Vandalism Damage to the Newly Redesigned Friedrichsweiher Once Again

It has been barely three months since the redesigned Friedrichsweiher park was officially opened following extensive renovation work. That was on April 16, and even before the opening, parts of the new playground had been severely damaged by unknown individuals, prompting a security firm to guard the area and the city police to conduct more frequent patrols there. “None of that helped,” says Andreas Bruszynski, who has served as mayor of Offenbach since early July and is also responsible for public order and safety. “The Friedrichsweiher is there for everyone and has been very well received. Children can run around here; there are table tennis tables and a soccer field, and anyone looking for peace and quiet will find a lovely spot here as well. The renovation of the Friedrichsweiher park and green space and the redesign of the playground cost around 1.9 million euros. We refuse to accept that further costs are now being incurred due to vandalism, and we are therefore seeking citizens who may have witnessed something.”

Following damage to the playground, the new swivel benches—which have been very popular since the park’s opening—recently fell victim to the vandalism of unknown individuals, who damaged the swivel mechanism and partially defaced the surfaces beyond repair. Safe use could no longer be guaranteed. The reinstalled, repaired reclining benches are scheduled to be put back in place this week.
The safety surfacing in the play area near the carousel is currently unusable. Investigations are underway to determine whether this is also a case of vandalism or faulty installation. In any case, the carousel must remain closed for safety reasons until the damage is fully repaired.