Overview
- The company acknowledged that Martin Herrenknecht ordered planters taken from Schwanau’s Herrenweg, with part of the roughly 20 pots now on Herrenknecht AG property and the exact number unspecified.
- Police registered a report and notified the Offenburg public prosecutor, who says current evidence does not indicate criminal theft because the items’ location is known and permanent deprivation is not apparent.
- Municipal officials state the planters were installed as an approved traffic-calming measure in a 30 km/h zone and insist the items are municipal property that should be returned.
- Herrenknecht argues the large planters created unclear sightlines and potential hazards for larger vehicles during shift peaks and in fog, and he has indicated he would remove them again if reinstalled.
- Talks are underway between the company, the municipality, the district authority, and police to clarify responsibilities and resolve the dispute.