alnobf! draws inspiration from the unique history of several residential buildings in Berlin-Karlshorst, known locally as the Russenhäuser
alnobf! draws inspiration from the unique history of several residential buildings in Berlin-Karlshorst, known locally as the Russenhäuser
The buildings have stood empty since the final withdrawal of Soviet troops from Berlin in 1994
© Dieter Zeh, 1985, Museum Lichtenberg
As we approach the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal this year, alnobf! explores the legacy of this historical process from an updated contemporary perspective
As we approach the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal this year, alnobf! explores the legacy of this historical process from an updated contemporary perspective
What’s your connection to Karlshorst and to this history?
© Matthias Töpfer, Museum Lichtenberg
Do you have objects, photos, or stories connected to this neighborhood or the empty buildings that you would like to share?
planned activities
research week
20-23 June
13:00 - 21:00
Corner of Andernacher Str. / Königswinterstr.
An important first phase of alnobf! was the implementation of an on-site exchange program in Karlshorst, which included lectures, discussions, readings, research, and informal meetings with local initiatives.
Program highlights:
- 22.06.2024, 13:00-15:00
Lunch & Talk: Soviet Legacies in Karlshorst with Christoph Meißner / Karlshorst Museum (DE)
- 22.06.2024, 18:30-21:00
Reading: Wolfgang Schneider / Karlshorst Geschichtfreunde (DE)
- 23.06.2024, 15:00-16:30
Neighborhood Walk: Ricardo Neuner / Historian (DE)
- 23.06.2024, 17:00-19:00
Soundwalk: Documenting the
Russenhäusen Today (DE & EN)
View the full program of activities here
exhibition
03-16 August
GISELA - Freier Kunstraum Lichtenberg
Opening event:
2nd August, 6 pm
Address:
Giselastr. 12, 10317 Berlin
An exhibition in August presented the results of the four-day exchange program initiative. The presentation expanded upon the topic of collective memory through objects and the personal stories of Lichtenberg's residents.
Full transcript here
audiowalk
16 November
Bahnhof Berlin-Karlshorst
Meeting point:
S-Bahn Karlshorst
Stolzenfelsstraße, 10318 Berlin
(Opposite Der Bäcker Feihl)
In November, our project concluded with an open invitation to join our audiowalk, through which we culminated our research and experiences over the past six months. This audiowalk offers listeners an updated contemporary perspective on Soviet legacies in Karlshorst and beyond.
The audiowalk is available in German and English.
Please bring headphones with you. A mobile phone with internet data is also required.
scope of the project
alnobf! addresses the long-term impacts of the withdrawal by reflecting on it as a phenomenon that both unifies and divides to the present day, and will achieve this goal by creating new dialogues about the abandoned buildings in Karlshorst from those geographically closest to them.
Research will be directed to consider the perspectives of both the new residents of this neighbourhood and the individuals and groups who share memories and experiences of the buildings pre 1994. This project underlines the importance of engaging local communities in civic processes and working closely with local actors - especially people with migrant backgrounds who may be marginalised or underrepresented - by placing activities in public spaces and community centres.
The project will take place over a period of six months. It includes on-site research in Karlshorst in June and several presentations in Lichtenberg. The results of our research will be communicated through a hybrid exhibition format of events that are free and open to all. This format includes interventions in public urban space and a presentation of research findings at an exhibtion at GISELA - Freier Kunstraum Lichtenberg. In addition, a printed catalogue and video documentation will ensure that the results of the project remain accessible to the public beyond the active duration of the project.
the origins of alnobf!
The title of this project refers to the last lines of the English translation of the 1972 science fiction novel Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers, in which the protagonists investigate mysterious objects left on Earth by aliens who have since returned to their home planet.
At first he didn't hear what this talking key was shouting, but then something seemed to switch on inside him, and he heard: "Happiness for everyone! Free! As much happiness as you want! Everyone gather round! Plenty for everyone! No one will be forgotten! Free! Happiness! Free!"
- Roadside Picnic, Arkady & Boris Strugatsky
alnobf! draws parallels between the forbidden zones in Roadside Picnic and the empty buildings situated in an otherwise vibrant and socially active residential neighbourhood in Berlin-Karlshorst. Despite this similarity, participants of this project will neither physically enter private property without permission nor encourage others to do so. alnobf! aims to empower those living near the abandoned buildings to symbolically reactivate and reclaim this site through artistic intervention, memory mapping and performance, not by breaking the law.
team
© Izzy Dempsey
Hannah Alongi
(she/her) is a freelance educator based in Berlin. In her current practice, she explores themes of freedom of movement in public spaces, democratising information exchange and inter-generational education models. Her work in education is informed by Montessori pedagogical methodology and her curriculum development is aimed at creating autonomous learning structures for adolescents. She is the co-founder of Community Sound Lab, a site-specific workshop series for kids that utilises audio as a form of documenting the city.
© Izzy Dempsey
Jeremy Knowles
(he/him) is a British artist whose work delves into various aspects of life in European cities through photography, sound, and walking. Jeremy frequently showcases his work across Germany and Europe, and has also exhibited in China, Russia, and the USA. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Photography from the University of the Arts London and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Raumstrategien (Spatial Strategies) at Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee. In 2023, Jeremy created the soundwalk Open the Night outside of Lichtenberg S+U Station addressing the topic of light pollution.
© Izzy Dempsey
Katya Romanova
(she/her) is a designer, project manager, and co-founder of re:imagine your city. She coordinates and creates urban projects with focus on community building and participative creative methods including audio-storytelling, photography, and food design. Katya holds a degree in Teaching Languages and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications at HTW Berlin.partners
The Kiosk of Solidarity is an interventionist format financed by the Berlin Project Fund for Urban Practice and the Transforming Solidarities research project (Berlin University Alliance), curated by Transforming Solidarities and organised by ConstructLab. The kiosk, as a low-threshold everyday typology, marks a special form of solidary urban production: it becomes an inner-city laboratory and a place of transdisciplinary exchange. The Kiosk of Solidarity brings local initiatives and neighbourhoods together at the respective locations, becomes a platform, collects local knowledge and initiates or reinforces transformative processes of solidarity-based urban development.
GISELA - Freier Kunstraum Lichtenberg is an art and project space run by artists, which opened in March 2019. GISELA is sponsored by Kulturring in Berlin e. V. and funded by the Lichtenberg district office, Department of Art and Culture. GISELA sees itself as a meeting place in Weitlingkiez with an artistic and cultural focus. It’s program is aimed at people of all ages, from the immediate vicinity of Lichtenberg and beyond. Exhibitions by both experienced and young artists from Lichtenberg take place regularly. The team is closely connected with the international artist scene in the district.
