A lot of people in the quarter where more than astonished in (pasted) summer about the very sudden engagement of the city’s authorities in case of the up mentioned Jamnitzer-park that they evinced at once. Years over years the persons in authority maintained the park, the fountain where decommissioned, end even the seating accommodations and even the green was moved off. Only security and police tactical considerations have played a role at the previous reconstruction works. The police wants to control and monitor the rebellic youth on that place that sometimes is even loud – that means chasing them away. Into a bad direction – for us users of the park- the interests of some house owners and investors do go: the place shall be the bedside rug for the fancy and smart lofts, city’s cottages or for the one or the other holiday rental. The place has to be enhanced and appreciated in value. So it is better to explain why the city of Nurnberg governed by the party SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschland) publicized the necessity of reconstruction with over-dimensioned hullabaloos.
No decision over ours heads
The subsequent following so called ”civic participation“ (Bürgerbeteiligung) has shown rather fast where the journey is going to: for one it is totally non-transparent how it will be dicided, in the end, wich one of the proposes will be realized and wich one will be not. Will be realized the most mentioned one or does the local government decide in the sense of investors friendly revaluations and policy of gentrification, in the end? Moreover the focus has not been lain at all on the real users of the park and their needs and requirements. The core theme was excluding because it was only orientated on the middle shift: only German languages material, an on line survey, an assembly in work shops characteristics -of course only in German, these all where the instruments. Who is using the park and place for real knows that the majority of the users will not be reached – if it is intentionally, in generell. You have to go to the people and talk with them – in best case with some translations in the bag. Exactly this was done by the initiative called >Mietenwahnsinn stoppen<. With the first step we asked the park users what is important for them. Then we wrote a declaration. Under head line: users friendly instead investors friendly concretely demands where summarized and formulated like: public convenience, barbecue area, maintenance of the park fountain, a wall for graffiti sprayer, more sitting accommodations and last but not least the end of the prohibitive policy and vexatious police controls. Before of all in declaration it was about to reshape the place in a wise that it is good for the place utilizer not for a part of the surrounding owners and investors – in the case it happens. They do see the vital and even loud place only a barrier for higher profits. More than 300 place users signed the declaration over the past late autumn. Now the want to present it to the council of Nurnberg.
The council of Nurnberg massaged figures for legitimation of their revaluation and gentrification
The status report of the Jamnitzer-plans attended by the alderman of the party CSU is ominous. The city of Nurnberg makes a boast of the high rate of participation. Her they let fall under the table the facts:
– 1st: at the reconnaissance of the place area and the after following public event there have been approximately majoritarian the opponents of such a reshape and they stood rather critical in opposite of such a pseudo-participation
– 2nd: that the on line action has been rather a bummer. Admittedly several people visited the home page but the comments and evaluations lead to conclusion that at most 180 people participated indeed. The municipal enhances the counted numbers of the on line participation by announcing the total numbers of all home page visitors. Beyond they enhance the numbers by counting every single mention (Nennung they do call it). So, if a person made 10 lines on a card and let 2 comments the city is speaking of 12 mentiones/Nennungen. But in fact only one single person was reached.
Gostenhof is not a brand – no business in our district!
When in the neighborhood revaluation, gentrification, displacement and squeezing out happens it cannot be seen isolated like marketing campaigns of the newspaper „Nürnberger Nachrichten“. It is not simply about a prettier place or to show other ones how pretty our quarter is.No! That makes our neighborhood more marketable and more lucrative and profitably. People with a low income get displaced at first and more well-financed tenants can rejoice over a pretty upped place. But it is about an exchange of the residents and with that about the place utilizers. But not with us – we do resist united. Our quarter marks of together with each others, that you are caring about some one else, that you are solidary and open, and that you are accepting each others. Here do still live many people with low income in sill payable living space and we use our places. Together. Gostenhof still is loud, vital and rebelliously. And so it shall stay. Indeed, the people that move to here want to dictate how all has to go and are interested on people as insofar as how many bones is to get out of them are not welcome! The same is for the plans of city of Nurnberg under the SPD-mayor Many – concerning the Jamnitzer place. They are still in the darkness. Decisions over our heads we will not accept! In the moment the planing phase isn’t finished, Whether the needs of the users of the place will enforce or not depends on us all, last but not least. If not we do promise that we will be solidaridly and that we will satisfy the reputation of a rebelliously quarter!
United we resist
Here in Nurnberg we set even something into going: even the fight against revaluation here in the quarter, the fight of Vonovia-tenants in Spengler street/Spenglerstraße, the squad of a yearslong abondoned property in the south part of Nurnberg or actually the owners and tenants in Neuselsbrunn (district of Nurnberg) they declare hostilities against Vonovia the real estate giant. But even particular rentals they resign themselves with every rent increase or notice to terminate rental contracts can ruin rather nice the fast deal of the owners and concerns with our housing space. Because we do know: we don’t have to expect anything from the municipal or state wich primarily attend upon the interests of economy. With residential property it gets merchandised in the capitalistically world. A minority wich has to sell or has to let out a flat or a house tries to make profits as much as possible. They profit and gain thereof as long as we are forced to rival and compete for habitation and after all we have to pay more. The capitalistically housing market is irrational, stupid and solely oriented to the interests of a minority. Collectively today we campaign against increasing rents and for the socialization of of housing space. In capitalism we even do have to fight for our interests as wage-dependent tenants. So, let´s set us in motion, let’s connect and link with each others, lets come together as neighbors and lets be solidly united – no matter wether our opponent is called Vonovia, GBW or a small owner greedy for profit or municipal city of Nurnberg.
You can find this leaflet in English on home page: www.mietenwahnsinnstoppen.blogsport.eu