First verdict expected in dispute over dune campsite

The dispute over the rainbow camp in Prerow is bitterly fought. The fronts are hardened. It's about leases, money and a tone that has slipped in some cases. Now the court has the floor.

, and Vladimir Milov

2024 June 28 . 5:54 AM

2 min read

Process - First verdict expected in dispute over dune campsite

In a tug-of-war between the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the holiday complex operator Regenbogen AG regarding the Dünen-Camping place in Prerow on the Darss, there is a first court ruling on a Friday. The Landgericht Stralsund must decide because both parties failed to reach an agreement on June 6th. The state, which terminated the lease agreement, saw no room for maneuver.

Termination and Eviction Lawsuits

Before the 6th Civil Chamber, the dispute revolves around a roughly 15-hectare section of the camping place in the Vorpommern-Rügen district. On this plot, the Regenbogen AG, which has operated the site for 30 years, built infrastructure such as sanitary facilities, electrical boxes, and water outlets. The state terminated the lease agreement on December 31, 2023. A new tenant was determined through a selection process. However, the Regenbogen AG did not vacate the premises, leading to eviction lawsuits.

The company based in Schleswig-Holstein argues that the contract runs until 2042. Additionally, it claims compensation payments for investments made on the camping place over the past decades. The land agrees that this is a valid claim.

"The tablecloth is relatively cut up"

The Regenbogen AG proposed a compromise: a shorter contract duration until 2028 and a compensation amount of approximately 16 million Euros at that time. For the entire contract duration until 2042, the company would allegedly lose around 42 million Euros in revenues.

The attorneys for the state insisted on the effectiveness of the termination. "The tablecloth is relatively cut up," one lawyer said. "After 30 years, it's also time for a change." Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) had contacted the Regenbogen AG with Mietgewerkschaften in recent months and emphasized that he was not open to extortion.

The dispute currently engages the Landgericht Stralsund and Rostock, as well as the Verwaltungsgericht Greifswald. There are a total of four proceedings, including the question of the selection procedure for a new tenant and different plots of land. The Landgericht Rostock deals with an eviction lawsuit for the Anlandungsbereich, or the sand and dune area, where the campers are located. The owner of these plots is the state-owned Umwelt- und Naturschutz Stiftung.

The Regenbogen AG, operating in Prerow for three decades, finds itself in a legal dispute over a part of the Dünen-Camping place in Stralsund, located in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Despite the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania terminating the lease agreement for a roughly 15-hectare section of the camping place, the Regenbogen AG continues its tourism operations, leading to ongoing processes.
The environmental aspects of this tug-of-war have also gained attention, with Environment Minister Till Backhaus emphasizing the importance of environmental considerations and urging against extortion in the decision-making processes.