Bergkirchweih drama: residents in Erlangen despair of new barriers!

Bergkirchweih drama: residents in Erlangen despair of new barriers!

The Bergkirchweih in Erlangen, which is being celebrated for the 270th time this year, not only brings happy faces among the visitors, but also great excitement among the residents. Sofia Rösl, 26 years old and lives near the festival site, describes her situation as extremely tense. Residents particularly criticize the disruption caused by a new security concept, which they consider catastrophic. During the closure times, not only are underground parking spaces blocked, for which residents also pay, but they also temporarily no longer have access to their own apartments, even though they are easily accessible on foot. Particularly on June 5, residents reported being prevented from returning to their homes by police and security forces, causing distress for some. Infranken.de highlights that the city's communication in this context was also inadequate.

However, Christofer Zwanzig, spokesman for the city of Erlangen, justifies the measures as necessary protective measures for the numerous visitors who flock to the Bergkirchweih. Municipalities must examine such security concepts, especially at major events with increased risk potential, such as in North Rhine-Westphalia explained. But compensation for the affected underground parking spaces is not common and is causing additional dissatisfaction among residents.

Problems and suggestions for improvement

In addition to the closures, there are also other unpleasant incidents during the festival: damage to property, urination in the underground car parks and broken glass on the streets cast a bad light on the event. Residents who live in the immediate area are frustrated with the overall situation. Suggestions such as ID checks to make access to apartments easier have already been raised, but the city fears this could create security gaps.

In a further step, the city administration plans to optimize the security concept in the long term. The western exit of the Bergkirchweih area will be expanded and used as a rescue and escape route so that such problems can be avoided in the future. Originally, several trees were planned to be felled, but resistance from the population meant that large existing trees could be retained. Franconian day reports that the city administration is trying to maximize tree preservation with a new design plan.

The renovation work, which is scheduled to begin in summer or autumn, will increase costs by around 190,000 euros and include greening measures and new lighting. Mayor Florian Janik describes the new planning as a good compromise that should take both residents and visitors to the Bergkirchweih into account. The preparations are therefore in full swing - but the questions from residents remain an important topic that the city wants to bring to the table.