The destruction of the Rappenalpbach heats up spirits – not only in the Allgäu, but far beyond. Biologist Christine Margraf explains why the case is attracting so much attention.
The investigations by the authorities and the Kempten public prosecutor’s office are still ongoing. The legal disputes will also drag on for a long time. But one thing is already certain: the destruction of the Rappenalpbach in the Oberallgäu Alps is one of the worst natural crimes in Bavaria in recent years. On Thursday, Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber (FW) reported in the state parliament how it could happen that Oberallgäu Alp farmers were able to dredge and straighten the Rappenalpbach in the valuable protected area without having permission to do so. The biologist Christine Margraf works for the Bund Naturschutz and has been documenting nature crimes in Bavaria for years. She was involved in uncovering the case.