Arurmukha – Schwarzer Montag
14.11.2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the clearing of 13 squats on Mainzer Straße in Berlin-Friedrichshain. The violent confrontation between the police and about 500 squatters, involving armored vehicles, helicopters, and 10 water cannons, was the biggest police operation in Berlin’s post-war history, with 4000 officers deployed, and is deemed to be the last big “battle” of left-wing squatters in Germany. The insert for the LP provides a detailed chronicle of the events (taken from the book “Berlin Mainzer Straße: Wohnen ist wichtiger als das Gesetz [Berlin Mainzer Straße: Housing is more important than the law]”, published in 1992 by Basis-Druck).
On the occasion of the anniversary, the Berlin label KARLRECORDS is making a contemporary document that has been out of print for more than 25 years available to the public again. The album “14.11.90” by internationally renowned electronic musician and co-founder of the CTM Festival MARC WEISER (RECHENZENTRUM, zeitkratzer a.o.) and JÜRGEN HENDLMEIER (producer for THE FLAMING SIDEBURNS, THEE ULTRA BIMBOOS a.o.) was originally released in 1993 as a vehicle for them to work through their personal experiences as contemporary witnesses of the eviction, on the label GOLDRAUSCH-TONTRÄGER, which was founded for the release. The project’s name, ARURMUKHA – “avaricious demons”, is a term from Vedic mythology, here alluding to the capitalist logic of exploitation guiding the West German corporations that bought out the former GDR after reunification.
The whole album is available on Karlrecords:
https://karlrecords.bandcamp.com/album/141190-ein-akustisches-psychogramm
Keine Wohnungsnot mehr!
The song by August Eduard Moritz Conradi from 1873 (!)
Singers: Angela Wingerath, Ludwig Obst
Man baut in der Weltstadt Berlin überall ,
ja, Häuser und Strassen enstehen Knall auf Fall,
und doch findet man keine Wohnung darin –
die Mieter, sie wissen ja nicht mehr wohin.
Sie seufzen tagtäglich so bang und so schwer:
Ach hätten wir erst keine Wohnungsnot mehr.
Jüngst traf einen Freund ich und fragt alter Sohn,
nun sage, hast Du eine Wohnung denn schon?
Da rief er voll Freude: “Mein Leiden ist aus,
ich habe ’ne Wohnung, ich bin schön heraus!
Ein Stadtbahnwagong auf ’nem Bahnhof steht leer.”
Da hat er doch nun keine Wohnungsnot mehr!
Der Magistrat hätt sich erbarmt jüngst, ich träumt,
der hätt’ zu Logie uns das Rathaus geräumt.
Auch den Ratskeller stellt er zur Disposition,
und hundert Familien, die Wohnen drin schon.
Auch gäb man’s Aquarium und’s Herrenhaus her.
Da hätten wir gleich keine Wohnungsnot mehr!
Ganz harmlose Dinge berühr ich hier nur,
man darf ja nicht schlagen heut über die Schnur.
Denn wenn ich’s riskierte, dann weiß ich genau
es käme ein Schutzmann daher, noch so blau.
“Der brächt in’s Gefängnis ihn ohne Verhör.”
Da hätte er auch keine Wohnungsnot mehr!
ENG
One builds everywhere in the cosmopolitan city of Berlin,
yes, houses and streets are popping up
and yet there is no apartment in it –
the tenants, they don’t know where to go anymore.
They sigh so anxiously and so heavily every day:
Oh, we wouldn’t have a housing shortage any more.
I recently met a friend and asks; old son,
now say, do you already have an apartment?
Then he exclaimed with joy: “My suffering is over,
I have an apartment, i’m beautiful out!
A light rail car at a train station is empty. “
He has no longer any housing shortage!
The magistrate would have had mercy, I dreamed
he would have cleared the town hall for Logi.
He also puts the Ratskeller up for disposal,
and a hundred families who already live in it.
One would also give the aquarium and the mansion.
We would no longer have a housing shortage!
I only touch harmless things here,
you can’t beat the cord today.
Because if I risked it, then I know exactly
a policeman would come along, no matter how blue.
“He’ll take him to prison without interrogation.”
Then he would no longer have a housing shortage!
Investors Swing
The text of this improvisation is taken from the website of Deutsche Wohnen. It exposes the cynicism of investors and the emptiness of words and promises.
With: Anna Clementi, Allegra Solitude, Zorka Wollny
Anna Clementi is a singer and artists and Allegra Solitude runs Liebig 12.
Born in 2011 in Liebigstrasse 12 (Berlin Friedrichshain), Liebig12 is an Atelier & community oriented_initiative run by Allegra Solitude in collaboration with numerous and diverse local and international Actors. Liebig12 acts as a cross disciplinary non profit laboratory encouraging the exchange between artists, curators, re#searchers, cultural activists & flaneurs.
Due the proximity and occasional cooperations with the local Houseprojects and former Squats Liebig14, Liebig34 and Rigaer94, Liebig12 as been witnessing since 10years eviction policies making use of heavy police presence (financed with public money) and confrontation to protect the economic interests of known criminal Real Estate Investors. The local debates about the relationship between heavy speculative investors, housing rights, and city politic has been instrumentalized by mass media, politicians and related electoral campaigns as we can and MUST observe these days.
Now after 10 years after the massive eviction of the Feminist Houseproject Liebig14 and 1year after the one of the Queer Houseproject Liebig34 we are witnessing the next in the radar in Rigaer94. The traumatic and growing loss of diversity and disrespect toward left oriented Houseprojects that has been offering alternatives on housing and collective practices since the Wall came down is immense.
Here an extract of a collective Letter to the Berliner Senat (in German) written and signed last year by many Neighbours (including Liebig12) shortely before the eviction of Liebig34 during the hardest Lockdown we experienced in this Pandemic:
„Moin, hier ein Anliegen in Sachen Stadtpolitik.
Unsere Nachbarn stehen kurz vor der Räumung. Mal wieder ein Hausprojekt mit Pauken und Trompeten weggefegt und mit so hohem Einsatz von Steuergeldern, daß man dafür das Haus kaufen könnte… Und bevor wieder nur die die Schlagzeilen in den Köpfen hängen bleiben, hier ein Statement von uns NachbarInnen….
Berlin, den 5.10. 2020….“
….please continue reading here: http://www.liebig12.net/stadtpolitiksolidarity-with-liebig34letter-from-the-neighbours/
The cleansing and replacement of Population in the area is clear, painful and again highly instrumentalized as it removes the awarness about its history and diaspora.
To know more about the current state of the evicted House and the Real Estate Speculator Padovicz: https://www.rbb24.de/wirtschaft/beitrag/2021/04/gefluechtete-miethaeuser-ausbeutung-berlin-padovicz-werttax.html
RBB Documentary film on how Refugees are also victim of Mafia & Real Estate: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/schattenwelten-berlin/miete-und-not/rbb-fernsehen/Y3JpZDovL3JiYi1vbmxpbmUuZGUvc2NoYXR0ZW53ZWx0ZW4tYmVybGluLzIwMjEtMDQtMjFUMjI6MTU6MDBfZDg1MzZmMTktZjYwYy00NzQ0LTlmYzktNDA1NzY5OTE1NDZkL3NjaGF0dGVud2VsdGVuLWJlcmxpbi13aWUtbWlldGVyLWluLWhhZXVzZXJuLWVpbmVzLWdyb3NzaW52ZXN0b3JzLWF1c2dlYmV1dGV0LXdlcmRlbg/
and last but not least, in english, a blog that traces and documents very well facts about Real Estate Speculator Padovicz and the complex system behind its exploitation strategy: https://padowatch.noblogs.org/about/
Be aware. Dont turn yr look away. REFUSE PROPAGANDA!
The Inserts – Berlin
A love letter to Berlin and against the gentrification of the city.
The band is based in Kreuzberg and all of us are involved with different political projects in that neighborhood. After playing a show on support for Liebig 34 before its eviction, we decided to do this song. It’s a love letter to Berlin but also addresses the change and gentrification that the city is undergoing. We are losing too many autonomous spaces, Liebig, Potse, Drugstore, Syndicat and now Köpi Wagenplatz. We stand together in anger and solidarity, and call for action from the supporters of these historical and important structures. We must demonstrate with all our rage and power that they can try to evict our homes, but they cannot evict a movement.
The “Inserts” story began around new year’s eve 2009 when singer Elli and bass player Nanke (both from former CRUMPETS) met guitar slinging Gabriale and cataclysmic Kathistrophe on drums for their first rehearsal. It was the appropriate start of THE INSERTS at the start of a good new year 2009, musical firework and champagne.
The CRUMPETS had split up some months before and Elli and Nanke agreed that Gabriale and Kathi were the ones amongst Kreuzberg’s creatures to start a new project, although not really knowing them. After more than a few liquor soaked nights, besides a new friendship the new lineup was finally cemented when Gabriale and Kathi decided to take over on guitar and drums. With its new lineup solidified, the band was just starting to hit its stride and six months later, the four girls played their first show, moving full steam ahead ever since. In late 2012, Kathi decided to leave Berlin heading towards Los Angeles – not before having cut the drums for THE INSERTS’ debut on legendary Hundemann Records! Shortly afterwards, Marina joined in at full throttle and so THE INSERTS are showing no signs of slowing down.Oihane Follones joined the band on drums in 2017 while they recorded their first LP that came out in 2018 on Hundermann Records. The band played a few shows around Germany in May 2019 and closing the year 2019 playing with The Shocks and The Briefs..
Nadja – A Study of Moisture
Daring to demand a healthy living environment, the only way many tenants can see results in Berlin is to sue their landlords. The lyrics of this piece are the legal response of a landlord upon being served with a lawsuit to fix the unhealthy conditions many live with, out of either fear of their landlords or simply not knowing that they can do something about it. For a non-German, to get court documents in the post can be incredibly stressful, as the language is aggressive and technical. The makers of this piece highly recommend joining your local Mietergemeinschaft!
Text:
Luftfeuchtigkeit – Es bliebt schon unklar, auf welche Grundlage die Kläger den geltend gemachten Anspruch auf eine relative Luftfeuchtigkeit von unter 60% stützen möchten, zumal die Luftfeuchtigkeit ganz maßgeblich ihen selbst (waschen, kochen, etc.) bzw. deren Lüftungsverhalten abhängt.
Leah Buckareff and Aidan Baker are musicians based in Berlin, Germany. They primarily collaborate as the duo, Nadja and publish most of their work under the imprint Broken Spine Productions.
Geigerzaehler – Rest in Punk!
A long time ago, when there was still a strange large wall dividing Berlin, a child was born in the capital of prisons and the Serbian minority; a small town called Budyšin (or Bautzen in German). This child was quickly thrown into the educational system of the German Democratic Republic [GDR]; he wanted, could, should, had to learn the violin. After the wall had fallen, he cut himself a mohawk , quit school and started an apprenticeship as squatter, which unfortunately was halted by the riot police.
His violin was destroyed, but he quickly got a new one because he wanted to play punk and was to lazy too learn guitar. He played in bands with funny names like „Köterkacke“ (dogshit) in the late 90ties. When Köterkacke stopped playing, he was bored and started to play solo and unplugged with just his violin and his voice. He needed a new name and settled on Geigerzähler, which he has been performing as since 2003. He has mostly performed in punky and anarchist bars and clubs in German-speaking countries, but also in Warsaw, Tel Aviv, Ramallah and New York.
Currently he is working on his new album “Der Zeitstrahl ist
zerbrochen”. 2/3 of the album recall the transformation period in eastern germany. But there are some other songs. “Rest In Punk” is one of them. Kontext: https://koepi137.net/rest-in-punk-herne.html
The Album release will be on 20th of november at zionskirche in Berlin Mitte.
SCHWUND – Einziehen
Since it is almost impossible to find a flat in Berlin, many people move from one flat to another, sometimes for a very short period. So some flats have a constant flow of people moving in an out, like nomads in the city. This might have a particular social component, but for many it just means stress. Accidently the chorus of Einziehen is stolen from „Hit the Road Jack“.
SCHWUND is a synth punk project from Berlin, existing since around 2012. It´s inspired by early 80´s „Kassettentäter“-Music, NDW and Punk.
Rosa Mercedes – Easy Go
Easy come and easy go
Everything I love and know
Open house of rock and roll
Easy come and easy go
You’re the sun and I’m the snow
And from up high you watch us scramble
I resign to what I know
Easy come and easy go
All I love is a thriving tangle
And life will flow to where it has a home
A home, it’s so easy come and easy go
A fragile web
Free spirit
Knowing names of neighbours
Local papers
Doing things all for free
All for memories
Honey bees
Kind eyes
Grassroots of green devotion
A chance to speak and to be heard
It’s easy come and easy go
Rosa Mercedes moved to Berlin in 2013 to work in an underground venue called Keller known for its wild jam sessions and punk variety shows. She’s been working as a musician and songwriter ever since, with Alright Gandhi, Albertine Sarges, Josephine Foster and now Kino Motel. Rosa moved away from Berlin in 2019 when affording living costs, constant travelling for low paid work and participating in Berlin’s music scene became untenable.
We we sympathize with:
We will be presented at:
Eviction Songs are composed and recorded by musicians who are actively involved in fighting the dramatic change of the Berlin landscape. The songs are based on personal experiences, newspaper texts, critical essays, opinions and slogans of activist groups; such as wagen communities, squatters, left-wing cultural animators. We plan to keep it simple and powerful.
Everyone can add their voice – we invite you to join in the project and to record your own song, we count on songwriters and musicians.
The songs will create the sound installation ‘Keine Wohnungsnot Mehr!’ at Skulpturenpark Berlin-Zentrum, at the end of the Summer, in the run-up to election Sunday on September 26, 2021 in Berlin.
If you would like to get involved please contact the author of the installation Zorka Wollny: zorka.wollny@gmail.com
