After the flood disaster in 2021, the town of Marienthal does not want to go back to the old normal - maybe it will reinvent itself completely.If last year's terrible flooding on the Ahr should have any positive consequences, then it could be this: The town of Marienthal, a village between vineyards on the river, could finally grow together.After a long time.Ever since the local monastery existed, i.e. since 1137, the small town has been divided into two.One half belongs to Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, the other to Altenahr.The village is separated by the Hubach, which flows past the Marienthal monastery into the Ahr, now underground in a pipe.There are 19 houses on one side of the village and 18 on the other.If there were an agile mayor in times of need, it would be Rolf Schmitt.But Marienthal has no mayor, it belongs to two places.The official title of Rolf Schmitt is "Liaison of the community of Altenahr".Others call him "Village Caretaker", that's more apt.The man in the checked shirt is 60 years old and actually a federal police officer.But he has other things to do since the flood.Not only because his own house has flooded and needs to be renovated.But because he wants to breathe new life into Marienthal.Rolf Schmitt is in the center of town, which is one big construction site.There is a lot of excavation and construction going on, which is remarkable, because the construction workers in the Ahr Valley have been in short supply since the flood damage in July 2021.Here, in the middle of the town, the “Friendship House” is to be built.In the past, it would have been called a village community center, but in these times the cohesion is even closer.The meeting place for the local population should already be set up at the beginning of August.It is made of wood, not here, but in Nördlingen in Baden-Württemberg.The local Donau-Ries-Kreis finished the building out of solidarity and brought it up to the Ahr.In the village of Marienthal, all the houses had been destroyed or badly damaged, all but three, which are slightly higher.Four people died directly as a result of the flood in Marienthal, and another person took his own life out of desperation.Now the divided village is making a new start – and developing new, contemporary perspectives in the process."We want to use the crisis as an opportunity," says Dorfkümmerer Schmitt.Village heat is to be generated in the middle of the village - with renewable energies, namely pellets from the region and solar energy.Almost all homeowners participate and have their buildings connected.The project manager's name is Dieu Trinh Nguyen.She works for the Eifel energy cooperative Eegon and enthusiastically presents the project when members of the state parliament visit the flood inquiry commission."As you can see, the sun comes for free," she says, considering the weather during the visit.With the heat, electricity should also come into the houses, water and fiber optic connections.This should work until the beginning of November, according to the contract between Marienthal and Eegon.Encouragement comes from politics."We need as many projects as possible in the Ahr Valley, such as the Marienthal local heating network, which convert the local heat supply to renewable energies," says Green politician Lea Heidbreder, who heads the commission of inquiry "Future strategies for disaster prevention" in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament."Even today there is a clear advantage if you don't get electricity and heating from expensive gas or oil, but can rely on renewable energies," she says.Now is the opportunity to "make the Ahr Valley the winner of this structural change."Some things are different in Marienthal than in other places anyway.Here is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in the region, the mighty ruins of the Marienthal monastery, which today serves as a winery and restaurant.At the beginning of November 2021, tenant Franz-Josef Appel was able to reopen the business directly on the red wine trail.In the inner courtyard, a rich selection of tarte flambée is offered with the wine.Ironically, the ruins were not affected by the flood.But even up here there was no electricity, tap water, internet or mobile phone reception for weeks.The house was not connected to drinking water until the end of October.Operations are now up and running again.The optimism in Marienthal is contagious, and there are still containers less than 100 meters below the monastery winery, which the residents have decorated with flower boxes to make them more or less homely.21 of the approximately 90 residents of Marienthal live in the containers.Among them Rolf Schmitt.But he's in a good mood too."It's progressing," he says."It's a different feeling when you see something happening."And then perhaps the miracle of Marienthal will happen - and the two-part town will also become one administratively.