Swimming demo for a free river path: Schöneweid citizens fight for the use of the Spreeufer

Swimming demo for a free river path: Schöneweid citizens fight for the use of the Spreeufer

Swimming demo in Berlin-Schöneweide: Citizens fight for free banks

On July 8th, around 200 people of all ages and stature gathered on the banks of the Spree in Berlin-Schöneweide to demonstrate for a free river path. The participants climbed over the bank fence and jumped into the Spree. Under the motto "Free bank!" Swam from the campus of the University of Technology and Economy to the Kaisersteg, where the Schöneweider Brückenfest took place that day. The demonstrators want a usable river path for walking, cycling and wheelchair users. The thousands of students could also benefit from a shorter route to the university.

The currently blocked bank path is not used by the local company BDK and that made the Schöneweid citizens to stand up for their rights. The “Frei” initiative has been committed to the fact that the riverside path becomes open to the public for years. The people in Schönweide have transformed the industrial area into a livable neighborhood with a high quality of life and see the Free Uferweg as a further step to improve the quality of life.

Among the participants of the swimming demonstration were also people who have been living in Schönweide for many years and would benefit from the usable bank path. Heide Brandstädter from HTW Berlin, who had previously had a long detour to the university, and Norman B., a restaurateur from the neighborhood, are determined to no longer accept that a single property owner refused to use the path.

The property owner, Johann Erich Wilms from the Wilms Group of Companies, indicates the reason for the closure of the bank path and thefts on his premises. He would also like to keep the opportunity to handle deliveries via the Spree. However, these arguments are not convincing for the demonstrators of the swimming demonstration.

The "Frei" initiative has already successfully campaigned for the enforcement of citizens' interests in the past. The Schöneweide citizens' platform fought successfully 21 years ago for the reconstruction of the Kaisersteg, an important pedestrian bridge in the district.

A key player in the development of Schöneweide is Leo Penta, a Catholic priest from New York who came to Berlin in 1996. Penta successfully organized citizens' initiatives in Brooklyn to improve the quality of life in a decaying quarter. In Berlin he campaigned for the reconstruction of the industrial area and founded the Schöneweide platform, which was to revive the district. His initiative found support from various local entrepreneurs who recognized the benefits of a blooming environment. They invested in the renovation and development of the district.

With the vision of a university campus on the Spree, Penta was also able to convince the entrepreneur Johann Erich Wilms, who then enabled the use of a part of his site to settle the university. The move of the university to campus in 2006 was a great success for the citizens' initiative and contributed to the further development of the quarter.

The struggle for a free banks in Schönweide is part of a long tradition of commitment to the citizens for their interests and for a better quality of life in their neighborhood. The swimming demonstration was another sign that people are ready to stand up for their rights and no longer accept that a single property owner ignores their needs. With their persistence and determination, the citizens of Schöneweide have already achieved a lot in the past and will continue to fight for their concerns.