Theatre wants to restrict access Rubbish and stench in car park at Bonn Opera House
BONN · The car park at the Opera House is a popular sleeping spot for the homeless. However, not only do they sleep there, they also leave rubbish and a stench of urine behind.
Homeless people continually spend the night in the car park at the Opera House. The consequences are dirt from rubbish left behind and a stench because they urinate in the car park. The theatre wants to solve the problem by making access to the car park harder through building measures. A building permit application has already been submitted for a redevelopment of the staircase. The car park and the stairwell belong to Südpark GmbH. The company only makes the stairwell available to the theatre as an entranceway. However, the theatre says it is overwhelmed with cleaning.
Josef Czako has been going to the opera regularly, around once a month, for 15 years. “This has already been going on for six months. With the dirt and the smell, it’s an absolute tip, there’s no other way to put it,” he explains. “The current state of affairs is unworthy of Bonn. People in fine clothing have to get by this dirt,” says Czako. He is demanding that the operators exercise their access rights and deny access to these people.
Rüdiger Frings, the commercial director of the theatre, confirms this is no subjective opinion: “The situation of increasing dirt in the stairwell from the car park to the opera house has been intensifying for some time.” He sees the reason as “a clearly perceptible shift towards the opera house as a social focus.” The number of people staying overnight in the car park has visibly increased. “In this context, the theatre has already called in the Public Order Office and asked for increased controls.”
(Original text: Max Müller. Translation: kc)
