134 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
134 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
Fire In The Rote Flora - But We Go On
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In the early hours of Tuesday morning, November 28, 1995, a
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fire broke out in the archive of the squatted community and
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political centre of Hamburg, the Rote Flora. The fire-brigade
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managed to control the blaze after an intense four-hour struggle
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with three fire-engines, but the fire was not extinguished until
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11.00 a.m. In the fire-fighting process the whole roof of the
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building, had to be removed. The whole of the first floor has been
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completely burnt out, the rest of the building, namely the ground
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floor and cellar has been severely damaged by water. At first the
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cause was assigned to a technical defect in the archives but
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evidence has since arisen that might point to arson.
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Two access doors to the building had been broken open. A hole
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had been smashed in the wall of the archives where a security door
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was fitted; according to the first fire-fighters on the scene, who
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enlarged this hole to gain entry, the stones had fallen inwards and
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could not be ascribed to the fire. The archivists have assured us
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that they left no electronic instruments running - copier, fax and
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computer were all off. Furthermore, the movement-activated alarm in
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the archive was set off twice, but not taken seriously due to
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frequent false alarms. This is all the information we have at the
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moment. Speculation should not be let run wild.
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The Flora was occupied in 1989 on November 1st as a response
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to the continuing gentrification of the Sternschanze district,
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culminating in the demolition of the old Flora theatre and the
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building of a new concert hall for a long-standing production of
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"Phantom of the Opera". The Phantom had to go elsewhere and the
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Flora has continued since then as a self-administered, self-
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determined political and cultural centre. Originally there was a
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dump adjoining the building which the Florists cleared and turned
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into a park. In 1992 the park was brutally evicted.
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Over the past 6 years the centre has had to fight continually
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for its survival. During this time a fairly strong position has
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been reached. It has functioned as a local cultural centre for
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concerts, cafe and Vokue [roughly translates as a "people's
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kitchen" for the community - ed.], exhibitions, theatre, radio,
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bicycle and motorbike self-help groups, sport rooms and as an open
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space where the widest variety of groups could exercise their
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projects in a hierarchy-free environment. That means: no sexism, no
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racism and no capitalism. On a local political level it is the
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place from where non-parliamentary left-wing opposition is often
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coordinated. Demos were prepared, and campaigns directed with the
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Flora as focal point. Benefit actions for national and
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international causes were held here. Congresses and other events
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networking the North German left were often conducted here.
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Furthermore, the "Archive of social movements" was housed in
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the Flora, a unique collection of material documenting the history
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of the Left since 1945 in Germany and internationally. All but 5%
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of the material has been completely destroyed. That can never be
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replaced. The photo-archive and its collection was also destroyed.
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The fire could not have hit at a worse time. Right in the
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middle of a solidarity action week for the banned newspaper
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"Radikal" and the prisoners of the June 13 raids directed against
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the paper and various other groups. Just when 2 of those prisoners
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have been transferred, and demos around the prisons have been
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banned. Just when 3 Kurds in a Hamburg deportation prison have gone
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on hunger-strike.
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One thing is clear. The Flora must go on. We cannot allow the
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politicians to use this as an excuse to demolish the building.
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According to surveyors from both the city and from our side the
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material substance of the building is still intact and there is no
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danger of collapse. We have entered the building, which was at
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first cordoned off, and begun with a massive cleaning operation.
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This weekend (December 2) we shall attempt to erect a provisional
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roof with a large canvas sheet. The electrical wiring must all be
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relaid. The whole of the first floor has to be re-built inside the
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outer walls. The roof of the ground floor has to be newly shored
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up. The water damage is extensive but not beyond repair.
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Our first objective is to ensure that some kind of restricted
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activity returns to the place. We are holding night watches and a
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caravan has been installed as a co-ordination and information
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point. The erection of a tent to replace some of the Flora's
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functions in a limited and provisional form has also been planned.
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The repair work must be done as quickly as possible. It has been
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heard that the senate wishes to use this opportunity to find a
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definitive solution to the Flora problem.
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Given that we have nothing to expect from the city except
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obstacles and attempts to restrict our self-determination, it is
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likely that we shall be completely dependent on donations. Despite
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the destruction of almost all its material, the Archive also plans
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to continue. They need donations too, both in the form of money and
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of old newspapers, pamphlets, leaflets etc., to rebuild their
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collection.
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We hope that groups from other countries can show their
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solidarity with us, organise benefit events, whatever. If this
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place goes under a vital node in the network of North German left-
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wing organisation will have been lost, and our structures will have
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been severely weakened. Donations of whatever kind can be sent to
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the following addresses:
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Money transfers:
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Spendekonto Flora e.V.
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Postgiroamt Hamburg
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BLZ: 20010020 (Bank Sort Code = BLZ)
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Ktonr.: 29492/202 (= account nr.)
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International Money Orders, etc.
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Rote Flora
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Schulterblatt 71
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20357 Hamburg
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Germany
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Phone: 040/4395413
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The above address can also be used to contact the archives.
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++++ stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal ++++
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++++ if you agree copy these lines to your sig ++++
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++++ see http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/sigaction.htm ++++
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+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++==
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Arm The Spirit is an autonomist/anti-imperialist collective based
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in Toronto, Canada. Our focus includes a wide variety of
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material, including political prisoners, national liberation
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struggles, armed communist resistance, anti-fascism, the fight
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against patriarchy, and more. We regularly publish our writings,
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research, and translation materials in our magazine and bulletins
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called Arm The Spirit. For more information, contact:
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Arm The Spirit
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P.O. Box 6326, Stn. A
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Toronto, Ontario
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M5W 1P7 Canada
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E-mail: ats@etext.org
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WWW: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ats
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FTP: ftp.etext.org --> /pub/Politics/Arm.The.Spirit
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+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++===+++==
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