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1973 oil crisis: when Germany ran out of fuel

2020-11-12T23:26:39.157Z


Car-free Sunday, lights and heating off in federal authorities: After the Yom Kippur War, the Arabs turned off the oil tap and showed the West its dependence on the world's lubricant.


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"Car-free Sunday" in Bavaria

Photo: Roedel / KEYSTONE

Camping on the autobahn or on horseback through the city center - on photos from back then the oil crisis in autumn 1973 looks like a big happening: car-free and fun.

Children whiz down multi-lane streets on roller skates, students with demo experience relax with street sit-ins with guitars, the mayor of Künzell near Fulda leads his community to the "oil-saving hiking day".

But back then it wasn't as funny as in the photos.

There was often sheer anger at the gas stations.

Because the government had rationed the gasoline.

"What drivers threw at us was the full program of hatred," says Albert Scheid.

The now 85-year-old ran a Stinnes Fanal gas station in Edingen near Mannheim.

The company is still family-owned today, and Aral petrol is now available here.

There is only about 50 meters between the Scheid's house bordering the petrol station and the motorway, where the petrol station attendant saw people cycling and walking on the A656 between Mannheim and Heidelberg on November 25, the first of four car-free Sundays.

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Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2020-11-12

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