Berlin's housing projects

Last night I went to view and visit one of my class mates commune housing projects. I should back up and perhaps tell a little about these very special to Berlin history around housing projects which marked and era just after the wall came down. At that time Berlin was in the news all the time showing horrifying pictures of police fully armed dragging people out of houses they had taken over, squatters. It was a revolutionary movement all over town for people to take over houses. Some simply were fighting for their believe in freedom and against the system of materialism, others were associated with particular political groups, demonstrating for whatever the group stood for, others were groups of artists creating a experimental situation or installation with the house or some were simply fighting to save an old building with lots of history to be torn down by big bad development companies and investors. The project I am going to talk about is a combination of that with an interesting twist of events following, involving an art project and perhaps some luck. This house I am going to talk about is well known in Berlin as it was later funded as an art project by the city called Project K77. It is also famous because this group of squatters succeeded were many others like I mentioned before were removed from the houses using violent acts by the police. This success is explained with an interesting chain of events happening at the time. It all started like I said with a group of people not agreeing that this house, the oldest house in the area of Prenzlauer Berg was to be torn down by a new owner and rebuilt with an ugly apartment building. Seeing the building anyone would have to agree with the protectors. The house is stunning. Houses in Berlin are famous to uniquly consist of a front and a back house, two seperate buildings, connected through a large court yard. Lots of live happens in these court yards and creates a unique feeling of community in itself. The group of young activitsts and artist squatted in this building with no electricity, no heat. This was 17 years ago. The owner tried to evict and remove the squatters but due to elections going on at the time the police held back, trying to keep out of the news and the town quiet. At this time the house has already caused some public news and attention through the conflict in the neighborhood. With the police not acting the owner hired a private squat removal team, a special force, in my imagination trained for real war. With the intention to remove the people from the house again this group started an attack so violently and aggressively, using methods bordering on real war scenes to the point were the people in the house themselves in thread of their lives called the police. The police came and now an interesting event occurred again in favor of the house. The police acted in favor of the young activists, protecting them and against the squad team hired by the owner. Now this story was covered widely all over the country as a revolutionary act. After the owner then sold the house giving up on dealing with the situation in public. The new owner decided to support the none paying tenants, creating a none profit organization out of the house, selling the house peace by peace to the organization, which now in turn is trying to self sustain. In addition the project got funded as an art project and so K77 was born. And so last night we got a tour of the house. It was amazing! In the house live 23 adults and 7 kids. The front of the house if facing a pretty and busy trendy street with a tiny movie theater and cafe, which also belongs to the house. Above a pretty well known comic artist is renting space for his studio. The middle level of the house through the court yard hosts a ceramic studio and above that the floor was turned into a dance studio. The rest of the house is filled with the individual rooms. Each floor hosts one community hang out space and the bottom back of the two houses is the home of the large community kitchen and eating space. In the court yard my friend Nina showed me the last existing public toilet, freely accessible from the front of the street. She is sharing with me that many homeless people come here to use it. We were invited for dinner. Each night for the last 17 years all people in the house eat together. Cooking groups are organized, but you will be amazed to know that other than that there are very little rules, like no cleaning rules. The community has a commitee which meets once a week. Here larger issues are discussed. The house is continously being remodeled and of course at this size, including commercial spaces the organization requires some business like discussions. The house also holds true to a rule of switching rooms every two years in order for people to practice none attachment and to flow the energy in the house. I found this a great idea I had never considered before. I could go and on talking about this project. We need more of these projects in the world!!!! I got to run to class.....