Berlin Owners Aim for Partial Evacuation of Left-wing Meeting Place at Rigaer Straße 94

Berlin (dts news agency) In the dispute over the left-wing scene meeting place at Rigaer Straße 94 in Berlin-Friedrichshain, the owners are aiming for a partial evacuation. The representative of the British ownership company Lafone Investments, the Berlin lawyer Alexander von Aretin, wants to prepare a lawsuit against the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office, as he confirmed to “Welt am Sonntag”. Lafone wants to oblige the district to prohibit the use of several apartments in the side wing and in the back of the partially occupied building.

If the announced lawsuit is successful, the district would have to ask the users of the apartments to leave them. The police may have to secure the partial evacuation with another large-scale operation. In a letter dated July 31st of this year, the contents of which were reported by “Welt am Sonntag”, the lawyers referred to a fire protection report prepared in June 2021 to justify the announced lawsuit.

The courtyard passages of the “Rigaer 94” are therefore too narrow for the fire department’s equipment. According to the report, the “second escape route” is missing for several apartments. Lafone repeatedly pointed out the “dangerous situation for the residents”.

However, the district office did not respond. According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Rigaer Straße 94 is considered a “starting point and place of retreat from or after militant actions”. Representatives of the ownership company and the property management are said to have already been physically attacked by residents, it was said.

“The fact that the owner has no opportunity to check the condition of her own building is absurd,” Aretin’s lawyer told the newspaper. In view of the structural defects, Lafone must take the “inaction of the district” to court. With reference to several court rulings, the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district pointed out that Lafone’s legal position was “not proven beyond doubt”.

The district therefore turned to the residents to correct the deficiencies. They implemented the orders. A fire protection level has been reached in the house “that does not require any further orders”.

Photo: Liebigstrasse corner Rigaer Strasse (archive) – via dts news agency