Refugees

Tempelhof: A Conflict-Field

The Berlin Senate is planning, on the Tempelhofer field in one Refugee to build. Why the resistance, however great, can only be understood by looking at the history knows.

Urban Gardening in shoes – on the Tempelhofer field life people your creativity

The dog Holly trembles. Freezing cold, the Wind whistles over the free surface. On the Tempelhofer field to fight a pair of thick Packed walkers because of the cold, two men holding a dragon on a short leash, in gusts up. It is one of the winter days, where there was hardly an uncomfortable place in Berlin as the Tempelhofer field.

“Do it,” says Margarete Heitmüller in the Wind into, “here is more than this Area. It’s the question of, in what kind of a city we want to live.” She stands at the entrance to the former airfield. Your dog keeps you on the leash. A few meters further in a shelf with old shoes, from which Blades of grass grow in the spring and summer planting, local residents here are wooden boxes and self-made installations.

A location with history

Far in the distance, at the other end of the field, you can see the old airport building, the last few months, refugees houses, and now the controversy about the Tempelhofer field new life. 2000 refugees living in the Moment in the former airplane hangar on a small space. Plans of the Senate, the emergency shelter to temporary buildings to expand up to 7,000 refugees to accommodate. What the Senate an emergency measure, to the tens of thousands of refugees, who in recent months have come to Berlin, a roof over your head, is for Heitmüller a “frontal attack on democracy”. It is one of the initiators of the referendum request against the development of the former airfield.

The posters against the planned accommodation

Tempelhof was the oldest and smallest of the three airports in Berlin, before 2008, he still was placed. And the most Central. Just 4 kilometres from here to the Brandenburg gate – an attractive city centre location. After the flight has been set, the city opened the field for visitors on the paved runways on roller skates rolled, and bike drove. Later, it planned, the Senate should at the edges of the area flats and a new regional library to be built, while the majority of the Park should be preserved. But a citizens ‘ initiative to put a referendum against the plans and won. 2012 voted the Berlin for the preservation of the entire field as a Park. Since there is a law, the development of the field is prohibited.

The plans for the Flüchtlingsunterbringung have the hassle now of heated than ever to revive. “I wish I had less anger and more compassion,” cried Andreas Geisel, Berlin Senator for urban development, at the presentation of his plans to the enemies. It sounds a bit as a player he is in the vicinity of the “concerned citizens” from fear of foreigners to many places of the Republic against the accommodation of refugees in their neighborhood in protest. The opponents are no less squeamish and call the Unterbringungspläne of the Senate “Lagerpolitik”, which is not less gloomy associations.

Distrust of the Senate

Heitmüller has become a Cup of ginger tea in a Café in the nearby Schillerkiez withdrawn. Oliver Clearly and Christoph Witt, the two other initiators of the referendum request had time. To Meet with the press are in principle several members of the Initiative, explain. As a grassroots Initiative put emphasis on the fact that not only one Person in the group speaks. It is primarily the alternative Milieu of the surrounding neighborhoods, the against the development of the field protested. Attractive condominiums, it was one of the accusations at that time, would the prices of homes in the surrounding neighborhoods continue to increase. On a Refugee hits the not sure. However, the initiators of the fear that is behind the plans for the refugee camp in reality, the attempt of hiding the buildings, but still through the back door to enforce. “It goes to the Tempelhofer field and not to the refugees”, is Christoph Witt convinced.

The activists Christoph Witt, Oliver Clear, Margarete Heitmüller ( v. l. n. r.)

Sascha Langenbach responded, a little annoyed at questions about the Tempelhofer field. “Then tell me, where we, the refugees will accommodate”, he gives back, when you ask about the criticism of the plans ask for. Langenbach is speaker of the Berlin Senate Department for health and social Affairs. For it is the extension of the Refugee in Tempelhof mandatory. Routinely rattles he the Numbers down. About 55,000 refugees in the past year come to Berlin. Alone in January 2016 were there again to 7,000. You all need to be accommodated – and fast. “We have an emergency situation,” he stresses.

Langenbach has in these days certainly is no easy Job. As a spokesman for the Berlin Senate Department for health and social Affairs, he represents an authority, which since the beginning of the refugee crisis is massively in the criticism. Your subject to the infamous authority Lageso, for the registration and initial treatment of the refugees is responsible. The long lines in front of your door are a Symbol for Behördenversagen in the refugee crisis has become. Are still in the city, some gyms are occupied. An additional accommodation for 7,000 people promises since discharge.

Two square meters for each refugee

But the criticism comes not only from the defenders of the Freizeitareals. Already now living in the Hangaren of the old airport more than 2,000 people in a confined space. “This accommodation is unfit for human habitation herrichtbar,” says Katharina Mühlbeyer from the Berlin refugee Council. In particular, the noise level in the accommodation is hard to bear, said the Left-politician Irmgard Wurdack, the volunteers taught German. “The stress factor is really awesome”.

In the former Hangaren were tents set up and plots with Messewänden separated. Such a unit has 25 square meters, with 6 bunk beds in it. Per Person-two square feet. As restrooms are Porta-potties in front of the building. The new buildings in front of the building bring relief, believing the two Flüchtlingsaktivistinnen not. What of plans for the temporary building so far is known, falls below also the legal Standards for shared accommodation. Flüchtlingsaktivisten and Feldverteidiger have an Alliance formed, and protesting together against the plans.

Closely closely are the beds in the accommodation

In the past week the house of representatives to the Amendment of the law decided. Originally the Senate several areas for development want to share – as a precaution. It is now not much left. Only a narrow Area around the old Hangars should be built. The critics are still not appeased. “There is a fundamental distrust against the Senate,” says Tempelhof-activist Oliver is Clearly in the Café at the Schillerkiez.

Out in the field, the sky is now closed. Still shaking the cold Wind on the wooden Urban-Gardening-installations – quite so as if he wanted the emotions to cool down.