Life is returning to the former Plötzbräu restaurant in Peißenberg: The vacant property is to be used entirely as refugee accommodation.
The first refugees should move in at the beginning of November.
Peißenberg – The influx of refugees continues to be high.
On average, around 3,000 asylum seekers and war refugees arrive in Munich every month.
They are distributed to the individual districts - also to Weilheim-Schongau.
A bus with 50 refugees arrives in the district every 14 days.
Around 2,700 asylum seekers and migrants are currently living in the region.
Accommodating the refugees is a logistical challenge, which the responsible office for asylum services and integration has mastered quite well so far.
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Office for Asylum Services and Integration: "The refugees bring added value for us"
"We have a good team in subject area 34. Everyone pushes their limits," says office head Helmut Hartl in praise of his employees.
To date, the authority has managed to accommodate the refugees mainly in private accommodation and rented buildings.
"We are a long way from having gyms - in contrast to other districts," reports Bernhard Pössinger, who works in the contact and clearing office at the Immigration Office.
The authority does not want to restrict the local population in the use of the sports facility infrastructure and does not want to stir up resentment.
In this way, the integration work should be promoted and not unnecessarily hindered - because for Hartl it is clear in view of the demographic change: "The refugees bring added value for us.
We urgently need workers.” The Office for Asylum Benefits and Integration deliberately appears transparent to the outside world.
"We don't want to play hide-and-seek," explains Hartl.
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New refugee accommodation in Peißenberg: No communal kitchens and bathrooms
It is very important to him to mention that the accommodation costs are not financed by the district budget, but by the Bavarian state budget.
“We are also not destroying the rental market.
We only pay the local rents.
It also has to be economical for us.”
In addition, one would only concentrate on vacancies when renting.
"So there doesn't have to be any envy of refugees at all," says Hartl.
"The owners would not rent to anyone but us," adds Pössinger.
This was apparently also the case with the former Plötzbräu restaurant in the market town of Peißenberg.
According to Hartl, the owner, a Munich architect, approached the district office in Weilheim-Schongau – and the authorities got down to business.
A rental agreement with a term of 15 years was concluded for the entire old part of the property, i.e. the front part on the main street.
According to Pössinger, the striking building that characterizes the townscape is not intended to become “classic asylum accommodation”.
That would not correspond to the conception of the immigration office:
“We have completely refrained from shared bathrooms and shared kitchens.
We have had bad experiences there.”
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Six separate residential units with up to 50 people
Instead, six separate residential units for up to 50 people are to be built in the former restaurant building.
According to Pössinger, there are fewer conflicts with this form of accommodation.
The apartment will also be "mixed occupancy", which means: different nations, religions and generations should live under one roof.
The core refurbishment work and conversions to the building should be completed by late autumn.
"The basic look of the house will be retained," announces Pössinger.
The first refugees should then move in at the beginning of November.
According to Pössinger, the building will not be overcrowded with 50 refugees.
The number is the absolute maximum limit and is usually only rarely exhausted in the rented properties.
In addition, the regulations stated that seven square meters of living space had to be planned per person: “And we are far above that,” assures Pössinger.
By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.
And in our Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.