“Funny-World“ After Fire: Reconstruction Planned, Operations Continue
Luftbild der betroffenen Fläche.
(eap) A fire broke out last Saturday, before the park opened, at the Funny-World amusement park in Kappel-Grafenhausen in southern Germany, near the French border. According to current information, the resulting property damage amounts to a high six-figure sum; however, according to the park operators, this could exceed the one-million-euro mark. Insurance experts had thoroughly examined the affected area, and the initial assumption by the police that a technical defect could have been the cause was further reinforced during the on-site inspections. A final assessment is still pending.
A total of around 2,000 of the approximately 40,000 square meters of park area was affected by the fire. Four attractions were destroyed by the flames: the “Goldminenexpress” mini roller coaster, the “Bongo Bongo” ride, a circus tent with animatronic figures, and a large trampoline. The rest of the park operations remained unaffected by the fire – all other attractions remain open.
Park owner Michael Schludecker and operations manager Bernd Wolk expressed their determination to make the damaged areas accessible again as quickly as possible: “We want to rebuild everything. We are in talks with manufacturers, the structural engineer, and the architect,” they stated. Whether a building damaged by the fire will need to be demolished is still uncertain.
Der Park ist weiter geöffnet und bietet verschiedene Attraktionen wie die „Oldtimerbahn“, die vom Brand verschont wurde.
The park operators are also receiving legal support: attorney Dr. Michael Thoma from Waldkirch – a specialist in fire-related cases, who also represented Europa-Park after its major fires – is advising the park. Additionally, the Mack family of Europa-Park expressed their solidarity in a personal letter. “In times like these, solidarity is what counts,” the family wrote to Schludecker.
The Funny-World team was particularly moved by the great sympathy shown by park guests. Just shortly after the first Instagram post about the fire, guests were already offering help and donations. A donation account has since been set up at PayPal. ■
