GDR holiday idyll on Rügen threatened: Where are the toilets?

GDR holiday idyll on Rügen threatened: Where are the toilets?

The charm of bygone times still attracts many people. A prime example of this is the Gera company holiday camp on the Baltic Sea, which enables its guests to travel back to the GDR. This nostalgic holiday village on the popular island of Rügen has become a staple for holidaymakers from all over Germany, especially Thuringia, where memories of the GDR are kept alive in the form of museums and historical sites. Guests can stay in original bungalows and experience the everyday culture of days gone by up close. How Thuringia24 reports, however, is concerned about the future of the holiday camp.

The problems result from a new, modern sanitary building, which was classified as a “replacement building” by the authorities in Western Pomerania-Rügen. As a result, use of the new toilet block, which represents a significant improvement over the old, moldy facilities, has been banned. Candy Dassler, the operator of the holiday camp, bought the facility in 2017 and restored it with great commitment. However, he is now facing massive challenges: the building inspectorate is threatening to close the “deli Ost-Seekiosk” snack bar and the popular Trabant camp with “Sachsenruh” roof tents, which would mean an enormous setback for the holiday camp.

Nostalgia and community

The holiday camp not only attracts Thuringians, but also many girls and boys from other federal states, including 18 from Poland, who enjoy a wonderful holiday here. A caregiver, known as Crumb, brings the grinning smiles to children's faces as they play outdoors and explore nature. On these carefree days, memories of your own childhood come back to life. The supervisors themselves are often former holiday camp children who bring the passion and feeling for the camp into their long 16-hour working days. The motivation for their commitment is not money, but rather the emotions and the community they experience here. How MDR clarifies, this type of work is more than just a job; it is a calling.

What will happen to this special place if the authorities insist on the strict requirements? Candy Dassler fears that the original GDR character of the holiday camp will be at risk if the old toilets are torn down and all bungalows have to be equipped with modern sanitary facilities. Failure to comply could result in fines of 17,500 euros. This dilemma presents him with the task of finding a compromise that preserves the nostalgic character of the holiday camp while at the same time meeting legal requirements.

The situation is tense, but hope for an amicable solution remains. The camp continues to be valued and loved by many, and it is hoped that it will continue to exist for future generations. A place that not only preserves memories, but also creates new ones - that is the dream that everyone involved wants. The tradition of GDR nostalgia in Thuringia will continue as long as there are places like this holiday camp.