Isar Bridge: the city cleans its homeless camp – Munich

• The social department expelled the homeless camp of Isar, backed by about twenty policemen.
• About twenty activists from the "We want to live" campaign gathered in front of the Reichenbach and Wittelsbacher bridges, calling for posters "A living space for all" and "Fighting poverty, not the poor".
• The last time he burned twice under the Reichenbach Bridge, a sleeping man could be saved in time from the fire.

It's over at 8:02. Two trucks with large green containers swarm on the frozen meadow of Reichenbachbrücke and continue, all that has accumulated under the bridge. Mattresses, bedside tables, wooden crates, a shopping cart. Thursday morning at seven o'clock, the forced eviction from the homeless camp of Isar begins. About two dozen police officers secure the action of the social department, but everything remains peaceful. Twenty activists from the "We want to live" campaign gathered in front of the Reichenbach and Wittelsbacher bridges, where up to 30 people lived. They call for posters "Housing for All" and "Fight Poverty, Not the Poor".

The action of expulsion of authority had already been announced for weeks. First, on a billboard under bridges, social workers then came and told the homeless that the camps were now to be dissolved. Since 1 November, the cold protection of Munich has opened its doors to Bayernkaserne, where up to 850 people can spend the night. In the future, the emergency shelter will even be made available to homeless people free of charge throughout the year. The city wants to prevent the expulsion that the so-called wild camps under the bridges of Isar or in parks "are solidifying". The warehouses under both bridges have grown steadily in recent months. Under the stone arches, the furniture and wooden crates stored such a quantity that this Thursday morning, several large containers are filled nearly four hours later. The last time he burned twice under the Reichenbach Bridge, a sleeping man could be saved in time from the fire.

The cold also worries social workers. People who sleep outside next winter may die of cold or become seriously ill. "If that was our only action," says Rudolf Stummvoll, he points to the men who are currently gathering the furniture under the Wittelsbacherbrücke, "then it would be a shit." But the head of the Housing and Migration Office speaks of a mosaic of measures to bring homeless people into a decent system. Because "everyone coming to Munich is welcome," says Stummvoll.

Of course, he agrees with the protesters who demand housing for all. He wants it too. But currently around 9,000 Munich are waiting to find an apartment in the social service. This year, however, only 2,800 people can provide an apartment, but there is simply no social housing in town.

Nevertheless, his office counts 43 households with people living under bridges, "placed in ordinary apartments" and 600 people from Bulgaria and Romania, sitting on the street in Munich, housed in boarding houses. In addition to the protection against the cold, there are many offers of help for the homeless. "In Munich, no one has to live on the street," says Stummvoll. If there was no offer and the homeless had to sleep under the bridges, "I do not want to live in this city".

In recent days, homeless people, some of whom do not seem to be sleeping under the bridge but in housing, have repeatedly proposed to visit his housing office to find ways to help them. On Thursday, according to the social department, five people took advantage of the offer. The others went into protection against the cold. Their warehouse under the bridge is gone.