On the 28th April 2007 a fire destroyed RigaerStrasse 84 a living place for 48 people, a space for international guests, a public cooking space, cinema, a free space for political groups, concert space, and a bar.

We, the inhabitants, had to watch the roof and parts of the womens floor burn for hours. Luckily no one got hurt in our project or the neighboring house(Proskauerstraße 10), where the fire also spread. The shock of the situation is still very strong, and it takes a lot of concentration to have the energy to look to the future.

History of the house

Rigaerstraße 84 was squatted in 1990 and was legalized through rent contracts in 1991. In 1997, shortly after the first attempt to renovate the house, which could not happen due to resistence from the inhabitents, the roof of the entire corner (rigaerstraße 84 and proskauerstraße 10) burned. According to the reports from the fire investigators, the fire was intentional. In addition to the roof the 4th floor flats were damaged by fire and water. The other floors were minimally damaged. Both houses were closed for a while by the police.

Shortly after the fire and failed renovation attempt, the house was sold to the current owners under dubious circumstances. On november 2006, a new renovation plan came to us. In response to that, we offered to buy the house from the current owners. They told us that, due to tax laws, they did not want to sell to us.

At the time of the latest fire there were 48 people living in the R84.

Right now there is no offical report from the police of the fire, but for us it looks this way:

The fire was first noticed by the inhabitants of the back house at 4:30am. The fire started in a locked, uninhabited room that had not been used for a long time. At this time we could not see other seperate fires. As we tried to fight the fire with fire extinguishers and hoses, people ran around the houses waking the others up, and called the fire department. Even before the fire department and police arrived, there were civil (plain clothed) cops in the house, forcing people to get out without grabbing essential belongings.

The fire department arrived at 4:45am and started, in staircase and later with ladder trucks, to fight the fire. There were 10 fire trucks blocking the street, yet majority of the time, only one of the firetrucks was used...

In not much time, the entire rooftop of R84 caught on flames and the fire began to spread across the rooftop of Proskauerstr. 10. Around the same time, the 4th fl. of R84 (which was the women's floor), began to catch aflame.

At this point, as far as anybody standing outside could tell, the process of extinguishing the fire was concentrated mostly on the normal rented flats of Proskauerstr.10, ignoring the blazing flame on the R84 side for what seemed to be hours.

A few of the firefighters, who were asked how the fire started and spread so quickly, responded that they were quite sure that some kind of accelerant was used in the arsenal. Some hours later, after most of the fire was extinguished, the entire rooftop, most of the attic and a good portion of the 4th floor was mostly just a skeleton of what once ws our home. The rest of the house, due to the extinguishing process, was destroyed and declared too dangerous to enter and no longer habitable.

While the building was still aflame, passerbys stopped on the sidewalk and gauked at the ruins.Amongst these 'passerbys', 5 people, recognized as Nazis, heckled the victims of this event. They were decidedly driven away.

On the same day, the building police closed access to both buildings. While we,the inhabitants from R84 house project, were denied the right to sit across the street of their burning home and to have breakfast in mourning, the neighboring house (Pros.10) inhabitants were allowed to retrieve personal belongings and effects, All day, we were not allowed to re-enter our home to retrieve important documents, money, or even clean socks. The police said that our house was more endangered of potentially collapsing upon us....

The next day, a few different local Berliner newspapers stated that the fire was started due to a malfunctioning marijuana plantation, which we were supposedly growing in our attic. They got their information from a quite unbalanced, disgruntled neighbor, who has been quite aggressive towards us in the past. Needless to say, this information is false, and we, as a household, were never given the possibility to give our statement on this matter to the press. They never asked. Guess the Marijuana story was more juicier than the truth. Lies in the media? Go figure!

We find this spread of false information unjust and unfair, and have already spoken with our lawyer to put force on the local media to take back these bogus accusations and let our voice be heard.

On Tues afternoon, we,the ex-inhabitants organized an infocenter in the bar next door, Fischladen. This is the collection place for donated materials. In the same time, we were in mediation with the police and bldg. inspectors to allow us to retrieve our smoldering and wet belongings. Also, we tried to arrange a meeting with our local Mayor Dr. Franz Schulz,which couldn't take place,since he wasn't there...

Later that afternoon, the owner from R84 agreed to allow us access to the house for a few hours the next day. In the evening, there was a public meeting where supporters came to get detailed info, ask questions and exchange ideas.

On Wed, 30.May, we finally had access to our house from 10am til 1pm to retrieve our belongings which were not destroyed by water and fire damage. Many friends, neighbors and concerned individuals helped us make the move quick and productive. A big thank you to all of you!!

In the afternoon, some of us were able to finally meet with the local Mayor. We asked for his support in our demands for an immediate housing alternative for us, as a house collective. In the evening, another group of ex-inhabitants visited a local office of the left wing party, which is a strong presence in this area.

Alternative open spaces are endangered everywhere,not just in Berlin alone. Since the eviction of of York 59, the threat against „Schwarze Kanal“,Brunnenstraße 183,Rigaerstr.94, K0pi and many others, the burning of R84 is at present the most devastating.

The city structuring plans of Neo-liberal ideology leaves no place for alternative self-managed open/free space. Especially dirty ones like ours.

We were astoundished by the amount of solidarity actions that already started in the first hours of the fire. All coming from friends, strangers, neighbors and other house projects, in forms of colthing, food, financial support, etc.. Even local businesses had offered to help us out in any way they could possible. This help came out not just from Berlin. Copenhagen, Amsterdam,Dijon, Barcelona, have all given us moral and/or finacial support.

Since our core infrastructor has been destroyed by water and fire, and are left without housing and the loss of belongings, we are completely dependant on outside help for our lawyer and processing costs.

We are demanding a political solution that enables us to continue living out our dreams and ideas of a free, self-organized community. Its important to keep on living/organizing together and to contribute to the subcultural way of life.

THEREFORE WE DEMAND OPEN SPACE!!!! Either back in our old house, after renovations, or an acceptable replacement and also for the time inbetween.

We won't tolerate that the politicians remain silent of the loss of such an important international house project, which housed 48 people, all of which are homeless now. Alternative lifestyles are an essential part of Berlin and we will fight together for the right of our houses! We do NOT want to be forced into an escalating situation!

In our point of view, its the duty of those politically responsible to find an agreeable solution for the berlin house projects.

IDEALS DON'T BURN, WE WILL RISE FROM THE ASHES!

ONE STRUGGLE—ONE FIGHT: WE STAY TOGETHER!!!!!!

in dada we trust

VIVA LA R84!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!