Like almost all events, the popular Bahnhofsviertel night has fallen victim to the corona virus this year. In the classic form, the event can of course not take place in 2020. And so those responsible have come up with an alternative: the Bahnhofsviertel can imagine digital this year. "The Bahnhofsviertel is a district with a special flair, it is colourful, diverse and unique. In this unusual year, we would also like to give the people of Frankfurt the opportunity to at least take a virtual tour of the district. We can also discover a lot around the main station online and get inspired for the time after the pandemic," says Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann, who welcomes viewers in a video produced especially for the online edition of the Bahnhofsviertelacht.
Of course, a video cannot capture the special atmosphere of the major event, which attracts an average of around 45,000 visitors*. But to present the many facets of the station district - the beautiful as well as the dark sides - the approximately one-hour video is very well suited. It has been on view since Thursday, August 20, at 6 p.m. on the website at http://www.bahnhofsviertel-ffm.de. It introduces a total of around 50 restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, artists and institutions from the quarter who usually open their doors to guests during the Bahnhofsviertel night and present their work and local life. In the video, they talk about their daily work, what has brought them to the Bahnhofsviertel and what connects them to the district. In the process, critical voices - also about the Bahnhofsviertel night itself - are also heard.
For example, among the 50 participants in this virtual Bahnhofsviertel night are the Bahnhofsmission and the Weser5 Diakoniezentrum. The social institutions do hard work in the Bahnhofsviertel. At the Weser5 Diakoniezentrum, homeless people find support and a roof over their heads - even in times of pandemic. "We have experienced the Corona period so far as a time in which we have experienced a great deal of solidarity," says Jürgen Mühlfeld, head of the Diakoniezentrum, and reports on many donations of clothing and helpful flight attendants who have supported the centre during their short-time work. For him, the Bahnhofsviertel night is an opportunity to meet in a district of contrasts: "My Bahnhofsviertel is diverse and colourful. A place where rich and poor meet: Homeless and bankers, drug addicts and tourists."
Carsten Baumann runs the Bahnhofsmission, which is open around the clock and helps people free of charge without an appointment, for example with emergency apartments for women who have not found a place in the women's shelter. And of course it is also a place of peace, complete with a church at the main station. For Baumann, the district is a very special spot in the city: "For me, the Bahnhofsviertel is a multi-culti patchwork. Here you notice how life pulsates - I always find it nice to experience that."
Both institutions are taking part in a fundraising campaign launched by the city for the virtual Bahnhofsviertel night. At http://www.bahnhofsviertel-ffm.de/spenden visitors can donate directly to the Diakoniezentrum and the Bahnhofsmission and support their work.
Mayor Feldmann says: "We are not looking away. There is hardly a district where the problems of this city are as visible as in the Bahnhofsviertel, and here we see the effects of the Corona pandemic particularly clearly." The situation in the district has been exacerbated for many residents, business owners and visitors by the Corona pandemic. Addiction, homelessness and squalor have become more apparent. "It is up to us not to turn a blind eye to all this and to help so that the Bahnhofsviertel remains the vibrant district we love so much," Feldmann invites Frankfurt residents to take part in the fundraising campaign - so that the Bahnhofsviertel retains its unique character and its residents can - hopefully - invite people back to their district next year for Bahnhofsviertel Night.
The musicians of Gastone are also involved in the digital edition - the Frankfurt band would actually have performed at the Bahnhofsviertelacht. In the video, bandleader Giuseppe Porello plays an acoustic version of the song "Bessere Welt" on the guitar. And we're all looking forward to it!
