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German town rebuilds beer tent to house new wave of refugees Where could the refugee families sleep? In the beer tent, of course
(about 4 hours later)
The annual funfair was over, the lederhosen and dirndls had been put away and the beer tent was coming down when the mayor of Landshut got a desperate call.The annual funfair was over, the lederhosen and dirndls had been put away and the beer tent was coming down when the mayor of Landshut got a desperate call.
Thousands of refugees and migrants had boarded trains bound for Munich after Angela Merkel said Syrians would be welcome in Germany, and the regional authorities had no idea where they would sleep.Thousands of refugees and migrants had boarded trains bound for Munich after Angela Merkel said Syrians would be welcome in Germany, and the regional authorities had no idea where they would sleep.
“They said: ‘We have ditched anything to do with quotas, we are just calling every place to ask is there anything you can do to help,’” recalled Thomas Link, the mayor’s chief of crisis management.“They said: ‘We have ditched anything to do with quotas, we are just calling every place to ask is there anything you can do to help,’” recalled Thomas Link, the mayor’s chief of crisis management.
“So I said: ‘Yes, there is a place. The beer tent.’” The roof was off, the kitchen was packed away and the benches had gone, but the main structure was still in place. So Link rang the man who operated the giant pavilion and worked out a plan.“So I said: ‘Yes, there is a place. The beer tent.’” The roof was off, the kitchen was packed away and the benches had gone, but the main structure was still in place. So Link rang the man who operated the giant pavilion and worked out a plan.
Less than a week later, the banner ads for beer are still strung up behind the kitchens, but under the soaring roof children play with toy cars and chase balls, a family is picking new clothes from trestles piled with donations, and rows of men charge their phones at a bank of sockets.Less than a week later, the banner ads for beer are still strung up behind the kitchens, but under the soaring roof children play with toy cars and chase balls, a family is picking new clothes from trestles piled with donations, and rows of men charge their phones at a bank of sockets.
Most of them had never heard of a beer festival, but those who had said they didn’t care. “We are just pleased to have a roof over our heads. We spent a lot of time sleeping rough,” said Bashar Alwardad, a tour guide and businessman from Syria who speaks fluent English.Most of them had never heard of a beer festival, but those who had said they didn’t care. “We are just pleased to have a roof over our heads. We spent a lot of time sleeping rough,” said Bashar Alwardad, a tour guide and businessman from Syria who speaks fluent English.
A team of 30 people from an emergency response organisation worked for 14 hours to put the tent back up, while Link tried to chase down everything the refugees would need inside, from beds to blankets and showers. The scale of the crisis meant that everything was a struggle.A team of 30 people from an emergency response organisation worked for 14 hours to put the tent back up, while Link tried to chase down everything the refugees would need inside, from beds to blankets and showers. The scale of the crisis meant that everything was a struggle.
“There were no mobile showering facilities left in Bavaria and just a few toilets. I can’t tell you exactly how we got hold of them, we had to fudge things a bit,” he said with a smile.“There were no mobile showering facilities left in Bavaria and just a few toilets. I can’t tell you exactly how we got hold of them, we had to fudge things a bit,” he said with a smile.
Peter Vorholzer, who runs the tent for the autumn beer festival each year, called back his usual kitchen team before going around the town’s restaurants looking for cooks who spoke Arabic and could cook Syrian food, so that the refugees would feel at home. There was a practice run in the kitchen and by Saturday they were ready to take in nearly 250 people from seven troubled countries.Peter Vorholzer, who runs the tent for the autumn beer festival each year, called back his usual kitchen team before going around the town’s restaurants looking for cooks who spoke Arabic and could cook Syrian food, so that the refugees would feel at home. There was a practice run in the kitchen and by Saturday they were ready to take in nearly 250 people from seven troubled countries.
“They are really taking such good care of us,” said 18-year-old Reza Hashimi, who had spent two months travelling from Afghanistan. “I am confused about what this place is though, is it a camp or something else? It looks like a place for big parties.”“They are really taking such good care of us,” said 18-year-old Reza Hashimi, who had spent two months travelling from Afghanistan. “I am confused about what this place is though, is it a camp or something else? It looks like a place for big parties.”
Katrin and Raffaele Ausanio, the couple running the kitchen, said it was much easier feeding people during the week-long revelry of the funfair, because then they had a team of waiters to help. Nonetheless, they had happily ditched their annual holiday to dish up three tasty meals a day.Katrin and Raffaele Ausanio, the couple running the kitchen, said it was much easier feeding people during the week-long revelry of the funfair, because then they had a team of waiters to help. Nonetheless, they had happily ditched their annual holiday to dish up three tasty meals a day.
The Ausanios had barely unpacked their bags for a week’s relaxation after the madness of the beer festival when they got a call asking if they would come back. And like everyone else in this quiet town who has been called to help in a crisis, they said yes. “I’ve experienced it myself,” said Raffaele, who came to the area from Naples as a young child and said he felt like an outsider for years. “These people needed help.”The Ausanios had barely unpacked their bags for a week’s relaxation after the madness of the beer festival when they got a call asking if they would come back. And like everyone else in this quiet town who has been called to help in a crisis, they said yes. “I’ve experienced it myself,” said Raffaele, who came to the area from Naples as a young child and said he felt like an outsider for years. “These people needed help.”
His partner added: “We don’t know yet if we will be paid, but that’s not the main point.”His partner added: “We don’t know yet if we will be paid, but that’s not the main point.”
Link said the main complaints came from would-be volunteers he had turned away because they didn’t have specific skills he could use. They have taken to Facebook to condemn him for being cold-hearted. “I just have to ignore them and deal with it, because I can’t have time for it,” he said.Link said the main complaints came from would-be volunteers he had turned away because they didn’t have specific skills he could use. They have taken to Facebook to condemn him for being cold-hearted. “I just have to ignore them and deal with it, because I can’t have time for it,” he said.
Landshut, a town of 70,000 that lies in the shadow of a hilltop castle and sprawls out from a beautiful medieval centre, was already home to 650 asylum seekers who had arrived over the previous year.Landshut, a town of 70,000 that lies in the shadow of a hilltop castle and sprawls out from a beautiful medieval centre, was already home to 650 asylum seekers who had arrived over the previous year.
Determined to ensure they got a proper welcome, Link had gone door to door explaining to locals why the new arrivals were in Germany and handing out his phone number for them to call at any time.Determined to ensure they got a proper welcome, Link had gone door to door explaining to locals why the new arrivals were in Germany and handing out his phone number for them to call at any time.
“I got three calls,” he said, mostly from people wanting him to politely ask the new neighbours to make a little less noise late at night. “They were people who were friendly in their spirit,” he added. So he is sure the town can take the extra arrivals, and his only worry is about finding better shelter as the cold sets in.“I got three calls,” he said, mostly from people wanting him to politely ask the new neighbours to make a little less noise late at night. “They were people who were friendly in their spirit,” he added. So he is sure the town can take the extra arrivals, and his only worry is about finding better shelter as the cold sets in.
“This is not meant to be a place where they stay long-term, it’s just better than a street in Munich. It’s not fit for winter,” he said. They should get more solid accommodation while asylum claims are processed, and Link is racing to refurbish buildings for them.“This is not meant to be a place where they stay long-term, it’s just better than a street in Munich. It’s not fit for winter,” he said. They should get more solid accommodation while asylum claims are processed, and Link is racing to refurbish buildings for them.
It is not the first time Landshut has seen a flood of refugees. More than 12,000 people arrived at the end of the second world war, and their memories of upheaval and flight are one reason the town has been so welcoming.It is not the first time Landshut has seen a flood of refugees. More than 12,000 people arrived at the end of the second world war, and their memories of upheaval and flight are one reason the town has been so welcoming.
“We were talking about it as we walked past, how terrible it must be, especially for the kids,” said Konrad Sickau, a 77-year-old Landshut resident who twice had to flee his home as a child and went through four refugee camps. “I still remember every single detail. You don’t forget things like that.”“We were talking about it as we walked past, how terrible it must be, especially for the kids,” said Konrad Sickau, a 77-year-old Landshut resident who twice had to flee his home as a child and went through four refugee camps. “I still remember every single detail. You don’t forget things like that.”
He worries that the town may be running out of space, with nearly 1,000 people lodged in the tent and elsewhere, but would rather the government came up with solutions than turned them away.He worries that the town may be running out of space, with nearly 1,000 people lodged in the tent and elsewhere, but would rather the government came up with solutions than turned them away.
“That’s a problem, yes, they can’t always live in a tent. But where should they go?” he said. “I didn’t have anything when I came here and worked my way up. The poorer you are, the easier it is to improve yourself, and I hope they can do the same.”“That’s a problem, yes, they can’t always live in a tent. But where should they go?” he said. “I didn’t have anything when I came here and worked my way up. The poorer you are, the easier it is to improve yourself, and I hope they can do the same.”