We are constantly posting on the situation in the camp Lindenstraße and all the actions and different statements coming along on our social media channels. Read about the protests before the outbreak of Covid 19 at camp Lindenstraße here.
15th of June
Many improvements were claimed to be planned to realize in camp Lindenstraße. Due to the ongoing protests social senator Anja Stahmann finally could no longer ignore the situation and decided to visit some areas of the camp end of April (see this timeline 23rd of April). She presented herself on her Facebook account and at buten un binnen as the senator of taking responsible actions and was praised by her followers. Yes Anja, we can do it! Promised improvements at this moment were: Adding an additional Wifi line from outside, closing the gap between the wall and the ceiling (after the pandemic), talking to the catering service to improve the quality of the food, creating a wing only for women (and children), a new psychological consultation, creating a neutral complaints office, further reduction of people in the camp as far as possible.
These are ALL things which have been a problem since the day when the former administration office of Bremer Vulkan became camp Lindenstraße.
Listen to a person who has to live in camp Lindenstraße (and has been there during the lockdown and the protests) how he describes the current situation:
11th of June
Auch die Bremer Behörden ignorieren Empfehlungen des Robert-Koch Instituts. Es gibt keine Alternative zur Schließung der Lindenstraße.
25th of May
Weeks later we learn: what people inside the camp were feeling, observing and witnessing was exactly right. There was zero protection of getting infected. Many many people felt sick. Now it is confirmed: Around 200 inhabitants of camp Lindenstraße got infected by Covid 19. In no other “group” of the society of Bremen anything similar happened.
20th of May
Babies who are suffering from the lack of fresh air in Lindenstraße and have difficulties breathing, mothers who cannot sleep at night because they are constantly worried, ignorant staff at the camp. Watch the update about the current situation at Lindenstraße. #shutdownlindenstraße
https://www.facebook.com/TogetherWeAreBremen/videos/248060163214393/
16th of May
Read the documentation of a conversation of Milad G with a member of BPOC alliance Bremen here in German and here in English.
14th of May
Read a report the situation of (not) moving out of Lindenstraße from the perspective of TWAB here.
11th of May
Rückblick auf den 4.5.2020, Protest von Together-er-are-Bremen bei der verantwortlichen Gesundheitssenatorin. Die Hauptforderung ist die sofortige Schließung der Geflüchteten Sammelunterkunft/Lager Lindenstraße. Modou Jobe ist einer der Redner*innen der Aktion: auch ohne Corona Pandemie waren die Lebensbedingungen in der Lindenstraße sehr schlecht, jetzt sind sie lebens/gesundheits-gefährdend. Das Ignorieren dieser Missstände ist ein Teil der rassistischen Strukturen in dieser Gesellschaft.
Looking back on a protest action against the responsible Health Senator of Bremen on 4th of May. The protest of the group Together-we-are-Bremen demands the shut down of the refugee camp Lindenstrasse. Modou Jobe is one of the speakers at this action: The living conditions in Lindenstrasse camp have already been bad without Corona pandemie, now they are life/health-threatening. The ignorance of the poor conditions there are part of a racist structure of the society.
10th of May
There is another video documenting the protest in front of health authorities last Monday:
6th of May
Infektionsschutz für Alle – Corona-Straße schließen
Aufruf von Bremer*innen aus Kunst, Kultur, Gewerkschaften, Wissenschaft, Religionsgemeinschaften und Zivilgesellschaft
https://infektionsschutzfueralle.wordpress.com/
5th of May
Yesterday about 100 people joined the protest of Together we are Bremen at the office of the Health Senator Claudia Bernhard. The health of people in Lindenstraße is currently in danger, without any necessity – as health senator this is also her responsibility!
Surprisingly, Claudia Bernhard came out to talk to the protesters. Admitting, that the situation in the camp is far from good, she asked for more time to solve the situation, because she, as health senator, could not easily shut down camps which are under the authority of the social administration. We say: since two month, measures against the corona-virus are in place. Why do you need more time, if this problem was obvious from the beginning and currently literally everything is done within days?!
Nevertheless, it was obvious, that our message got through. She offered to meet us there again next week to see what has happened until then. Until any further exchanges we say: Health Senator, do your job – protect Lindenstraße from Covid19!
We test you until you finally become positive..??
One member of our group reported that he was supposed to be transferred to another accommodation within Bremen. He has been in quarantine for three weeks until now, tested several times, all tests negative. Now, shortly before his transfer, the last test came back: positive. The transfer has been cancelled at least for now. The same thing has happened also to at least one other person at his floor.
Quarantine in Lindenstraße is making people sick! Not changing this situation immediately means playing with the health of the people living there. 11 residents of the camp are already in the hospital.
The hotels are empty. If you say you cannot open alternative accommodations immediately, why don’t you book hotel rooms for the moment and transfer people to decentralized accommodations after a few weeks?! These hotels all get the state’s financial support. This does not make any sense.
Siehe den Schwerpunkt in der Zeitung Neues Deutschland:
https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1136253.blackbox-stolpe-sued.html
Und auch an die Menschen in Hanau, die heute und jeden Tag weiter trauern, wollen wir erinnern
4th of May
Wie Sie seit mehreren Wochen gesehen haben, führen wir Demonstrationen durch, damit Politiker und Gesundheitsbeamte den Schutz von Menschen, die in Lagern in Massen leben, ernst nehmen, um sie vor dem Koronavirus zu schützen. Die Zwangsquarantäne in der Lindenstraße war eine Katastrophe, da alle vernachlässigt wurden, was zu einer Kontaminationswelle führte. Frau Senatorin für Gesundheit, Sie sind in der besten Position, um die Schwere dieses Virus und seine Geschwindigkeit der Kontamination zu verstehen. Wir alle sehen das Chaos, das durch dieses Virus weltweit verursacht wird. Warum tust du nichts für ihre Kinder, Jugendlichen und schwangeren Frauen, die in den Lagern leben? Denken Sie nicht, dass sie wie jeder andere Bürger geschützt werden sollten? Viele Flüchtlinge haben nicht nur in ihrem Herkunftsland, sondern auch auf den Migrationsrouten schreckliche Dinge erlebt. Die Bewohner der Lindenstraße haben keine Möglichkeit, sich vor einer Gefahr zu schützen, die auch der Rest der Bevölkerung als sehr bedrohlich empfindet. Die schmerzhaften Gefühle unserer Vergangenheit tauchen unter den Umständen der Lindenstraße wieder auf. Die Lindenstraße sollte nicht mit einem Folterlager verglichen werden, aber die Umstände einer Massenquarantäne und Gewalt ermöglichen es uns, die Vergangenheit wieder zu erleben. Holen Sie uns aus dieser Hölle und schützen Sie uns vor dem Corona-Virus. Danke
M, lebt seit 14 Monaten in der Lindenstraße
2nd of May
Während ein Autokorso vom Weserstadion zur Lindenstraße fährt, schicken Bewohner*innen der Lindenstraße aktuelle Berichte und Verlautbarungen:
Hallo alle zusammen, diese Nachricht kommt aus der Lindenstraße.
Wie wir alle wissen, ist es längst keine Neuigkeit mehr, dass es in der Lindenstraße immer schlimmer und ernster wird. Im Moment stehen die Menschen noch immer unter Quarantäne, und wie wir es sehen, sollte die Quarantäne eine positive Lösung für die derzeitige Situation sein. Aber stattdessen hat die Quarantäne den entgegengesetzten Effekt. Sie hat mehr Schaden als Nutzen angerichtet. Wir sind der Meinung, dass die Quarantäne dazu dienen sollte, die Zahl der Infizierten zu verringern. Aber im Moment, während wir hier sprechen, haben die Menschen, die unter Quarantäne stehen, mehr Angst davor, dass sie infiziert werden, weil das Management an diesem Ort dafür sorgt, dass sich Menschen mit dem Virus infizieren, in dem Sinne, dass mehr Menschen von einem Stockwerk zum anderen kommen, positiv getestete Menschen mit negativ Getesteten vermischt wurden.
Allein in diesem Gebäude zu sein, ist tödlich und beängstigend. Die Menschen infizieren sich einfach zufällig. Selbst wenn sie eingeschlossen oder weggesperrt werden. Es macht keinen Sinn mehr, dass wir eingesperrt sind, wenn das Endergebnis sein wird, dass jeder, jede einzelne Person, die an diesem Ort lebt, schließlich mit dem Virus infiziert wird. Das ist nicht die Lösung. Es ist gefährlich, denn wir sollen doch gesund werden. Die Menschen werden viermal getestet, dreimal sind sie negativ, und das vierte Mal sind sie positiv, ohne das Gebäude überhaupt zu verlassen. Wir befürchten, dass das Management selbst nicht einmal weiß, wie es mit der Situation umgehen soll. Oder die Tatsache, dass der Aufenthalt in diesem Haus uns mehr Schaden zufügt, aber sie beschließen, diese Tatsache zu ignorieren. Einige der getesteten Personen erhalten ihre Ergebnisse [schriftlich], andere nicht, sie erhalten ihre Ergebnisse einfach mündlich von den Mitarbeitern. Wir fordern, dass alle negativ getesteten Menschen unverzüglich von diesem Ort weggebracht werden. Wenn nicht, wird jeder, jeder mit diesem Virus infiziert werden. Genau wie wir gesagt haben, ist es so, dass dies eine absichtliche Handlung ist, um alle mit dem Virus zu infizieren, denn so sehen wir das. Und wir sehen es auch als eine Form, uns als Versuchskaninchen für irgendein Experiment zu benutzen, was auch immer der Grund dafür sein mag. Um es kurz zu machen: Die Dinge werden nicht besser. Vielmehr werden sie von Tag zu Tag schlechter.Resident of Lindenstraße under quarantine, translated and original
Hello everyone, this message is coming from Lindenstraße.
As we all know it is no longer a news that things in Lindenstraße is getting more and more bad, serious. Right now at the moment people are still under quarantine and as we see it the quarantine was supposed to be a positive solution for the situation at hand. But instead the quarantine has become to be the other way around. It has been causing more harm than good that its supposed to be. We feel that the quarantine was supposed to reduce more people getting infected. But at the moment as we speak people under quarantine feel more scared that they will become infected because the management at this place is causing people to be infected by the virus in the sense that people are more from one floor to the other positive people have been mixed with negative ones. Being in the house alone is deadly and scary. People just get infected randomly. Even if they being locked down or locked off. It no longer makes sense that we are locked up if the end result will be that everyone, every single person living in this place will eventually get infected by the virus. This is not the solution. It is dangerous since we are supposed to get better. People are being tested four times, three times they are negative and the fourth time they are positive without even leaving the building. We fear that the management themselves don’t even know how to handle the situation. Or the fact that being in this house causes us more harm but they decide to ignore that fact. Some of the tested people will get their results [written] and others won’t, they just get their results verbally by the workers. We demand that all the negative people should be taken out of this place. If not, everyone, everybody will be infected by this virus. Just as we said it is like this is an intentional act to infect everybody with the virus because that is how we see it. And we see it also as a form of using us as guinea pig for some sort of experiment on whatsoever the reason is. Just to cut a long story short: Things are not getting any better. Rather they are getting worse by the day.
Guten Tag allerseits. Zunächst möchte ich mich bei Ihnen für Ihre Unterstützung in dieser Zeit der Coronavirus-Krise bedanken. Ich lebe seit 14 Monaten in der Lindenstraße und möchte nicht, dass jemand unter solchen Bedingungen lebt, weil es eine echte Hölle ist. Ich habe viel gesehen und überwunden, bevor ich hier ankam, aber in der Lindenstraße ist es nur psychologische Folter. Ich möchte auch eine Nachricht an die Verantwortlichen dieses Lagers senden, um eine Lösung zu finden. Wir wollen einfach ein besseres Leben haben, aber in der lindenstraße ist niemand sicher, weil wir alle dem coronavirus ausgesetzt sind. Jeder muss einen Abstand von einem Meter einhalten und den größten Kontakt mit anderen vermeiden, und wir frage uns, warum alle öffentlichen Plätze geschlossen wurden, um den Kontakt mit anderen zu vermeiden, wenn in der Lindenstraße Hunderte von Menschen zusammenleben ? Denken Sie nicht, dass unser Leben es nicht wert ist, vor dieser Krankheit geschützt zu werden? Warum beschützen Sie uns nicht wie Ihre Familien, denn am Ende sind wir alle Menschen und müssen alle beschützt werden? Wir werden im Gebäude nicht alle positiv getestet, aber wir teilen alles miteinander. Die Anzahl der Infizierten explodiert, weil sie die positiven und negativen Menschen zusammenfügen. Sie sagen immer wieder, dass viele Menschen in der Lindenstraße infiziert sind, aber warum nicht? wenn wir alles zusammen teilen? Anstatt Lügen über die Situation in der Lindenstraße zu erzählen, finden Sie Lösungen, weil Sie uns langsam töten. Holen Sie uns aus der Lindenstraße und schützen Sie uns vor dem Coronavirus. Vielen Dank an alle. Möge Gott uns vor dieser Krankheit schützen.
Bonjour à tous. Tout d’abord, je voudrais vous remercier pour votre soutien en cette période de crise des coronavirus. Je vis sur la Lindenstrasse depuis 14 mois et je ne veux pas que quiconque vive dans de telles conditions car c’est un vrai enfer. J’ai vu et surmonté beaucoup de choses avant d’arriver ici, mais c’est juste une torture psychologique sur la Lindenstrasse. Je voudrais également envoyer un message aux responsables de cet entrepôt pour trouver une solution. Nous voulons simplement avoir une vie meilleure, mais personne n’est en sécurité sur Lindenstrasse car nous sommes tous exposés au virus corona. Tout le monde doit garder une distance d’un mètre et éviter le plus grand contact avec les autres, et nous nous demandons pourquoi tous les lieux publics ont été fermés pour éviter le contact avec les autres lorsque des centaines de personnes vivent ensemble sur la Lindenstrasse? Ne pensez-vous pas que nos vies ne valent pas la peine d’être protégées de cette maladie? Pourquoi ne nous protégez-vous pas comme vos familles, parce qu’en fin de compte, nous sommes tous humains et nous devons tous être protégés? Nous ne sommes pas tous testés positifs dans le bâtiment, mais nous partageons tout avec l’autre. Le nombre de personnes infectées explose car elles réunissent les personnes positives et négatives. Vous n’arrêtez pas de dire que de nombreuses personnes sur la Lindenstrasse sont infectées, mais pourquoi pas? si nous partageons tout ensemble? Au lieu de mentir sur la situation dans la Lindenstrasse, vous trouvez des solutions parce que vous nous tuez lentement. Sortez-nous de la Lindenstrasse et protégez-nous du virus corona. Un grand merci à tous. Que Dieu nous protège de cette maladie.
Bewohner der Lindenstraße, von ihm selbst auf Deutsch und Französisch formuliert
“Rassistische Kontinuität”. Ein Gastkommentar von Fatoş Atali-Timmer, Silke Betscher, Sabine Broeck, Christiane Falge, Andreas Fischer-Lescano, Ayla Satilmis, Nurhak Polat in TAZ Bremen am 2. Mai 2020.
“Der Fall Lindenstraße zeigt: Bremen hat sich noch lange nicht aus dem rassistischen Denken des
Kolonialismus gelöst. Wenn das Land so weitermacht, wird es mit der versprochenen
Aufarbeitung kaum hinterherkommen. Anmerkungen zu einem zukünftigen postkolonialen
Erinnerungskonzept aus aktuellem Anlass.”
Ganzer Text hier. Find English translation of the text here.
30th of April
In der aktuellen Sendung Monitor (ARD) wird ein Beitrag zur Situation in Geflüchtetenlagern gesendet. Es geht um Ellwangen und Lindenstraße.
DIE STAHMANN-KURVE eine Visualisierung von Flüchtlingsrat Bremen
24th / 25th of April
I have headache, not feeling well
resident of Lindenstraße
Am not feeling good.
resident of Lindenstraße
For real. It`s like being in a prison cell.
resident of Lindenstraße
This situation right now throws me back so much to what I have been through in the past. When will I be safe, have a life? My head is spinning. I cannot stop thinking. Normally I go out running. I cannot study for school. It is very noisy all the time with all the people locked down in this floor. Kids crying and screaming. And the firealarms… The food is very very poor. Yesterday there was fire set in the bathroom, we don`t know by who. The toilets were locked after this.
resident of Lindenstraße
This two weeks has to end soon. Am losing it. If not I will be the next to be given house verbout because from what I see you are given one even by asking questions and for me I won’t close my mouth.
resident of Lindenstraße
A woman is complaining that yesterday her friend is in labour and they took her to hospital, because she is in quarantine they took her to a seperate room, from there they don`t bother her she delivered by herself in the hospital toilet and after giving birth to a baby girl she is taken to a room where the people who have Corona are staying
resident of Lindenstraße
This notification was sent to us by several residents from different floors. What we hear from many many different residents since month: there are constantly firealarms. It is extremely stressful for everyone especially during the night:
Fire alarm again will not let us sleep. I wish I could just disappear.
resident of Lindenstraße
This fucking fire alarms. One cannot sleep in the night neither a day
resident of Lindenstraße
When did they start to care for mothers and babies???.. hypocrisis 🤔
resident of Lindenstraße
If they cared, then what about babies food?
What about mother’s needs??
How many times there has been fire alarms way before the CORONA outbreak ??? More than three times a day sometimes and these mothers with their babies are mostly not allowed to use the lift either there are alarms or not. Pregnant women, mothers with babies, the young and the old, all use the stairs to go down in the cold weather outside no matter what time.
Who are AWO trying to fool or trying to play With????
Children, pregnant women and weak people should definitely not be in a situation of Corona-lock down in a huge camp – exposed to so many different people`s desesparation, fear, stress and confusion AND constant fire alarms that forces them to run out of the building.
EVERYBODY is in stress and in fear. Adults, children, young, old, weak and not so weak people. Residents and staff left alone there by the authorities. NOBODY should be in this camp and be exposed to these conditions. Especially not during the Corona-crisis running towards peak in Coronastraße, as residents already weeks ago called Lindenstraße and demanded to shut it down. Residents protested 3 times on the street and through many other ways of raising their voices, because they feared that otherwise things will become worse and worse with more and more people getting infected and the expected lock down of the camp.
23rd of April
Another letter from inside the camp, written by a couple, and asked to be given to media public / Ein weiterer Brief der im Lager von einem Ehepaar geschrieben wurde und uns geschickt wurde mit Bitte es an die Medienöffentlichkeit weiterzuleiten.
Heute morgen stellte sich nun heraus, dass die Frau, die gestern von einzelnen im Lager als Journalistin wahrgenommen wurde, weil sie von der Lagerleitung herumgeführt wurde…. die Sozialsenatorin Frau Anja Stahmann höchstpersönlich bei ihrem, unseres Wissens nach ERSTEN Besuch im Lager war. Sie berichtet aber nicht aus dem Lager, sondern vor dem Gebäude. Mit wem hat sie wohl gesprochen? Ihr Eindruck insgesamt ist durchweg sehr positiv und dies tut sie auf Facebook kund, sowie bei buten un binnen.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10219184439740779&id=1201473837
Yesterday Stahmann visited Lindenstraße. In the press statement she now published, changes that she wants to do now are explained:
Activist of TWAB
Improvement of the Wifi by adding an additional line from outside
closing the gap between the wall and the ceiling in the wing that does not have this (after the pandemic)
talking to the catering service to improve the quality of the food
creating a wing only for women (and children)
a new psychological consultation
creating a neutral complaints office
further reduction of people in the camp as far as possible
These are ALL things which have been a problem already before. It is good that they are changed now but it is ridiculous, that this should be an adequate answer to the concerns and demands that have been raised since weeks. Currently 372 people are stuck in the camp like in a prison. There is not a single word about the people in quarantine and how she wants to handle the pandemic until it is over. Maybe she is hoping that quickly everybody is getting infected so she can label the whole camp as immune? This senator is endangering the lives of every single person in this camp.
There is also a new press statement by Flüchtlingsrat Bremen
22nd of April
The news of the day is the total lockdown.
Resident of Lindenstraße
Police was called and with help of police everybody is forced to stay in the floors
The AWO have locked every floor down, as usual bringing police for intimidation, then they take pictures to show the media that all people have been transferred. stilll bringing in new people….
Another resident of Lindenstraße
It is like they are playing a game on us. This is politics.
Another resident of Lindenstraße
The food is of such poor quality. You never feel filled by it.
Resident of Lindenstraße
21st of April
Basically all residents of Lindenstraße who were very active in the protests are now locked under quarantine. One of them when entering the camp and in the moment of placing her digital controlling card experienced how the securities “gang up on me like I am a criminal and locked me up.”
“I wanted to leave but they say if I do they will call the police on me and I will be kicked out of the system”
TWAB activist living in Lindenstraße
In some of the quarantine corridors WIFI is very bad or non-existent and makes communication between the daily growing self-organized communication-groups inside the camp difficult – but not impossible.
There is again a press statement by the Senator for Social Affairs. Among various other surprising developments we learn today something that was impossible a few days ago. Remember how in the statement of The Green party it was said that new arriving refugees have to be received in camp Lindenstraße and how there is no alternative? Suddenly there is a reception stop and new arriving people are taken to “Obervieland”. This is positive for many residents because the situation throughout the last week and still till yesterday was that newcomers were simply put into existing quarantane zones and of course people in these quarantane zones protested. What would you do if you were trying to maintain a quarantine to protect others and yourself from further virus-spreading and a person you don’t know is put into your apartment and you have to share the bathroom and everything, like after you already came through half of your quarantine time?
What is very bad and causing big concerns about this news is that “Obervieland” is a camp we know quite well. People who live there just call it “Kattenturm”. People from Lindenstraße were housebanned and sent there… People in Kattenturm are just in the same fear of getting infected by Corona virus because it is a mass accomodation of around 200 people with shared rooms, shared bathrooms on the corridors etc etc.
More and more organisations join the demand: Shut down Lindenstraße
Für eine menschenwürdige Aufnahme von Geflüchteten in Bremen! Schutzrechte umsetzen – Unterbringungsmissstände beheben – LASt Lindenstraße schließen!
Offener Brief der Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Migration, Integration, Antirassismus (LAG MIA DIE LINKE Bremen), ACOMPA. – solidarische Begleitungen, Antifaschisten Bremen, Amnesty Gruppe Uni Bremen, Black Students Union Bremen, Bremerhaven bleibt Bunt!, Christopher Street Day (CSD) Bremen e.V.,Dialog für gleiche Rechte, Bremerhaven, Fluchtraum Bremen, Flüchtlingsrat Bremen, Friedensforum Bremen, Internationaler Menschenrechtsverein Bremen, Ezidisches Kulturzentrum Bremen und Umgebung e.V., Kurdisch-Deutscher Gemeinschafts-verein Bremerhaven, Nordbremer Bürger gegen den Krieg, Omas gegen Rechts Bremerhaven und umzu, Soliport, VVN-BdA,Landesverband Bremen, Bayram Arslan, Kyra Behrje
You can download this open letter to shut down Lindenstraße here:
20th of April
Thanks to AWO there are now “Fakten gegen Fakenews” available. If you have followed this blog so far or the other information channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram now you can finally prove it is all fake news ;-). AWO seems to be the master of self-victimization by acting as if they are the unlucky victims of a hate-campaign, full of misinformation. In their mind it seems to be clear, that refugees are not supposed to have opinions or could witness what is going on around them – but should be greatful for all the good things AWO ist doing for them. “Vieles, was in den vergangenen Wochen zur Situation in der Erstaufnahmeeinrichtung (EAE) in der Lindenstraße in den (vornehmlich sozialen) Medien verbreitet wurde, ist unwahr. Es gibt von außen kritische Haltungen zu der Einrichtung und leider werden durch eine kleine Gruppierung diese Unwahrheiten verbreitet, um das politisch motivierte Ziel einer Schließung der Einrichtung zu erwirken. Die Behauptungen, mit denen AWO-Mitarbeiter*innen konfrontiert, unter Druck gesetzt und demoralisiert werden, sind verleumderisch und daher untragbar. Im Folgenden wird daher versucht, das verzerrte Bild, das entstanden ist, wieder richtig zu stellen.” Read the whole story here: https://www.awo-bremen.de/aktuelles/landeserstaufnahmeeinrichtung-der-lindenstrasse
Since some days Together we are Bremen is cooking food for people in Lindenstraße. Not being able to go out means having to eat the food that is served at Lindenstraße. This is not possible so by cooking and buying groceries TWAB and others are showing their solidarity!
The situation in camp Ellwangen (Baden-Württemberg):
In der LEA Ellwangen sind mindestens 313 von 587 Geflüchteten mit Corona infiziert. Die Stadt Ellwangen reagierte mit einer Verlängerung der Ausgangssperre um zwei Wochen. Die Leitung der LEA löste den Quarantänebereich innerhalb des Lagers auf. Für die noch nicht infizierten Geflüchteten gibt es keinen Schutz mehr.
https://refugees4refugees.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/corona-chaos-in-ellwangen-20-4-202/
19th of April
Today social senator Mrs Stahmann is personally addressing the public of Bremen in a Gastkommentar in Weser Kurier: Erstaufnahme in der Lindenstraße wird weiter gebraucht. https://www.weser-kurier.de/bremen/bremen-stadt_artikel,-die-lindenstrasse-wird-weiter-gebraucht-_arid,1908780.html
And here is the answer
Another reply by Dr Sunny Omwenyeke:
And a reply by Flüchtlingsinitiative:
17th of April
Take a moment and look at the video and some pictures of people taking the streets in the ghost town during Corona. Germany’s first demonstration during “Corona lock down” was allowed with 2m distance between the 10-15 participants of each of the 4 blocks and 10m distance between the blocks. A big success for the freedom of speech and the Versammlungsrecht.
There was a lot of attention in different newspapers and other media channels:
taz.am wochenende (18.04.20): Schutz ist nicht für alle da
Neues Deutschland (17.04.20): Für das Recht auf Abstand
Weser-Kurier (17.04.20): Geflüchtete und Aktivisten protestieren für Schließung der Erstaufnahmestelle
Butenunbinnen (17.04.20): Demonstration wegen Corona-Ausbruch in Bremer Flüchtlingsunterkunft
Shortly after the demonstration there was again stress in camp Lindenstraße and as a consequence a resident was housebanned. Residents in a quarantine zone protested against a new arrived person to be placed in the ongoing quarantine situation of that floor. One of our friends was declared “the troublemaker” and punished by being taken to this place as you can see on the photos where he is now all by himself under quarantine. He was given a piece of paper stating “Dear Mr x, please follow our house rules otherwise you have to expect consequences. If you break the rules , then you will no more get a place in any transition dorms. We will check on you regularly whether you are in your room or not. So if we call you then please show up yourself from the window. If you have relatives or friends, please let them know that they are going to buy for you. Otherwise please contact us!”
15th of April early hours
For many hours there hasn’t been any WIFI connection at the camp. On the second floor another quarantine zone is installed, only few hours after the meeting with the camp management. People panic, there is some pushing and pulling with security. Now there is a quarantine zone on floor 1, 2 and 3. People don’t understand what is going on. There is only the order given to lock down. Police arrives with white protection gear, they enter floor 2 and go from room to room. Soon after there is firealarm. Quarantine people have to leave the building towards the back area. Soon after there is another firealarm. It is late, people cannot sleep. Too much worries and fears.
Only few hours ago we hear about the situation in the camp Ellwangen in Baden Württemberg.
I was just in contact with an activist in Ellwangen where there is also a camp housing 600 refugees. So far, they’ve been tested and there are over 244 positive cases. There’s quanrantine and absolute chaos in there because both those who have it and those who don’t remain mixed together. It makes it more scary what could be of Lindenstrasse if there’s not enough pressure.
Activist from TWAB
14th of April
Listen to a radio interview by one of the activists in camp Lindenstraße: https://www.colourfulvoices.net/en/node/323
Today an open letter was given to AWO by the residents of Lindenstraße as they are representing all authorities inside the camp. The reaction to the letter was a meeting of three people from AWO with about 15 people to discuss all the points mentioned in the letter. The fact to have such a meeting and finally to be listened to was well appreciated by people. AWO basically said that they are not responsible for any decisions about Lindenstraße.
Activists from TWAB delivered the letter to all other responsible authorities in town. Find the letter here.
The “Arbeitskreis kritische Sozialarbeit” also wrote something like an open letter to the members and employees of the AWO, reminding once more, what the task of social work actually is. It is not what is happening in Lindenstraße!
Ein offener Brief an die Bremer Grünen vom BIPoC Bündnis Bremen
“Liebe Grüne Bremen,
wir, das BIPoC Bündnis Bremen, sind ein Zusammenschluss von gut 70 Menschen, die sich als Schwarz, Indigen, People of Color, Sinte:zza, Romn:ja, Migrant:innen positionieren. Ausgehend von der Vision einer Gesellschaft, in der jeder Mensch politische, soziale, rechtliche, ökonomische und symbolische Gleichwürdigkeit erfährt, haben wir uns zusammengetan, um alltäglichen und strukturellen Rassismen sowie weiteren Macht- und Diskriminierungsverhältnissen entgegenzutreten. […] Wir haben Eure Stellungnahme vom 9. April 2020, in der Ihr euch auf die Forderungen zur Schließung der Lindenstraße bezieht, zur Kenntnis genommen. ‘Shut down Lindenstraße – Corona-Protection is everybody’s right’ sind Forderungen der Bewohner:innen der Lindenstraße und Geflüchtetenselbstorganisationen und werden von weiteren Bremer Organisationen und Institutionen ausnahmslos unterstützt. So auch von uns.
Eure Stellungnahme zu diesen Forderungen hat uns im Bündnis nicht überrascht. Als Betroffene von Rassismus sind wir es gewohnt, dass sich Gruppen, Organisationen und politische Parteien unter dem Deckmantel eines selbst ausgestellten, antirassistischen Qualifikationszeugnisses rassistischer und paternalistischer Narrative bedienen. …” (kompletter Brief als Download.)
11th of April
IN CASE YOU NEVER KNOW IN LINDENSTRAßE 👇🏽👇🏽
A report by inhabitants of Lindenstraße
1) you’re not allowed to have an electronic kettle for hot water if you want to have tea or coffee neither are you allowed to have any electronic item for cooking.
2) women, children and the youths at 4rd floor use the stairs instead of the lift/ elevator. Pregnant women go through a lot before they can use the lift. Permit required before using the lift.
3) at 21-22:00uhr we are asked to stay silent or speak down, and lights are switched off in the corridors.
4) securities makes REPORTS against you to AWO and the AWO react on this to give you house ban without even asking you questions.
5) when you have issues with securities they will call police for you and the police use force to kick you out without knowing the real situation.
6) I asked the police, “why don’t you want to know both side of the story?” He said, “we are only here to empower the securities”.
7) we still have 4 people in a room
8) Toilets and bathrooms are in the corridors and are used by everyone in the same floor
9) in floor 1 and floor 3 people are under quarantine. One wing in floor 3 is under quarantine and they are yet to know for how long. Windows are locked and no air coming in.
10) All the rooms in Lindenstraße have no windows. The only windows are in the corridors but are never open for us, they have security lock.
11) Fire alarm comes on, and can occur at anytime of the day or night and everyone in the whole building has to go out of the building. Either it’s 02:00uhr or 3:30uhr we will all be awake and leave the building.
12) Those under quarantine are mix with those who are not, when the fire alarm comes on.
13) we line up like prisoners to get our food to the dining hall and we are served with so much disrespect from the cooks.
10th/12th of April
In our regular video meetings a member of our group who has to stay in quarantine in the locked off areas in Lindenstraße is giving us a detailed report about the situation there and showed us around. The situation there proves once more what we have feared: the fight against the spread of the coronavirus is carried out on the shoulders of the residents of the camp. Instead of creating an atmosphere where the shitty situation of collective quarantine (which should have been prevented in the first place by decentralized accomodation) is made as bearable as possible, nothing seems to be done to improve the situation of those affected of the collective quarantine. The windows at the corridors which could be opened when the doctors needed fresh air were locked again. Small children – around parts of the quarantined corridor we saw a two year old child, a one year old child and a mother with a child one week old – have to stay in this area as well and have no possibility to go out and move. The food is of very low quality, many people cannot eat no longer dry white bread and cucumber every day. As now everybody is locked inside it is not even possible to get anything else from a supermarket.
There is no information until when this state of quarantine will be over. It might be soon when the test results are there, but the information that those in quarantine got is, that they have to stay there for two weeks. There is no supply with basic medical care. We were told somebody asked the securities for a paracetamol against headache but was denied it according to ‘orders from above’.
The rooms are still crowded with up to 4 people and the beds are max. one meter apart from each other. Only in parts of the quarantined corridor there is Wi-Fi. Many people who have to stay inside for many days are without any connection to outside.
Take a moment to consider under which conditions you’d like to go under quarantine. In theory this might happen to everybody of us. So how could you imagine to make it bearable? Then compare this to what is going on in Lindenstraße. Is this okay? Is it fair?
This could have been prevented and the conditions right now could be improved immediately. Why is this not happening? Don’t blame anybody for calling this place a camp. For the people living there it feels like prison.
9th of April
Wenn ein Foto mehr aussagt als viele Worte. Diejenigen, die seit mehreren Monaten und bis zu einem Jahr in der Lindenstraße leben müssen, konnten ihren Augen nicht glauben. Heute wurden das erste Mal Fenster geöffnet – was sonst immer streng verboten war. Sie konnten geöffnet werden, weil die anwesenden Ärzt*innen und Helfer*innen, die heute nach dem 4. bestätigten Corona-Fall mehrere Personen testeten, um Luft baten. Luft zum Atmen um ihrer Arbeit nachzugehen.
We are staying here for many months but they never open this window but today they open it because of the doctors, they are more important than us
Person living at Lindenstraße
In quarantine are currently: ground floor 4 rooms, 1st floor 2 halls with 16 people, 3rd floor 2 halls with 20 people. Slowly slowly they‘re putting all the rooms in quarantine
Person living at Lindenstraße
8th of April, evening
Diese vier Container wurden auf dem Gelände der Lindenstraße aufgestellt, angeblich um dort an Corona erkrankte Menschen reinzustecken. Am Abend wird plötzlich das Tor verschlossen. Niemand darf mehr das Gelände verlassen. // These four containers were set up on the Lindenstraße premises, allegedly to put people suffering from corona into them. In the evening the gate is suddenly locked. Nobody is allowed to leave the area.
I think it’s a lock down in LindenStraße as the security banned people from going. When they were asked how long would it take to allow people to go out again, they said “We don’t know yet”, “perhaps tomorrow or so” added one security. “We are getting more Corona cases as the days goes by”, according to one security personnel.
Inhabitant of Lindenstraße
This is too much. They cannot just lock down everybody in here. Why are they doing this? They are playing with our lives that do not matter to them. People here have many problems, they don’t know how their future will be, all they left behind, so many problems already they carry with them. This is too much.
Person living at Lindenstraße
6th to 8th of April
In the morning of 8th of April a young refugee is being thrown out of Lindenstraße and forced to go on a so-called transfer (Umverteilung) to the “Ankunftszentrum Fallingbostel-Oerbke”. Some fellow refugees expressed their fear and anger to transfer a person right now to a different city in Germany within the Corona infection crisis. One of the police-officers responded in a cynical way, you protested for transfer, here you get them. Some AWO workers laughed about the desperate refugees. // Am Morgen des 8. April wird ein junger Geflüchteter aus der Lindenstraße geworfen und zu einer sogenannten Umverteilung in das “Ankunftszentrum Fallingbostel-Oerbke” gezwungen. Einige der Mitanwesenden drückten ihre Angst und Wut darüber aus, dass eine Person angesichts der Koronainfektionskrise gerade jetzt in eine andere Stadt in Deutschland verlegt wird. Einer der Polizeibeamten reagierte zynisch, Ihr habt doch für eine Verlegung (transfer) protestiert, hier bekommt ihr sie. Einige AWO-Mitarbeiter lachten über die verzweifelten Geflüchteten.
Don`t let them put this fear on your mind. It is not fair. But this is how it goes. This is what the authorities are doing, the AWO, the securities, the police. Let us try to encourage each other. You have the right to protest. You have the power. And we are behind you.
TWAB activist
In camp Fallingbostel in Niedersachsen right now there are more than 700 people. Only yesterday the Flüchtlingsrat Niedersachsen demanded for immediate decentralized housing for refugees in Niedersachsen:
On 7th of April two more positive tested Corona cases were confirmed in camp Lindenstraße.
Two new cases confirmed to us by AWO worker. It`s really crazy out here. Nobody cares about our health. All they care about is making money by keeping us here. We are tired.
Inhabitant of camp Lindenstraße
Meanwhile in camp Lindenstraße tea is being served to the tables to improve the image
Today we are seeing some changes in the dining hall amid rumours has it that some officials from social will be here to find out about the situation and the conditions in here. The changes are surprising indeed, staff from AWO office, the securities and some other people who are not use to be in the dining hall were all there distributing cups for tea instead of us taking it for ourself and that has never happened, also the number of chairs to the table a cut short to 3 chair per table. There were also kind of caring as well. Pretending i think lol.
Inhabitant of Lindenstraße
It’s all pretending why haven’t they been doing this from beginning? its comedy here I tell you am surprised they even talk because they are used to shouting. lets push for transfers this is the only time.
Inhabitant of Lindenstraße
5th of April
ShutDownLindenstraße – Leave no one behind – Day of Solidarity
Since yesterday refugees in the camp Halberstadt are on hungerstrike.
Follow: https://twitter.com/AkAntiraMD
Seit gestern 12:00 Uhr befinden sich Bewohner*innen der #ZASt Halberstadt (bei Magdeburg) im Hungerstreik. Die aktuelle Situation ist dramatisch: Es gab Auseinandersetzungen mit der Security, dabei wurde bereits eine Person verletzt. #coronasolidarity#leavenoonebehind#Halberstadt
Some activists from Together we are Bremen know Halberstadt or know people who had been forced to go there. Knowing Halberstadt made people in Bremen understand that they must fight transfers, by any means. Read about experiences in Halberstadt here
I wana say that y’all are great and doing a great job against the inhumane conditions and racist behaviors in Lindenstrasse. The desperate AWO has no reason to justify themselves. They’re trying to manipulate your MINDS with FEARS in order to reduce the power that y’all build up together to fight for your rights. They can’t do nothing more than what they’re doing right now or bringing up this so call transfers which will come anyway. This racist behaviors shouldn’t make y’all lose your STRENGTH, POWER and ENERGY … REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS have so much power that we can use anywhere we go in this world. It’s only through RESISTANCE, TOGETHERNESS and TO BE STRONG 100% in order to overcome this RACIST behaviors in white societies. From now on, this should be the moment to double up your energy and togetherness or to have a decent living conditions and dignities. They’re always happy when you get scared because they knows our weaken points. Don’t do anything which they will have against you through LEGAL PROCEDURE, always keep your head up, know your rights, and do it together. The fight has already started and there is no turning back if you want to succeed. It’s easy to punish one or two people, but if y’all do it as a whole group, they can’t handle it !! #BLACKLIVESMATTETRS🦾
TWAB activist
4th of April
“Sie versuchen, Angst in den Köpfen der Leute zu erzeugen, damit sie sich nicht mehr trauen rauszugehen, wenn sie etwas sagen wollen”.
Die Repressions-Maschinerie nimmt in der Lindenstraße deutlich an Fahrt auf. Das war zu befürchten. Mehr denn braucht es jetzt öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit und kritische Beobachtung der aktuellen Entwicklungen. So werden etwa Feueralarme seit der Demo offenbar gezielt dazu eingesetzt, entweder willkürlich Hausverbote zu erteilen (wie bereits geschehen, wir haben berichtet) oder diese anzudrohen bzw. mündlich auszusprechen – selbst wenn die betroffenen Personen es nachweislich gar nicht gewesen sein können. Um zu verdeutlichen, dass das alles kein Zufall ist, kann hinzufügt werden, dass Feueralarme in der Lindenstraße schon lange zum Alltag gehören. Sie werden oft auch mitten in der Nacht ausgelöst, was einen erheblichen Stress für alle Bewohner_innen bedeutet. Vor der Demo wurde dafür jedoch niemals irgendwer versucht, verantwortlich zu machen. Die Beschuldigung einzelner Bewohner_innen ist neu und es ist völlig offenkundig, dass es sich hierbei um nichts anderes als eine Bestrafungs-Strategie denen gegenüber handelt, die gerade so viel Energie und Mut aufbringen, um die unhaltbaren und nicht menschenwürdigen Bedingen in der Lindenstraße sichtbar zu machen und dagegen zu protestieren. Weiterhin haben Mitarbeiter_innen der AWO nach der Demo Bewohner_innen zusammengerufen und ihnen gesagt, sie hätten diese Demo nicht organisieren sollen: Wie könnten die Bewohner_innen so „undankbar“ sein, nachdem sie doch „so viele gute Dinge für sie getan“ hätten; dann eine solche Demo zu organisieren, sei wirklich mies, sie seien jetzt sehr traurig, enttäuscht und wütend. Ist mehr selbstgefälliger Zynismus überhaupt noch vorstellbar? Die AWO-Mitarbeiter_innen wenden sich mit aller Macht gegen die Selbstorganisierung der Bewohner_innen. So wurde auch angekündigt, dass Umverteilungen in bessere Unterkünfte nun „selektiver“ sein werden. “Sie wählen aus, wen sie umverteilen wollen, sie wählen einfach aus, wen sie mögen. Also sind wir, die wir die Demo gemacht haben oder uns äußern, problematisch für sie. Leute wie wir werden keine Umverteilung bekommen. Das ist sehr schmerzhaft, so viel Trennung, Vetternwirtschaft und Rassismus”.
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“They are trying to create fear in people’s minds, so the people won’t go out, when they want to speak up.”
The machinery of repression is clearly getting up speed in Lindenstrasse. This had to be expected. What is needed now more than ever is public attention and critical observation of current developments. Since the demonstration, for example, fire alarms have apparently been used to either arbitrarily issue house bans (as already happened, we reported) or to threaten or verbally express them – even if the people affected can prove that it was not them. To make it clear that all this is no coincidence, it can be added that fire alarms in Lindenstraße have long been part of everyday life. They are often set off in the middle of the night, which means considerable stress for all residents. Before the demo, however, no one has ever been blamed personally for this. The accusation of individual residents is new and it is quite obvious that this is nothing more than a punishment strategy against those who are putting so much energy and courage to make the unacceptable and inhumane conditions in camp Lindenstraße visible and protest against them. Furthermore, AWO employees called residents together after the demonstration and told them that they should not have organized this demonstration: How could the residents be so “ungrateful” after they had “done so many good things for them”; to organize such a demonstration would have been really bad, they were very sad, disappointed and angry. Is more self-righteous cynicism even possible to imagine at all? The AWO employees turn with all their power against the self-organization of the residents. It was also announced that redistributions to better accommodations will now be more “selective”. “They will select, who they want to transfer, they just choose who they like. So we, doing the demo or speaking out, are the problems according to them. People like us won’t get a transfer. This is very painful, so much segregation, nepotism and racism as well.“
Unterstüzt die Bewohner*innen: Schreibt an die AWO – Wie? Das seht Ihr HIER
Support the inhabitants: Write to AWO!
Another solidarity message arrived today:
3rd of April
“There are many times the fire 🔥 alarm 🚨 goes on and there is never anyone ☝️ to be pointed” – WHY NOW?
Also on April 2, rescue teams had to drive to Lindenstraße because of fire alarm, several times. Once in the morning, shortly after 8 o’clock, a second time at about 9.15 o’clock. In the afternoon a boy was accused of having set off the fire alarm. Although other residents* can confirm that he was downstairs with the other protesters when the fire alarm sounded, he was banned from the camp.
“Der Feueralarm geht ständig an und niemals wurde jemand dafür verantwortlich gemacht” – WARUM JETZT? Auch am 2. April mussten wegen Feueralarm Rettungskräfte in die Lindenstraße fahren, mehrmals. Einmal morgens, kurz nach 8 Uhr, ein zweites Mal um ca. 9.15 Uhr. Am Nachmittag wurde ein Junge beschuldigt er hätte den Feueralarm ausgelöst. Obwohl andere Bewohner*innen bestätigen können, dass er sich beim Erklingen des Feueralarm unten bei den anderen Protestierenden befand, erhielt er ein Hausverbot.
Let’s us stand by his side and let him not be guilty for what he has not committed.
TWAB activist.
Die AWO ruft die Polizei und mindestens 8 Polizeibeamte kommen… / AWO is calling the police and more than 8 police officers arrive….
All the time when police come they don`t care about your own side of the story.
A woman living in Lindenstraße
und verlassen schließlich kurz nach 19.30Uhr das Gelände, gemeinsam mit der beschuldigten Person. / and finally leave the camp area shortly after 7.30pm together with the accused person.
Ils sont énervés c’est sûr et ça se vois mais je demande à toutes les personnes qui vivent dans le camp (Lindenstraße) de s’abstenir malgré que ça ne sera pas facile et qu’ils vont essayés peut être nous accuser de n’avoir pas respecter les 1,5m ( ce qui n’est pas possible parcequ’on vit tous ensemble), d’avoir déclenché l’alarme ( parcequ’ils n’ont pas eu d’autre moyens de nous persécuter ) ou de nous provoquer ( parce qu’on veut se protéger de cette maladie et qui est entièrement de notre droit ) mais s’il vous plaît que personne ne leurs répondent nous y sommes presque d’atteindre notre but qui est la fermeture définitivement de tout les camps ici à Brême je prie tout un chacun d’être serein parce que que tous ensemble nous finirons par y arriver. Que Dieu nous protègent de cette épidémie 🙏.
TWAB activist living in Lindenstraße for 1 year
# Blacklifematters # Shut_It_Down Lindenstraße
They are upset for sure and this can be seen very clearly, but I ask all the people who live in the camp (Lindenstraße) to abstain although it will not be easy and they will try may be accusing us of not respecting the 1.5m (which is not possible because we all live together), having triggered the alarm (because they had no other means of persecuting us) or provoke us (because we want to protect ourselves from this disease and which is entirely our right) but please that no one responds to them we are almost there to reach our goal which is the permanent closure of all the camps here in Bremen I ask everyone to be peaceful because together we will eventually get there. May God protect us from this epidemic 🙏. # Blacklifematters #Shut_It_Down Lindenstraße
Nachts müssen die Bewohner*innen erneut das Gebäude wegen Feueralarm verlassen / At night, inhabitants again have to leave the building because of firealarm.
Am 3. April, dem Tag nach dem Protest wird eine weitere Bewohnerin willkürlich beschuldigt Feueralarm ausgelöst zu haben. Sie berichtet. // On 3rd April another inhabitant is arbitrarily accused to have set off the firealarm. Her narration:
Als Reaktion auf die Proteste erscheint am 3. April außerdem eine Erklärung der Sozialbehörde / As a response to the protests social authorities are releasing a statement
https://www.senatspressestelle.bremen.de/detail.php?gsid=bremen146.c.333106.de&asl=bremen02.c.730.de
2nd of April
Lindenstraße – shut it down! Coronastraße – shut it down!
Zweiter selbstorganisierter Protest von Bewohner*innen des Lagers Lindenstraße / Second self-organized protest of inhabitants of the camp Lindenstraße
* Bericht bei buten un binnen (Radio Bremen)
https://www.butenunbinnen.de/videos/fluechtlingsinitiative-klagen-sozialbehoerde-100.html
* Zeitungsartikel
TAZ: https://taz.de/Archiv-Suche/!5673390&s=erzwungene&SuchRahmen=Print/
Weser Kurier: https://www.weser-kurier.de/region/die-norddeutsche_artikel,-erneuter-protest-vor-erstaufnahme-in-vegesack-_arid,1905982.html
Neues Deutschland: http://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1135079.fluechtlinge-und-corona-bringt-die-gefluechteten-in-hotels-unter.html
1st of April
At night there is again firealarm. Again not everybody can leave the building. The frustration is ever growing. People are shouting “Lindenstraße Shut it Down” all over the building.
“Due to the new 30 minutes time frame to be allowed in the dining room for every group time is not enough to line up, eat and line up for tea or water. we can only drink now water from the toilets in the hallway.”
Inhabitant of Lindenstraße
The women with children are especially frustrated. They are very tired of living in this conditions of fear and uncertainty.
Inhabitant of Lindenstraße
After the confusing situation yesterday we worked all together on gathering information and developments during the day and edited this report: FIRST CASE OF CORONA-INFECTION AT LINDENSTRAßE
A new petition was released to demand closing of camps of federal and state governments
Active union members (Ver.di) working in precarious security services also demand a shut down of camp Lindenstraße
Before Corona: What we have to say about Lindenstraße
Already before the corona crisis TWAB has reported about and protested against the conditions in Lindenstraße many times. Read the following texts to get a general impression of what living in this camp means for real.
19.09.19: Living in Lindenstraße – a report on the living conditions in the camp // FRANÇAIS // DEUTSCH
08.07.19: Protestaktion: Rassistische Gewalt in der Lindenstraße (DE/FR/ENG)
31.05.19: We demand the immediate termination of the contract with the security company at camp Lindenstraße (DE/ENG)
26.05.19: Rally against violence of camp-securities in Lindenstraße (ENG/DE)