Standing in what was once his home, Erich Braun-von der Heiden stretches out his arm and points up to an attic floor where waters reached last year as catastrophic floods tore through communities in western Germany.
In the aftermath of the country's worst natural disaster in more than half a century, survivors are gradually rebuilding their lives.
Braun-von der Heiden and his wife Christa in March were relocated to a so-called 'Tiny House' - a 30 square metre wooden bungalow - while their former home is renovated. Two acquaintances died in the deluge."We dodge conversations about the flood problem," said her husband. They talk about their grandchildren and lots of other things, "but the night of the flood and the following days, they're largely blotted out of conversations.
Only a fraction of the 30 billion euros of aid Germany agreed to spend on recovery efforts has so far been disbursed. Some who worked in tourism or winemaking are giving up and moving elsewhere. The floods had deep ramifications in Germany in a key electoral year, dealing a fatal blow to conservative candidate Armin Laschet's bid for the chancellery.
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