Planet Alsen

The former Itzehoer Alsen cement factory around 1895

Planet Alsen is characterized by Setus Studt name for the site of the former Alsenwerkes in Itzehoe and the name of a non-profit organization. The term is now also politically accepted.

The purpose of the association is to promote the maintenance and preservation of art and culture, in particular the promotion of artists and projects that deal with the preservation of the use and future development of the Alsen industrial facility.

The area is bounded by the Marschbahn , the Stör , the federal road 77 and the state road 120.

use

Until 1982 the area was part of the Alsen cement factory. It included warehouses, production facilities and other parts of the company and had a significant impact on Itzehoe's industrial history. The cement dust, which had been distributed by the wind for decades, also colored the surrounding area gray. After the shutdown, the site largely fell into disrepair.

Again and again there were efforts to further use; Shopping malls, parks, a marina and other ideas were discussed. As the first commercial relocation, Media Markt opened one of the largest branches in northern Germany in 2007 . In 2016, part of the site was now built on.

The city of Itzehoe wanted to build a new youth center on part of the rest of the site , after the old one was sold to the Steinburg district in 2008 and demolished. With the first referendum in Itzehoe's history, this project was rejected with almost 75% rejection in August 2013.

Alternative use

Various music groups give concerts at irregular intervals; also Torfrock gave a guest performance. Planet Alsen is a registered trademark by the association that works to preserve the cultural location. Planet Alsen is supported by numerous sponsors, club members and local businesses.

A special feature is the circular sludge tub with a diameter of over twenty meters and a height of six meters. It has remarkable acoustics. Every noise that is generated inside triggers a varied echo that musicians like to use. Thanks to sponsors from the development association, a large gate was cut into the thick concrete shell for demonstrations, as there was no access other than the pipes. The exhibition rooms and the history workshop are also part of the facilities on Planet Alsen.

The Culture and Architecture Summer has been taking place on Planet Alsen since 2005. The Friends of Planet Alsen e. V. organizes and hosts these events together with various universities under the direction of Prof. Bernd Kritzmann . The plans and ideas studies of the university students can be viewed on the premises of the association on the Alsen site.

Numerous art exhibitions, such as the works of Eimo Krämer, form the focus of various events as installation objects. The association maintains connections to Finland. In 2010, a transnational exhibition was organized in Finland specifically for the works of Setus Studt, which was also shown on Planet Alsen.

The works of Setus Studt on the subject of Als have been repeatedly exhibited by the jury of the Dithmarschen artifact in the award-winning exhibition in the Museum of Regional Studies.

The Störfilmfestival has been one of the permanent events in the short film scene in Northern Germany since 2007. Works submitted by various directors will be shown. The Störfilmfest was initiated by Dirk Jacobs 3Base and Michael Grossmann UNEM-Filmproduktion responsible for organization and film selection. At the 3rd Störfilm-Festival 2010 an audience award was given for the first time. First place went to the Bremen filmmaker Philipp Rust with his comedy "Das Puzzle". In 2011, the artificial grip roll from the Dithmarschen trick took place in the electrical workshop in the same place.

In addition to the studios and exhibition rooms, there are other rooms such as a film studio and an agency in the club building on the railway.

The ADAM project - "From the offside to the middle" - serves to promote the long-term unemployed to reintegrate into the professional world and is supported by the friends' association and a psychologist on the site in the so-called former electrical workshop.

International musicians already met in the electrical workshop for the warm-up of the Headbangers Open Air with bands such as B. Vicious Rumors from the USA and Scandinavia.

Other music festivals such as the Itzehoer Alsen Rock Open Air (also: Itzehoer Rock Open Air I: R: O: A) followed on the Alsen event area.

Hip-hop events and graffiti workshops are on the agenda.

The site was used as a filming location, e.g. B. used for the crime scene or the television series " GSG 9 ". The association has put together an extensive video archive on its website with music video productions from Scooter, Jan Delay and Hollywood star Ralf Möller.

Current (as of April 2019)

After the termination of the lease and an eviction action by the city of Itzehoe, the future of Planet Alsen is uncertain. The Itzehoe District Court confirmed the termination in April 2019; an appeal is likely.

Part demolition

The silo building on March
16, 2008

In 2006, after long discussions, the demolition work on the industrial ruins began. Among other things, a shop for zoo and pet supplies and a consumer electronics store were built on the space created.

In March 2008, the demolition of the silo building, which was located directly on the Stör and was originally also used to load ships, began. An event area has been cleared there, the use of which is currently being planned by a working group of the city of Itzehoe and the Friends of Planet-Alsen e. V. is examined.

The Planet Alsen club building, the rotunda and the laboratory, the smithy and the chimney are not affected by this work and so far have not impaired the cultural work on the site. In the course of the work, a fixed driveway to the club building with street lighting was created.

Nationwide media coverage

Die Zeit reported on the activities of Planet Alsen ; The Frankfurter Rundschau also had an article. The taz reported on 27 February 2008 on the beginning of further demolition.