"Municipality has yet to sign agreement with Jamel, despite his forestry endeavors"
In the picturesque village of Gägelow, the much-anticipated "Jamel rocks the Förster" music and democracy festival is set to take place in just under two and a half weeks, on August 22 and 23. This annual event, founded in 2007 by Horst and Birgit Lohmeyer, has become a beloved tradition in the region, attracting music lovers from far and wide. However, this year's festival is threatened by a legal dispute between the organizers and the municipality of Gägelow.
The disagreements revolve around the usage contract and rental fees for the festival site. Due to unresolved conflicts over the rental terms, the organizers have registered the festival as an assembly for the first time, which brought the local assembly authority from Landkreis Nordwestmecklenburg into the decision process.
The municipality, led by CDU-Landrat Tino Schormann, has shown reluctance towards the festival and imposed strict conditions, including an attempted alcohol ban. Courts have so far ruled in favor of the organizers’ rights to shape the event and denied the municipality’s alcohol ban based on insufficient evidence of safety risks.
The primary point of contention, however, appears to be the rental fees. The municipality is demanding a rent of 7,850 euros for the first time this year. The organizers, who use the festival, among other things, to defend themselves against hostility, have offered to sign the contract in early July, with the possibility of reclaiming the money in case of a court decision. However, the municipality returned the money transferred by the organizers the next day.
In response, the organizers have filed an urgent application with the Schwerin Administrative Court against such a waiver. The municipality, on the other hand, is only willing to conclude the contract if the organizers waive the right to reclaim the 7,850 euros in advance.
Last year, the festival featured acts such as Fantastischen Vier and Olli Schulz. Renowned musicians are expected for this year's event as well, but the future of the festival remains uncertain due to the ongoing legal dispute. The mayor of the municipality, Christina Wandel, declined to comment on the matter, and the lawyer for the organizers reported this refusal.
The festival was founded in a village that has historically been dominated by right-wing extremists, adding an extra layer of complexity to the ongoing dispute. Despite the challenges, Horst and Birgit Lohmeyer remain hopeful that the festival will go ahead as planned, providing a platform for music, democracy, and unity in the face of adversity.
[1] Sources: Nordwest-Zeitung, Schweriner Volksblatt, and Der Spiegel.
- The ongoing legal dispute between the organizers of the Jamel rocks the Förster festival and the municipality of Gägelow, centered around policy-and-legislation and politics, has cast a shadow over this year's event, with the rental fees for the festival site being the primary point of contention.
- The Jamel rocks the Förster music and democracy festival, faced with a contentious relationship with the municipality of Gägelow, has found itself at the center of general-news discussions due to a legal dispute, particularly concerning rental fees and the involvement of its local assembly authority.
