Sales ban for rockets and firecrackers: For real firework fans, the New Year's Eve 2020 will be pretty dreary.
Instead of flares in the sky, there will be a general curfew from 9 p.m. due to the corona pandemic.
It will also be an unusual turn of the year for professional pyrotechnician Moritz Hummig.
New Year's Eve is actually one of the main working days in the life of pyrotechnician Moritz Hummig
This year everything is different because of Corona
For the first time since he can remember, the Peißenberger will be at home at the turn of the year 2020/2021
Peißenberg - The Corona crisis changes almost everything - also for Moritz Hummig. Usually the 30-year-old pyrotechnician is a busy man on New Year's Eve and the days before. The family business "Hummig Effects" traditionally provides a big fireworks spectacle at Elmau Castle at the turn of the year - and has done so for many years. But this year the Elmau Hotels are closed in the course of the Corona lockdown. Without guests, there is no need for fireworks: “This is the first time in 20 years that we have no work on New Year's Eve,” Hummig tells the local newspaper: “I don't even know what to do that evening . "
In theory, Hummig should work
The ban on selling fireworks would basically not affect Hummig.
He has his own material and, as a commercial pyrotechnician, he should ignite registered fireworks at any time - but he and his professional colleagues lack the clients.
The community also waved off the order for a New Year's Eve fireworks display.
After the Christmas meeting of the market council was canceled due to the corona, Walter Wurzinger (Free Voters) suggested investing the saved meeting fee for a central fireworks display in Peißenberg and commissioning one of the local experts to do it.
“That should have been a surprise that nobody would have known about,” said Wurzinger when asked: “Just before midnight it would have boomed loudly - and then you could have let shooting for five minutes.
People could then have watched from the window or from the garden. "
Professional fireworks are visible from afar.
While New Year's rockets only rise about 50 meters, pyrotechnic specialist articles - such as those used by Hummig, among others - fly up to 200 meters.
But the town hall was less enthusiastic about the idea.
It was feared that there might have been crowds during the fireworks.
A fireworks display sponsored by the community, it was also said, was not the right sign in times of pandemic with the many restrictions and privations.
Wurzinger accepts that: "I can understand that."
The corona crisis has had a major economic impact
It will be a quiet New Year's Eve for Moritz Hummig - “for the first time in my life”.
“Hummig Effects” is of course fully feeling the economic effects of the Corona crisis: “You can clearly see it,” reports Hummig: “But we're still getting through fairly well.” Special effects construction is committed, has built up reserves.
Despite everything, it is hoped that the pandemic restrictions will end soon.
The orders from theaters have almost completely collapsed, and the construction of a brazier had already been booked for the now postponed Passion Play in Oberammergau.
Much is currently in the balance.
Hummig is hoping for the Bregenz Festival in summer 2021. “Hummig Effects” is to build a cannon for this.
But at the moment there is only one thing to do for him and the family business: “We have to wait for the okay from others,” says Hummig.