Tenants of the Weißensee residential park had to freeze for days Photo: Ufuk Ucta
By Danilo Gladow
It’s still winter outside, it’s storming and snowing. Sounds like cozy, warm evenings on the couch. Not so in the Hansastraße in Weißensee – there was a lot of chills!
Since Monday, half of the residents in the idyllic residential park have been shivering in their cold apartments at temperatures of around ten degrees. Heating and hot water failed.
The reason: a complicated burst water pipe. The responsible housing association took its time.
A resident’s thermometer showed a cool 9 degrees Photo: Ufuk Ucta
“It’s terrible!” Angered local resident Günther Fleischer (80). And further: “Nobody worked here on the holiday. There must be an emergency service. I hardly see anyone else working here either.”
On Thursday he drove extra to the summer property in Senzig to get his electric radiator. “I’ve been dressed twice or three times over the last few days and still used a blanket.” The mobile radiator was supposed to bring some warmth back into the living room.
Resident Günther Fleischer (80), pensioner, got a radiator from his summer home Photo: Ufuk Ucta
Disappointment also with Emily Schulze (23). She just came from work. “I was hoping that I could finally swim again today when I get home.” Instead: ice-cold water – like the last few days. The situation bothered her.
She also relied on the onion principle: “Lots of shirts and sweaters plus a blanket. You can’t stand it any other way here. Even my dog is freezing.” Striking: it was warmer in the hallways than in the apartments.
Emily Schulze (23), educator: “I missed a warm bath the most” Photo: Ufuk Ucta
And how did the responsible housing association allod react? She hung notes in the hallways: Please be patient, it could take a while. It did too – a whole five days.
Because: The pipe burst was repaired on Friday – finally warm prospects for the residents again.