It happened again: someone stole two of the eight place-name signs from Asbach, a district of the Petershausen community in the Dachau district. Mayor Marcel Fath of the Free Voters has filed a complaint, as he always does in such cases, but a thief has never been identified. So what to do
SZ: Mr. Fath, did you count how many Asbach town signs you have already lost?
Marcel Fath: In fact, I no longer have an overview because it happens as regularly as certain weather events. It’s a natural spectacle, I can’t say it any other way.
Asbach, that’s also the name of a brandy. Is that why the signs are so attractive to thieves?
In fact, I’ve already considered negotiating a sponsorship contract with the beverage manufacturer so that they can share in the costs. But honestly, I don’t know what drives these people. Not only are Asbach town signs lost, but also Petershauser or other districts. But one thing is certain: The Asbachers are already particularly popular.
It’s getting really expensive for your community. How much does a new place-name sign cost?
It all depends on how the good guy works: Some people simply turn the screws out with a good drill. Then at least the rest remains and you can screw in a new one. Others put the sign on to make drilling easier. And then there are the completely sheared ones, who use the Akku-Flex to cut the sign down like a tree. A sign alone costs around 320 euros with all the pipapo in purchasing, plus the working time for affixing it, so: It does not go below 350 euros. If the destruction is greater, then I’ll be there with 500 to 700 euros. In addition, it has to be said that delivery times now take months.
Is it true that there is a permanent post in the community budget for regular replacement?
Naturally. That is simply part of road maintenance. There are always three or four signs a year. Every time we don’t have a place-name sign to hand, we also have to operate a traffic safety system. A group has to go there and put up 50 km / h signs and warning signs and then dismantle them again. It’s a huge effort, and even if I try to take it with humor, it’s very annoying.
Marcel Fath has been mayor of the Upper Bavarian community of Petershausen since 2014. He has lost track of how many place-name signs he has lost during this time.
(Photo: Niels P. Jørgensen)
Appeals to reason don’t seem to help. Do you have any other idea how to put a stop to the thieves?
Yes, where is reason in this country? I’m already looking for her and just can’t find her anymore. In fact, there is no alternative: we have already tried special screws, welded, hammered, riveted, but nothing seems to help.
Sounds hopeless.
There would probably be signs that would self-destruct if you dismantle them. We already thought about adding GPS tags to it. Another suggestion was wildlife cameras, but I said: A great idea, the camera will be gone in the end. My counter-suggestion was a webcam. Then you can see in real time what is happening at the town sign. That would be incredibly exciting.
You can now even purchase the place-name sign quite legally on the municipality’s website for 500 euros. How many have you already sold?
To my great regret, I haven’t had a single request. I would even negotiate. For me, the mayor’s room is always like the bazaar. I am not allowed to go below the total cost of the community, I am prohibited by law, but a little action, that would give me a lot of pleasure.
Austrian Fucking changed its name to Fugging at the beginning of the year so that the place-name sign would no longer be stolen. Are there similar considerations for Asbach?
No. I will not put the identity of my fellow Asbach citizens up for discussion – come what may.