The miracle of Mainz

The planned ‘wine barrel’ sauna at Mainz’ Taubertsberg pool. Image: Michelmann Architekten

Dear Reader,

Every crisis has its winners as well as its losers.

Norway is no doubt as appalled as the rest of Europe by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, the Scandinavian country’s already health public finances have been boosted by Berlin’s willingness to pay just about any price to make sure its population gets through the winter without freezing.

In Germany, one city has been doing rather well of late, too.

Mainz, the state capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, can thank the previous crisis for its unexpected success.

Or, more specifically, it can thank the brilliance of two bio-tech entrepreneurs who decided to start a business in the city.

Husband and wide duo Ugur Sahin and Özlen Türeci set up the biotechnology firm BionTech in Mainz back in 2008 after they had started working at the city’s research hospital a few years earlier.

Now, the success of BionTech in developing one of the wo…