Against the sellout of the city!
For the preservation of Hermannstraße 48!
Who? What? How?
What happened?
Our house was sold!
Early this year we found out that H48 had been sold! In light of the recent Schillerkiez developments we know very well that this is bad news.
Displacement and real estate speculation have been destroying our neighborhood for years.
And now gentrification has also arrived at our doorsteps.
The possibilities of rental apartments turning into condominiums, luxury renovations and terminations of rental contracts threaten our living situation.
We are scared – but we are also angry.
And we are not alone, we will fight back, we will all stay here!
On this website we inform you about our struggle and our history. You can find out who we are, what we are fighting for and how you can support us.
Who are we and what are we fighting for?
Our house community
More than 140 people live and work at Hermannstraße 48 – some of them have been doing so for decades. H48 houses families, individuals and large shared flats. There are also various businesses such as a wood workshop, a hairdressing salon, locksmiths/shoemakers and therapy centers.
Our tenant community is a cross-section of Neukölln neighborhoods: pensioners, children, students, wage labourers, unemployed and self-employed persons, artists and craftspeople. Flint (Women*, Lesbian*, Inter*, Non-binary* and Trans*) and BIPoC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) persons live here, as well as disabled persons and people who simply cannot afford a rent increase. For all of us Hermannstraße 48 is our home and shelter.
We enjoy living and working here and want to continue to do so. Other affordable residential or commercial space will probably no longer be available to any of us.
In addition to the apartments and businesses H48 is also home to the Projektraum, financed on a solidarity basis. It is managed by various initiatives and groups and is used for lectures, film screenings, discussions and many other events. The space is also used by the house community for regular meetups and table soccer sessions (not during corona times, of course).
The Projektraum is an important political networking space in and for the neighborhood. Such spaces have consistently been threatened in the past and many have faced eviction.
Our demands
We demand that the district does their best to prevent the sale of, and to contain the general sellout of, our city to real estate speculators!
- We want the administration of the district of Neukölln to enforce the right of first refusal (Vorkaufsrecht)!
- We want the sales contract to be taken over by a third party oriented towards the interest of the community!
- We demand that politicians of the district and the city of Berlin commit to ensuring long term affordable housing for all people living at H48.
- For a lively, united and colorful Schillerkiez!
*UPDATE
We did it! In late February the district exercised the right of first refusal in our favour.
We, the H48 inhabitants, are the lucky third party buyers. We would like to self-manage our houses together with the Mietshäuser Syndikat – and officially take H48 off the real estate market forever.
Unfortunately, we still have to be patient and wait to actually sign the purchase contract. Why? Because both the original buyer and the previous owner have filed an objection with the district. And they might also file a lawsuit.
We hope that the buyer and previous owner will come to their senses and refrain from further legal action, costing everyone time and nerves! And after all, the houses will be in very good hands with us.
H48 Stories
Bianca
I found this little refuge in the backyard of Hermannstrasse with my two cats, at the last minute, 4 years ago. I love the view from my kitchen and the quietness in my apartment, although it is in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Neukölln. For the future, I hope that no luxury redevelopments are done, and that the rents remain affordable - and I would really love flowers outisde the windows and green space on the garage roof.
Holzwerkstatt Buhl und Kircher
The wood workshop Buhl and Kircher has been working in the Hermannshof factory building for 19 years. We manufacture furniture and interior fittings in the traditional way, our clients are located in Berlin and especially Neukölln and the surrounding districts. Since the start-up of our backyard carpentry in Neukölln, we have successfully trained 15 apprentices as associate tradesmen and women. We are in good neighborly relations with the other units in the industrial yard and the associated residential buildings. We sincerely hope to continue practicing our commitment to traditional craftsmanship at Hermannshof in the next decade, and that our jobs and apprenticeships will remain secure for the future.
ari
I moved to Berlin ten years ago and, like so many, have stuck around. Not least because I felt so comfortable in my large shared flat in H48. For me, friendships for life were formed in this house. In the meantime, I live alone, but I have remained loyal to house number 48. It was a great luck for me to get this apartment and I invested a lot of love and time in it. I wish that my neighborhood will be preserved and that everyone can stay here. I also wish for the end of capitalism as soon as possible.
Konni
I am a professional carpenter and have completely built and renovated my apartment myself. When I moved in, it was pretty run-down, I had to scrape old newspapers from the nazi times from the walls, under several layers of wallpaper. Since that time, over 30 years ago, my plants have also been growing. Once in the 90s a fire shut down the power supply in many sections of the building for a few days, which created an impressive atmosphere: There were candles everywhere in the windows and some neighbors came to my house to cook, because I had a gas stove that was independent of electricity. Today I am happy about the house meetings (Haustresen), through which I also get to know my neighbors.
Sevim
I came to Germany in 1972 when I was 16 years old and have lived in this apartment since 1982. I raised my two children here and am very happy that my grandchildren come to visit so often now. I love living here in this district. When I go to Hermannstrasse, to the bakery or shopping, I know people everywhere. Many of my friends live here in the neighborhood, so it's very important to me to be able to continue living here.
Kalle
I used to be responsible for checking in luggage at Deutsche Bahn. Since the fall of the Wall, I've been retired and have been taking care of mail and parcels here in the buildings ever since. The mail delivery person already has my phone number and calls me before coming by. Often the post office and other courriers bring parcels directly to me and I make sure that the residents are informed. I also help if the post office is looking for certain people in the house. I really hope that I can continue to stay in my apartment.
Alex, Danea, Liria, Valentin, Raven,Anne-Kathrin
We moved to Hermannstraße 48 some years ago and love both the quiet in the backyard and the hustle and bustle at the front of the street. We live a rich community and neighborhood life both within the house and between the houses - even as the pandemic makes it impossible to have gatherings, house parties and courtyard parties at the moment. When our first child and, a little later, our second child were on the way, we decided that we would like to continue living with our flatmates in the flat-sharing community. We wish for the house community that we can all live permanently in the H48 - and that we can have agency and determine together how we do that!
Arslan
When my father's carpentry shop in Izmir burned down completely, my original plan was to come to Germany for only one year, to work and save up for building a new carpentry business together with a friend. But I fell in love and started living with my wife in Hermannstrasse 48 in 1987. I founded a limited company for concrete, steel, masonry and roof construction work, and I found office space directly in the same building complex. My commute is extraordinarily short: down the stairs, over to our second backyard, into the factory building. I hope that no major disruptions will come our way, and that I will be able to hand over my business to be able to travel when I retire.
Pornfilmshoot in the 90ies
Another story is an amateur porn film shoot in Hermannstrasse 48: In the 90s there was a small group of amateur filmmakers and porn actors and actresses among the residents of the house, who shot explicit scenes in the Hermannshof factory building and especially in our elevator. No further details about this...
Impressions
News
Dates
There are currently no important dates
Updates
We mourn the death of Arslan Demir
Our longtime neighbour Arslan Demir passed away on May 26, 2021. We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of this warm-hearted and genuine person. Hermannstraße 48 was home to his carpentry business as well as his apartment. Arslan Demir was a very sociable and enriching part of our neighbourhood and community. May he rest in peace.
New press release
The housing situation of the people in the factory building at H48 (and elsewhere!) is particularly precarious. Scroll down to our "press release" section to find out more. *The picture says: "Living with a commercial lease? Protection against dismissal also for (former) factory floors!"
The uncertainty continues…
Both the new buyer and the previous owner have filed an objection against the right of first refusal (Vorkaufsrecht). This is now being examined by the district – and the uncertainty continues… *The picture says: "The struggle continues, our fight continues: Buyer and previous owner file an objection against preemption."
We are the third-party buyer!
Good news: the district is exercising the right of first refusal (Vorkaufsrecht) in our favour! We ourselves are therefore the third-party buyers. Unfortunately, things are still not yet 100% certain. More soon! *The picture says: "We are the official third party buyer."
Speeches to read
We have translated the speeches of our rally and uploaded them as PDFs.You can find them in the Press section.
Thanks for your support!
Wow! Despite the freezing cold, several hundred people came to our rally to show solidarity. We are very grateful for the support! Thank you!
We have announced a rally
On Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021 at 3 p.m. we will demonstrate in front of our house against displacement. Come by and support us!
Networking
Yesterday, our first house meeting (in the digital space) took place. We informed each other on the topic of Vorkaufsrecht, updated each other on what's happening, and discussed further steps that will now be taken in various workgroups. You shall hear from us!
Press and Contact
Press release
Press release 17th May 2021 as PDF
(english)
press release 26th February 2021 as PDF
(english)
Our press release as PDF
(german)
Speeches
The speeches of our first rally for you to read as PDF:
