Overview
- A short, violent storm hit Kurort Rathen last Friday and heavily damaged the Wanderrast at Amselsee, destroying about 30 rental boats and causing one death and several injuries.
- Within roughly 24 hours TV chef Verena Leister launched a social‑media fundraiser that raised about €200,000 before the donation link was closed.
- Critics pointed out that the Imbiss building is municipal property with Leister as tenant, prompting accusations that reconstruction should be paid by the Gemeinde Rathen or the Freistaat Sachsen rather than private donors.
- Leister said she instructed the fundraising platform to refund every donor after an 'extreme wave' of hostile messages, and she will now wait for public or institutional support before proceeding with repairs.
- The refunds and the controversy mean rebuilding will be delayed, a realistic reopening by Easter 2027 is unlikely, and the episode has fueled wider debate over transparency and the role of crowdfunding for publicly linked assets.