It’s cold on Wednesday in the basement of Berlin’s main train station, it’s draughty, while the sun is shining outside. Arrived Ukrainian refugees sit on boxes and warm themselves with blankets. There is pea soup, bread and baby food, all donated by private households, along with clothing and children’s toys. A woman from Berlin recently brought 300 boiled eggs, and a restaurant delivers numerous portions of goulash soup every day. At a fast food chain, helpers can fetch hot water.
The tireless help at Berlin Central Station continues despite the exhaustion of many helpers and the waiting for the Senate to relieve the volunteers. For days there has been criticism of Berlin’s politicians, saying that they should also intervene to help local people. Nothing has happened yet. In the meantime, however, a 20-meter-long tent has been erected in front of the main station, the station mission is entrusted with it, it should open on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Arriving refugees, at times there was talk of 1000, should be given first aid there. In the tent there are also toilets and medical assistance. On Wednesday, however, it became known that the tent cannot hold that many people.
One of the volunteers is the actor Philippe Brenninkmeyer. He and his wife, also an actress and screenwriter, spontaneously decided last week to support the people. Sometimes they stand at the main station for up to 10 hours. “Sometimes you don’t dare to leave because there’s always something going on,” he says. As we speak, a Ukrainian child cries, exhausted, as are his parents, who stare wearily into space. A young woman walks past us with her spitz in her arms, a helper speaks to her. The Ukrainian asks for water for her dog. “You just have to look people in the eye and see what they’re going through,” says the actor. The trauma will not be over tomorrow.
More than 13,000 refugees come every day – and the trend is rising
The helpers act on the limit, everyone who wants to get involved is welcome. Student Paul fled Ukraine himself a few days ago. Now he stands at the main train station every day and helps his compatriots. Sometimes up to 14 hours a day. A Berlin student from London is also involved: “I come here every day and help the refugees. They are grateful for every donation,” she says. The aid is international, many come from Bulgaria, England, Belgium, New Zealand and Australia, but all live in Berlin. Brenninkmeyer says: “It’s wonderful what kind of humanity prevails here.”
Another train from Poland has just arrived. Many passengers have been traveling for five to ten days and are tired. Some carry nothing with them, no suitcases, not even bags. The actor: “In the beginning we organized bags so that they could at least pack something.” A young couple wants to know if there are still donated SIM cards for their mobile phones. They are all, they are put off. Ukraine is not part of the EU, so the maps do not work in Germany.
Refugee issue: Senate meets in special session
Brenninkmeyer and the other helpers expect further streams of refugees. “There will be many more to come,” he says. Because most of the Ukraine refugees head for Berlin, Senator for Social Affairs Katja Kipping (left) has already asked for help from the federal government, especially from the Federal Minister of Transport. She also expects increasing numbers of Ukrainians coming to Berlin.
As on Sunday, more than 13,000 war refugees came to Berlin on Monday. Everyone knows that there is an urgency. The Berlin Senate called a special session on Wednesday evening to discuss the effects of the war in Ukraine. The central topic will be how the city can cope with the arrival of thousands of war refugees.