Hamburg. In order for the farm community to take over the area, the sum must be received by the end of the year. Fettes Brot also drums up donations.
The solution sounded good and it ended the long-standing dispute over the artists’ and craftsmen’s farm „Long live Bernie“ in Hamburg-Altona. A little over a year ago, the compromise was reached and was announced in the media: the artists, craftsmen and residents were given the prospect that they could take over the ensemble.
The plan: The Johann Daniel Lawaetz Foundation was to buy the property for 9.2 million euros and then permanently lease it to the farm community. The “Viva la Bernie” initiative must use the 9.2 million euros 3.2 million Euros as equity share so that the foundation can take out the loan from the bank. But that turned out to be more difficult than expected.
“Viva la Bernie” in Altona – the missing millions must be there by the end of 2024
After the originally agreed deadline (beginning of September) was already extended, the farm community now has until the end of the year to collect the money. And in the beginning there was great enthusiasm and confidence. But as of today, almost two million euros are still missing.
The artists and crafts farm “Viva la Bernie” on Bernstorffstrasse. © Viva la Bernie | Viva la Bernie
Janine Hey, spokesperson for “Viva la Bernie,” confirms: “It doesn’t look good. Unfortunately, fewer people than expected are willing to support us financially. And unfortunately the white knight hasn’t appeared yet either.” Hey believes that after the success of the negotiations last year, many people assumed that “Viva la Bernie” had already been saved.
Altona: “Viva la Bernie” still wants to make it through these campaigns
In order to boost willingness to help, the initiative is now planning several campaigns until the end of the year. On the one hand, there will be a sponsorship project entitled “4800 square meters” – that is how large the area of the farm is. Hey explains: “Similar to chair sponsorships in the theater, people who want to support us can sponsor one square meter and pay a fixed amount for it.”
There will also be a Christmas market with a tombola on the site during Advent. The title is: “Last Chance or Last Christmas”. “The proceeds should then flow directly into the project,” says Hey, referring to the Homepage the farm community, where all information about funding opportunities is listed.
More on the topic
King Boris von Fettes Brot is drumming up more donations for “Viva la Bernie”
Boris Lauterbach, better known as King Boris from the hip-hop group Fettes Brot, is also committed to preserving the artists’ and craftsmen’s farm. The band has had their studio on the site for years. “With ‘Viva la Bernie’ we are trying to remove a piece of Hamburg from the real estate market forever in order to enable affordable living and working for future generations,” says Lauterbach. In order to realize this, you need people who give solidarity loans. “That could be 4,000 loans of 500 euros each – or maybe there will be someone who will give the entire sum to help us preserve this great farm.”
Martin “Doktor Rentz” Vandreier (from left), Björn “Björn Beton” Warns and Boris “King Boris” Lauterbach from the Hamburg hip-hop band Fettes Brot have their studio on the grounds of the artists’ farm “Viva la Bernie”. © picture alliance/dpa | Marcus Brandt
We hear from the private owners that they continue to have great interest in the successful sale to the Lawaetz Foundation. After the nine-month period had already expired, the two Berliners agreed to give the financing more time – initially until the end of the year. Their representative, consultant Matthias Onken, emphasized that everyone involved had a constructive and trusting exchange.
