Berlin’s well-documented Clubsterben, or death of clubs, has sparked considerable action as of late. Last month, Dimitri Hegemann shared plans to launch the Tresor Foundation, an entity devoted to protecting cultural and creative spaces. On June 12th, DVS1, Freddy K, Marum and others will perform at a public demonstration for the same cause.
Space of Urgency Demonstration, as it’s called, will begin at 11:00 PM at the Alexanderplatz transportation hub in Berlin’s Mitte district. Among the organizers are Kollektiv Spieltribe, Love Foundation and Studio dB. Participants are required to take a COVID-19 test beforehand as well as wearing an FFP2 mask and exercising social distancing at the gathering.
The peaceful protest has been organized “because of the rapid disappearance of socio-cultural venues, clubs, self-determined housing and free spaces,” according to Space of Urgency’s Facebook event page. “These spaces of urgency are crucial for Berlin’s unique identity and urban resilience in total.”
The protestors’ demands include a mediation task force that would lobby on behalf of such spaces, improved access to bureaucratic resources for them, and policy changes in their favor. They additionally intend to raise awareness for issues faced by similar cultural institutions in Colombia, Holland, Palestine, Greece and Georgia.
“Clubsterben” refers to the increased closure of clubs and other creative institutions in recent years due to commercial property developments. Many such spaces, Hegemann’s Tresor in particular, have been active since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1991. At that time the availability of abandoned facilities converged with the reunification of Germany, setting the stage for Berlin’s world-renowned nightlife scene.
More information will be made available on the Space of Emergency website.
