The city of Würzburg closes the “party area” on the banks of the Main at the weekend

Drink an after-work beer by the water or sit in the sun with friends: The Würzburg Main riverbank and the area around the Alte Kranen are popular meeting places for many. But lately the area of ​​the city of Würzburg has been a thorn in the side, so to speak: There have been repeated problems with young people partying on the Main who do not comply with the Corona rules or who leave their rubbish behind. Residents complain of noise pollution.

City of Würzburg closes the green spaces

Now the city has taken the necessary steps: The green spaces at the Alter Kranen will be closed by a general decree. The blockage will apply on the next two weekends, Friday and Saturday, i.e. June 11th and 12th and June 18th and 19th, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

According to the city, the area will be secured with security and the help of the police so that the regulation is complied with. As early as 8 p.m., security guards will inform you of the impending closure. From 9:30 p.m. the closure will be announced with the help of an illumination of this area. The official outdoor catering in the area of ​​the old crane is not affected by the closure.

Nocturnal noise and property damage

The reason for the closings at Alten Kranen is not just the protection against the corona pandemic, but rather the party going on there. This has now reached such proportions that in the area along the party mile on Mainkai it is no longer possible to think about a night’s sleep, according to the city of Würzburg. In addition, several freshly planted flower beds along the Main were completely destroyed by the celebrants, so that property damage also occurred.

Rubbish from the celebrants should not be collected

But the rubbish problem still remains. Every weekend, employees of the gardening department collected tons of garbage from the celebrants in the green areas. The city has now announced that the green areas in the sections of the Kurt-Schumacher-Promenade and at Graf-Luckner-Weiher will not be cleared of rubbish at the weekend. The campaign is pointed out with a poster that reads: “We have this weekend off! Your city gardeners and city cleaners”. The city of Würzburg is already advising that walkers and other guests in these areas should watch out for pollution from broken glass and other rubbish.

Würzburg’s Lord Mayor: “The limit has been crossed”

“So far we have mainly focused on communication and insight,” said Mayor Christian Schuchardt (CDU). Although he expressed understanding for everyone who can no longer stand it after this long lockdown at home and are looking for some relaxation and fun outdoors, he continued: “Unfortunately, the limit has been exceeded. Having fun outdoors yes, violations of corona restrictions and partying at the expense of the local residents – no. As a city, we don’t want an escalation like we are currently in other cities. ”

If these measures are unsuccessful, according to the city of Würzburg, further tightening will also be coordinated with the political bodies – such as the building and regulatory committee and the city council.

Moving the “problem” to other places?

The city had previously considered a night-time alcohol ban along the Main. This came under criticism from Würzburg youth organizations from several parties. A ban on alcohol is not the solution. Instead, the city should counter this problem with clear communication, signs and, above all, sufficient rubbish bins. A ban on alcohol in some places would only move the problem to other places and, in the worst case, ensure that people celebrate indoors.

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