The night when the water came: the family from Dernau talks about the flood disaster

Created: 02/26/2022, 19:00

By: Veronika Ahn-Tauchnitz

The Gieler family from Dernau is currently spending a week in Lenggries.

They were welcomed by (from left) Mayor Stefan Klaffenbacher, Tourist Information Manager Maria Bader, TI employee Natalia Glaser and Brauneckhotel Director Christoph Seitz (right).

Winemaker Gerhard Gieler surprised him with a bottle of flood wine.

© Krinner

The Gieler family from Dernau experienced the flood disaster in the Ahr valley.

Her house is still uninhabitable.

As part of the "Lenggries helps" campaign, the family of four can go on holiday in Brauneckdorf and take a deep breath.

Lenggries - A nightgown, underwear, slippers and a stuffed animal.

That was all Anna (7) had left on July 15, 2021.

The night before, the Ahr had turned into a deadly river and flooded the valley.

One of the places most affected by the flood disaster was the 1,800-inhabitant community of Dernau, the home of Anna, her brother Johannes (12) and her parents Kathrin and Gerhard Gieler.

The four of them have been spending a week's vacation in Lenggries since Sunday at the invitation of the Brauneckhotel to be able to catch their breath.

Over 40 landlords are offering free vacations for flood victims

The whole thing was mediated as part of the "Lenggries helps" campaign by the municipality and the tourism association, which also takes care of the catering.

More than 40 landlords reported after the call and offered those affected from the flood area to spend a free holiday with them, says Mayor Stefan Klaffenbacher.

"One family was already there, the next one is coming in April," says Maria Bader, head of the tourist information.

"We were happy to support the campaign," adds hotel director Christoph Seitz.

The house in Dernau is still uninhabitable

Gielers can use the break well.

Her house in Dernau is still uninhabitable.

There is no heating, no electricity.

Craftsmen are hard to come by, and negotiations with the insurance company have to be conducted on an ongoing basis.

"We hope that we can go back for Christmas," says Gerhard Gieler.

Until then, the family lived in his parents' house on 68 square meters.

By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Bad Tölz newsletter.

The Gielers live about 200 meters from the Ahr – “on an incline,” says the gardener and winemaker.

There has been water in the basement before - "through the groundwater, not through the Ahr," he explains.

The extent of the catastrophe on the night of July 15 – “no one here could have imagined it,” adds his wife Kathrin.

In the afternoon, Gerhard Gieler tries to secure the house with sandbags

On the afternoon of July 14, Gerhard Gieler – he works for the fire brigade – is out getting sandbags.

The heavy rain had already caused the river to rise significantly at this point.

Gieler secures his own house and, together with his comrades, also takes care of other homeowners.

At 7:30 p.m., he asks his wife to cook food, "because it was clear that the electricity would go out at some point," he says.

A little later, the first water enters the house.

Kathrin Gieler still manages to take the children to neighbors who live a little higher up.

Her husband saves the tractor, but the car is already too far in the water.

At some point during the night, the couple is stuck upstairs

The level of the Ahr is rising inexorably.

Sometime during the night, the Gielers are stuck in the upstairs bedroom.

The rooms below are full.

"What we would have done if the water had risen even further - I only thought about it three or four days later," says Kathrin Gieler.

But before the water reaches the upper floor, the apex is passed.

The Ahr is slowly retreating - and taking a lot of belongings with it.

"I don't have a single photo of my parents anymore," says Gerhard Gieler.

"What was in the living room cupboard is all gone." But Anna has lost the most, adds his wife.

"All the clothes, all the toys."

What was left was rubble, stinking mud and damaged houses

The Ahr left behind rubble, irretrievably damaged houses and stinking mud, interspersed with faeces and heating oil.

"First we pulled the cars away with my tractor to clear the road," Dernauer recalls.

Then the Bundeswehr came.

A little later, the first volunteers arrived in Dernau.

"The help was indescribable," says Kathrin Gieler.

"And someone should scold the young people again - they fought to the end.

It was crazy," she says.

Children learn to ski at Brauneck

At the end of October, the family spent four days in Münsterland - with the volunteers who had helped them in Dernau.

Many conversations revolved around the catastrophe.

Here in Lenggries there is more distance to the action.

"In Dernau, I look out the window and think to myself: It really wasn't a dream.

Here I look out and everything is beautiful,” says Kathrin Gieler.

They stay at the Brauneckhotel until Sunday.

For Anna and Johannes there was already a premiere on the program at the beginning of the week: they both learned to ski on the Jaudenhang.

More current news from the region around Bad Tölz can be found here.