‘Wilde 13’ – a psychiatric centre for youth who fall through the cracks of the care system

The building, meant to house mentally ill young people, is a source of pride for the city of Friedrichshafen

Yesterday, a residential building for young people with mental illnesses started taking shape in Friedrichshafen. The building is called “Wilde 13” and it will offer psychiatric care on top of accommodations for 10 patients. According to State Minister for Social Affairs in Baden-Württemberg, Manne Lucha who attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the future psychiatric centre, this is the first project of its kind in Germany.

A safety net for those who fall through the cracks

According to Baden-Württemberg authorities, there seems to be a gap between the availability of care for young people (specifically those on the threshold of adulthood) and integration assistance. The idea of this social centre is to close the gap.

The psychiatric centre is named after the famous novel "Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13" by Michael Ende but also after its address - Paulinenstrasse 13. The project will cost around 1.8 million euros and the building is set to be ready for residents in the second half of 2022. It will offer specialised social psychiatric care for up to ten people in the city.

The Pauline 13 Association will take care of the patients. They are an organisation committed to promoting social psychiatric care in the Lake Constance area. They offer community-based, qualified advice, mediation and support for mentally ill people and their families.

Dr. Ulrike Amann, executive chairman of the association, was quoted in a press release, expressing her gratitude that the association can now provide housing. At the same time, she stressed the fact that the Pauline 13 Association still has a lot of trouble finding accommodation for their patients in the area.

Mental illness is not something to be ashamed of

Minister of Social Affairs Manne Lucha thanked his colleagues for the diverse range of care they provide for the area and their decades-long dedicated work in social psychiatry. He emphasised the city’s bold commitment to the vulnerable, as the psychiatric centre at the town's entrance bears a large logo - “and not small and ashamed”.

The mayor of Friedrichshafen, Andreas Brand, doubled down on the sentiment, saying that nobody in the city will be left behind, or left to fall through the cracks - nobody will be marginalised.