In the house opposite, the reconstruction fund is also a problem: Waltraud and Günter Groten had made an appointment with the city to obtain support in the case. But when they arrived at the town hall, they were disappointed: “We thought you had all the documents ready, someone would sit there who would record everything and then at one point you would get a message”, says Waltraud Groten. . Instead, they were told it wasn’t possible.

The city’s counseling center was of no help to those affected

“For legal reasons, they are not allowed to enter on their own, we were told. That is why we should sit in front of the computer where we have never sat before and enter it.” The Grotens, 79 and 80, return home with nothing accomplished – frustrated and disappointed. It is now his son who takes care of the application.

The Groten family is also dependent on financial assistance. With the help of many volunteers, they emptied their ground floor, a new screed is already there, and the living room has even been carpeted for a few days. The help of many volunteers still overwhelms Günter Groten: “The help came from the region of Stuttgart. They plastered the walls, pasted wallpaper, painted. Without this help, they say, they would have given up long ago.

New damage is still visible

Because there are always new nasty surprises. In the kitchen, the oil damage became visible in the wall. The fuel oil penetrated the walls of the neighboring house with the flooding. Günter Groten hopes to be able to control this damage. But it will be some time before he and his wife can move in again. They both hope to be home for Christmas.

Until then, they still have a lot of work to do. Directly behind the Grotens Garden is the edge of the border where the flood ripped the land. “Our old life is gone, it is over there in the pit,” says Waltraud Groten. “We had a busy life, we had peace and quiet, we wanted to enjoy it. But now it’s hectic.” She gets up several more times at night.

Restless nights, waiting for the raindrops

Neighbor Maria Dunkel has also had many sleepless nights behind her. When I returned home, many memories came back to me: “You listen to all the noises, you watch out for the cracks, you wait for the raindrops. And although her husband is happy to be home again – Ulrich Dunkel also says he will never forget what he had to go through when several houses across the street disappeared with the flood: “You just have to go out and look at it through the window. Especially where the houses have disappeared, the photo – you take it with you to the grave, you cannot extinguish it. “