The residents of Genter Strasse 13 had to wait three years for help, and now it’s not the city of Munich, but the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments that has finally promised it. The construction of wells and electricity costs for one year are to be financed with 150,000 euros in order to protect the building at Genter Strasse 13a, which is threatened by rising groundwater. Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), who has not yet been in direct contact with the local residents, has now written to the Department for Climate and Environmental Protection (RKU) asking them to approve the application for a “temporary pumping measure” so that the ” familiar situation on site, at least temporarily”.
The building at Genter Straße 13, built in 1972 by architect Otto Steidle (1943-2004), is a listed building. Groundwater has been pressing in the garage and basement for about three years. And not only there: The basements and garages of 40 other residents of various buildings between the Mittlerer Ring in the south and Karl-Arnold-Weg in the north of Schwabing are also affected by the flooding. The exact reasons are still being discussed, but it is likely that the water is damming up on the walls of the rain outlet channel that runs right next to the building.
Two wells are to be built
Despite a petition approved by all parliamentary groups, a mediation process and many different reports – nothing has happened in the past three years to help the residents. The water is still in the cellars. And the listed building at Genter Strasse 13 is now in danger of being damaged. At least here a remedy should be found. “Two wells are now being built,” says Franzika von Gagern, spokeswoman for the groundwater interest group. But that will take a while, because the application has to be made first.
The residents had repeatedly called for the pumping measure as an immediate measure. It’s a temporary help. It is unclear what will happen after that. Local residents, the RKU, the water management office and the city are still arguing about the causes of the groundwater rise. “If there is no solution then, we’re back to square one,” says Gagern.
The district politicians of Schwabing-Freimann also dealt with Genter Straße again at the most recent meeting of the district committee. Von Gagern once again mentioned possible reasons for the rise in groundwater: the canal, which was only built in 1987, the increasingly dense development and sealing in the district, the feeding of rainwater into the groundwater. Christian Hierneis (Greens), spokesman for environmental policy in the state parliament, explained how often the topic had been dealt with there in the meantime. The fact that nothing is going on is a “drama”. As early as July 13, the state parliament will again deal with the Genter Straße and the groundwater problem in Schwabing.