An incident that happened on Saturday night in Benediktbeuern is ugly symbolic: strangers stole the white and blue diamond flag from the maypole and instead hung a flag with an imperial eagle.
The police recorded and investigated the incident.
Benediktbeuern - "This is really no longer fun," says the deputy maypole master of the Benediktbeurer maypole boys, Sebastian Rieger.
Especially in these difficult Corona times, it was so important to them that the maypole in the village is a positive sign, a sign of community, of solidarity.
"I'm really shocked," said Rieger.
He also doesn't know anyone who can be trusted to do something like that.
“It has nothing to do with us at all,” he emphasizes.
"I can't remember a similar case in the past either."
Maypole boys remove the flag and call the police
At around 6.30 a.m. on Saturday morning, Rieger received a call telling him to check out the maypole.
He immediately set off and saw the flag with the imperial eagle and the words: "Germany - my home" waving on the approximately 15-meter high tree at a height of about eight to ten meters.
"I immediately fetched a ladder with a colleague, we went up and tore the flag down," reports the vice maypole master.
At the same time, they alerted the police.
A patrol from the Bad Tölz police moved to Benediktbeuern and recorded the incident.
"We took the flag with us for inspection," said a police spokesman when asked by the Tölzer Kurier.
Police are now hoping for witnesses who observed the incident
The act must have happened somewhere between midnight and the early hours of the morning.
Anyone who has noticed something suspicious during this period is asked to report to the police station on 0 80 41/76 10 60.
The police are investigating.
Mayor Anton Ortlieb also condemned the incident.
"Abusing the symbol is absolutely impossible," he says when asked.
The boys are “such a good group that would do so much for the youth and the future in the community”.
In any case, the maypole master “acted very well”.
He couldn't remember a comparable case either.
Theft was reported
As reported, the maypole was secretly erected on May 1st in the center of the village.
The May celebrations were canceled due to the pandemic.
Rieger now, like all maypole boys, hopes that someone has observed something and that those responsible can be found.
Perhaps they had a ladder or something similar with them to attach the flag to the tree.
In any case, the maypole lads filed charges against unknown persons for stealing the Bavarian flag.
Rieger says: "The flag has a material value of around 50 euros - but that's not the point in this case."
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