FlaFla social center

Social center - SZ FlaFla
legal form	Socio-cultural center
founding	1970
Seat	Herford ( ⊙ coordinates: 52 ° 7 ′ 4.4 ″ N , 8 ° 39 ′ 40.4 ″ E )
Website	www.flafla.de

The social center FlaFla Herford (formerly also called "Spunk" or "SevenInch") is a self-administered social center.

history

In 1970 a room in Herford was rented by young people in order to set up an autonomous, independent youth center. Around 20 to 30 young people met every day at FlaFla at this time. About the origin of the name there is, among other things, the theory that it occurred to a regular visitor because he loved to eat Dutch pudding ("Vla"). After a short time there was trouble with the police and the FlaFla had to close because prejudices and accusations such as "hash cave", "bum corner", "conspiratorial meeting" arose.

Some young people had the idea to ask the city administration to fulfill their legal obligation to create and support meeting places for young people. The city asked the young people to found an association, which happened in 1972. The city then made three rooms available on Kreishausstrasse. Since the room was in a good residential area in Herford, there were immediate complaints from the residents there, especially because of the noise from the music and because of the not always sobering young people sitting on the sidewalk in front of the club rooms.

On July 8, 1972, the rooms were withdrawn from the young people because the youth welfare committee of the city was of the opinion that the young people would not be up to the responsibility. Thereupon there was a demonstration and several actions in Herford. The youth welfare committee therefore tried to reach an agreement and invited some young people to talk. The association then independently rented the former chocolate factory on Schillerstrasse in 1973 and the city assumed a third of the rental costs.

The house had high costs, which the youngsters had to pay out of their own empty pockets. That's why the idea arose to divide the two-story building. A pub was built on one floor: the art club, which was privately run and financed. Self-design and self-administration should be practiced on the other floor. The FlaFla was observed critically by the police, in particular it was suspected that the FlaFla was mainly a meeting place for drug addicts. After an interview with the city administration, this allegation was refuted.

The FlaFla then gradually developed into a permanent body in Herford. So was u. a. a local group of SPAK ( Working Group on Social Policy Working Groups ) was founded. Woodworking machines and screen printing technologies were also purchased.

From 1980 to 2006 the FlaFla was located in Eimterstrasse. In particular, it was known in the early 90s for its Gothic parties as far as the Ruhr area. Since 2000 there has been a district association of young democrats / young leftists in FlaFla , which celebrated their fifth anniversary in 2005. The anti-social degradation group "enough is enough" also emerged from the area around Flafla and demonstrated against the opening of the Marta Museum , since the money for building the museum should be better spent on schools and youth facilities.

On the night of June 24th to 25th, 2005, there was a disproportionate police operation due to disturbance of the peace. Ten police officers broke into the courtyard "against the declared will of the operator" and proceeded "without any explanation or warning, even against uninvolved guests with pepper spray."

In 2006 the building was demolished and the FlaFla had to move again. This time to Elverdisser Strasse 8 at short notice, but the lease was terminated very quickly due to the sale of the house. As a result, Flafla rented rooms on Kurfürstenstraße in 2008.

Then rooms in Goebenstrasse.

In 2012 the city of Herford completely canceled the subsidies for the youth center. Despite demonstrations against the deletion u. a. under the motto "weeds don't go away - FLA FLA stays", the city did not reverse the decision. That is why FlaFla has had to finance itself since then. This happens u. a. through a support association.

Ajz Flafla Herford with graffiti

The house in Goebenstrasse was foreclosed at the beginning of 2015, so that the existence of the FlaFlas was threatened again. Until the club bought a house on Diebrocker Straße at the end of 2015, based on the model of the AJZ Bielefeld . This was renovated by the teenagers and young adults independently. In June 2017, a new facade was designed by graffiti artists.

On Boxing Day 2017, the FlaFla was reopened with a party. In addition, the FlaFla presented a new concept for the reopening, after the FlaFla is to be more of a social center for all generations than a pure youth center in the future.

Concepts

Concerts
Cafe and pub
Disco
Workshops in art, design, music, photography, craft and technology
cultural and politically educational film evenings and readings
intercultural exchange
Meeting point and forum for political groups
Solidarity concerts

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ From the "Haschhöhle" to the youth center - an incomplete chronicle of Fla-Fla , Aufbruch ... a youth between Scala and Red Dot, an exhibition of the Herford City Museum, page 1
↑ From the "Haschhöhle" to the youth center - an incomplete chronicle of Fla-Fla , Aufbruch ... a youth between Scala and Red Dot, an exhibition of the Herford City Museum, page 2
↑ From the "Haschhöhle" to the youth center - an incomplete chronicle of Fla-Fla , Aufbruch ... a youth between Scala and Red Dot, an exhibition of the Herford City Museum, page 3
↑ ^a ^b From the "Haschhöhle" to the youth center - an incomplete chronicle of Fla-Fla , departures ... a youth between Scala and Red Dot, an exhibition of the Herford City Museum, page 4
↑ Goth Road Trip 1991: A memorable weekend , www.spontis.de
↑ The FlaFla writes history , Neue Westfälische , February 1, 2017
↑ Junge Linke celebrates five years of existence / Three days of party and campaigns in FlaFla Herford, Neue Westfälische, October 27, 2005
↑ Clash of Cultures , Brand Eins, No. 2, 2007
↑ Police action because of noise , Webwecker Bielefeld, June 29, 2005

^ Youth center Fla Fla looking for a room again / cancellation on October 31, Neue Westfälische July 24, 2007

↑ New rooms for the Fla Fla youth center, Neue Westfälische, June 16, 2008

↑ The FlaFla writes history , Neue Westfälische , February 1, 2017

↑ "We don't allow ourselves to be intimidated" / 100 young people demonstrate for the maintenance of the FLA FLA on Goebenstrasse, Westfalen-Blatt, June 16, 2014

↑ Summer party in the autonomous youth center Fla Fla , Neue Westfälische , June 15, 2015

↑ Foreclosure auction: future of Fla Fla still unclear , Neue Westfälische , February 27, 2015

↑ The FlaFla is moving , Neue Westfälische , December 30, 2015