“All people are strangers – almost everywhere”: This can be read on Tuesday evening on a poster in front of the elementary school on Theodor-Fischer-Strasse in Untermenzing. The citizens’ initiative “The West is colourful” has called for a demo, participants hold up signs with inscriptions such as “Preserve humanity” or “Diversity is colourful”. It is the first time that citizens have taken to the streets not only against, but for the construction of a planned accommodation for refugees on Allach’s Servetstrasse.
“Those who are against the accommodation like to claim that they speak for ‘the local residents,'” the leader of the meeting, Suny Kim, calls out to her 50 or so fellow campaigners in the evening. “Fortunately that’s not true. Because we are here and Allach can do something completely different.” Appropriate accommodation for people in need – that is a humanitarian and international legal duty.
“Those who are against the shelter like to claim that they speak for ‘the local residents,'” says Suny Kim. “Fortunately that’s not true.”
(Photo: Mark Siaulys Pfeiffer)
A few meters away, on the other side of the school entrance, other sounds can be heard at the same time. Peter Ziegler, spokesman for the “Allach Living” citizens’ initiative, spoke out against the construction in front of an audience of around 80 people. “Who are we?” he asks. Answer: “Allah.” “What do we want to save?” – “Allah.” The reasons for the rejection, which has been expressed since March, are environmental aspects and the protection of green spaces, the critics believe that the property on Servetstrasse is “unsuitable” as a location for accommodation for refugees. “We’re not on the right,” emphasizes one of the residents. “We only represent our opinion.” An opinion that, from the point of view of Lea Hehnen from the Munich Refugee Council, is “highly problematic and at least compatible with extreme right-wing positions”.
Peter Ziegler, spokesman for the “Allach Living” initiative, is stirring up opposition to the construction of the shelter.
(Photo: Mark Siaulys Pfeiffer)
The fact is: The location with a facility initially to be occupied by 290 people seeking protection from the Ukraine is unproblematic from the city’s point of view. At the request of “Allach Living”, the Office for Housing and Migration has taken the trouble to answer the questions of the citizens’ initiative on eleven closely printed pages. According to the analysis, the green axis remains “untouched”. An impact on the neighboring horse farm and the “organic fields” is “not recognizable”.
According to the administration, the accommodation would be the only one in Allach-Untermenzing
The municipality contradicts the criticism that the district is “already excessively” burdened with traffic, poor air and water quality and noise: “The noise pollution is no higher than in other parts of the city.” Above all, due to the accommodation, “unreasonable disturbances or nuisances cannot be assumed”. All relevant air hygiene limit values would also be “significantly undercut”.
The administration does not share the opinion of “Allach Living” that the district is “in the meantime clearly overwhelmed with the required integration” – especially since the planned accommodation will be the only one in the district with 36,000 inhabitants. On the contrary: They have “great respect for the commitment on site” and wish “that the accommodation and support of people in need will be met with solidarity and empathy”. Existing dissatisfaction and conflicts should “not be carried out on the backs of refugees”.
The fact that there are annoyances has been evident for months in the district committee meetings. After the demonstrations, the local politicians therefore decided to organize a four-hour citizens’ forum with 100 participants under professional leadership in the autumn. Everything that burns on the souls of the Allach-Untermenzingers should be discussed. “I think it’s great,” says Peter Ziegler.