If your question is not here, write to us at arge@forumkreuzberg.de.
Housing and membership
How do I apply for a flat at the Forum?
At the moment, unfortunately, not at all. The Forum is currently not allocating any flats for lack of them, and the waiting list is closed, we are not taking new names. We cannot process speculative applications either. We know that is an unsatisfying answer, but we think it is more honest than a list on which nothing happens. How allocation works in principle is on the page Housing allocation.
Can I at least be put on a list?
No. There is no waiting list, no mailing list and no order of precedence to enter. If that changes, it will be posted under Aktuelles.
Do I have to become a member to get a flat?
Yes. Anyone living at the Forum is a member of the co-operative and not a tenant. Instead of a tenancy agreement there is a permanent right of use, plus a vote at the general meeting. More on this under Co-operative living.
What is the difference between rent and a use charge?
The use charge is calculated to cover costs, not oriented on the market. No profit is paid out. What is left flows back into maintenance and building. That is why it is well below what is otherwise asked in Kreuzberg, and it does not rise because the market rises.
What happens to my shares if I move out?
After leaving, the settlement balance is paid out, that is the value of the co-operative shares according to the statutes and the adopted annual accounts. That is not a guaranteed amount. Co-operative shares are equity and share in losses. If there is an annual deficit it reduces the balance, and in the event of insolvency the complete loss of the deposit is possible, to which an obligation to make additional contributions may be added. The binding rules are in the statutes. Anyone considering joining should read them first.
Are flats sold?
No. The land is held by the charitable Förderverein, the flats stay with the co-operative under a heritable building right. There is nothing to buy and nothing to speculate with.
How many flats are there, and how big are they?
88 flats spread over six buildings, from one-room flats to large family flats. Around 6,763 square metres of living space in all.
Are the flats step-free?
Only in the new building at Köpenicker Straße 172/173. It was occupied in 2016, has step-free access and is the only building with a lift. The older buildings have stairwells from the time they were built. More on the page The new building.
Community and taking part
Do I have to help out if I live here?
Yes, contributing work is part of the model. The Forum organises around 70 per cent of its shared tasks itself, from courtyard care through the heat supply to IT. This is organised in 18 working groups that are open to all members. The principle is called ForumsEhren.
What are the ForumsEhren?
That is what the shared contribution of work is called at the Forum. It is anchored in the statutes and is the reason why the use charges stay low: what the community does itself, nobody has to pay for. From the bee group to housing allocation it covers a wide range.
Who decides at the Forum?
The members at the general meeting in general, plus the board and the supervisory board for day-to-day matters. The group consists of seven legal entities, because housing, commercial space, energy and social projects have different tasks. How it fits together is shown on the page Organisation and legal entities.
Can I take part without living here?
For some things, yes. The Vorratskammer expressly takes on members from the neighbourhood, and events and guided tours are open to everyone anyway. The working groups, by contrast, are a matter for members.
Visiting, culture and neighbourhood
Can I visit the Forum?
Yes, on a guided tour. We show the courtyards and shared spaces and explain how self-management and the energy supply work. Groups from co-operatives, universities and public administration visit regularly. Enquiries through the contact page.
Can I go to the theatre or the museum without being a member?
Yes, both are public and expressly not tied to membership. The theaterforum kreuzberg plays in the former ballroom of the Köpenicker Hof, the Museum des Kapitalismus is on the ground floor of the new building. Programme and opening hours are on their own pages.
How can I become a member of the Vorratskammer?
Write to vorratskammer@forumkreuzberg.de or drop in when the door is open. The Vorratskammer is a self-organised organic shop with around 1,500 products on the ground floor of Köpenicker Straße 172, open to neighbours from outside as well. Members pay a contribution as an individual or a family, receive a token for access and pay by card on trust. Unlike with housing, here it applies: we are glad about every new person.
Are there events that neighbours can come to?
Yes. Discussions in the hall, theatre evenings, exhibitions and events at the Museum des Kapitalismus. What is coming up and what has been is posted under Aktuelles.
Commercial space and rooms
Do you let commercial space?
Yes, to artists, craftspeople, social initiatives and small businesses. There are 36 units on around 3,337 square metres on Köpenicker Straße and Eisenbahnstraße. Space rarely becomes free, and allocation runs through the working group for commercial space. Enquiries to produktivraum@forumkreuzberg.de, more under Available commercial space.
Can I hire a room for an event?
Not from the co-operative, but the Museum des Kapitalismus in the building hires out its room for seminars, readings, film screenings and discussions, graded according to what the project can afford. The common room of the Forum is available to members only.
Who do I turn to with all other questions?
You can reach the office of the Forum through the contact page.