By Isabel Pancake
It’s a small miracle: just over a week after the fire drama, the Müggelsee fishery in Berlin-Rahnsdorf was able to reopen on Saturday!
The fish stand with a thatched roof burned down completely on August 10th due to a defective cable. Damage: around 50,000 euros. Because such sales trolleys have to be specially made. And that can even take up to two years…
“It was a threatening situation for us, which resulted in enormous costs. Such a fire in the middle of the season when we are doing our main business!” says fisherman Andreas Thamm (69). Of course, the costs continued. His three permanent employees, some of whom have worked for him for more than 20 years, had to be paid.
Anneliese (86) and Bernd Wohlleba (81) from Grünheide: “We come here every year and also order eels to smoke ourselves at home. This year I get some from the fisherman again. We noticed the fire – after all, we actually wanted to go to the fisherman’s festival. That has now been moved to October.” Photo: Olaf Selchow
But help came from the neighborhood: “I am totally overwhelmed by the support my small business has received. Everyone helped. We couldn’t have done it alone,” says Thamm. People even called from the Baltic Sea and Thuringia and offered their help.
Now there is a provisional car on the premises of fisherman Andreas Thamm (69), with which the fisheries usually travel to folk festivals. Rubble had to be excavated from the site on Friday.
Andrea Dirocco (35) from Neukölln: “We took the ferry across Lake Müggelsee and the fish stand was recommended to us there. We didn’t even notice the fire, but we’re glad that the booth is open.” Photo: Olaf Selchow
The reopening on Saturday. From ten o’clock the rush for eel, mackerel and squid fresh from the smoker was just as great as before the fire – or even greater! Customer Elja Rotbart (73) from Wilmersdorf says: “I read about the fire in the newspaper and that’s why I’m here for the first time.”
The new status of Müggelsee fishing. Andreas Thamm is still collecting donations after the fire drama. The damage is around 50,000 euros Photo: Olaf Selchow
In the new year, the Müggelseefischerei should shine again in its old glory. Thamm: “A new roof in winter. But not made of thatch this time – that requires special fire protection.”