Overview
- The Wanderrast at Amselsee was heavily damaged in a short storm, and Verena Leister raised about €200,000 from more than 60,000 donors within 24 hours to pay for repairs and lost seasonal income.
- Leister announced on Instagram that she will not accept the donations and will refund every contributor after receiving a wave of hostile messages, calls and accusations that she said became overwhelming.
- The money had been explicitly earmarked for rebuilding the Wanderrast, replacing roughly 30 damaged rowboats and funding a full renovation, and Leister said the site was not insured for the storm damage.
- The reversal leaves repair plans and a reopening date uncertain, with Leister now saying she will wait to see what public or state support materializes and that an Easter 2027 reopening is unlikely.
- The episode highlights how instant, grassroots crowdfunding can mobilize large sums quickly but also raises practical questions about earmarking donations, insurance, transparency and the reputational risks for recipients.