Graffiti on the Velten brick wall: Hertha BSC lettering removed!

Graffiti on the Velten brick wall: Hertha BSC lettering removed!

Today, the cityscape of many cities is affected by graffiti and vandalism. Velten, a small town in Brandenburg, is not exempt from this. The lettering of the second division soccer team Hertha BSC, which is emblazoned over 50 meters long on a brick wall on Breite Straße, is causing a stir. Jörg Heber from the cleaning company “Graffiti Tiger” had been working since early Monday morning to remove the unsightly graffiti. Professional techniques are used: First, an alkaline solution is used, followed by thorough high-pressure cleaning. These measures became necessary after the public order office discovered the first traces of graffiti on July 29th and the city administration then filed a complaint against unknown persons on August 1st. Mayor Ines Hübner (SPD) was angry about the vandalism and emphasized the repeated need for such cleaning measures. The costs for the removal amount to a mid-four-digit amount, which puts a significant strain on the city's budget. Jörg Heger from “Graffiti Tiger” reports that the company is often commissioned for such operations in Berlin and Oberhavel, as graffiti from football clubs has increased significantly in recent years.

But what is behind the graffiti actions? Again rbb24 Reportedly, vandalism by football fans is a widespread problem. There was recently an incident on the regional express between Berlin and Magdeburg, where fans caused property damage worth 25,000 euros. The perpetrators remained undetected thanks to their dangerous use of video cameras. Such incidents cost Deutsche Bahn around two million euros annually. The focus is not only on the perpetrators, but also on the clubs: the police union is demanding that clubs pay for the vandalism costs caused by their fans. However, lawyer René Lau emphasizes that the legal basis for this is currently not sufficient to hold clubs liable for the behavior of their fans in public spaces.

The precarious handling of vandalism

The discussion about the vandalism is also being led by fan researchers and club representatives. They advocate greater personal responsibility on the part of fans and a strengthening of preventive fan projects in order to minimize such incidents in the future. A healthy dialogue between the club and fans is crucial to improve the climate and reduce vandalism. A pioneering example of this is prevention work, which involves using sociological and behavioral biology approaches to counteract deviant behavior in public spaces. Such a prevention concept was developed, for example, in Halle/Saale, where the users of a school were involved in a graffiti project. The Pedagogy specialist portal documents the evaluation of such projects in a monograph and points out the importance of greater involvement of the participants' social environment in order to actually achieve effective changes in behavior.

In view of these issues, cities like Velten and large clubs like Hertha BSC must not only combat the consequences of vandalism, but also address its roots. Preventive measures can help ensure that such incidents become less frequent and the cityscape is preserved. The challenges are enormous, but with a strong common will and targeted programs it could be possible to promote a culture of respect in public spaces.