http://www.thelocal.de/20150113/town-suggests-moving-refugees-into-former-concentration-camp-site
QuoteTown to house refugees in concentration camp
The small town of Schwerte is considering making a home for their refugees out of the barracks of a former concentration camp.
The town in North Rhine-Westphalia now faces heated criticism after the city council said that the 21 refugees could live in what used to be the quarters of SS overseers during World War II the Westdeutsche Allgemeine (WAZ) newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Schwerte was home to a forced-labour camp, a sub-camp of nearby Buchenwald, where Polish prisoners repaired train locomotives. None of the prisoners' accommodation is left standing, but the guards' barracks remains.
Director of the North Rhine-Westphalian Refugee Council, Birgit Naujocks, told radio broadcaster Mitteldeutschen Rundfunk that the decision was extremely "questionable".
"The plans recall bad memories and sinister pictures", said Naujocks, who also questioned why Schwerte could not have used shipping containers, as others have, to house the refugees.
Spokesman for Schwerte Carsten Morgenthal told WAZ that using containers was not an option because of cost reasons.
He also said the barracks were more suitable to make into a refugee home because they have previously been used to house refugees on one occasion 20 years ago. They have also been used to house a kindergarten, a warehouse and most recently a studio.
Up to 700 Polish workers were forced into labour there by the Nazis while it was used as a work camp between 1937 and 1945.
About 56,000 people died there, including nearly 12,000 Jewish people, according to Stern.
Quote"The plans recall bad memories and sinister pictures", said Naujocks, who also questioned why Schwerte could not have used shipping containers, as others have, to house the refugees.
Honestly, as creepy as it may be, if the alternative is living in a shipping container I'd rather take the barracks.
Oh, I agree.
In Dresden, heart of the "Pegida" protests, a hotel owner had to rescind his agreement to house refugees in his hotel. 5,000 signatures were collected by neighbors against it, he was threatened on social networks, and xenophobic slogans were sprayed onto the walls of his hotel.
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I am sometimes surprised how insensitive people are. How about we don't use former concentration camps for anything but remembrance.
QuoteSchwerte was home to a forced-labour camp, a sub-camp of nearby Buchenwald
Eh? That's like 300km or so apart.
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 04:25:43 AM
Honestly, as creepy as it may be, if the alternative is living in a shipping container I'd rather take the barracks.
Plenty of people here live in shipping containers, mostly students. They're not that bad.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cordaan.nl%2FScaledImages%2F16906-w%3D640.jpg&hash=1cc4ebb95f8afbf0e4f825ca89d929d7dedf422a)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kijkrond.com%2F0607-306-w-containerwoningen.jpg&hash=ac465dfee8b891069d74bd695d074e66f2714eb3)
Quote from: Zanza on January 14, 2015, 06:44:11 AM
I am sometimes surprised how insensitive people are. How about we don't use former concentration camps for anything but remembrance.
QuoteSchwerte was home to a forced-labour camp, a sub-camp of nearby Buchenwald
Eh? That's like 300km or so apart.
From Wiki: "The railway facility in the eastern district of Schwerte became a branch of the Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1944. The camp had 445 prisoners in August and 670 in November 1944. The number of escapees was comparatively high, in November 1944 48 prisoners escaped. The camp in Schwerte was disbanded in December 1944 and the remaining prisoners were brought back to Buchenwald."
Apparently they branched out all over the place. McDonalds has nothing on them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_subcamps_of_Buchenwald
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 04:25:43 AM
Quote"The plans recall bad memories and sinister pictures", said Naujocks, who also questioned why Schwerte could not have used shipping containers, as others have, to house the refugees.
Honestly, as creepy as it may be, if the alternative is living in a shipping container I'd rather take the barracks.
I don't know, we thought using Abu Ghraib as a prison was a good idea too, since it was easier than building a new one. Didn't go over so well.
Quote from: Ed Anger on January 14, 2015, 06:11:47 AM
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:lol:
Yea, what a horrible idea. Then again leave it to the Germans to be efficient.
No one seems to have asked the refugees what they think.
They get to live in the guards' quarters. Not sure what the big deal is.
The only way to make this a worse PR disaster, would be for a headline to read, "Germans find final solution to the immigration problem."
Quote from: 11B4V on January 14, 2015, 11:57:07 AM
The only way to make this a worse PR disaster, would be for a headline to read, "Germans find final solution to the immigration problem."
:lol: That would've been awesome
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 11:49:50 AM
No one seems to have asked the refugees what they think.
Regardless it is a horrible idea.
Quote from: 11B4V on January 14, 2015, 12:00:46 PM
Regardless it is a horrible idea.
Disagree. There are two issues: the refugees feeling insulted, and the world thinking Krauts are insensitive. We don't know the first, and we already know Krauts are aware of and sensitive to the symbolic issues.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 12:04:46 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on January 14, 2015, 12:00:46 PM
Regardless it is a horrible idea.
Disagree. There are two issues: the refugees feeling insulted, and the world thinking Krauts are insensitive. We don't know the first, and we already know Krauts are aware of and sensitive to the symbolic issues.
Surely, but I''ll agree to disagree.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 12:04:46 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on January 14, 2015, 12:00:46 PM
Regardless it is a horrible idea.
Disagree. There are two issues: the refugees feeling insulted, and the world thinking Krauts are insensitive. We don't know the first, and we already know Krauts are aware of and sensitive to the symbolic issues.
In this case the city administration has expressed surprise at the concerns.
Quotewhere Polish prisoners repaired train locomotives.
They fixed the steering wheels.
Quote from: Maladict on January 14, 2015, 07:54:31 AM
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 04:25:43 AM
Honestly, as creepy as it may be, if the alternative is living in a shipping container I'd rather take the barracks.
Plenty of people here live in shipping containers, mostly students. They're not that bad.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cordaan.nl%2FScaledImages%2F16906-w%3D640.jpg&hash=1cc4ebb95f8afbf0e4f825ca89d929d7dedf422a)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kijkrond.com%2F0607-306-w-containerwoningen.jpg&hash=ac465dfee8b891069d74bd695d074e66f2714eb3)
This is awful. I lived in some crummy holes when I was a student, but they didn't have a patch on a condo made out of shipping containers with windows attached.
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 01:29:55 PM
This is awful. I lived in some crummy holes when I was a student, but they didn't have a patch on a condo made out of shipping containers with windows attached.
Building with shipping containers is, apparently, a fairly hot architectural trend these days.
I'm not sure how you can determine they're crummy without seeing what they're like inside. I'm pretty sure they're done up just as nice as regular apartments (drywall, plumbing, electricity, finishing etc). What exactly is your objection?
Well, they're less than 3m wide, for starters, and all in all they're probably less than 20-30m2. You have to cram a bed, plumbing, have enough space to move around, etc... I just can't see how those in the photo can be considered decent dwelling.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 14, 2015, 12:29:07 PM
Quotewhere Polish prisoners repaired train locomotives.
They fixed the steering wheels.
C'mon, you assholes. That was comedy gold. Gold, Jerry!
The containers remind me a bit of the microapartments I read about in the NYT Sunday Magazine. Prefabricated, then you stack them with a crane.
Seedy: yes, quite good. Seriously. Now please don't repeat it 100 times.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 01:57:01 PM
Seedy: yes, quite good. Seriously. Now please don't repeat it 100 times.
I have nothing else to do. :(
Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 14, 2015, 01:57:45 PM
I have nothing else to do. :(
You could always torment some poster into leaving Languish. :)
Nobody's left except all the hard cases. And Martinus.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 01:57:01 PM
The containers remind me a bit of the microapartments I read about in the NYT Sunday Magazine. Prefabricated, then you stack them with a crane.
Seedy: yes, quite good. Seriously. Now please don't repeat it 100 times.
Prefab homes are at least fabricated with a home in mind. They have the proportions of a home, they have the internal arrangements of a home. You really need to have in mind how narrow a shipping container is. You can probably make some fancypants hip home putting a few together and cutting off the inner walls to give breathing space, put a larger window on the longer side so you don't have suicidal thoughts when you wake up in the morning... but the ones in the photo are not that.
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 02:06:06 PM
Prefab homes are at least fabricated with a home in mind. They have the proportions of a home, they have the internal arrangements of a home. You really need to have in mind how narrow a shipping container is. You can probably make some fancypants hip home putting a few together and cutting off the inner walls to give breathing space, but the ones in the photo are not that.
The ones I saw were prefab apartments (flats :secret:), not detached homes. And they looked very similar in size to containers.
I believe they're going up in NYC.
It's probably just like living in an RV or a trailer.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 02:08:01 PM
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 02:06:06 PM
Prefab homes are at least fabricated with a home in mind. They have the proportions of a home, they have the internal arrangements of a home. You really need to have in mind how narrow a shipping container is. You can probably make some fancypants hip home putting a few together and cutting off the inner walls to give breathing space, but the ones in the photo are not that.
The ones I saw were prefab apartments (flats :secret:), not detached homes. And they looked very similar in size to containers.
I believe they're going up in NYC.
Googled up the NYC ones, and they are pretty shitty too - and intended to be temp housing. This guy shares my thoughts, at least:
http://www.globalconreview.com/innovation/new-york-unveils-homes-you-hope-36youll-never8653/
And I have seen modular flats that look more habitable than that model.
Of course they're shitty. Nothing is going to make living in a shipping container fabulous.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 02:21:24 PM
Of course they're shitty. Nothing is going to make living in a shipping container fabulous.
Well, that's what I was trying to say all along. Meh, I can understand the NYC plan of having these ready for emergencies, but erecting entire neighborhoods of the stuff and pass it as "student housing"? I'm not saying students should all live in fabulous flats - I didn't - but it seems to me the standards are being drastically reduced.
Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 11:50:10 AM
They get to live in the guards' quarters. Not sure what the big deal is.
I had an ancestor who died in those camps. He fell out of the guard tower.
Quote from: Ed Anger on January 14, 2015, 02:50:04 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 11:50:10 AM
They get to live in the guards' quarters. Not sure what the big deal is.
I had an ancestor who died in those camps. He fell out of the guard tower.
OSHA! :mad:
Quote from: Ed Anger on January 14, 2015, 02:50:04 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 14, 2015, 11:50:10 AM
They get to live in the guards' quarters. Not sure what the big deal is.
I had an ancestor who died in those camps. He fell out of the guard tower.
Couldn't afford decent housing?
:P
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 02:08:01 PM
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 02:06:06 PM
Prefab homes are at least fabricated with a home in mind. They have the proportions of a home, they have the internal arrangements of a home. You really need to have in mind how narrow a shipping container is. You can probably make some fancypants hip home putting a few together and cutting off the inner walls to give breathing space, but the ones in the photo are not that.
The ones I saw were prefab apartments (flats :secret:), not detached homes. And they looked very similar in size to containers.
I believe they're going up in NYC.
Is this part of the recent trend towards "Tiny Houses"?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 02:21:24 PM
Of course they're shitty. Nothing is going to make living in a shipping container fabulous.
You underestimate the abilities of glitter and good window valances. ^_^
Quote from: garbon on January 14, 2015, 03:13:16 PM
You underestimate the abilities of glitter and good window valances. ^_^
Tough to underestimate its ability if I don't know what the fuck a valance is.
Defense rests.
:lol:
Quote from: celedhring on January 14, 2015, 02:29:51 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 14, 2015, 02:21:24 PM
Of course they're shitty. Nothing is going to make living in a shipping container fabulous.
Well, that's what I was trying to say all along. Meh, I can understand the NYC plan of having these ready for emergencies, but erecting entire neighborhoods of the stuff and pass it as "student housing"? I'm not saying students should all live in fabulous flats - I didn't - but it seems to me the standards are being drastically reduced.
As far as the size going, I don't think a shipping container is any smaller than many dorm rooms. The proportions aren't very good, though, and if there's an intent for the inclusion of a kitchen, well, then the shipping container is really too small.
Quote from: Admiral YiTough to underestimate its ability if I don't know what the fuck a valance is.
Is this worded this way because it's just a hypothetical, or do you really not know what a valance is?