Ljubljana

The German journalist Kathrin Keller-Guglielmi and her Slovenian exchange partner Marjeta Kralj are regularly commenting on a current topic in Germany for the Rheinpfalz – each from her own perspective. Part I: Safety.

Palatine Perceptions

Seen globally, we Germans can certainly not be accused of taking safety too lightly. Sicherheitsdenken – “safety thinking” – in what other language can one verbalize such a thing? Then, it happens: a 30-metre tree falls onto the street and wrecks a car. Luckily, no one was hurt by the occurrence on Wednesday. Still, the question comes up immediately: was something amiss? Luckily, there was more news this week where safety is concerned. The playground by the festival grounds is being protected against flooding for safety reasons. The poplars in Duttweiler are being trimmed for safety reasons. Every year, the city checks all 7,500 trees on the streets for their traffic safety. So, a great deal is being done to ensure that the citizens of this city are always on the safe side.

Slovenian Impressions

“Safety thinking” is already a stereotype that we in Slovenia have about Germans. Everything is safe, orderly, disciplined. In our opinion, Germans go about things in all seriousness and without flippancy. I actually experienced that during my first week here in Neustadt. I have only, I must admit, seen the Old Town, but even here, this seriousness is visible at every turn. (Almost) nowhere is the plaster crumbling, far and wide no “uprooted” blocks of granite. All of the construction sites are well secured, there are no dark streets, no people who appear suspicious. The Old Town looks like something out of Grimms’ fairy tales if it weren’t for these dastardly creatures. Indeed, at first glance is seems to me the greatest threat comes from the evil Elwedritsches that spit at the people from the fountain when they come too close.

Bestial conflicts

This week there was at least one major safety glitch. It happened on the corner of Wolfsburgstrasse and Würzmühle, on Thursday morning at about five o’clock. While most of the people of Neustadt were still safe and snug in their beds, on this corner a poor (wild) boar was apparently the victim of an unmotivated attack. A dog ripped into a sow, as we reported here. What we did not report is that the dog’s owner, whom the police have “not yet traced,” is known by name to the officers. They were given the name by a street resident who knows him. He is not entirely unknown to others in the neighbourhood it seems, as this was not the first time that his dog apparently had an altercation with some forest dweller here.