From Teplice to Hamburg: Jiri's Journey from Mechanic to Street Vendor
Meet Jiri, a 58-year-old man from the Czech Republic who now lives on Hamburg's streets, selling Hinz&Kunzt outside Edeka on Gasstraße. His life has taken a series of turns, from growing up in Teplice to spending years behind bars and now facing a government shutdown of sorts in his living circumstances.
Jiri's journey began in 1967 when he was born in Teplice, the eldest of three brothers. He attended school and trained as a mechanic in his hometown. However, he fell into a life of crime, committing petty thefts and break-ins with acquaintances.
In his early years, Jiri worked at a metalworking plant in Prague. But his criminal activities led him to spend many years in prison. He served his sentence in a Prague prison until 1989, when he was released due to an amnesty granted by the transitional government of the Velvet Revolution. This government favored Jiri and others like him during the democratization of Czechoslovakia.
Today, Jiri sells Hinz&Kunzt to barely scrape by. Despite his past, he remains a familiar face on Hamburg's streets, a testament to the challenges faced by those living through a government shutdown and the resilience it takes to keep going.
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