"They hugged me and cried" — 180 Ukrainians eat for free at Easter with a Bavarian landlady
Created: 04/19/2022, 22:42
By: Jennifer Battaglia
The Schwabach landlady Thi Thu Ha Nguyen invited 100 Ukraine refugees to dinner — almost twice as many came on Easter Monday.
© Thi Thu Ha Nguyen
A Schwabach landlady invites 100 Ukrainians to dinner — almost twice as many came.
In bright sunshine, the refugees were treated to Vietnamese specialties and currywurst.
Schwabach - A Schwabach landlady had thought of something special for refugees from the Ukraine conflict: At Easter, Thi Thu Ha Nguyen invited 100 Ukrainians to eat - almost twice as many have come now.
180 refugees were entertained free of charge on Easter Monday on the terrace of the "Hosa-Gärtle".
"All the stress was really worth it," says the landlady when asked by
Merkur.de
.
"I am very happy that I was able to do good."
Schwabach (Bavaria): 180 Ukraine refugees eat for free at the landlady
A full two days in advance, Nguyen and her helpers had been in the kitchen.
Vietnamese specialties such as beef Thai curry or fried rice with chicken were prepared, plus currywurst for the children.
At this point, the landlady already knew that well over 100 people would come.
All the stress was really worth it.
I am happy that I could do good.
Landlady Thi Thu Ha Nguyen
"I was afraid that not all my guests would fit on the terrace," she says.
"But it worked with beer benches." Nguyen was actively supported by her partner Daniele and many volunteers, such as the members of the rabbit breeding association or Nguyen's customers from the nail salon that she runs next to her restaurant.
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180 Ukraine refugees eat for free at Wirtin's: women and children lead the way
Most of the 180 refugees from Ukraine were women and children.
In bright sunshine, they were able to enjoy the delicacies in the open air.
The refugees had come from the refugee accommodation to the restaurant via a previously organized shuttle service or on foot.
Children played together during the free food campaign run by the Schwabach landlady.
© Thi Thu Ha Nguyen
"It was a pleasure for us to see that people could enjoy the time," says Nguyen's partner Daniele.
That was exactly the intention, they wanted to give people a few carefree hours.
"The guests were very grateful for that," says the landlady.
Some women also reacted emotionally.
"They hugged me and cried," says Nguyen.
"The whole campaign was really a very nice thing."
You can read all further information on the Ukraine war and its effects in Bavaria here on our Ukraine refugees topic page.
180 Ukraine refugees eat for free at the Schwabacher landlady - even the mayor stops by
The mayor of the city of Schwabach, Peter Reiß, also stopped by and expressed his
enthusiasm when asked by
Merkur.de .
"It was a nice atmosphere.
Children could play together and the women could exchange ideas”.
The free Easter meal was "the slightly different Easter meal".
"It was very selfless from the landlady," continues Reiß.
“Easter is a festival of peace and hope.
I find that very appropriate.” After all, they tried to give people a little hope in this way.
He is grateful for all the creative actions that Schwabacher citizens are currently initiating for refugees from the Ukraine conflict.
On his Facebook page, the photo of the visit to the restaurant was liked a hundred times (as of April 19) and commented on several times.
Social media users are just as enthusiastic about the campaign as the mayor himself. Several users write: "Great campaign", one user comments: "That's charity."
180 Ukraine refugees eat for free at the Schwabacher landlady: maybe the action will be repeated
She does not yet know whether Thi Thu Ha Nguyen is planning a second free meal.
"We're going to leave that open," she says.
Originally she wanted to invite 100 people twice, but now they all came at once.
"I just can't say no," says the landlady, laughing.
"But I liked doing it."
(jb)
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