Horst gets a Home

Today Horst, another friend of him and I went to the social welfare office.

I introduced myself as an independent journalist who is investigating Horst's case.

In the office where Horst would get a monthly payment over 190 Euro he said that he wants to get awy from the street.

One of the two civil servants who were handing out the money was surprised to hear that Horst wanted to have a shelter -the other one just not interested.

We talked a while about Horst's case and I got the feeling that those civil servants were kind of uncomfortable in this situation. They argued that Horst had all the chances to get a new home and that he actually had a personal social welfare officer assigned but refused to corporate with that person and that he once was inside a care home but after a few month just left. During the talked they also accused me to be Horst's wannabe carer.

After a while we changed into another room to actually look for a care home to get Horst of the street. I was straight asked to wait outside that room even though Horst did want me to join him inside. He should argue for himself.

They also told me that they are not allowed to give me any information about Horst?s case. If I want to have those I should contact the press office of the city of Magdeburg. When I later asked where to exactly get that official information one lady just answered: "What official information?!"

Fortunately those room doors where Horst was interviewed alone were very thin so that I could hear anyways what was talked inside. The interview lasted about half an hour. About 5 officers went in and out to talk about different matters.

I could not believe in which tone some of the officers inside this office talked to Horst. They used a rather derogative voice. Some sentences they said included:

"Didn't you make that choice on your own!" (to stay on the street)
"Your old home ? it was in a lousy condition!"
"You tell him [me] anything !"
"What happens to the money that you just got?"
"How will you deal with drinking alcohol?"

"Every man is the architect of his own fortune!"

In the end they nonetheless did organize a care home for him where he would get a personal carer. They also wanted to get some new cloth for Horst and asked:

"What is your dress size? ... What is your shoe size?"

Two young guys that did their civil service came from that nearby nursing home to collect Horst. I joined them to accompany Horst on his way to that house. When I asked them to take a picture of them with Horst they strongly denied it and said that the nursing home got informed about me, that they know about my journalistic intentions and that neither the nursing home nor any personal should be reported about anywhere.

So in the end I only could take this portrait of Horst.

I said goodbye to him in front of that nursing home and promised to keep in touch with him.

I really hope that Horst now has the strength to fight his alcoholism with a therapy.