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{\hl Home of the Drag Queen's Trout Farm: an Interview with ¨
Queer Squatters in Berlin}

by Joey Cain
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{\it [Joey Cain is a friend from here in SF, taking a year off¨
and traveling around the world. Right now he's in Europe (Spain,¨
Germany, England, Poland, Czechoslovakia\dots) and when in¨
Germany in November, ran into these queer squatters in East¨
Berlin, and lucky for us, wrote it up as an article/interview. I¨
miss you too Joey!

If you want to write to the squatters interviewed here, their¨
address is: Tutentowe Farellenhof / Mainzerstr. 4 / 1034 Berlin,¨
Friedrichen / GERMANY. -- tj]}

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East Berlin's Frankenfurter Strasse is a wide boulevard lined¨
with kitch buildings from the Stalinist Era. It's architecture¨
was at the service of the state: a bureaucratic grafting of¨
ruined Renaissance on to bad Bauhaus, whimsical in it's own way,¨
but essentially cold, monumental, lifeless. A street designed for¨
tanks and cars to rumble down and maybe ceremonial parades, but¨
one where you begin to feel fatigued after walking the length of¨
a block. Running off from this boulevard, by the Samariterstrasse¨
U Bahan stop, is a street of very different desires and values.¨
It's name is Mainzerstrasse, a small street that is home to the¨
occupiers of 10 squatted buildings and their neighbors.

'hippie van' photo

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The first feeling that hits you on turning on to Mainzerstrasse¨
is the exhilaration of a carnival. Lining what seems to be the¨
whole right hand side are buildings whose upper stories are¨
draped with banners and flags. The street level is a patchwork of¨
colors, murals and bright spray painted graffiti. Facades of the¨
buildings speak, as most of the buildings in East Berlin do, of¨
their last 50 years of history. Crumbling and potmarked, they¨
exude a closeness and friendly funkiness that is a welcomed¨
relief from the compulsive cleanness and gentrification of West¨
Berlin. In contrast to Frankenfurter Strasse, people are actually¨
walking, hanging-out, talking and living on this street. The¨
storefronts, having long ago forgotten the businesses that¨
abandoned them, are sporadically occupied by cafes, bars and info¨
shops. Clustered in front of them on the sidewalk and spilling¨
into the street are chairs, benches and tables; some are empty,¨
others occupied by groups of people talking or just sitting¨
quietly. The squats and squatters reflect a diverse range of¨
interests and desires. They are a mixture of anti-imperialists,¨
anarchists, women, lesbians, men, queers, gays, straights, bis,¨
revolutionaries, sensualists, freedom seekers and many others.¨
What drew me here was the desire to meet with the folks at¨
Tutentower Forellenhoh Squat, the gay men's squat.

Mainzenstrasse manifests an East Berlin that's experiencing an¨
extraordinary period in history, one usually only encountered in¨
disasters, utopian fiction or libertarian revolutions. The¨
authoritarian state has collectively jumped out of the window,¨
taking along with it much, if not all, of the physical and¨
psychological apparatus of control. In the spaces of freedom¨
opened by it's absence, some people have begun to build a new¨
society based on equality and imagination. It's a situation that¨
has enabled the squatting of over 150 buildings in various parts¨
of East Berlin with little or no police interference. There is¨
something of the ``festival of the oppressed'' feeling on the¨
streets where the squats are. Squatters are working hard to¨
rebuild and reinhabit abandoned and trashed out buildings, while¨
at the same time creating community spaces for partying,¨
socializing and education. 

There is also a frightening and ugly element growing in East¨
Berlin. Along side the banners and flags on Mainzerstrasse are¨
windows and doors fitted with all forms of shutters and metal¨
grate coverings. The reason, violent attacks by Neo-Nazis. It's¨
worst example so far is one night when 300 Nazis descended en¨
mass to Mainzerstrasse armed with molotov cocktails,¨
sledgehammers and giant crowbars. They were out to smash the¨
squats and kill a few squatters if possible. Such is the¨
situation in East Berlin now that the police actually came and¨
defended the squats from their attacks. (Hardly a week goes by in¨
East Germany that the racist Nazis don't attack and kill some one¨
of ``Non-German'' origin ie: Romanian, Vietnamese, etc.) One day¨
I and an anarchist friend from East Berlin were walking to the¨
squats when we saw a group of eight Nazi skin heads, 2 blocks¨
ahead of us, walking in our direction. Spying a bus coming in the¨
opposite direction, my friend said in a calm panic, ``We take¨
this bus''. A hideous deja vu of 1930's Berlin is beginning to¨
haunt the streets. While those who use the opening of freedom to¨
build their vision of a just society, so to do the enemies of¨
that vision use the same opening to fight it. However, in some¨
way the Nazis may be the least of the squats problems. When the¨
reunification of Germany happens (by the time you read this an¨
accomplished fact) the police state of West Germany will have¨
stepped into the power vacuum. West Berlin's police force will be¨
moving in with their expertise and equipment to do battle with¨
the squats, just as they have done in West Berlin.

My introduction to the folks at Tutentower Forellenhof (roughly¨
translated means, ``House of the Drag Queen's Trout Farm'') Squat¨
began in the bar they collectively run. A small, simple sign¨
stating ``Gay Bar'' hangs over what looks to be a boarded up¨
storefront. In it's past life it was the location of a hair¨
dressing salon, the ghost of which still lingers in the etched¨
pane of glass doors advertising it as such. Inside, the smallish¨
space is surrounded by mottled and nearly bare walls whose¨
textures and colors reflect it's years of abandonment and decay.¨
A cinder block bar has been built at one side of the room and¨
some chairs, a couch and a few tables are scattered around. The¨
lighting was subdued but not to the point where you couldn't see¨
across the room. Behind the bar a piece of wall art made up of an¨
arrangement of rubber trout, that has something to do, as does¨
name of the Squat, with a camp German T.V. (as in television)¨
show from a few years back. To tell you the truth I never quite¨
figured it out to the satisfaction of my rational mind but my¨
queer soul immediately intuited it's meaning and humor. The¨
music, a mixture I'd never heard before even in the hippest¨
underground queer scenes in San Francisco, ranged from hardcore¨
and acid house to Edith Piaf and opera. One evening a divine¨
Tutentower queen named V. introduced me to the ``music'' of Ellen¨
Foster Jenkins, an American opera ``singer'' of the first half of¨
the 20th century. It seems she wanted to be a great opera diva.¨
Having absolutely no voice but tons of inherited wealth, she¨
produced her own screeching and off key recordings of opera¨
arias. The beers and her voice had me falling off my stool in¨
hysteria screaming ``No no no no no\dots !!!''. In addition to¨
the fabulous music, cheap beer and champagne, an amiable mixture¨
of dykes, fags, queers and non-gay identified women and men were¨
there hanging out together.

'tutentower' photo

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Tutentower Forellenhof Squat itself occupies five stories of an¨
abandoned building which the queens are very hard at work and¨
play to reclaim and make their home. A bookstore is being built¨
on the ground floor. There is a beautiful backyard courtyard¨
festooned with spray paint graffiti and old bath tubs in which¨
the queens share their baths and beauty. One room serves as the¨
Drag Room. They were hesitant to show it to me because of it's¨
trashy appearance until I assured them that I'd never seen a Drag¨
Room that wasn't trashy. 

Hanging out with the queers from Tutentower Forellenhof Squat¨
fired a deep spark of recognition and affection in me that I feel¨
with my comrades and lovers in the Radical Faeries back in the¨
USA. There was the same wonderful sense of play and humor while¨
holding a deep, sometimes almost unspoken, commitment to fight¨
against the haggard and oppressive sleep walk exploitation of¨
life. They held that beautiful vision of gay liberation that is¨
not trapped in the tunnel of single issue ``gay rights'' but ties¨
true queer liberation in with the liberation of all exploited¨
people.

The following interview took place in mid-July, 
pre-reunification, in the large and sunny room that is the¨
combination communal kitchen and living room of the squat. About¨
10 people who were awake at that early hour of 2 p.m. gathered¨
for it, though Bastian, understanding and speaking English the¨
best, did most of the speaking. Many of the queens did not want¨
their photograph taken for fear that the Nazis may get ahold of¨
it and be able to pick them out on the street when alone.¨
Coincidently Pedro, a queen and Homocore fan from Spain, was also¨
there visiting. Lucky for me because he had a copy of Homocore,¨
something I had forgotten to bring, to show them. 

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{\bf Joey:} This squat has been here since May 1980?

{\bf Tutentowerite:} Yes. Since the second of May.

{\bf J:} How did it start?

{\bf T:} It was just an idea in April. Someone said very late in¨
the night at the bar (Club Anal), ``Why don't we squat a¨
house?''. It wasn't very serious but we thought ``Well it's¨
boring so why don't we squat a house''. There were some others¨
and then we got a group of ten who knew each other.

{\bf J:} From Club Anal?

{\bf T:} From the bar, from political action squatting and all¨
that. It was not possible to squat in West Berlin because you get¨
evicted within 24 hours. We knew that there was the beginning of¨
the squatters movement here in East Berlin. We met three times,¨
just talking a little bit and looking for houses. Then we read¨
something in a left-wing magazine that on this street there were¨
10 houses which are rotting and empty. There was a meeting,¨
several groups came together, and we said ``Well lets take this¨
house, you take that house''. The idea that this would be¨
squatting 10 houses at once for us was important. We felt that it¨
was not possible for us as a gay group to squat a house without¨
other neighborhood squats because of the threat of the fascist¨
groups and all that. So we said, ``OK this is a good idea. 10¨
houses are quite secure for us.'' 

{\bf J:} So the whole street has only been squatted since May?

{\bf T:} Yes. We were the first house. On the first of May there¨
was the yearly demonstration in Krausberg and afterward we¨
decided that we would go in here. It took 1 to 3 weeks and all¨
the houses were squatted. In number 3 is a woman's and lesbian¨
house. The other groups in the other houses are mixed. The whole¨
street is a mixture of people from East and West Berlin and it is¨
getting more international.

{\bf J:} Are most of the people in this squat from West Berlin?

{\bf T:} We are 26, 27, 28 people, I'm not quite sure. About 6¨
are from East Berlin.

{\bf J:} Do you have good relations with the lesbian house hold?

{\bf T:} Yes.

{\bf J:} So they are not separatist?

{\bf T:} Some are but we have good relations with them.

{\bf J:} Do people in the squat identify themselves politically¨
as anarchists or autonomen, etc?

{\bf T:} Oh, we've got Catholics, Protestants, Vegetarians,¨
Alcoholics, Drag Queens, Machos, everything. Anti-imperialists,¨
Autonomen, Anarchists, Reformists.

{\bf J:} So there's no one dominating political ideology?

{\bf T:} Left-wing radical (laughter)

{\bf J:} How does the house-hold live? Is it a collective? Do you¨
make decisions through consensus or voting or what.

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{\bf T:} It is a kind of small community. We do every thing¨
collective, our household, our kitchen, our cooking. We share the¨
money so everybody has to put in 15 marks a week to buy food and¨
drinks. We run the bar collectively. We try to have a meeting¨
once a week to come to important decisions, not by voting or¨
elections but by consensus, discussing it. It normally takes 3 or¨
more hours with a lot of scenes. Plus it's not only things¨
concerning the house but also concerning the street, the¨
movement. 

{\bf J:} Do you have interactions with the larger gay community¨
in East and West Berlin?

{\bf T:} Yes, we have struggles (laughter). The idea of our¨
project was, on the one hand, to be in the gay community and on¨
the other to be in the squatter community. But now we've got more¨
trouble with the gay community than with the squatter community.

{\bf J:} What sort of troubles?

{\bf T:} Well first of all there is a really large gay community¨
in West Berlin. East Berlin gays are just beginning to act, to do¨
something and so this is a difference. But troubles, for example,¨
at the Cristopher Street Day this year everybody was expecting¨
that the ``Tutenhaus'' would gather and say something. Everybody¨
in West Berlin knows that this project exists. We've had some¨
parties here. ``Hot Peaches'' from New York performed here and¨
many people cam and we had much fun and partied. We decided on¨
Cristopher Street Day, because it becomes more and more a¨
carnival, a carnival and no political messages, we decided to¨
read a declaration about political prisoners in East and West¨
Germany. We entered the stage and one of us read it and there¨
were great protests and they tried to throw us from the stage. 

{\bf J:} The organizers?

{\bf T:} Not only the organizers but almost everybody who was¨
demonstrating against us because they don't want to listen to¨
such things.

{\bf T:} We said that this is a minority and they need not only¨
gay things but other minorities. But they don't want to listen to¨
it and it was a real scandal to throw us off the stage.

{\bf J:} What problems have you had with the Nazis? I know about¨
them attacking the squats here in Berlin. Have they specifically¨
targeted this squat?

{\bf T:} They didn't know that this was a homosexual squat. They¨
came because we are left-wing.

{\bf Tutentowerite \#2:} They haven't attacked our squat for¨
being gay but there were attacks on gay bars here in East Berlin¨
on the 20th of April, Hitler's birthday. They attacked a gay bar¨
in Alexanderplatz. 

{\bf J:} In the larger gay community is there a consciousness¨
about the growing Nazi threat?

{\bf T:} There's a growing conscious about it. We work with some¨
people from West Berlin to make a tactical force so if gays are¨
attacked in parks or in toilets they can dial it's number if they¨
do not want to call the police because normally the police don't¨
take it seriously. There is beginning to be a growing conscious¨
in the gay community to defend it self because the attacks on¨
people in the parks at night grows and becomes larger. 

You should know that the Nazis are split over the gay question.¨
One of their leaders, Michal Kuning, one or two years ago it came¨
out that he is gay. It was a little scandal.

{\bf J:} I bet! They've always had this...problem.

{\bf T:} He said that he is gay.. homosexual, and that is the¨
best way for men when they are...

{\bf T\#2:} He had his own series about homosexuality, about¨
fascism and homosexuality, and he said that it is better for the¨
``comrades'' to get rid of their sexual energy to other comrades¨
than with a German woman. 

{\bf J:} So does he have many supporters?

{\bf T:} Well the funny thing is that the Nazi squat 2 kms from¨
here is influenced by the Michal Kuning way and it was published¨
in a paper that they are split about the question of¨
homosexuality. 

{\bf J:} I've heard that the Nazis have 3 squats?

{\bf T:} It's really only one squat. It's not far away from here¨
and it is where they founded a new Nazi party and it is a¨
coordination center for all Nazi terror activities here in¨
Berlin. The officials have said they have to leave the building¨
but they have not thrown them out.

{\bf J:} Are the people involved in the Nazi squat movement and¨
on the street connected with the older Nazis.

{\bf T:} Yes. There is a kind of international Nazi network.¨
Nazis from West Germany, Austria and all over the world come to¨
the German Democratic Republic because there is a lot of racial¨
prejudice here and a lot of young people who are open to Nazi¨
theories and all that. The police have said that there are about¨
in Berlin 5,000 active militant Nazis. Football hooligans,¨
skinheads etc. and spread over the GDR they said there were about¨
30,000 Nazis now. It's ridiculous. It's the clamor of¨
reunification that makes the Nazis grow now.

{\bf J:} What's been going on in this or larger gay community in¨
Berlin around AIDS. 

{\bf T:} In the first years we were shocked but you don't really¨
hear anything about it now or not that much. In Germany it has¨
not radicalized people. Some groups tried to copy ACT-UP¨
activities but I think in the USA the ACT-UP groups are more¨
radical than in Germany. Last year the ACT-UP group tried to¨
squat a house so people who are sick with AIDS can have a place¨
to live because a lot of people with AIDS can not work any longer¨
and have no money so they need houses. They tried to squat a¨
house but it was really ridiculous because they told the police¨
before that they were going to squat it and they just squatted it¨
for one hour. It was in the news paper the day before.

{\bf J:} So they were just doing this for publicity?

{\bf T:} Yes, for publicity. 

{\bf J:} Do you have much contact with or knowledge of the¨
radical gay community in the USA? The Radical Faeries or Homocore¨
stuff.

{\bf T:} A little bit but not that much. We have more connections¨
with Netherlands, we know some gay squats there.

There has been a kind of development in the last two or three¨
years. There was a situation where on the one hand there was the¨
political community, left-wing, political activists and on the¨
other hand the gay community and there was no coming together.¨
And so there was a schizophrenic situation that lots of gays are¨
working in the revolutionary groups and don't know each other.¨
Then two or three years ago there were the first meetings where¨
people come together. This house is in a way a result of this.


{\bf J:} So there are about 27 people living here?

{\bf T:} Yes.

{\bf J:} And you've done much redecorating in the place?

{\bf T:} Oh yes. We had to because it really was a mess when we¨
took it. Walls were broken down, no electricity or water, there¨
was no cellar so we had to rebuild and put in toilets and get rid¨
of the rubbish in the house.

{\bf J:} I noticed in your bar last night that it was really¨
mixed. There were a lot of woman there as well as men. Do people¨
from the other squats come into the bar and hang out.

{\bf T:} Yea, we are not very separatist. Most of the time it's¨
half and half.

{\bf J:} So their not uptight about it.

{\bf T:} No. They love us.

{\bf J:} There are not so many squats left in West Germany?

{\bf T:} No. There are still some even in West Berlin. 4 or 5 in¨
West Berlin. There is a very funny thing. In Krausberg there was¨
a squat, Wassertoth-latz, and it was really a project, million of¨
DM to rebuild it and now it has been resquatted. Here in East¨
Berlin we are about 100 houses. This part of the city is called¨
Friedricksein. There are about 40 squats now Mainzerstrasser,¨
Kreutserstrasse, Richardstrasse, they are all in about a one km¨
circle. And then in the Pranzlaurerberg there are about 40 or 50¨
houses and Stadtmitte there are about 30 houses and we have to¨
work together with all the houses. There is 

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for example a weekly meeting of all the squats in East Berlin. We¨
try to make negotiations with all the houses because the¨
government tries to get in contact with single houses to make¨
contracts, contracts for the building. So we put against it a¨
group for negotiations a collective involving 80 houses to¨
negotiate with the government so that they can't divide it. It is¨
really hard work because there are lots of squatters in East¨
Berlin who have not had any experience with negotiating with the¨
government. So if there is an offer for a contract they will¨
write their name on it and it's bullshit because they get a¨
contract for two years and they build up the house and then they¨
will be thrown out. Anyways the movement is quite young. The¨
first squats were at Schoenhauser Allee in November of 1989 and¨
then it really begins in April and May of 1990.

{\bf J:} Are there many people who were involved in the older¨
squatting movement of the early 80's involved now or is there any¨
communications with these people.

{\bf T:} I think there are some personal connections and people¨
know a lot of what happened to the old squatting movement in 1981¨
so that we try to not the same faults and to tell the new¨
squatter what can happen.

{\bf J:} Like if they all go on vacation in the summer the police¨
will move in.

{\bf T:} Yes. They won't actually come this summer. I think it¨
will take the elections. Now it seems to be that the East German¨
police are not going to evict the houses. But it can happen¨
because next week the West German police will be able to act in¨
East Berlin so probably the situation will change. We still have¨
quite good relations with the East German police, they are not¨
that aggressive as in West Germany. Normally they come and inform¨
us about Nazi activities. For example the Mayor of Friedrichshain¨
has really tried to get them out because they bring terror and¨
violence to the neighbors. But the police have not wanted to¨
throw them out. So at the moment it is still ok but we think it¨
will change very soon.

{\bf J:} The West German police are going to take over the East¨
German police?

{\bf T:} Everything is going to be taken over. The state is¨
dying. There is kind of a vacuum. The old state is dying and the¨
new {\it[?].} . It made possible the squatting movement. There is¨
no real power of the state here and so there are many good¨
things. But not only good things the growing Nazis up of the Nazi¨
movement is also a result of it. It is not only positive.

One other thing is that there about 65,000 flats in East Berlin¨
which are free. And there is absolutely no money at the moment to¨
rebuild it. The Mayor of Friedrikheim got 5,000,000 marks for 120¨
houses and you can rebuild a roof for 2,000,000 for example. 

{\bf J:} So there are not a lot of people from the west coming in¨
and buying up these houses.

{\bf T:} Not yet. Everybody was expecting it but it didn't¨
happen. {\bf T\#2:} I think that they are afraid of us.

{\bf J:} And it is also a politically unstable situation.

{\bf T:} It is because the unemployment rate will be about one¨
and a half million at the end of the year cause all the factories¨
will all be closed that are not economical anymore. There are a¨
lot of houses here where there are still owners and which were¨
run by the state, public property run by the state. And now it is¨
unclear situation because the owners can get their rights back¨
till January 31 of 1991 and if they don't do it these houses will¨
go to a sort of holding company. 

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