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Candles and “Ghostbike” in memory of Andreas Mandalka alias “Natenom”
Photo: Wolfgang Rattay / REUTERS
The supporters of the cycling activist “Natenom” – real name Andreas Mandalka – cannot find peace after his accidental death. As the members of the ADFC Pforzheim-Enzkreis cycling club announced on Monday, a memorial for the deceased was vandalized.
It was said that the so-called ghost bike that was set up at the scene of the accident near Neuhausen (Enzkreis) was overturned and wreaths, grave lights and memorabilia were destroyed.
Investigations into disturbing the peace of the dead
The police are investigating because of disturbing the peace of the dead, as a police spokesman said. This criminal offense also applies if it is not a grave itself but a memorial that is destroyed.
The white-painted bike had been set up just the day before as part of a bicycle demonstration - at the spot where the activist was rammed and killed by a car driver two weeks ago. The 43-year-old died from his injuries at the scene of the accident. The police are investigating a 77-year-old driver on suspicion of negligent homicide.
On Sunday, around 500 cyclists gathered in Pforzheim for a memorial ride to remember Andreas Mandalka.
Mandalka had made a name for himself as an activist under his pseudonym “Natenom”. He was known for his videos in which he captured drivers' risky overtaking maneuvers and exposed them on social media. He sometimes faced headwinds for his bitter resistance to such rough driving behavior. The fact that he generally rode on the road when the cycle paths were not as well developed as the streets also earned him criticism.
ala/dpa