A shitstorm in Westphalia

The artists and staff of Krefeld and Mönchengladbach theatre have issued an appeal to their government to clean up the drugs and crime ridden approaches to their workplace, in a shaming letter newly made public:

To the Ministry of the Interior of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia,
Minister Herbert Reul,
40190 Düsseldorf

Copy to:
Ms. Minister for Culture and Science Ina Brandes
Ms. Police President Ursula Mecklenbrauck
Mr. Mayor Frank Meyer

Dear Mr. Reul,
We are the artists, the employees of the Theaters Krefeld and Mönchengladbach gGmbH. It has been a great need for us for a long time to draw attention to the situation in the area around our theater in Krefeld from our point of view. That’s why we’re writing to you today.

Sometimes we imagine something: We work at a theater where after the rehearsal we sit together in the sun in front of the theater with an ice cream, or after a performance on a cozy summer evening we chat with the audience over a drink. A fountain splashes;
During the day you can see young people trying their hand at a skate ramp or children making themselves comfortable on benches with books they have just borrowed from the media library next door . The possibilities of dreams are limitless.

In short: there is a lot of activity in a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. A place of encounter and exchange.

Instead, we work in this place: not a day goes by when you don’t meet addicts who use their drugs, deal or beg for money in the area of ​​the stage entrance when you lock your bike on the employee bike rack. The employee parking lot is completely littered with faeces, used pads, soiled toilet paper and other rubbish.

Our colleagues from the props department, whose workshop is in the basement, have a view of people chasing a needle down their throat, arm or between their toes right outside their windows; on bare buttocks when (sorry!) pooping or on private parts when urinating or changing tampons.
The same sight is offered to the colleagues of the mask every day in front of their work rooms on the ground floor. Because of the sewer stench, our opera choir can only rehearse with the windows closed in the choir room on the lower floor. Our theater photographer regularly has to step over sleeping and/or drugged people to enter his studio. The same applies at the entrance to the administrative offices in the neighboring theater building.
Large parts of the building are fenced off like a prison, so that the listed (!) building does not suffer from the urine of addicts and the homeless and to prevent break-ins. In the meantime, however, the addicts are also climbing over the site fence that was erected around the staff terrace.
In order to get to the box office, you either have to pass dozing or rowdy people, past the stench of urine and rubbish, or, to avoid this misery, choose the way through the underground car park, where deals and consumption are now also taking place. People are now camped out in sleeping bags and makeshift tents on Theaterplatz. Due to the rubbish that they scatter on the square, there are more and more vermin around the theater, including more and more rats, which find their way into our work rooms.

The Theaterplatz in Krefeld is now being advertised on TikTok with slogans like “#KrefeldCrackCity” or “Krefeld is awesome and there are no consequences!” as the best location for the drug scene, for users and dealers! The environment of our workplace is psychologically stressful and sometimes physically threatening. Last year there was an attack on a box office employee in broad daylight. Last month, a beer bottle was thrown against the window of an artists’ dressing room on the ground floor, causing it to shatter. An outside staircase, also a listed building and a legal escape route in an emergency, was destroyed to serve as a drug hideout. We could continue the list.

In short: it takes an effort to go to the theater both during the day and at night. It’s disgusting, uncomfortable and dangerous.
There are subscribers who are considering canceling their theater subscription, or have unfortunately already done so, because they no longer feel safe walking to the theater, let alone walking home late at night after a performance. Furthermore, the condition and atmosphere of the theater forecourt is not only off-putting to our loyal audience, but the square is not at all attractive and welcoming to new audiences that we are trying to reach and acquire!
Although the problem has been going on for many years and is well known in the city, the situation is escalating, possibly in connection with national activities on social media, especially TikTok.
Our theatergoers and we no longer feel safe on and around Theaterplatz. We are now at a point where we think we can only help ourselves with this letter to you, because all local paths seem to have been unsuccessful to us. We were told: The police don’t want to change anything about this situation because they can keep the scene well under surveillance at this location. Since you are responsible for security in North Rhine-Westphalia, we are turning to you in the great hope that you will succeed in restoring the security that has been lost here.
There are photographs from the 1960s in which the theater looks sophisticated and attractive. We long for this situation back: a place of culture that is a gem for the city and its surroundings and creates identity for the city society. A place where we can proudly invite people from other cities. Where we like to hang out outside of our working hours.

While we were writing this letter, we learned from the press about your exchange with the Krefeld FDP parliamentary group. We are grateful that you have taken this matter so seriously. We kindly invite you to our theater and would be very happy to have an open conversation with you. As it is now, the theater is slowly suffocating with the scene and the theater square is a “restricted area” for the citizens of the city.

Kind regards and an urgent request for support
The works council representing the employees of the Theaters Krefeld and Mönchengladbach