a day ago
Dropping kebab scraps in rat-infested Berlin could mean €25k fine
Tourists in Berlin face fines of up to €25,000 for dropping kebab scraps on the street as the German capital tries to get to grips with a plague of rats in its party district.
Hermannplatz is the start and end point for many a wild night in the German capital, which is famous for parties that can go on for days.
The square sits above one of the busiest subway stations in the city, with revellers streaming out to the bars and clubs of the surrounding district of Neukölln.
More recently, however, the square has become host to more unwelcome guests – an infestation of rodents.
This week, local authorities started a campaign to bring the rodent population under control. City officials put up posters in three languages, including English, on the square that said: 'Don't feed rats.'
The campaign is accompanied by penalties that threaten people with fines of up to €25,000 (£21,300) for failing to put their food waste in bins, or for feeding the pigeon population.
The measure is set to outstrip a €10,000 littering fine in Parma, making it the toughest penalty for public littering in Europe.
Hannes Rehfeldt, the district councillor for social affairs and health, said: 'We humans create the best living conditions for rats. Their population depends on our behaviour. That is why the clear message from the Neukölln district authority is: don't feed rats.'
Starting next month, public order officials will patrol the square in order to catch offenders as the city tries to reduce the quantities of rubbish off which the rats are feeding.
Local authorities say that the problem has become so bad that there is a serious threat that the rodents could spread diseases such as rabies and hepatitis.
Berlin is believed to have a population of at least two million rats, a typical number for a city of its size. However, in recent years authorities have had to close several play parks because of rat infestations caused by food waste.
In the 1920s, Hermannplatz was home to one of Germany's most glamorous shopping malls, the Karstadt Kaufhaus, which was destroyed in the Second World War.
In its modern incarnation, the square has a reputation as a meeting spot for drug addicts and a place to buy a cheap kebab on the way back from a night out.
