Dusseldorf --
Over three decades, the "Café balloon counted" among the most popular hangouts in Benrath.
Now it crossed the city limits famous cult premises in flames. Host Lothar Reetz and his co-workers are faced with the ruins of their existence, an entire neighborhood is mourning a piece of tradition. The bitter mess came shortly after Christmas:
At four clock poured in on Sunday night thick smoke from the listed building on Benrather marketplace. What the neighbors at first thought was a roof fire, turned out to be the café fire balloon.
With two trains extinguishing the fire department evacuated the residents first, then put off the fire in the electrical distribution behind the counter. But the fire had taken up speed. As host Lothar Reetz arrived at his cafe, he saw a single picture of misery.
"The whole body is charred, the damage goes into the hundreds of thousands," says the restaurateur. "And now, when I had not really invested time in my restaurant."
When the first morning regulars at the "Café balloon" looking, shot the landlord had tears in his eyes: "We wanted to launch it all together to celebrate New Year together on a good new year."
To celebrate now, but no one is more at ease. Also Stefani tine has passed the mood: "I wanted to today, as every year my birthday in the" Café balloon "to celebrate. Now we face a ruin. "The fire service is based on a defect in the junction box as the cause of the fire.
