Thoughts, fantasies and stories – collected from all over the world over many decades, destroyed forever in just a few minutes.
By Jörg Bergmann and Maren Wittge
For three years, former high school teacher Joachim Neu (73) has lovingly taken care of the book box on Stuttgarter Platz.
Suspected serial arsonists set fire to seven places in City West on Monday night. Building materials, posters, flower pots, a parasol, rubbish bins and the telephone booth that has been converted into a popular library. A fire department from the State Criminal Police Office is investigating the arsonists.
“I unlocked the book box every morning and closed it again in the evening,” says Joachim Neu.
He also kept adding books from his private collection. “I don’t know if I should continue now,” says the 73-year-old, concerned. “It’s very bitter when something like this happens, there’s a lot of commitment behind it.”
The former high school teacher has until May 8th to apply for funding for a new book box. “I’ll think about that,” he tells the BZ
The square around the reading box has always been a meeting place for people in the neighborhood. The locals are sad. Music teacher Kathrin Renner (59): “It’s bad when the commitment of people from the neighborhood is so disregarded.”
She is not alone: “We have often swapped books here ourselves. Next door is the playground, where you can sit and browse. That was also a communication center in the neighborhood,” say Simone Bannach (38) and son Max (6).
There will be a neighborhood day on May 20th. And again, books are the focus. Because, despite the vandals, there will be a book market.
