Fight for the Tatami bathroom: citizens and municipal utilities mobilize!

Fight for the Tatami bathroom: citizens and municipal utilities mobilize!

In Thuringia there are numerous swimming pools before the closure, and the Tatami bath in Altenburger Land is a particularly worrying example. Thuringia24 reports that the causes of the alarming situation on the one hand in the dilapidated infrastructure and on the other hand in personnel lack lie.

The workforce of Stadtwerke Schmölln is fully committed to the preservation of the Tatami bath. On July 8, 2023, posters with the message "We don't want to close" were hung in front of the bathroom. Bad director David Neumann emphasizes that the public must be aware of the difficult situation. Five other posters are to be attached to striking locations in the city by the end of the week.

petition and financial hurdles

In addition, actions such as a petition were launched to collect signatures. So far, almost 10,000 signatures have come together, and the number is growing steadily. The operating costs of the Tatami bathroom amount to a total of 2.5 million euros, of which only 60 % can be covered by entrance fees. However, this remains too little, because around 1.2 million euros are still open, for which there has been no financing so far. MDR explains that the city of Schmölln is already taking over 400,000 euros and the country. But there are still 400,000 euros that are urgently needed.

Mayor Schrade hopes for financial support from the Altenburgerland district and the state government. The coalition agreement ensures that the preservation of all Thuringian indoor pools should be guaranteed. Schrade also plans to make an appointment with Thuringia's finance minister Katja Wolf in order to determine further opportunities for support.

overall location of the Thuringian indoor pools

The challenges for the indoor pools in Thuringia are not isolated. report that 40 municipal indoor pools are in a similar dilemma and require financial support from the state. At a meeting in Erfurt, representatives of the baths and mayors described the tense situation: money for maintenance and renovation is becoming increasingly scarce, while the operating costs are increasing.