Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/20

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Subject: [Leica] photographing the homeless "smug Europeans"
From: douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp)
Date: Sat Jan 20 06:13:20 2007
References: <20070120072910.CDS93852@ms03.lnh.mail.rcn.net>

 From a Brit who has been living in what is/was probably the smuggest 
European country (Germany) for over 30 years 
Larry,
homeless and particularly the homeless or unemployed with an alcohol or 
drug problem are a common sight in most German cities. And if you don't 
actually see them, there are enough reports of them being beaten up by 
neo-nazis and young German-Russian immigrants - two cases alone last 
week in Hannover.
Much is done here in the way of giving them a bed at night - if they 
accept it, and quite a few don't on the grounds that what little they 
have is often stolen by their bed-neighbours. Similarly there are 
organisations offering free meals, a bath and medical/dental facilities 
too (Salvation Army, Samaritans etc.) In the same way much is being done 
on the drug addiction front - controlled methadone dosage, clean 
needles, hygienic "fix-rooms" and Hannover planned the free and 
controlled provision of heroin - cheaper and with less detrimental 
side-effects than methadone, Federal Government has now scrapped this 
plan in the course of cost reductions.

Similar to the magazine "Big Issue" (UK), there is a magazine project 
here called "Asphalt" which attempts to get them back into an "ordered" 
life. They sell the magazine and get a proportion of the proceeds, the 
magazine publishers organize various measures for reintegration of their 
sellers.

Although homelessness is a big problem here, the situation will get even 
worse over the next few years, rising unemployment (at present over 4 
million unemployed) cut-backs in unemployment  and social security 
payments mean that more and more people will be ending up on the 
streets. The main reasons given by the homeless themselves are - in 
order  of significance - poverty after becoming unemployed - divorce  
(alimony payments, supporting children) - deaths in the family - release 
from imprisonment and most of these also in conjunction with 
accompaniment of alcohol or drug abuse.

The police here do tend to keep the "Penners" out of the main shopping 
areas and public transport  by quietly requesting them to move along:  
In earlier years there were a couple of cases of police transporting 
them to the city limits (e.g. in Frankfurt) until two men froze to death 
in mid-winter, that soon stopped it.
Begging as such is not forbidden here, "Have you got a Euro?"  is common 
in all railway stations and city centres, but aggressive begging is 
considered to be on a par with assault, and arrests are common.

The general public and shopkeepers tend to more or less ignore them as 
long as the aren't making trouble, in a country where becoming 
unemployed no longer has its social stigma it is certainly a case of 
"There, but for the grace of God - Go I", people are too worried about 
their own situation to look down on them from the heights they used to. 
It has become noticeable over the last 15 or 20 years how many stores, 
restaurants, public transport operators etc. now employ security 
personnel to stop the homeless entering their premises to get warm.

 From a civilized country
Douglas



larry.k@rcn.com wrote:
>  
>
>   So, what do the smug Europeans say on this subject? Do they have any 
> answers 
> to the plight of the homeless?
>   
>
>   
>   

Replies: Reply from dlridings at gmail.com (Daniel Ridings) ([Leica] photographing the homeless "smug Europeans")
Reply from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] photographing the homeless "smug Europeans")
Reply from pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig) ([Leica] photographing the homeless "smug Europeans")
In reply to: Message from larry.k at rcn.com (larry.k@rcn.com) ([Leica] Re:photographing the homeless)