As of: February 15, 2024, 5:43 p.m
By: Julian Limmer
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Andreas Baumgartl completely closes his gallery during the Siko.
© Markus Götzfried
The Munich Security Conference starts today - parts of the city center are closed.
This means losses for retailers - some even say it is worse this year than ever before.
Andreas Baumgartl (64) stands in front of his gallery shaking his head: “It’s a disaster,” he says and points to the street behind him.
Bundeswehr soldiers are currently loading chairs from a truck, with large vans parked behind them.
“We have had these chaotic conditions for over a week: noise all day long, everything is blocked, everything is out of place,” he says.
The reason: His gallery is located directly on Prannerstrasse behind the Bayerischer Hof - in the middle of the exclusion zone of the Munich Security Conference, which begins today and lasts until Sunday.
Work has been going on here for over a week: “It's even more disruptive this year than in previous years, construction is taking even longer,” says Baumgartl.
Because: The security area around the conference is even more extensive this year than usual. For the first time, Siko is not only taking place in the Bayerischer Hof, but also in the new luxury hotel Rosewood.
That's why, in addition to Karmelitenstrasse, Hartmannstrasse, Prannerstrasse, Kardinal-Faulhaberstrasse and parts of Pacellistrasse and Maffeistrasse, areas of Salvatorstrasse are also closed for the first time this year.
Only people with a legitimate interest are allowed into the red zone, and only accredited people are allowed into the blue zone.
© District Administration Department
Only accredited people with appropriate ID are allowed into this zone.
Or people who can demonstrate a legitimate interest to the police - for example, customers of shops located there.
“I can actually lock it”
It's complicated for traders within the zone like Baumgartl: "I can actually close it, no one will come anyway," he says.
Walk-in customers are completely eliminated - this of course has a significant impact on sales, even well before the actual conference.
During the Siko, his gallery remains completely closed; he himself escapes from the city at the weekend towards northern Germany, as he says.
Susanne Benter (55) doesn't want to go that far - her women's fashion store on Kardinal-Faulhaber-Straße remains open.
She still expects major losses: “Sales will be almost zero during the conference,” she says.
But the long build-up also weighs on the monthly result - she expects a total decrease of 35 percent.
Especially since the Siko is bigger than usual: “This year it’s particularly bad, we’ve been suffering from the preparations for basically a week.”
Susanne Benter expects significant losses from Siko - but she is leaving her business open.
© Markus Götzfried
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“An impudence, a disregard for trade”
This is an “insolence, a disregard for trade,” she adds.
What bothers her is that she received hardly any information from the city about the measures in advance - not to mention compensation payments.
“The pressure is great,” she says.
Especially since she has to pay the rent for her business in a prime city center location without making any compromises - despite the virtual standstill caused by the Siko.
The district administration department responded that discussions had been held in advance with interest groups of inner-city retailers.
That's not enough for Benter.
The exclusion zone where her business is located is also largely cut off from public transport.
The tram stops Lenbachplatz and Marienplatz (Theatinerstraße), as well as the National Theater and Kammerspiele are no longer served.
This applies from around 6 a.m. today until Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Lines 19 and 21 are affected. There may also be disruptions due to demonstrations on other tram and bus lines, warns the Munich Transport Company (MVG).
And delivery traffic for shops doesn't run as usual during Siko, says Charly Eisenrieder (55): "It's difficult with vehicles, they all have to be checked."
He runs the café on Salvatorplatz.
It's not in the internal security zone - but it's right on the border.
Eisenrieder also expects fewer customers: “People are put off by all the closures.” However, he can get over it