SecondAnd the principal Angela Merkel Said to be four days after the July flood. After visiting Schulder-sur-Ahr, she said “we need staying power”. At that time, she promised to return to Argu, “This way we can make this perseverance clear, because everything will not be all right here in the short term.” Merkel talked about a “surreal, spooky situation.” German hardly knows what words to use to describe this kind of destruction. On Friday, the chancellor fulfilled her promise. This time she went to Altenburg in the Altenahr community.
On the eve of the Prime Minister’s visit, Altenburg was still quiet. The local mayor Rüdiger Fuhrmann called in front of this abandoned nursing home, which is located on Ahr. The next day, he will take the prime minister through the town. Only a few reporters will be there. There is a lot to be regulated. His job is actually an honorary position, but now he is temporarily working full-time. “We have been away from the cleanup phase for ten days,” he said. This is mainly done by private helpers. Now is the stage of “need to be structured, and then to rebuild in a targeted manner”.
“Autumn is here, winter is here”
Carter pointed to a house without windows. There is no more plaster on the wall. The paved path in front of the house was swept neatly. He said that this is a good example. The people inside will do what they can do. It must now be clarified where and how it is allowed to be constructed. Most of the buildings here have been destroyed. There are many things to do in Altenburg. Private houses, nursing homes, elementary and middle schools, as well as gymnasiums, and table tennis clubs train in them. At some point, the streets must also be in order. Fuhrmann said: “The people who live here want the feeling of that village.”
He stopped a few blocks away. “This used to be a house.” Five in the front of the main street and three in the back of the village street. More than ten houses have been demolished. Fuhrmann continued to walk towards Ahr. “This is the Altenburg chapel.” The jewel in Albergen on the other side of the river still stands. There used to be a playground there. There is nothing to see. Just mud. Fuhrmann pointed to the left: “That’s the bridge.”
When Merkel held a press conference in a stadium in Grafschaft-Ringen after visiting Altenburg on Friday, Furman was one of the people standing behind her. He is wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. Merkel said that it was the second time she came to the Aar Valley. Their message is “We will not forget the flood”. She talked about the impressive photos from Altenburg where there was “such extensive destruction”. Merkel held talks with the mayors of the association Cornelia Weigand and Fuhrmann. She said that they will “make it clear again which distances have been covered”. But there is still a lot of work to be done. “Autumn is here, winter is here, life is a huge problem,” Merkel said.
She talked about the 30 billion euro flood relief fund, which will be decided next week in the Bundestag and Bundestag. She repeated: “How can you not be forgotten.” Prime Minister Rhineland-Palatinate, Maru Dreyer (SPD) is also there. She thanked the Prime Minister for “good cooperation with the Federal Government.” Despite the damage, it is gratifying to see “what has been done here in seven weeks”. Dreyer said it was like starting everything over again. She talked about the challenges of winter without heating. The first future meeting will be held next week, and the second meeting will be held at the end of September. Information on construction funds and flood control zones will be provided at the meeting. A core question is: “Where can you safely build?”
How can you still live safely on the river?
The mayor of Altenahr, Cornelia Weigand, said she was “happy to see the Federal Chancellor and Prime Minister here.” More than 40,000 people were affected by the Ahr flood. It’s great to see “We are not alone”. As Merkel and Dreyer did before, Weigander thanked these helpers: “This unity brings hope.” She reminded us that what happened in the Ahr Valley was “signs of climate change.” Then she made a suggestion that Merkel will come back later. Weigand focuses on the European dimension of flood disasters. The question is how to live safely on the river in the future. As she later said, Merkel hopes to “bring to Europe again” the idea of combining Europe’s best ideas with experts.
There is not so much consensus on all points of view. In August, the affected municipality of the Aar Valley called for the appointment of a special commissioner at the federal level in an open letter. Nothing happened. Replaced by Secretary of State Nicole Steingaß (Social Democratic Party) State-level reconstruction commissioner. Merkel said: “If the federal problem is resolved, we will take immediate action.”
