BorderScout
Image: Amanda Klamrowski (pexels)
magazine
by the founder of DEEZ
June 2021
BorderScout June 2021 EDITORIAL Eslarn, July 2021 Dear Readers, thank you very much, for your interest in our small newspaper, we are offering since June 2003. Its a great pleasure to us, to welcome you to our first issue in English. We needed time to realize that nonGerman speaking people could also be interested in infor mation from the BavarianCzech border region. After all, we are here at what was once the so cal led region of the "Iron Curtain". A region which would have been the main scene of fighting, when war broke out. We always ask you to pay attention to this locali tion of this place, and the region. For decades the region was no man's land. Politicians almost didn't care what happened he re. So sometimes the inhabitats did what they wanted to do. Social interaction with strangers was very limited, if one did not get access to them in direct interac tion through sparse tourism. The sociocultural situation is also difficult for us as journalists. Even after several generations of a united Germa ny, without the "Iron Curtain", the people here do not reveal much about themselves. They also do
foto: GherbaliDanil (pixabay.com)
zation, when we are reporting on the social situa
Like this region, this place has no soft tones. Where a concentration and extermination camp (Flossenbürg) had been set up over 70 years ago, the National Socialists knew exactly why in this region.
not want critically reports about the village, or the alive.
region at all.
In a nutshell, this is our journalistic situation. However, we see it as our duty, that not only the good, the benefits achieved through sub sidies, birthdays and club celebrations are re ported from the area. All taxpayers in Germany and Europe every
You see, that is exactly what we shouldn't write. Even if we are not officially recognized for our journalistic work, most people here insist on the same
living
conditions
regions of Germany.
only pay for keeping its
.
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in
other,
more
productive and more liberal and open minded
year pay a lot of money for this area, which can own administration
as
BorderScout June 2021
In the meantime, we've been toughened up.
It is maybe understandable, that our assessment
In this place of around 80% people who are rela
of the deportation is not an easy situation for us.
ted in direct bloodlines, nothing will change in the
Perhaps we should also take this opportunity, to
next 100 years.
mention that the Federal Government does not
Sure, the world metropolis of Prague is just over
care which view is taken here on the deportation
an hour's drive from this place. Nevertheless, the
at the time. It seems like we just have to be calm,
behavior of the population in this place differs
to avoid being discriminated. What should also be
considerably from that of the Czech Republic,
kept quiet journalistically is the past of this region
which begins just four kilometers away.
during the Nazi era, and the cases of sexual abuse, that have become known since 2010,
The policy prevailing in the neighboring Czechos
among others by a higherranking Catholic
lovak Republic during the separation of Germany
clergyman, who in this village is still highly re
had deported all of the Germanborn population,
vered.
who had previously lived there for generati ons.
In June 2003, we didn't know what there was to
The remaining population and those parts of this
be concealed. Otherwise we would certainly not
population of German origin who wanted to stay
have founded this newspaper, we would have left
in the CSSR were resettled to the other end of the
this area in a hurry.
national
But there are good reasons, why we are still here.
territory.
To this day, parts of the still living deported people
Please do not take offense, at what we write now.
and their descendants want these formerly briefly
But this area has a habit of not letting anyone go,
German areas back. Yes, briefly German areas,
with anything but at best their own lives.
because the socalled "Sudetenland" was an invention of National Socialist Germany.
You may also find out about this shortly, as part of a book that has been in preparation for 10
As journalists, we are also criticized for this
years.
assessment of the matter. In this region, for the most part, the descendants
Now, we wish you a lot of curiosity, for the upco
of formerly deported persons are active in
ming first Englishlanguage edition of DEEZ,
authorities, the judiciary and political offices, and
called BorderScout™!
are empowered to make decisions. After the Second World War, many ablebodied people in this region and this place were either
Around July 15th, we can present this first issue to you, online!
captured or killed in the war. These gaps were filled by the people deported from the neighboring
The Editorial Management
area. Perhaps this will explain a little more why it is not originally local people who are in charge here.
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BorderScout June 2021
120 miles away from Prague
The Upper Palatinate is gearing up for tourism. Offered is something that does not cost a lot, but brings a lot of EU funding.
If you report completely honestly, the funds mostly flow into the creation and maintenance of things, the municipalities would have to create as a separate task and at their own expense for their citizens. This creates a kind of competitive relationship, between the targeted tourists and the residents. In a nutshell: You can do without tourists, if they don't bring in significantly more money, than can be obtained from the funding without any service. In almost all borderland communities this behavior is iden tical. The European Union is welcome, as long as all six years the funds are arriving. EU politics is only of interest if there is arriving money. The proximity to the Czech Republic is only of interest if there is more money for it. Certain people definitely the majority are allowed to live on it. It also prevents factory owners from paying more wa ges, than is strictly necessary. Ultimately, this is what Euro pean taxpayers pay. At best, it is still paid by taxpayers from the rest of Germa ny. The people in the region don't pay it, because the fe deral tax refunds are just enough to finance city and local governments. Why do we write this so clearly, and also angrily? Because every independent enterprise is in competition with this free money. So, whoever invests their own money is not only fighting in free competition. He also fights against gifts from the EU.
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foto: IbrahimBoran (pexels.comI
No matter how far back we can remember, every six years it is almost the same procedure. .Whenever the new funding period of the European Union begins, in the region's only printed newspaper arise reports on planned tourist activities. In the intervening years, the funds received are spent on contracts with local and regional companies. Seldom is so mething created, that could be also of interest to visitors in side and outside the region. The investments made with EU funds are also extremely rarely suitable in the same way for all citizens of the towns and the region at all.
foto: GuillaumeMeurice (pexels.com)
BorderScout June 2021
Nobody can win this fight. In this way there is poli tical selection, and only companies can survive that are allowed to benefit from these subsidies. Since the closely related locals like to distribute the money among themselves, it is impossible for nonlocal companies to do business here, without political goodwill. This is an idea of Europe that cannot and will not work in the long term. It seems like a kind of hush money, so that companies connected with politics as long as this Europe still works to some extent can fill their pockets. These municipalities, which have not created any thing of their own accord, to allow real free entre preneurship in addition to established jobs in terms of labor market policy, will almost sink into misery. For the Federal Republic of Germany this means that the radical parties will get a massive upper hand, since the blame can be shifted to Europe. On the following pages we will show you one ex ample, from the last EU funding period. You will be amazed, what has been achieved with EUcompatible specifications, without generating any particular added value, beyond the consump tion of the money.
Home brewing museum "Biererlebnis Kommunbrauhaus"
Our special publication for the opening of the so‐called "Biererlebnis Kommunbrauhaus" on May 9th, 2015. It is possible, that we are misunderstanding this museum, perhaps even its purpose. For us it is neither a museum for the clarification of beer bre wing by citizens, nor a museum of local history. The latter function was only assigned to the reno vated building later. On the building itself, neither the term "Biererlebnis Kommunbrauhaus" nor "lo cal history museum" can be found. You can argue that there must be something like this in rural areas too. Modernity does not always immediately show the purpose of a museum,
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especially in the present. That's right! Many of us have had the opportunity, to take in this museum on various occasions. The purpose becomes clear to us. This is even recognizable. Through the use of modern design elements rather the purpose is indicated in a very simple way. The total cost was never specified. In any case, one speaks of 2.5 million euros in funding from the EU. The municipality also had to use its own money. So total costs of around 4 million euros can be assumed. So far the funded property was opened in May 2016 for this facility not even an advertising bro chure is available. Of course, in addition to largescale photo wall papers depicting parts of the brewing process in the adjacent communal brewery, there is also an audio explanation by means of headphones brought into a disused elevator in the former warehouse, as well as an audiovisual film screen ing. This film showing is available via an approx. 7 inch display similar to a mini tablet embed ded in the tabletop of one of the presentation ta bles. Available languages: German. If you ask for our opinion, a very simple imple mentation of a much more complex planned pe dagogical concept. On four tables that look like converted conference tables are "touchable" haptic elements, a few sto ne beer mugs painted in yellow RAL color, an old zinc kettle and a kind of "sieve". Everything also painted with yellow RAL color. With the famous artist Joseph Beuys one could say that somehow there is an artist hidden in eve ry person. However that's not a professional implementation of a museum concept, said to have cost around 150,000 euros, via a specialist company from Leipzig.
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The par of the warehouse adjacent to the communal brewer (leſt), which was renovated in this project and which was abandoned years earlier by the previous owner, the Raiffeisenbank Neustadt‐Vohenst auss eG.. Without this subsequent use, the building would cer ainly have had to be demolished. It was approved by the municipalit for around ** 80,000. eu‐ ros.
Don't let us be unfair. Let's take a closer look at the reason that led to EU funding. "Establishing and / or strengthening / improving the rela onship with the Czech Republic" That's right, the funding was also available in re lation to the EU's neighboring country, the Czech Republic. You hadn't read anything about that here, right? It is a little difficult to explain, what could have led to around 2.5 million euros in EU funds being gi ven for the renovation of a warehouse that was previously used by a cooperative bank. There are two possible reasons. On the one hand, the object could have been realized for meetings with Czech citizens. On the other hand, the topic of beer, homebrewing or at least the lo cal history could also be significant for citizens of the Czech Republic. Let us state it right away: Neither at or in the pro perty are any signs welcoming guests from the Czech Republic, nor are there any references to the Czech Republic. Except for the bilingual in
BorderScout June 2021
scriptions / translations on the approximately five photo wallpapers, as well as in the outdoor area with the explanations. The Czech Republic or its citizens are therefore less the subject of this EU funding object, less than any other institution where at least the Eng lish language is used in order to be able to appro priately greet visitors. We now suspect more that it should only be a lo cal museum. We also suspect, that they wanted to pay homage to an undeniable revanchist posi tion towards the Czech Republic, but have not yet been able to realize this.
The stored biling alism suggests a necessar evil. Translations of the Ger‐ man tex into the Czech lang age can be found on the photo wallpapers as well as on the "ex lana‐ tor tables". But nothing more! Also no national lang age g eeting at the ent ance!!
A museum of local history, and a veiled inn. Right, for us this EUfunded object is more of a local museum. But it is even more a disguised inn, through which a few people from the town want easily earn money, with beer brewed at the expense of all citizens.
Imitation of a t aditional pub reg lars' table. As you can see, only for a few people. The rest can sit in the ee space (not visible on the right here) on spontaneously brought beer tables. Local personalities living around the t aditional cor er and those who have already died, depicted on imitations of barley sacks. Let us briefly explain why it is perhaps more of a museum of local history, and a veiled inn. There is also a small kitchen, a bar and space for beer tables.
Once an old beer bar el, sometimes a st ainer, and sometimes a couple of old beer mugs. The decoration of the beer museum. Foils placed on tables with wri en local histor and infor ation about the brewing pro‐ cess. This infor ation also in Czech lang age.
While the brewery has not been renovated apart from a castiron staircase, the furnishings date from the 1960s and for safety reasons are in need of renovation stainless steel fermentation tanks, heating and at least a handicappedacces
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BorderScout June 2021 Of course, for the first time a heating system was also integ ated. In the "museum area" there is even a wall heater. So no conden‐ sation is for ed in winter, when the room is not complet heated. Where are the million euro exhibits that require something like this?
When it came to preparing an exquisite inn, no savings were made. A bar ier‐ ee toilet facilit is also included. Unfor nately, until 2018 it was not equipped with the necessar ex er al liſts for wheelchairs. It is noticeable that neither the inst ctions for the toilet nor the toilet facilit itself are biling al. You can see that the Czech Republic should only ser e to receive more f nding. .
The brewery: Where nothing was funded, nothing was renovated.
Above: The anteroom to the boiler house. Access on the leſt. On the other hand, the brewer could not be renovated. There was and is no f nding for this. It looks like it did over 50 years ago. Hygienically ver questionable. The elect ical systems also instilled fear.
Allegedly, the "Rebhuhn‐Zoigl®" is also brewed here and bo led here.
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BorderScout June 2021 The outer facade was renewed, and the old windows and the door replaced with new ones. Tr e to the original, and using special glasses om Lamber s Glashü e, which also produces glasses for the Paris church Not e Dame, om Waldsassen. An old foundation stone om the 16th cent r , which does not be‐ long here authentically, was at‐ tached. The saying on the door stone "Ever day without beer is a health risk!" is not passed down, but a saying by the now 90‐year‐ old gentleman who is here brewing beer, since 1950. . sible toilet have been in stalled, in the cellar of the former warehouse. In the museum area a sea ting group was set up around a pub table. The
surrounding area is de
corated with face bran dings of deserving Es lar ner citizens, on the appearance of barley
If you wrote very badly, then you would only call it a private beer parlor, for a few people. A private beer parlor, still without fixed opening times, without usage regulations, but very generously funded with money from EU taxpayers.
An infor ative outdoor area that can be used pri‐ marily for a festival area, and a specially made oven rounds off the project.
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