published27. May 2022, 21:24
The tank meeting has been taking place in Bürglen TG since Thursday. The decision as to whether the event should take place in Ukraine due to the current war was not easy for the organizers. This is what visitors say about the meeting.
The meeting caused dissatisfaction with a news scout and politicians because of the war in Ukraine.
20min/Marion Alder
Most visitors do not see any problem in conducting the meeting.
20min/Marion Alder
Various Swiss Army tanks have been on display in the gravel pit of the Strabag gravel works in Bürglen TG since Thursday and up to and including Saturday. After a four-year break, the tank meeting is taking place there again. The fact that the event was being held in Ukraine despite the war caused displeasure among a news scout and among politicians (reported 20 minutes).
“The war will happen anyway”
Most visitors do not see any problem in conducting the meeting. “The war in Ukraine is happening anyway,” a visitor told 20 minutes. After all, there would have been war even before Ukraine. “But nobody was interested there,” the visitor continues.
Another visitor used to be in the military tank unit: “I’m fascinated by the tracked vehicles in the field and the technology behind them,” says Willi Frei. He also gets to meet old colleagues again on this occasion. He also finds the meeting harmless in view of the war in Ukraine: “I find the vehicles interesting and think that you can still show them to people.”
Tank meeting as a family outing
One visitor came by mainly because of her two sons: “I thought they might be interested in the armored vehicles and that it’s a cool trip,” she says. However, it is important for her that her children learn that these weapons are not toys.
Another visitor can understand that the meeting caused displeasure among some: “I think that the event is not taking place at the right time and I can understand that it is not well received by some.” He himself attended the event out of sheer interest.
Vehicles and technology are in the foreground
According to the organizers, they thought long and hard about whether or not to hold the event because of the Ukraine situation. “We found that we got a lot of tailwind and decided to let the meeting take place,” says Daniel Schnyder, Vice President of the “Verein Panzertreffen”.
The tank meeting is not about the weapons: “We are primarily concerned with the vehicles and the technology,” he says. In addition, one wants to show how the Swiss army worked a few decades ago. The vehicles are owned by clubs, museums and private collectors, among others. “For some it’s a hobby, like caring for a vintage car, for example,” says Schnyder.
The visitors are very broad: “There are older people who have a personal connection to the tanks, younger people who are interested in the topic, or simply families with children who are going on an excursion,” says Schnyder.