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Showmen in the corona crisis: the year without fairs

2020-08-15T18:16:35.488Z


No Oktoberfest, no cathedral, no income: the corona pandemic threatens the showman industry. Manfred Ohlrogge's carousel has been stored in a hall for months - he feels that he has been treated unfairly.


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Normally the Hamburg Summer Cathedral, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, would take place here now. But it was canceled due to the corona pandemic - like all major events throughout Germany with more than 1000 people.

Manfred Ohlrogge, showman "For me it is just pure unequal treatment. A lot of things go, I walk around the beach promenade. Close together. Why shouldn't I walk across a Hamburg cathedral ...? That is incomprehensible to me."

ManfredOhlrogge has been a showman for over 40 years - and usually uses this ride.

But his "Action Carousel" has been in the hall for months. At the moment Ohlrogge are only doing repair work. The 59-year-old finds it unfair that amusement parks are allowed to reopen, but folk festivals are still not. In parks, the flow of visitors can be better controlled, so the reasoning of the authorities.

Manfred Ohlrogge, showman "Light is the most important thing. Every lamp has to be on, my father always said."

Ohlrogge's great-grandfather was already at annual fairs in northern Germany. The showman family has never experienced such a crisis.

Manfred Ohlrogge, showman
"The Winter Cathedral ended at the beginning of December, the seventh, eighth of December. And then we drove here. And since then it has been here." Reporter: "That means you haven't had any income since the Winter Dome?" - "Unfortunately there has been no more income since the Winter Cathedral, no. Well, that's a long time."

Showmen are used to having no income in the first few months of the year. But it is precisely this phase that they use to invest in their business and bring everything back into shape. But when three months become eight or more, it comes down to the substance.

Manfred Ohlrogge,
Showman "There has now, of course, been an extremely thick line of marker pen, because if there is nothing, if nothing comes in, you can't put anything away. And that means, now the stocks or the pension money are being partially tackled and eaten up, and this is the case with many colleagues. "

Manfred Ohlrogge, showman
"Nice Manni, bad Manni. At first I was much nicer and more relaxed. And as I said, it is slowly becoming a little angry."

In July, hundreds of showmen demonstrated in Berlin for several days to draw attention to their need - Ohlrogge was also there. From the perspective of the participants, the protest was promising. Politicians announced that the folk festivals should reopen soon.

Manfred Ohlrogge, showman
"On the way home we thought. Now everything is getting better. The politicians, just like politicians, have promised everything and we will do something and we will help you. And as I said, nothing has arrived since then . It's a tough struggle for any help. "

When it comes to such help, Robert Kirchhecker sits at the table for the Hamburg showman. He is the state chairman of the showmen's association and runs several restaurants himself. At the moment he is also in demand as a pastor.

Robert Kirchhecker, Chairman of the Hamburg Showmen Association
"You also fall into a psychological hole. You don't even know what happens next. Colleagues who are much older than me call me, they cry on the phone. They have nothing to blame and." say, man, my company was healthy. I built it up over forty, fifty years, but now - it is dying! "

There are 5,300 showman companies with almost 32,000 employees in Germany. These stand and work at almost 10,000 folk festivals and around 3,000 Christmas markets every year.

Robert Kirchhecker, Chairman of the Hamburg Showmen Association
"We are one of the most sacked industries there is. So that means: Loans continue to run as normal, with zero income. I just can't counter that. That's the problem with the whole story. Nevertheless there was a small obolus that we received from the federal government and that we also received again from the state of Hamburg. Of course, that is not enough to bridge the time. Absolutely not at all. "

So far, every showman company has received 9,000 euros in emergency aid from the federal government, with the state of Hamburg usually receiving around 2,500 euros on top of that. The federal government has promised further support. But negotiations are still ongoing. Meanwhile, in many federal states there are smaller folk festivals in demarcated areas with registration for visitors. However, it is not worth it for everyone. In Hamburg, restaurants can be operated again at various locations in the city. Including Kirchhecker with his farmer's cottage. There are no fees for approval and use until the end of the year.

Robert Kirchhecker, Chairman of the Hamburg Showmen Association
"Laws had to be changed in Hamburg. That was done relatively quickly. Nobody knew of the corona crisis. You just have to say that. There is no note in the drawer that says, we dealt with it that way in 1968 We now know how to do it. These temporary markets, which, it has to be said clearly, are not wanted by fellow showmen, but they are initially an opportunity to hopefully generate a little income. And there is more neither."

Ohlrogge also knows the problem. He could certainly set up his large carousel at the smaller replacement parties.  

Manfred Ohlrogge, showman
"A few days ago an organizer called me and asked if I want to hold an event. I said, yes, please. What requirements? Yes, it has to be fenced in, but only 500 people can enter this event site I thought about it a little. Then I said: Are you kidding me now, or what's that supposed to mean? I don't need to be an auditor to calculate that something like that won't work. It's like opening an Aldi store open it and over 100 people are allowed in all day. How should something like that be financed? "

The ban on major events in Hamburg applies until the end of October. So the showmen can hope a little for the Winter Cathedral. But no one can say at the moment what it will look like next year. The showmen will probably still have to live with restrictions. "As long as the banks don't terminate my loans, I'll stay afloat," says Manfred Ohlrogge fiercely.

Source: spiegel

All life articles on 2020-08-15

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