The Au­to­no­mous Cen­ter in Co­lo­gne-​Kalk exists almost since a year. Du­ring this time thousands of guests used and crea­ted this spe­cial place in more than 250 events. The first ci­ne­ma of the neigh­bourhood was foun­ded, in many work­shops skills were being de­ve­loped, the weekly un­em­ploy­ed-​con­sul­ta­ti­on hel­ped many peop­le in their pro­blems with the Un­em­ploy­ment-​agen­cy, con­certs gave tha op­por­tu­ni­ty to local bands to make free ap­pearan­ces, ex­hi­bi­ti­ons met their pu­blic, po­li­ti­cal groups used the house for their work – ever­y­thing self­-or­ga­nized and un­co­mmer­ci­al, wi­thout a cent from the city. The idea of a place, where peop­le can enjoy and crea­te cul­tu­re wi­thout de­pen­ding of their walle, found many new fri­ends.

The squat­ted ex-​can­ti­ne of the com­pa­ny KHD had been left empty from the mu­ci­ni­pal sa­vings bank (Spar­kas­se) and ab­an­don­ned to its ex­pi­ra­ti­on. Wi­thout the squat­ting the re­sult would be more years wi­thout use. The squat­ters were see­king from the be­gin­ning the di­s­cus­sion with re­s­pon­si­ble po­li­ti­cal per­sons. In many con­ver­sa­ti­ons not only the idea of the Au­to­no­mous Cen­ter was pre­sen­ted, but also a plan of use and fi­nan­cing opened the way for a cul­tu­ral cen­ter in Co­lo­gne.

The mayor named Ro­ters and the mu­ni­ci­pal sa­vings bank are against a mea­ningful uti­li­sa­ti­on of Wies­berg­s­treet 44. Under flim­sy ex­cu­ses and through des­in­for­ma­ti­on of the pu­blic the Au­to­no­mous Cen­ter is to be evic­ted and the buil­ding to be de­molis­hed, wi­thout that fur­ther plans exist. As al­re­a­dy with the Bar­mer-​quar­ter in Deutz, the next „most-​ex­pen­siv­ve-​par­king­place-​Ger­ma­nys“ is being pre­pa­red.

more information at:

 http://de.indymedia.org/2011/03/303752.shtml
 http://twitter.com/unsersquat
 http://unsersquat.blogsport.eu/
 http://selbermachen.blogsport.de/aufrufe/for-an-autonomous-center/