Die Regenbogenfabrik

Last week I visited a great project in Kreuzberg : die Regenbogenfabrik, a center for children, culture and neighbourhood.

As in many berliner houses, you enter the portal and arrive in a courtyard. But this one is much nicer than any other one : in one blick, you see the colorful painted walls, the playground for children and you get immediately an idea of what you can find here, thanks to the inscriptions «carpenters workshop », «ceramic workshop », « guest rooms », « cimema », …

This old factory has been occupied since 1981 by the West-Berliners “Squatters for Redeveloping Movement” : they criticized the inhumane building-policy in Kreuzberg. Today, 35 people still live there, although the center has grown and is now much broader than the housing-community.

The whole site was entirely renovated by the people themselves and on voluntary base, with almost no public subsidies. They renovated the buildings, built new ones, constructed a playground, and, as the site was chemically polluted, cleaned it.

The ecological dimension is as present as possible : the inhabitants compost the organic wastes and order collectively organic food. Organic food is served in the canteen. And about energy, rainwater is collected and the center is equipped with a cogeneration, a system that produces combined heat and power.

The center has definitely a social and neighbour dimension, as this place is open to everyone, thanks to the childrens activities and the workshops. For instance, the carpenters workshop is a space where women or men can come, use the tools and make their own wooden objects. Same idea for the bicycle workshop. Here you don’t just give your bicycle for reparation : you repair it yourself, but you have all the means, and if necessary some help, at your disposal.

The Regenbogenfabrik is also a cultural center, as many concerts take place here. The center has its own cinema : beside a children-cinema, the programmation is non-commercial, based on themes and oriented to cinema-fans. The films are mainly in original version – which is often not the case in Berlin.

You really feel welcome in this Regenbogenfabrik. You even can stay there for a night as there are guestrooms. Or, if you just come along, have a drink in the cafe or go for a lunch in the canteen! This is a great « Rainbow-Factory  »!!!