Tacheles
The Tacheles is an alternative art house in Berlin.
The building was built in 1907 to 1908. In 1909 it became a department store called “Friedrichstraßenpassage” and was the second largest in the city. The reinforced concrete structure had five floors and on top a dome.
Before the First World War began the department store was forced sale.
Since 1928 the building was used by AEG a German electronics company and called “Haus der Technik” (House of Technic).
In the beginning of the 1930s the NSDAP used the building. In the middle of the 1930s the “Deutsche Arbeitsfront” (German Working Fore) had their offices there and became the owner in 1942. In the end of 1930s years there were the first worldwide television devolvement.
1943 the roof lights were closed and ridge turret erased. During the war about Berlin the second subcellar was flood by the National Socialist. Today it’s still flood.
In the Second World War the building was suffer some disadvantage but a big complex was saved.
1948 the building took by the “Freien Deutschen Gewerkschafsbund” (Free German Trade Union Federation) and wear in the years. It becomes to a ruin.
In 1958 a part of the building changed into a cinema/ theater with the name “Camera”.
In the year 1969 and 1977 the building should break down because there were no clean up till then.
The cinema/ theater closed. The dome and a big part of the building erase since 1980.
The last part of the building was border of the alternative artists “Tacheles” on the 13. February 1990. They want to stop the break down and made it to a building of monument conservation.
The building became colorful painted and rubbish became art.
After some different opinions between East and West Germany there is now a complex which is leaded by the Tacheles e. V.
In Tacheles you can find around 30 artist studios, galleries and stores. A cinema and a bar “Panorama-Bar” is there too. The “Blue Salon” is used for concerts and shows. The “Golden Saal” goes over the whole first floor and is used for theater and dance shows.
After some owner change the association got insolvency in 2009. The building should auction at the 04. April 2011 but canceled on the day of the auction. One day later the people of the cinema, backyard and first floor were cleared. Only 80 artists leaf by. The receiver built up a 3 meter wall between the Tacheles and the Oranienburger Straße.
Since then there are more and more conflicts between the people/ artists in Tacheles and the city/ public authority.
In the beginning of 2012 the Tacheles should be closed for ever but the people won’t let it go.
Do you like art?
Show me your heart of art and safe our artists if the Tacheles and others artists places all over the world.
Kaoru
PS: On 24.03.2012 the Tacheles get over back to the artists! They won!
