The environment department proposed to the members of city parliament that they should establish a so called traveller’s site in Frankfurt .

Mainly Sinti and Roma should overnight on this site. Mr. Rainer Vollweiter, press officer for the head of environment, Mr. Thomas Koenig ( Büdnis 90/the Greens), said that at the next meeting of the board for emigration and integration, consideration would be given. Untill this date an agreement will be made with the board of multicultural affairs about a suitable location. The board of environment is very concerned about this site not being situated in a nature reservation or close to it.

The commettee for foreign affairs and the assembly of the city councellors agreed in speeches to a site such as this, as reported. But they fear the local advisors will refuse their approval to accept a travelling site in their own region.

The district parliament of Nieder-Eschbach passed a resolution that a site like this should not be set up in their part of Frankfurt, as they have already enough social trouble spots.

In order to avoid similar resolutions from the 15 other district parliaments, Mr. Jochem Heumann, (CDU city deputee), proposed to exclude the district parliaments from allocating this site, but this is not compatible with the municipal act of Hessen. There it says that the district advisors are ‘‘to be heard’’ in all cases concerning their area. This formulation means, at the same time that the city deputees can ignore the district advisors, as the city parliament has the last word in communal affairs.

Anyhow, the decisions to find a siutable site will possibly take some time, as there are no funds to arrange this.

The committee for foreign affairs considered finding a solution during the course of budget talks which

will take place in January. After this, talks will take place with the politicians.

However, such a site will require sanitary and electrical facilities, and if the site is set up outside the city, installation of pipes and cables will be expensive.

The magistrate reported vast problems in connection to such a site. In a report it states that about half of the larger cities in Germany have sites such as this, according to a survey of the committee for foreign affairs. The sites are mainly on city bord ers and have 10 to 40 places. The most frequent accuring problems which could arise were illegal rubbish depostits and other pollution. Apart from this vandalism and complaints of noise from neighbours were expressed on such sites.

One difficulty implementing this conception could be that Sinti and Roma should overnight together with other groups on such a site. In particular there have been conflicts between these poeple and irish seasonal workers. Furthermore the magistrate conside red that nobody could be forced to come for the night on such site. Sinti and Roma decided anyhow to camp where they have a social point of contact, for instance where they have relatives. Therefore it is feared that the situation will not improve.

Police believed that such a site will have the effect of drawing the wrong people and would raise the crime rate of Frankfurt.

Oher districts reported that it was sometimes difficult to make people leave the site after some time had passed. Some of them wanted to stay permanently. One city reported that in the meantime their site was constantly occupied by certain group of people. Consequently others who wished to stay only for a short time had to stay again in different areas of the city .

Inspite of all these difficulties the magistrate decided to proceed with the project, as it would have a contributary effect to the calming of population. The city wants to have 2 or 3 little site instead of one big one, so as to avoid a ghetto situation. Such locations have been considered: open fields of former american bases, infill sites, places under the highway, disused industrial land, port areas, and unused parking sites. One would have to insure that no one stayed for long. This would be important otherwise such people would have a right to social benefits. They would have to talk with the surrounding districts and communities around Frankfurt, to avoid the feared negative drawing effect.

Investment costs in other cities have been around 10.000 to 30.000 Marks for each site. Running costs differed. One city spent 3.000 Marks in one year and another 700.000 Marks.

Futhermore the magistrate remarked that in the survey of the communities the expression traveller for Sinti and Roma was used very often, whereas the word gypsy was never used.