Frankfurt's Bockenheim District: Activists Hold Their Ground on Print Shop Roof
After a week of occupation, the activist collective, "Die Druckerei," continues to hold out on the roof of the former Dondorf printing works in Frankfurt's Bockenheim district, despite police efforts to clear the building. On Thursday, police evacuated the interior, but nine holdouts remained on the roof. On Friday, a special task force (SEK) intervened, marking their plan from the start. The operation ended in the afternoon due to darkness, with talks scheduled for the evening between the activists and Goethe University, which has the right to the building's domicile.
Two activists successfully descended from the roof on Friday using a turntable ladder from the Frankfurt fire department. Two squatters had left the roof the night before, and another person in the morning. The police recorded all identities for further investigation.
According to a spokesperson for the activist collective, the police are allowing the roof-dwellers to suffer in freezing temperatures until they choose to leave. Despite this, 12 individuals remained on the roof as of Friday morning, per the activist's assessment. Earlier police reports cited safety concerns for the reason they did not attempt to evacuate the roof earlier.
The activists have been occupying the Dondorf printing works in Frankfurt's Bockenheim district since last weekend, defying a voluntary eviction call from Goethe University that was issued for Wednesday afternoon. Their primary objective is to preserve the building as an industrial and cultural heritage site. Contrary to plans, the historic structure is set to be demolished to construct a new building for the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics.
It should be noted that the Dondorf printing works is currently undergoing renovations to make it suitable for the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, a temporary relocation due to energy-efficient renovations at the Römer building, which will continue until 2027. During this renovation period, the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt will host various exhibitions and events, including major projects by SASHA WALTZ & GUESTS and exhibitions by STEPHANIE COMILANG, SUZANNE DUCHAMP, and others.
Frankfurt's local authorities are actively working to negotiate a resolution with the activists to prevent further escalation, aiming to minimize possible confrontations with law enforcement.
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