The Forum rests on two pillars. The co-operative carries the housing, the Förderverein carries the land and everything that takes place on it in the way of culture, education and social work. It is the older of the two organisations and grew out of the founding association of 1973, then still called „Forum Kreuzberg, Zentrum für wissenschaftliche, künstlerische und soziale Arbeit e.V.“, which held everything under one roof, the buildings as well as the projects. In the reorganisation of 1993 the fields of work moved into a separate project association and the housing into the co-operative. What remained was the land and the charitable purpose.
Why the land sits with an association
The Förderverein owns all of the Forum’s land. It grants heritable building rights (Erbbaurechte) to those who use it, to the co-operative for the flats and to itself for the commercial space. The effect is simple and far-reaching: nobody can sell the buildings. What has happened to comparable properties on the Berlin market over the past decades cannot happen here, because there is no owner who would be allowed to sell.
What the association supports
Under its statutes the Förderverein works for art and culture, for education, and for social participation including care for older people. This is financed from the income of the roughly 3,500 square metres of commercial space it is responsible for, and from the ground rent for the residential space. The money flows back into projects in the house and in the neighbourhood, and on a smaller scale into projects outside the Forum.
In concrete terms this means, among other things: it carries the art festival ÜbereckArt, supports projects that cannot carry themselves, and is a co-partner in Naturkind Forum Kreuzberg gUG, which runs the Naturkindergarten, and in Vorratskammer UG, the company behind the self-organised organic shop.
Who is behind it
The association has just under 40 members. The board consists of Anselm Cojaniz, Claus-Peter Schindler, Beate Krützkamp, Ina von Mackensen, Jobst Langhans and Mia Ewald. The managing directors are Friederike Mainz, Claus-Peter Schindler, Nicola Sifrin and Andreas Ruft.
How the Förderverein relates to the co-operative, the ARGE and the other legal entities is shown on the page Organisation und Rechtsträger.
Statutes
The statutes of the Förderverein are available here, in German.
Legal formcharitable registered association
Founded1973, under its present name since 1993
Membersjust under 40
Purposeart and culture, education, social participation, care for older people
Landall of the Forum’s land, granted through heritable building rights
Commercial spacearound 3,500 m², income goes into project funding
HoldingsNaturkind Forum Kreuzberg gUG, Vorratskammer UG
AddressEisenbahnstr. 21, 10997 Berlin
Contactfoerder@forumkreuzberg.de