Evening Newspaper Readers' Viewpoints: June 25, 2025
Change is urgently needed: A cyclist's perspective on Hamburg
June 18: Reviewing Hamburg's bike-friendly reputation
Hey team, we appreciate your June 18 article on cycling woes in Hamburg. As a daily bike rider, I can confirm that navigating the streets of Hamburg has become increasingly challenging. With the growing popularity of e-bikes, cargo bikes, and other cycling modes, the overall cycling traffic has changed - and so has the difficulty in finding a secure place to park my bike.
Living in Barmbek-Nord, the Habichtstraße U-Bahn station is my go-to transit point. However, the lack of new bike racks at this station has become a serious issue. This shortage has led to increased bike thefts, as mentioned in your article. I contacted the Senator for Transport about this concern, but the response was less than satisfactory - see attachment.
It seems that certain neighborhoods are receiving priority over others, which was also evident in the recent elections. While the transport authority led by Senator Antje Tjarks considers itself on a good path, grading themselves "satisfactory" or worse, I believe a change in the transport policy is urgently needed. A policy that caters to all participants with their specific needs would be ideal.
Gaby Weber
Punished for lawful behavior?
Cities worldwide are investing vast sums into the renewal of cycling infrastructure, with cyclists enjoying tax-free benefits. However, some cyclists behave recklessly, disregarding pedestrian rights and traffic rules. They fail to dismount and push their bikes at pedestrian crossings, ride aggressively in pedestrian zones, ignore designated bike lanes, and almost cause accidents with buses and trucks. The insistence on their "right" to ride wherever they please puts both themselves and others at risk.
Dr. Gunter Alfke
Sharing the road
June 16: Santana at Barclays Arena - an exciting performance
Rarely have I read a more successful and engaging concert review! The review was competent, amusing, captivating, and filled with valuable information. Kudos! I was so impressed that I'm nominating you for the next Pulitzer Prize.
Siegfried Schwarz
A exceptional concert experience
Rarely have I read a more authentic and cohesive concert commentary than Tino Lange's today. If only Carlos Santana had insured his fingers ahead of time, even his gold-plated Gibson SG couldn't always deliver perfection. A fantastic opening with hits from the 70s, followed by an extraordinary drum solo from his wife Cindy Blackman. We might have believed in the power of turning water into wine 50 years ago, but alas, Carlos chose to wrap up the concert after 90 minutes - we've seen him differently before!
Bettina & Joachim Lamm
Poor treatment of court bailiffs
June 19: Court bailiffs overwhelmed: "treated like stepchildren"
Like any other profession, fair pay is crucial for filling positions and passing relevant exams. Unfortunately, this is a joke for court bailiffs. Even an increase in fees according to the "Enforcement Remuneration Ordinance" and the abolition of caps doesn't change the fact that these crucial workers are treated like second-class citizens. The continuous undervaluation of their vital role is alarming, especially in a city as wealthy as Hamburg.
Raimo Guhl
Disrespect for the least fortunate
June 20: Eleven homeless people have already died in Hamburg this year
The tragic news of eleven homeless people lost in Hamburg this year serves as a stark reminder of the city's neglect towards the less fortunate. It's incomprehensible that, with sufficient resources and accommodation for refugees, the city can't provide basic support to help those who are homeless and may not be to blame for their situation. The Senate of Hamburg needs to address this problem immediately.
Steffen Dederding
Neglect and indifference
Enormous sums are spent on pointless construction projects in Hamburg, yet when I join the DRK homeless bus, the donation jar rarely fills up, and support from the state or corporations is scarce. It's a disheartening realization that between Hamburgers, people are dying unsheltered, and apparent indifference from society and government is worsening the situation.
Gerald Staschke
Poor conditions elsewhere
June 20: café owner forced to reduce outdoor seating
The recent changes enforced by the authorities in the Hegestraße are overly drastic. Yet, in nearby Eppendorfer Baum, especially on market days, it's barely passable due to the density of businesses such as Blume 2000, Boston Burger, and Bistro Engelke - talk about a two-meter passage!
Jens Jakobi
Unreasonable demands
June 18: Government plans to create hundreds of jobs for Scholz
Streamlining administrative processes is a universal demand, but what goes too far are eight new positions for the (former) Chancellor. These jobs would be better utilized investigating tax evasion scandals in the interest of the taxpayer. The question arises as to how many employees we continue to maintain for former government members post-office, who also enjoy additional remuneration beyond their salaries. Mrs. Merkel used this perk to write her book, earning a million-dollar profit as a result. Beyond chauffeurs, these costs are indefensible to the average citizen. - Norbert Herzberg
A broken campaign promise
June 19: Bergedorfer "Omas gegen rechts" open for a popular band
Unfortunately, a famous quote attributed to Heinrich Heine is wrong, as the awkward rhythm reveals. The quote comes from Heine's tragedy "Almansor" and should be: "That was just a prelude, where they burn books, they will also burn people in the end." (Heinrich Heine, Complete Writings, ed. Klaus Briegleb, Vol. I, pp. 284f, lines 284/5.)
Dr. phil. Thomas Bütow
Climate Perspective
June 20: Israel launches attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities
Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is justified because the Iranian regime wants to manufacture an atomic bomb to annihilate the state of Israel. In my opinion, this is self-defense. However, in the age of climate change, every fuel war is a disaster for our planet. Especially when fossil fuel reserves are intentionally destroyed, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This destruction only jeopardizes our future's climate neutrality goals.
Roland Klose
Open Letter
Write to us at [our website] or mail to our site, 20445 Hamburg. Due to the numerous reader letters we receive, we can only publish a few. Sometimes we have to shorten them to publish as many opinions as possible. By submitting, you permit us to share all content and your contact details with the responsible editors and/or external authors. If you do not wish to share your contact details and do not want to engage in a dialogue with us, please let us know. Published reader letters can be found on our website/reader letters, in the printed edition, and digital media of the Abendblatt.
Please note that the translation preserves the original formatting and structure, including headings, bold text, and italics. The content and meaning of the text are faithfully preserved.
- Gaby Weber, in her letter, discusses the urgent need for a change in Hamburg's transport policy in regard to cycling infrastructure. She mentions the lack of secure bike parking at the Habichtstraße U-Bahn station, increased bike thefts, and the unsatisfactory response from the Senator for Transport (antedated June 18).
- The general news section features a commentary on the overlooked role of court bailiffs in Hamburg, who are reportedly underpaid and undervalued despite their crucial position in the enforcement of legal decisions (dated June 19). Steffen Dederding, the author, calls for immediate action from the Senate of Hamburg to address this issue.
