements by the Karlsruhe Transport Association...
Podcast: Trough or bridge? Bitter truth about the Hagsfeld southern bypass
The solution for the Hagsfeld southern bypass is about to be decided - but the costs for the currently planned underpass ("trough solution") have now almost doubled to around 132 million euros. In addition, according to the plans, around 3.6 million euros will be...
Budget crisis with an announcement – FÜR Karlsruhe calls for a financial turning point
Karlsruhe is facing a financial crisis that has been looming for years and is now becoming fully apparent. The massive slump in trade tax revenues, the threat of repayment of over 50 million euros and the now imposed freeze on staffing are not isolated events, but...
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Municipal Council Info. Here you will regularly find informative articles and background reports on current topics from the Karlsruhe City Council. Get insights into our political work and learn more about our focus areas.
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Council Motions & Inquiries
As a group, we can actively put proposals and ideas for the city to the vote.
We have compiled our proposals here. We can also create transparency,
by submitting public questions that the city administration must answer.
Our city council

Friedemann Kalmbach
Single city council
Since 2009 city councilor of the voter group FÜR Karlsruhe. From 2019 – 2024, member of the former FW|FÜR Karlsruhe city council groups.
Our office

Our team
Office
Marius Meger, Micha Schlittenhardt, Daniel Gräber.
Phone
0721 133 10 96
Office hours: Mon. & Fri. 10-12 o’clock
Questions and Answers
Who are the „Freie Wähler“ Karlsruhe?
The "Free Voters" of Karlsruhe are committed and technically qualified residents of Karlsruhe who form a political association and have competed as a joint list in the municipal elections in Karlsruhe since 2009. The Free Voters represent a realistic and serious policy that strives to be close to the citizens and keeps an eye on the real concerns of the population. The Free Voters in the Karlsruhe City Council are Petra Lorenz and Jürgen Wenzel.
Who are „FÜR Karlsruhe“?
"FÜR Karlsruhe" is a voters' association that has been striving for politics with a Christian heart since it was founded in 2008 and derives its actions from this. One strives for a balanced policy between ecology and economy, in which the focus is on people and the concerns of the citizens are taken into account. Since 2009, "FÜR Karlsruhe" has been represented on the municipal council by Friedemann Kalmbach, and in the meantime by former KSC soccer player Reinhold Yabo and Eduardo Mossuto, who was previously active with the Free Voters. After a reorientation of the content in 2019, the name was changed from "GfK - Together for Karlsruhe" to "FOR Karlsruhe" in order to avoid confusion with the GfK - Society for Consumer Research on the Internet.
How did the voter groups merge to a municipal council group?
In the 2019 Karlsruhe local elections, ten parties or voter associations ran for elections - all of them made it into the Karlsruhe municipal council. The “free voters” won two of the 48 seats in the municipal council, and “FÜR Karlsruhe” one. At least three seats are required to form a parliamentary group in the municipal council. The formation of a parliamentary group and the bundling of seats creates the opportunity to give the will of the voters weight with more votes - in addition, parliamentary groups can submit motions to the city and are not limited to simply asking questions. "Freie Wahler" and "FÜR Karlsruhe" already formed a counting community together with the FDP in the past legislative period, which means that our city councilors can be represented in more committees. Now the decision was made to work together as a parliamentary group in favor of a policy of a healthy center and closeness to the people. With the introduction of the new municipal council on July 23, 2019, the parliamentary group has three councillors.
Who represents the municipal council group?
Together, the parliamentary groups “Free Voters” and “FOR Karlsruhe” form the eighth parliamentary group in the Karlsruhe municipal council. The parliamentary group community is represented by three city councillors: parliamentary group leader Friedemann Kalmbach (FÜR Karlsruhe), deputy parliamentary group leader Jürgen Wenzel (free voters) and city councilor Petra Lorenz (free voters). Micha Schlittenhardt (FÜR Karlsruhe) acts as group excecutive.
What are the political positions of the municipal council group?
Both voter associations advocate balanced and serious politics that adequately represent the interests of the citizens. All parliamentary group members have the best in mind for Karlsruhe and want to tackle the upcoming tasks in the interests of the voters. There are joint efforts on highly topical issues such as citizen participation/inclusion of citizens in the design of the city, housing construction/housing shortage/lack of space, urban development/inner densification, security and cleanliness, and mobility.
In times of Corona, the parliamentary group focuses on the tumbling economy and the survival of companies. The livable city of Karlsruhe is exposed to a serious danger when livelihoods are threatened by the pandemic. The group is committed to new and creative ways to prevent a wave of insolvencies and to support entrepreneurs. In addition to the physical well-being of people, the parliamentary group initiates offers for the mental and social concerns of society, such as setting up a contact point for people who are lonely during the lockdown.
The parliamentary group is opting for a people- and business-friendly path to climate neutrality. A green transformation of cities, transport and the economy is welcomed, but it should happen at a pace that society and the economy can sustain. The parliamentary group does not see actions pro-environment in bans and restrictions on everyday life, but in efficient innovations such as the expansion of electromobility for cars or the use of synthetic fuels for economical transport. Restrictions on private transport in Karlsruhe must not be at the expense of the weak in society, but only in coordination with the voters and according to the possibilities that the city can offer. Citizens must not be burdened by ideological politics, but should be included in the ideas for a balanced ecology.
In all content and political ideas of the parliamentary group, the best should be done for the citizens of the city of Karlsruhe.



