Dhe allegations by several women against front singer Till Lindemann overshadow the four planned concerts by the rock band Rammstein in Munich’s Olympic Stadium. A total of 240,000 fans are expected at the Germany start of the European tour from Wednesday to Sunday. And the organizer had to put up with the question of whether women are adequately protected at the concerts. For example, the Greens in the Munich City Council called for an examination of whether the so-called row zero and parties after concerts could be banned.
The “Row Zero” is the separate area immediately in front of a concert stage. Research by “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, NDR and WDR suggest that young women were systematically recruited as sex partners at Rammstein concerts for “Row Zero” and subsequent after-show parties. Front singer Till Lindemann is accused of abusive behavior by some women. Lindemann and the band had rejected the allegations and referred to the presumption of innocence. In the meantime, however, the band has hired a law firm to investigate the allegations.
After Olympiapark München GmbH had already stated on Monday that there would be neither a “Row Zero” nor after-show parties, the district administration department (KVR) in Munich announced on Tuesday that fans could stay in the area in front of the stage regardless of the Rammstein concert is prohibited for security reasons. The current allegations are taken “very seriously”, the authority said.
Closer cooperation with the police
“We will take all legally permissible measures to ensure the safety of concert-goers.” However, there is no legal basis for banning the concerts. Instead, employees of the KVR and the fire department want to work even more closely with the police in the coming days to ensure safety on site. In addition, the district administration officer Hanna Sammüller-Gradl will be on site at the first concert.
However, it does not seem to be certain whether the band will stick to the guidelines. As the Munich “AZ” reports, according to information from those around the band, there is a need for a “Row Zero” at the concerts in Munich – for security reasons. Crew or family members should be allowed to move there. In addition, as quoted by the “AZ” from the band’s environment, the waiver of a “Row Zero” for fans goes back to a decision that was made shortly after the concert in Vilnius. According to the German Press Agency, however, the concert organizer says that both the “Row Zero” and the after-show parties were waived in agreement with the band’s management.
In the Munich City Council, a merger of the Green-Rosa Liste, Linke/die Party and ÖDP/Munich Liste parliamentary groups made additional demands on Monday. In the application “Safe concerts for everyone”, the city council members demand that further measures should be examined by the KVR for concerts. For example, whether awareness teams, i.e. contact persons in the event of attacks, can be made mandatory.
