At the end of the year, the lights will go out at AZ Lüdenscheid. And this is happening earlier than originally agreed with the city. However, the operators are not ready to give up so quickly; they have invested too much energy into building up the venue. Before the doors close on New Year's Eve, four solidarity concerts are scheduled to take place on December 6, 14, 20, and 26. Bands are being sought who are willing to perform without a fee. They can contact the following address:
Autonomous Center [AZ] Altes Zollamt
Bahnhofsallee 15
58507 Lüdenscheid
E-Mail: autonomes_zentrum (ät) web.de
WWW: http://www.az-luedenscheid.de.vu/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/az_luedenscheid
Joint Press Release
Supporters' Circle Autonomous Center Lüdenscheid and Trägerverein AZ Freie Medien e.V.
Autonomous Center Lüdenscheid - Termination as of 31.12.2008
Contrary to a verbal promise that we could stay at the AZ until April 09 at the train station, the city of Lüdenscheid has now terminated our lease for December 31 of this year.
The termination was met with confusion and anger by the Trägerverein Freie Medien. The city has not provided any long-term perspective for the AZ. There are no alternative spaces, no real alternatives, just empty promises, which is unfortunately the current state of affairs.
For about 2 years, we as organizers have been able to enjoy the opportunity to implement our form and our idea of a cultural free space in a non-commercial manner and without state regulation.
We did not resign when we did not receive running water from the railway and the city, nor did we resign when we invested several hundred euros in water tanks and the renovation of the toilets in the basement, only to find out that we were no longer connected to the sewage system and that the water tanks were also punctured.
We did not resign when we had to conduct our events in the AZ without proper heating. We also did not resign when we had to pay for the electricity connection at the AZ ourselves for 600 euros. We did not resign when the promised aid and support offers from various sides repeatedly turned out to be mere bubbles and lip service.
We did not resign when the Kurdish cultural association in Lüdenscheid had to cancel its participation in the AZ because we could not provide sanitary facilities for families and children, which resulted in a significant financial shortfall each month that we actually needed to repay our loan at the Sparkasse, with which we implemented official regulations and requirements such as fire doors, emergency exit lighting, fire extinguishers, and financed renovation costs...
But now a point has been reached where some people are starting to feel a bit of resignation. We as operators of the AZ cannot and must not be grateful to the city of Lüdenscheid for anything, quite the opposite. The railway has allowed the site at the train station to decay for years. When we arrived, we found rooms full of garbage, excrement, with fire damage, a leaky roof, dampness, everything was broken, a total ruin.
With little of our own but a lot of borrowed money and a lot of imagination, we have now created a venue that is probably unmatched in Lüdenscheid. The atmosphere is familial, the mood is always good, and even though we had no money left, we always had an ear for those who could not even afford the low entrance and drink prices. And we achieved all of this entirely on our own and without any external help! Financially, we have never been supported except for very, very rare exceptions; even private funds from club members repeatedly flowed into what we believe is important youth cultural political work.
However, the city is now presenting us with a fait accompli at very short notice! ...our dreams, our work, our ideas, suddenly destroyed! Moreover, the remaining time until the end of the year will now pass us by at breakneck speed, and we have already had to cancel booked events and concerts for the first quarter of 2009.
As a consequence of the incomprehensible behavior of the city, the Freie Medien association (as the sponsoring association) is withdrawing from the day-to-day business of the AZ. However, the association will remain a point of contact for the city and will try to act as a mediator with the newly established supporters' circle for the Autonomous Center Lüdenscheid.
This group will now collectively organize concerts, actions, etc. at the AZ. This supporters' circle has already announced massive protests against the closure of the Autonomous Center. In December alone, 4 concerts and a large New Year's Eve party are planned. Furthermore, an information event involving the press will be held shortly. Creative actions are planned, and a larger demonstration is to take place in December/January. There will also be spontaneous actions in the city center.
Under the motto: "If you close the AZ, we will make theater in the city".
The Freie Medien association disclaims any responsibility for the expected protest actions of the supporters' circle but would like to thank for the numerous and swift support and solidarity.
Autonomous Center [AZ] Altes Zollamt
Bahnhofsallee 15
58507 Lüdenscheid
E-Mail: autonomes_zentrum (ät) web.de
WWW: http://www.az-luedenscheid.de.vu/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/az_luedenscheid
Joint Press Release
Supporters' Circle Autonomous Center Lüdenscheid and Trägerverein AZ Freie Medien e.V.
Autonomous Center Lüdenscheid - Termination as of 31.12.2008
Contrary to a verbal promise that we could stay at the AZ until April 09 at the train station, the city of Lüdenscheid has now terminated our lease for December 31 of this year.
The termination was met with confusion and anger by the Trägerverein Freie Medien. The city has not provided any long-term perspective for the AZ. There are no alternative spaces, no real alternatives, just empty promises, which is unfortunately the current state of affairs.
For about 2 years, we as organizers have been able to enjoy the opportunity to implement our form and our idea of a cultural free space in a non-commercial manner and without state regulation.
We did not resign when we did not receive running water from the railway and the city, nor did we resign when we invested several hundred euros in water tanks and the renovation of the toilets in the basement, only to find out that we were no longer connected to the sewage system and that the water tanks were also punctured.
We did not resign when we had to conduct our events in the AZ without proper heating. We also did not resign when we had to pay for the electricity connection at the AZ ourselves for 600 euros. We did not resign when the promised aid and support offers from various sides repeatedly turned out to be mere bubbles and lip service.
We did not resign when the Kurdish cultural association in Lüdenscheid had to cancel its participation in the AZ because we could not provide sanitary facilities for families and children, which resulted in a significant financial shortfall each month that we actually needed to repay our loan at the Sparkasse, with which we implemented official regulations and requirements such as fire doors, emergency exit lighting, fire extinguishers, and financed renovation costs...
But now a point has been reached where some people are starting to feel a bit of resignation. We as operators of the AZ cannot and must not be grateful to the city of Lüdenscheid for anything, quite the opposite. The railway has allowed the site at the train station to decay for years. When we arrived, we found rooms full of garbage, excrement, with fire damage, a leaky roof, dampness, everything was broken, a total ruin.
With little of our own but a lot of borrowed money and a lot of imagination, we have now created a venue that is probably unmatched in Lüdenscheid. The atmosphere is familial, the mood is always good, and even though we had no money left, we always had an ear for those who could not even afford the low entrance and drink prices. And we achieved all of this entirely on our own and without any external help! Financially, we have never been supported except for very, very rare exceptions; even private funds from club members repeatedly flowed into what we believe is important youth cultural political work.
However, the city is now presenting us with a fait accompli at very short notice! ...our dreams, our work, our ideas, suddenly destroyed! Moreover, the remaining time until the end of the year will now pass us by at breakneck speed, and we have already had to cancel booked events and concerts for the first quarter of 2009.
As a consequence of the incomprehensible behavior of the city, the Freie Medien association (as the sponsoring association) is withdrawing from the day-to-day business of the AZ. However, the association will remain a point of contact for the city and will try to act as a mediator with the newly established supporters' circle for the Autonomous Center Lüdenscheid.
This group will now collectively organize concerts, actions, etc. at the AZ. This supporters' circle has already announced massive protests against the closure of the Autonomous Center. In December alone, 4 concerts and a large New Year's Eve party are planned. Furthermore, an information event involving the press will be held shortly. Creative actions are planned, and a larger demonstration is to take place in December/January. There will also be spontaneous actions in the city center.
Under the motto: "If you close the AZ, we will make theater in the city".
The Freie Medien association disclaims any responsibility for the expected protest actions of the supporters' circle but would like to thank for the numerous and swift support and solidarity.
