Paper short abstract:

In this paper, we will first come back to the imaginary conveyed by Berliner squatting movement. Then, we will question the way in which the local government manages this urban heritage. We will finally determine what remains of these utopias in an urban space which is constantly modified.

Paper long abstract:

In Berlin, the squatting movement is set in a double tradition. In the west part of the city, this movement is the heir of an alternative culture whose protagonists moved, during the eighties, into dilapidated buildings. These spaces became experimentation places aiming to create alternative ways of inhabiting, to develop political and artistic protest's forms and to establish solidarity exchanges. At the same time, in the east part of the city, the inhabited buildings of Prenzlauer Berg became places of creation for the east Berliners artists who were maintained outside the official culture. The Berliner squats embody de facto the heritage of an urban and cultural tradition based on the subversion of the established order. If these initiatives (Hausprojekt, artistic and/or activist squats) convey urban utopias relative to the sharing of political, social and artistic experiences on the fringes of the global society, it represent also essential elements of the neighborhood where they are located. Besides, the squats constitute crystallization points of an urban imaginary which arouses a certain fascination outside of Berlin. Thus these utopist forms of urban space's occupation could represent a great opportunity for a city which currently develops its brand image in order to become more attractive. In this paper, we will first come back to the imaginary conveyed by these alternative spaces. Then, we will question the way in which the local government manages this urban heritage. We will finally determine what remains of these utopias in an urban space which is constantly modified.