English
Bei der Demoparade Megaspree wurde am Samstag der Protest gegen die Mediaspree fortgesetzt. Für alle, die noch nichts davon gehört haben: Mediaspree ist ein Investorenprojekt für den Spreebereich in Friedrichshain und Kreuzberg. Geplant sind Dutzende von sterilen Betonbürobauten direkt am Spreeufer, in denen dann Medienunternehmen Raum finden sollen.
Dafür würde die gesamte Alternativkultur, die sich in dieser Gegend angesiedelt hat, vertrieben werden: die Bar 25, das Kiki Blofeld, die Maria, das Yaam und viele weitere. Gegen Mediaspree wurde am 11. Juli 2008 ein Bürgerentscheid durchgeführt. Das Ergebnis war eindeutig: mehr als 80% der Einwohner von Friedrichshain und Kreuzberg stimmten gegen das Projekt Mediaspree. Der Berliner Senat zeigte sich unbeeindruckt, die Pläne wurden nur leicht modifiziert.
Anlässlich des einjährigen Jubiläums des Bürgerentscheids hatten am Samstag mehr als 50 Kulturinstitutionen die Demoparade „Megaspree“ veranstaltet. Das Wort „Demoparade“ trifft die Sache sehr genau, denn zum einen war es eine politische Demonstration, zum anderen eine große, phantastische Straßenparty. Mehr dazu und viele Fotos nach dem Klick.
Die Berliner Subkultur präsentierte sich in ihrer schönsten Weise: bunt, vielfältig, phantasievoll und einzigartig; eine Explosion von Kreativität, wohin man auch nur sah: Konfetti und Seifenblasen flogen durch die Luft, verrückte Outfits, und vom Bachstelzen-Wagen wurden Tausende von Kissenfedern durch die Luft gewirbelt. Mehr als 9000 Teilnehmer waren zu der Parade gekommen, die Atmosphäre war phantastisch.
„Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand, noch bist du die geilste Stadt im Land“ hieß es auf einem Transparent am Bar 25-Wagen. Tatsächlich besteht die Gefahr, dass Berlins Subkultur durch städtebaulich gesteuerte Gentrifizierung einen großen Teil ihrer Freiheit und Unabhängigkeit verliert. Die alternativen Lebensformen brauchen urbane Freiräume und Entwicklungsspielraum. Die Demoparade hat gezeigt, was Berlin verlieren würde, wenn die Media Spree-Pläne in die Tat umgesetzt werden.
Die Fotos sind toll, super Atmosphäre. Und doch handelt es sich ja hier um eine traurige Sache. Bürgerwille wird getrost ignoriert und klar doch, Kultur ist wichtig, aber Geld in der Kasse noch wichtiger. Und da müssen Bar 25, Yaamund Co leider den Kürzeren ziehen. Die Subkultur ist nun einmal eine “Sub”kultur und sie hat es bei uns immer gut gehabt. Jetzt kämpft sie um ihr Überleben und wird es an der Spree leider nicht schaffen. Ich habe schon so viele tolle Projekte kommen und gehen sehen, es sind schon keine Tränen mehr da, alles ausgetrocknet:(
So traurig…
I was there striking with the people last year and I just wonder how it ended..unfortunately, as an italian, I definetly know what it means when “power people” do what they want..
thanks for posting all this stuff in english because the official website is not translated and I cannot follow the situation.
Rock on.
Let’s look at your choice of words: “Colorful, crazy, diverse, imaginative and unique…an explosion of creativity…the atmosphere was marvellous.” My dear “fashionista,” were you at a political demonstration or a photo shoot? Don’t get me wrong, I have no problems with political dissent manifesting itself in a carnivalesque manner, nor do I support Media Spree, it indeed must be fought against. But since when are Bar 25, Kiki Blofeld, and Maria considered to be part of “alternative culture?” Here’s the delusion you and your kind are in: You genuinely believe that the clients of Bar 25 & co are part of some “subculture” that is working against the system, working against gentrification. But the truth is, Bar 25’s target customers are the ones who actually work at those very media companies which will move into those buildings once they are built! Bar 25 is a meeting point for upper middle class kids now working within the culture/creative industry whose dissent with the state of the world, i.e. late capitalism, neo-liberalism, etc. consists at best of voting Green! These people who today claim to be fighting against gentrification are in fact core actors of the process of gentrification with their so called “art galleries,” fashion boutiques and generic kniepes (old furniture, retro wallpaper, orange lights, need I say more?). They did it first in Prenzlauerberg and now they are transforming Neukolln, erm sorry “Kreuzkolln.” These people who normally don’t lift a finger to fight against the structures that enable and create evils like Media Spree are now suddenly revolting via partying (of course they wouldn’t clash with the cops) because their temple, i.e. Bar 25 is endangered. Sorry, but I’m not buying it. If the majority of these 9000 people are really so keen on doing something against gentrification (I mean gentrification as a general social process affecting the whole city, not just one facet of it which affects them personally in the sense that their favorite bar might get closed down) where were day a few weeks ago when others were clashing with the cops as they tried to squat Tempolhof? The answer is simple: they were partying at Bar 25.
@ Vera:
One can argue about whether a demo parade is a good way to articulate protest. In my opinion, the traditional left wing demonstrations are as much questionable. Speaking of which – What do you mean by “of course they wouldn’t clash with the cops”?
I think there is a tremendous difference between the kind of gentrification that Media Spree represents (a group of investors, with support of the state government, is planning to change a whole urban area by creating office buildings) and the kind of gentrification that is more or less happening in any bigger city, anywhere, at any time throughout the history.
What is happening in the northern area of Neukölln is quite different from what is planned for the Spree area in Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. I don’t understand what you mean by “so called >art galleries<”? What’s wrong about that? Every city is changing, you can’t prevent that.
Both the above points show the problem here – both of you are against Mediaspree, but you end up at each other’s throats. This is an argument commonly used about the left-wing in general. Developers are united by the love of money, & this is so strong it helps their cause. Everyone who stands in their way has a price…
So, ask yourself this: this is our city, we all live here wherever we were from originally. What are we here for? What kind of city do we want? Do you really know how the world works? Mediaspree in some shape or form will happen because some of us are paying in to pension funds in the hope of a retirement our parent’s generation now have. Learn how money works, ask yourself ‘what is my part in this?’ And then disengage, it ain’t going nowhere.
In light of what is happening in the world, & what is gonna happen within the next 10 years, I too am pissed off with the blind dumbfucks who run this city. Because what they already have here is the city of the future. The global economy is going to shrink (& has done already) because the cheap oil that underpins the credit society is gone. Berlin went through the economic crisis that the likes of the UK are now experiencing, 20 years ago. And yet people still survive & thrive. In part, this is because it’s cheap & because people are left to find their way more than say in the UK. It is a city of it’s people – more than any other capital city I know in Europe (& I lived in London for 17 years). And in a way, it has been like this since the end of the war, when people were growing food in the streets & fixing their houses themselves. My interest in Mediaspree? Well, my home will go. I don’t want the bars & clubs to go, but home is first. Berlin is so fucked financially & is lumbered with over 6000 empty commercial buildings (including the 3rd largest in the world – Templehof). Companies have tried to come here, but this city is so far from the action in Germany (geographically & business speaking) employees don’t want to come here. And then there’s the new airport – right at the time when the cheap flight era is going to end, Berlin builds the mother of all airports. Give it 20 years & our kids will be raving on it, unless the German government gets into bed with the Russians, who are going to be the only ones with any kind of oil supply.
Point being, yeah this city has got big problems, but it has a resiliance in it’s people that I struggle to find in London anymore. People are so in debt & therefore afraid in the UK that they have turned in to drones. Mediaspree is a symptom of a bigger problem, & our apathy & infighting are just fuel to the fire. I really hope that in 5 years time I’m still able to grow my food here & then go down the road to one of the world’s most famous clubs. That’s part of the magic of this place, & money (& the love of it), just kills it. BE WARNED! When I moved to London in 1992, what we see here was just starting. Now, it’s like Singapore made out of rubbish. Still loads of great people there, but I don’t know why.