From doctors to subway drivers: they keep Munich running even in times of the corona crisis

Doctors and nurses work in their hospitals or in homes, sales people in the supermarket. Their professions are systemically important, you cannot do without them. But not to others.

• In Bavaria, there is an exit restriction due to the corona virus *, which is limited until April 19.
• The streets in Munich are dead. But many continue to work and ensure that important infrastructures and services continue to function.
• Here you will find our guide to reporting and the Corona News from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Bavaria here as a card **.

It is the people at the Munich transport company, at the municipal works, at the garbage disposal. Munich needs you: The subway driver, the tram driver, the technicians in the thermal power stations, the workers in power generation, the garbage loaders who ensure that the garbage cans are emptied despite the pandemic. We present six people on this page who keep our city going.

Maximilian Riegel, subway driver

Almost ghostly atmosphere

Last weekend it was very empty in the Munich subway network, it's an almost ghostly atmosphere. There were only a handful of passengers. You can clearly see that the measures are working. There was a yawning void at Stachus on Saturday - you rarely see that. It gives me a feeling of security that I can sit safely shielded in the driver's cab at the front.

Maximilian Riegel (31), subway driver

Nikola Dolanjski (37), garbage loader

Feedback gives us strength

You definitely notice that people are at home and that creates more garbage. But we can handle this well. And we experience gratitude and appreciation for the fact that the garbage disposal continues to operate almost smoothly. We are pleased with the feedback and of course give us strength.

Nikola Dolanjski (37), garbage loader

Hanan Abbas, IT employee at LHM Services.

IT operations must run

I am on site every day and monitor the central data transmission. Because even if schools and daycare centers are mostly closed, IT operations must continue. Websites, emails or the IT platforms are needed. Individual schools and day care centers look after the children of nurses and doctors.

Hanan Abbas, IT employee at LHM Services

Thomas Gilg, operations manager of the southern CHP plant.

We provide electricity

With 60 colleagues, we generate electricity and heat here for around half of all households in Munich. Last but not least, to ensure the operation, we strictly pay attention to compliance with the hygiene rules. The modernization of the site is actually ongoing. Now the work has to be rescheduled on a large scale.

Thomas Gilg, operations manager of the southern CHP plant

Walter Würz, master power station at HKW Süd

Keeping an eye on the turbines

I drive the two gas and steam turbine systems as well as all auxiliary systems such as condensate or water treatment. I urged my family to be careful. Because if someone from my family became infected, my entire team would be at risk of failure immediately

Walter Würz, master power station at HKW Süd

Sara Unertl tram driver

At night on empty streets

Last weekend I drove the late and night shifts, which was relaxing on the one hand because there are hardly any cars on the street. On the other hand, it was almost surreal that it was so empty. Especially at the main train station and Stachus, where hell is going on because everyone is going to celebrate: there were dead trousers.

Sara Unertl tram driver

Also read: Corona in Bavaria: Söder appeals to the population in a video message - "I have a request"

* Merkur.de / tz.de are part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.