German Woman Dies after Forced Eviction

A German woman died in a homeless shelter two days after being evicted from her home, sparking protests against forced evictions in Germany.

German media reported on Saturday that the severely disabled 67-year-old Rosemarie F. died at the ‘Warmth with a Heart’ homeless shelter in Berlin on April 11, after a court decided on her removal from her house, press tv reported.

On April 12, some 300 protesters gathered at Rosemarie’s apartment building to remember her and to protest against forced evictions.

According to the founder of the homeless shelter, Zoltan Grasshoff, Rosemarie fell ill shortly after she arrived at the sanctuary on April 9.

“She couldn’t take the pressure and the stress of it all,” Grasshoff stated. “We are deeply sorry and very shocked about what is going on in our country.”

After several months of fighting against the proceedings, Rosemarie was forced away from her home even though medical doctors had attested that she would not survive an eviction.

It is reported that the retired woman had not paid her 350-euro rent for the past six months and that she had not accepted medical help from the district social-psychiatric service.

In February, the property owner failed to force Rosemarie out of her home after 200 residents protested against the eviction.

According to the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung, Rosemarie lived with no heat, electricity or telephone in the last few months, as she did not have any money to pay her bills. She received her meals from a charity canteen at a train station.