To the editor:

I am glad we made the decision already in March to cancel our anniversary celebration for this year. For some people it might have appeared to be too early to make this decision, but the development of this corona pandemic has shown here as well as in Jasper, how the decision was the right forecasting move – even I am still saddened that we won’t be able to get to know each other finally this year.

Here in Germany and Pfaffenweiler we had in the middle of March a total lock down. Except for grocery stores, repair shops, pharmacies and doctor’s offices, everything had to be closed. Still through today, people are not allowed to congregate in larger crowds in the public. All institutions of our community, (civic auditorium/gymnasium, kindergarten, social youth rooms, senior meetings, playgrounds etc.) had to be closed.

The City Hall was open, but we mainly operated by using our intercom system connected to the doorbell of the Rathaus.

In Pfaffenweiler we had so far ten cases, nine recovered so far, but luckily no deaths.

If there is something real German, it is our desire to plan and organize something to perfection. That does not quite work with this coronavirus. We must be very flexible and need to improvise. I am positively surprised how well it is working. Thus, for example, we need to reorganize every week again which children can attend school or kindergarten or the so called emergency daycare.

We certainly had to improvise with our cultural activities as well — music groups and sports as well as our city council meetings. We had to have an unofficial meeting at the volunteer fire house in April and are planning a public meeting in the Batzenberghalle (gymnasium) for June.

This is my report from Pfaffenweiler. I wish you all the best of health.

—Bürgermeister Dieter Hahn
Pfaffenweiler, Germany