The flood disaster in the Ahr Valley happened two and a half years ago. Since then, everything has been repaired, demolished and rebuilt. Much remains to be done. But Ursula Hellmuth can spend the holidays in the new house.
Ursula Hellmuth stands in front of her new yellow house in Altenburg and beams. She points her finger upwards: “I’ve always wanted such a beautiful bay window!”
However, the 78-year-old would have liked to have avoided the journey there. The widow lost almost everything in the flood in July 2021 in the Ahr Valley. She was able to save herself by swimming through the roof window of her house to a slope opposite. She spent the night there – only in her underwear and constantly worried that the water would rise even further.
Christmas in your own house
What followed was an odyssey through emergency accommodation and holiday apartments. Because huge amounts of heating oil penetrated the walls during the flood, the house had to be demolished. It was clear to the 78-year-old: she wanted to build a new house on her existing property. “At my age, starting from scratch in a foreign environment, I didn’t want to go through that, I’m too old for that.”
Over the past year and a half, she has sometimes felt too old for the house building project. Hellmuth says today that if she had known what was coming her way, she might not have done it. Initially there were difficulties with insurance, government flood aid had to be applied for, and craftsmen and building materials were rare.
The elevator for her partner, who has severe physical disabilities, still doesn’t work. Hellmuth says with a bit of sadness in his voice: “We’re moving into a house that’s only three-quarters finished.” But she has achieved her big goal: celebrating Christmas in her own house – on her own chairs, at her own table – in the bay window of the newly built home. Her greatest wish: to finally relax.
Ursula Hellmuth and her partner Klaus Helmut Schleich can celebrate Christmas in their own house this year.
Stranger in familiar surroundings
But things don’t feel the same again for the Altenburg native. On her street, more than 100 meters from the Ahr, it looks like a large construction site. There is work going on everywhere, construction machines, scaffolding and cranes dominate the scene.
Most of the houses that are being built are larger and, above all, higher than the ones that stood here before the flood – also for flood protection reasons. But it’s not just the houses that look different. The flood also changed how we live together, says Hellmuth. Many have hardly seen each other since the flood. The familiarity that has grown over decades can no longer be felt everywhere. The 78-year-old hopes that this will change again soon.
The community of Altenburg resembles a large construction site.
From Essen to the Ahr Valley
Anja Braumüller is also out and about in the Ahr Valley during the Christmas season – to distribute donations or to help with reconstruction. The 51-year-old is one of the last volunteers in the Ahr Valley. Braumüller actually lives and works in Essen, but has been coming to the flood region every two weeks for two and a half years.
The bank clerk usually leaves Essen on Friday evening – after a long week at work. “I experienced a lot after the flood. It doesn’t let me go anymore. A community has emerged with residents and helpers,” she says.
The Christmas season in particular is difficult for many people in the Ahr Valley. “The situation is still partly catastrophic. I couldn’t imagine this two and a half years after the flood.” On the second weekend of Advent, Braumüller was in Dernau to help with renovation work on a house that was badly damaged by the flood.
Eleven other helpers were there – from Saarland, North Rhine-Westphalia and even the Netherlands. Nicole Driessen comes from Kerkrade and is a nurse during the week. “When people say, thank you for being there, my heart opens. That’s why I do it – not just at Christmas time.”
Grateful for every helping hand
Homeowner Thomas Klein is happy about every helping hand. So far his progress has been slow. The reasons: a lot of bureaucracy and few craftsmen. “Sometimes they were just here to measure up for an offer. I never got the offer. Sometimes it was just about what hourly wage they would get so they could just start – and then they never got in touch again.”
Peter Hilger from Grevenbroich is also part of the team of helpers. He also notices that many people are struggling with their memories, especially during the Christmas season. “We are not only here as helpers, but also as pastors. Many people come to us and just want to talk,” says Hilger.
Anja Braumüller nods and says that they will come back after Christmas to help. “We know so many people who need our free help. We do what we can. In addition to our work, we also want to tell people: You are not forgotten.”
The Ahr Valley remains a battered region
The Ahr Valley is now a place of contrasts. Departure and demolition are close together. Churches were also destroyed by the floods. There is a new, small wooden chapel in Altenahr – for residents who are looking for community and comfort, especially during the Christmas season.
“There’s still a lot that’s not right for many people. Christmas is the festival of love and that’s not easy for everyone,” says Margret Radermacher, who regularly comes to the chapel.
Hans Ruhnke sits next to her. “This place is particularly important to me because I lost my wife in the flood in Altenburg. She was buried here next to the chapel. People come together and we can talk to each other. That helps,” he says.
The Tiny Chapel in Altenahr offers community and comfort for residents.
“Big emotional Challenge”
At the Ahrtal Trauma Aid Center we know that the Christmas holidays and the turn of the year are a big challenge for many people in the region. The director of the facility, Katharina Scharping, says that many people are tired, exhausted and irritable. This becomes even more clear on days when a balance is traditionally taken. Added to this is the mourning for relatives and friends who died in the flood.
The head doctor says: Over time, many friendships, relationships and marriages have broken down. Also because everyone reacts to crises differently, some people absolutely need a scapegoat – and because it is sometimes difficult to bear that others can rebuild more quickly.