Letter from the German Federal President’s office!!!
As already reported several times I was during my visit at the book fair on 12.10.2012 pushed ruggedly across the street without asking by a bodyguard due to the arrival of our federal president.
Thereupon I wrote on 15.10. an e-mail to the federal president.
All this can be referred to in the blogposts from 14.10.12 and 16.10.12.
I have continuously heard comments that I should have saved the work with the letter, it wouldn’t bother anyway anyone “up there” what concerns us “minor citizens”.
Even if I got a reply this would last weeks, or even months.
But many people were curious to read the reply as well!
On Friday 25.10.2012, already 10 days after the e-mail, I received a letter from Bellevue Palace (translator’s note: official residence of the German federal president), see stamp.
The letter is not signed by Mr Gauck, but by one of his three closest staff members, his
Personal Officer Mr Johannes Sturm.
TRANSLATION!!!
OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PRESIDENT
Personal office of the
Federal President
BERLIN, 19th October 2012
Spreeweg 1
Mr.
Steffen Löw
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx Frankfurt am Main
Dear Mister Löw,
Federal President Joachim Gauck thanks you for your e-mail from 15th October 2012.
He has asked me to answer you. He has read your description of your unpleasant experience at the Frankfurt book fair attentively.
I can understand very well that it must have been unpleasant that you were pushed across a street in your wheelchair surprisingly and without being correctly addressed. It is regrettable that this apparently happened. It is not possible to verify your suspicion any more that the person concerned was a security force of the federal president. At this day personnel of a private security company and the Hessian state police were on duty as well.
At the same time I am asking for your understanding that the officers who are in charge of the security of the federal president before and during an event visited by such numerous people like the book fair are bearing a particularly large responsibility. This is concerning the security of the federal president as well as the prevention of possible accidents during arrival and departure of the car convoy.
In good knowledge of the acting officers and the described situation I can assure you that none of the officers is acting in thoughtless or unkind intention.
However I used your letter as occasion to discuss with the officers again the special situation of wheelchair users. Therefore I thank you for your feedback.
The federal president sends his best wishes and sincere regards.
Kind regards,
Johannes Sturm
Personal Officer of the Federal President
Mail address: Bundespräsidialamt 11010 Berlin, lnternet: http://www.bundespraesident.de
E-Mail: poststelle@bpra.bund.de
I have achieved what I had intended with my e-mail.
Mr Sturm has discussed with the security forces the special situation of us wheelchair users.
Download as PDF answer_federal_president_office
Translator BL