Georg von Rauch Haus (named after Georg von Rauch) is a squat in Kreuzberg, Berlin, established in 1971. It became an important center for the city's left-wing/countercultural milieu in the early 1970s.

corner of building
Georg-von-Rauch-Haus in 2008

Building

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The Georg von Rauch Haus was built as part of the Bethanien hospital [de] at Mariannenplatz [de] in Kreuzberg, Berlin. It was formerly a residence for nuns called the Martha Maria Haus, which was left derelict in 1970.[1]

Occupation

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On December 8, 1971, a teach-in was organised at the Technische Universität Berlin to commemorate the death of activist Georg von Rauch. Following a concert by Ton Steine Scherben, the building was squatted by 300 people and named after von Rauch.[1] It was one of the first squats in West Berlin.[2] The squatters were young homeless people, students and workers.[3][1]

The occupation was legalized by the local authorities and inspired Ton Steine Scherben's "Rauch-Haus-Song".[1][4] It became an important center for the city's left-wing/countercultural milieu and was raided in 1972 by the police looking for Bommi Baumann.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Vasudevan, Alexander (January 3, 2023). The Autonomous City: A History of Urban Squatting. Verso Books. p. 131. ISBN 9781839767937 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Mudu, Pierpaolo; Chattopadhyay, Sutapa (July 1, 2016). Migration, Squatting and Radical Autonomy. Routledge. ISBN 9781317375753 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b Brown, Timothy Scott (October 10, 2013). West Germany and the Global Sixties: The Anti-Authoritarian Revolt, 1962–1978. Cambridge University Press. p. 180. ISBN 9781107470347 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Bradley, Karin; Hedrén, Johan (March 21, 2014). Green Utopianism: Perspectives, Politics and Micro-Practices. Routledge. p. 210. ISBN 9781135078423 – via Google Books.

52°30′17″N 13°25′28″E / 52.50486°N 13.42439°E / 52.50486; 13.42439