Rescue operation for the Tatami bath: 10,000 signatures for swimming!

Rescue operation for the Tatami bath: 10,000 signatures for swimming!

Swimming pool operations in Thuringia face major challenges. The tatami pool in Altenburger Land is particularly affected. More and more pools in the region are threatened with closure, and there are reasons for that. Loud Thuringia24 Dilapidated infrastructure and a lack of staff are the main culprits that threaten the continued existence of these popular leisure facilities. The Schmölln municipal utility staff is actively involved in saving the tatami bathroom. On July 8, 2023, posters calling for “We don’t want to close” were put up in front of the pool.

Pool manager David Neumann emphasizes how important public pressure is for the campaign. Five more posters are expected to be erected around the city by the end of the week. In addition, a petition to collect signatures is planned, where almost 10,000 signatures have already been collected and the number is continuing to rise. Regional companies are also involved in the effort to identify savings opportunities in the operation of the tatami bath.

Financial bottlenecks are looming

But the financial situation is precarious. How MDR reports, the staff meeting with managing director Severin Kühnast made it clear that the tatami pool could be closed by the end of the year if no financial support comes from the state. The annual operating costs amount to around 2.6 million euros, although the income is far from enough to cover these. In recent years, the municipal utilities have borne annual losses of around one million euros - supported by the city's shareholder shares. This could be the last opportunity this year to compensate for the losses with a one-off grant of 440,000 euros from the state of Thuringia.

Mayor Sven Schrade (SPD) emphasizes that financial support for the state is urgently needed, especially in times of rising energy prices. The district council has also made it clear that the city and the municipal utilities are solely responsible for the operating costs, which further aggravates the situation.

Non-stop commitment to the future of the pools

However, the debate about the future of swimming pools is not just limited to Schmölln. Katja Maurer, local political spokeswoman for the Die Linke parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament, has shown herself open to discussions about possible help for municipal swimming pools. Loud Ronald Hande The pools need viable future concepts, as more money alone is not enough to solve the structural problems. The SPD parliamentary group has already made a push to make 30 million euros available for municipal swimming pools this year. The goal is a needs-based distribution of funds and the creation of long-term solutions.

Andreas Schubert, tourism policy spokesman, also calls for a comprehensive analysis of the sustainability and energy efficiency of the pools as well as an inventory of the need for renovation. It remains to be hoped that quick measures will be taken to secure the swimming pools in Thuringia and prepare them for the future. The ongoing efforts of the municipal utilities and committed citizens are an important step towards saving the tatami bath and possibly other baths in the country.