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Cities in Baden-Württemberg are on edge following the recent knife attack in Solingen, Source: Depositphotos

The Solingen attack causes other German cities to rethink their security arrangements

The Solingen attack causes other German cities to rethink their security arrangements

Security measures, for example, will be much tighter during Stuttgart’s annual wine festival

The recent terrorist attack in the small German town of Solingen that left three people dead has shocked Germany and as a result, other cities in the country are rethinking their security policies in light of upcoming events.

The City of Stuttgart, for one, is busy preparing its annual wine festival (Stuttgarter Weindorf), which will take place from 28 August to 8 September, celebrating the winegrowing heritage of this region of Germany. Apart from new changes, such as the launch of an app that presents visitors with an interactive map to better orient them around the festival village, there is talk that the security measures of the event need to be drastically beefed up.

The Stuttgart Wine Village will take place on Marktplatz and Schillerplatz squares, meaning it is within the weapons ban zone introduced in 2023. Even before the attack in Solingen, Stuttgart was considering extending the weapons ban zone due to some local knife attacks earlier in the summer. Now, anxiety levels are heightened.

It is a way to make it clear to everyone: you don't need a knife, and every knife is one too many,” said Albrecht Stadler, Head of the Stuttgart Public Order Office, regarding the question of the weapon ban zone extension, as quoted by SWR.

However, unlike the European Football Championship in the summer, there will be no entry controls at the wine village. The wine village is too open due to its location which precludes the possibility of such checkpoints.

Heilbronn has similar plans

Another city in the State of Baden-Wurttemberg, Heilbronn, is also preparing to host its own wine festival. Likewise, its government announced that it also plans to expand the weapons ban zone starting on 5 September to coincide with the event.

According to the city, the mayor can take this step himself by issuing an ordinance - without the consent of the local council. Since June, there has been a no-weapons zone around the city’s main station.

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