Detail view latches

For many decades, our door handle had a peaceful existence in Schönhauser Allee 69 together with the residents. But now, in 2021, everything is on the move in the course of the modernization of the building. This Klinke, as well as we remaining 9 of formerly 18 long-term tenants are exposed to the systematic displacement from their living space.

Schönhauser 69 is on the one hand exemplary for gentrification in Berlin, on the other hand an extreme example, since here all registers of the Entmietung are pulled. Here, systematic displacement is taking place on the part of a large corporate network. Our living space is nothing but a commodity and the district does nothing to protect its long-term residents and to maintain the social structure in the neighborhood.

Schönhauser Allee 69, 10437 Berlin

Our house is one of many former restitution objects in Prenzlauer Berg with a renovation backlog since the 60s. The house was sold to a newly founded property company in 2016. Its tangled network of owners leads in part to a letterbox company in Cyprus, where it fits into the structure of a large real estate group.

After the sale, the usual exploitation machinery started for Schönhauser 69 to become luxury condominiums. All permits for conversion, subdivision and modernization were issued by the offices, in part without the necessary checks. Therefore, at the end of 2018 (shortly before the law was changed), we tenants were confronted with a completely exaggerated and erroneous modernization announcement - which demanded a rent increase of +250%. The owners made it clear for the first time with this announcement that we were interfering with their plans and they wanted to get rid of us.

Since then we remaining tenants of the 69 have organized ourselves, became a solidary house community - we are "Katze zeigt Kante"! We defend ourselves against lawsuits, eviction and years of vacancy and live with continuing repressive measures on the part of the owners, such as the cutting down of all trees in the courtyard, piles of bulky waste for months, broken mailboxes, massive ignorance of the property management, chaotic and destructive construction measures and attempts to divide our community by slandering individual tenants.

Living in Schönhauser 69 was thus systematically made less livable, peace & security are a thing of the past. We deal with it and stay anyway, we hold on to our home! Many of us have no alternative and many of us have enough anger & courage to resist against exploitation machinery and loopholes, to document, to inform.

Current situation in the fall of 2021

Through our cohesion and the support of our lawyers, we have fought after 3 years that the plans for the redevelopment of the house are made with us and not against us. In September 2021, a modernization agreement could finally be concluded, which regulates some key data legally and thus should give us tenants a perspective for the remaining years in the Schönhauser 69. Nevertheless, we tenants are ticked off and will probably lose our home in a few years due to sale and termination of owner-occupancy, since the conversion of our building from an apartment building into individual condominiums has been completed.

With the signing of the modernization agreements, construction has begun. We tenants:inside started this inevitable next stage full of hope, but unfortunately the construction measures so far again cast doubt on the trustworthiness and competence of our contractual partners. How seriously the landlords will stick to the agreements remains to be seen. We know that we need just as much staying power as before and that we have to invest a lot of time, work and nerves in our house.

The massive construction measures are scheduled for a period of one and a half years. It would be nice if we tenants (and our new doorknob) could really settle down again afterwards and not have to live in a permanent construction site for years.

Struggle, perspective & utopia

In the meantime, we are committed on principle, are active in urban political initiatives and try to contribute to a massive improvement of the tense housing situation in Berlin. Currently we are the plaything of the greed for profit - we are an example for the lack of laws that protect the residents of the city from speculation.

Our "Heuschrecke" achieves, apart from thousands of residential properties, far greater profit with trade & hotels, operates share deals, is responsible for speculative vacancies and in many cases demonstrably does not adhere to the principle "property obliges". Here must be expropriated, socialization is a solution.

Secure housing must be given its proper place in urban development! We are fighting for a heterogeneous, lively neighborhood, its residents and providers, for socially responsible housing.