The unevitable finally had been done. Done by the help of a massive police appearance. The house in the Liebigstrasse 14 in Friedrichshain, which has been occupied since 1990 has been evicted. And just another relict of the post wall time had to give way to the economic interests of the house owners – we don’t forget that Friedrichshain has developed being one of the favourite living areas for young well situated New-Berliners. More after the jump.
In 1992 the residents of the house in Liebigstr. 14 signed rental agreements with the Wohnungsbaugesellschaft in the district. It had been unoccupied after the wall came down and people started becoming illegal inhabitants of the empty rooms. Later, private investors bought the house and gave notice to the renters. Since then, all 28 residents have lost their legal battle concerning their rental contracts. The new owners were not willing to find an alternative solution and went for the ultimate solution – an eviction. Massive protests by the habitants and supporters didn’t have an effect.
Currently left-wing activists are calling for protests on the internet to keep the police from doing the eviction. Because the residents of the house are linked to other left-wing autonomous groups in Europe, it is expected that many from other countries will come to support the residents. There were protests during the last days and nights, partially violent and more are expected tonight. However, it seems obvious that it is not only left wing activists who feel threatened by the development of high rents in Friedrichshain and in Berlin in general.
