There is still no trace of the usual hustle and bustle in the Dachau youth hostel in the Max-Mannheimer-Haus. In places where a good 100 guests usually stay at this time of year, mostly young people and schoolchildren on school trips, there are currently only 20 beds. Nevertheless, plant manager Donatus Maurer is pleased that his house was finally allowed to open again after the Corona forced break. His hope: "that people will take courage again for a vacation!"
Like hotels or campsites, youth hostels now need hygiene concepts and must meet requirements. "There are no more buffets, we serve the dishes, served on a plate, through a glassed-in meal counter," reports Maurer. Much more is cleaned and disinfected, "the effort for the employees is higher". And of course distance rules apply, mouth-nose protection is mandatory. "But the guests are already used to the masks."
However, according to Maurer another decisive criterion for the Dachauer Haus now being one of the Bavarian youth hostels that are open again: "We have a relatively large number of rooms with their own shower and toilet." Only these accommodations are occupied again, rooms with a common one Shared showers are still blocked. "We are allowed to operate 60 of 116 beds."
After all, worries about financial survival are gone. In May Maurer was still afraid that his house, like all youth hostels in Bavaria, would hardly survive the Corona mandatory break. Especially since the 69 Bavarian youth hostels, which operate together via a financial pool, are hardly allowed to generate reserves as non-profit organizations. However, funds from a state rescue fund, which was passed by the Bavarian state government in April, have already been applied for. And, as Maurer hopes, will “arrive on the account soon”.
Above all, however, the perspective is on autumn. If the schools start normally and school trips are possible again, there will be more demand for the Dachau youth hostel. After all, students make up half of the 23,000 guests a year. Until then, Donatus Maurer wants to see “how we can get there with reduced capacity over the summer”. Petra Schafflik