Foundation of the non-profit association FUSION – Intercultural Projects Berlin e.V..
Founding and board members Wolfgang Janzer and Marta Galvis de Janzer were among the initiators and creative forces behind the annual Carnival of Cultures.

Creative projects with children and young people in Schöneberg and the Rollberg neighborhood of Neukölln.
Participation in the Carnival of Cultures.

Work with children and youth from various districts in a factory loft at the YAAM Club site on Cuvrystraße in Kreuzberg. Collaboration with the YAAM Club and OUTREACH Neukölln.

Participation in the Carnival of Cultures alongside YAAM, percussionist Suleymane Touré’s group, and with young people of German, Turkish, and Arab backgrounds from Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and Marzahn, together with Valery Theresin’s percussion ensemble Afro Karib Express.

Participation in the Love Parade with youths from Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and Marzahn.

Funding: Projects from 1996–1998 were carried out without public funding. The cost-intensive participation in the Love Parade 1998 was sponsored by the company Musik Produktiv, which covered the entry fees, truck rental, and provided sound and lighting equipment.

Mask-making project for children at Reuterplatz in Neukölln, funded by Neukölln’s Department of Youth Services.
Operation of an open art workshop at the Haus Wetzlar Children and Youth Center on Rütlistraße, Neukölln, commissioned by the Department of Youth Services.

In 1999, at the initiative of the pedagogical staff, the center was renamed MANEGE and was to undergo infrastructural and aesthetic modernization.

Official recognition as an independent youth welfare organization by the Neukölln District Office.
FUSION e.V. becomes a corporate member of the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO).

Participation in the UNICEF Children’s Festival at Neukölln Town Hall with elaborate costumes and masks created in the MANEGE art workshop.

Artistic redesign of the MANEGE façade with circus motifs commissioned by Neukölln’s Department of Building Construction. Stainless steel, fiberglass, and polyester wall sculptures were produced in the MANEGE art workshop. The renovated MANEGE was inaugurated with a large public celebration in Rütlistraße.

Creative play and art activities for children and young people at Reuterplatz, Neukölln, commissioned by the Department of Youth Services.

Participation in the Carnival of Cultures with numerous children, young people, and adults, establishing one of the largest and most spectacular groups in the parade.

Launch of a long-term project at the Rütli Secondary School in Neukölln: artistic redesign of the school’s stairwell in collaboration with students from various classes and an art teacher, carried out until spring 2001 as part of a course at the Neukölln Adult Education Center (VHS).

January – April: Exhibition of FUSION objects at Neukölln Town Hall and the Adult Education Center. The bureaucratically drab town hall was transformed into a flamboyant, carnivalesque space that both visitors and staff found positively unsettling.

Planning and establishment of the communication hub KIOSK Reuterplatz, commissioned by the Department of Youth Services and the Department of Parks and Green Spaces, then headed by Heinz Buschkowsky. As former youth councilor, Buschkowsky had strongly supported FUSION’s redesign of the MANEGE façade.

Operation of the KIOSK Reuterplatz, with ongoing creative activities on-site for children, young people, and local residents.

In June, FUSION ended its work at the MANEGE youth center and the KIOSK on Reuterplatz following a conflict over pedagogical approaches with the center’s staff. The colleagues were unable to accept FUSION’s methods, which had successfully motivated young people and engaged them in creative processes, and felt overwhelmed by the “creative chaos” the projects brought into their routines. Children, young people, and parents expressed solidarity with FUSION, leading to a remarkable demonstration from the MANEGE to Neukölln Town Hall, joined by several district politicians who supported the association’s work. A meeting with the district youth councilor, in which young people strongly advocated for FUSION to continue its work at the MANEGE and on Reuterplatz, yielded no result. The association was forced to vacate the MANEGE.

In response, FUSION opened an open studio at Pannierstraße 58, supported by the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) and the company Heimwerkerbedarf H.-J. Neumann. The small art workshop quickly became overcrowded with children and young people. Meanwhile, at the MANEGE, the staff remained largely isolated.

On 23 September 2002, FUSION e.V. became the official operator of the MANEGE Children and Youth Center, based on an innovative utilization concept, a three-year lease, and a performance agreement with Neukölln’s Department of Youth Services. State employees were reassigned to other facilities.

Numerous projects with children and young people followed. In the MANEGE art workshop, large-scale objects were created, including three mushroom-shaped advertising columns (Litfaßsäulen) in 2002, installed at various sites in Neukölln (in front of the MANEGE, the KIOSK on Reuterplatz, and along Maybachufer). This project was supported by the program Local Capital for Social Purposes (LOS).

FUSION also drafted a comprehensive concept to transform Rütlistraße into a “Youth Street,” tailored to the needs and interests of children and young people in a socially disadvantaged area.

In October 2002, FUSION officially became the operator of the Youth Street project, a multi-year initiative in active urban space design with youth and resident participation. The project aimed to create a new kind of urban space in Neukölln that interconnected school, leisure, and work. It was developed in collaboration with Berlin’s Senate Department for Urban Development and Environmental Protection, the Reuterplatz Neighborhood Management, various district departments, and the AWO. The first two phases were financed through the federal-state Socially Integrative City fund.

Project Phase 1 (2002/2003): Construction

• Establishment of a project office at Pannierstraße 58, led by Michael Walther and Susanne Dähner (later relocated to the MANEGE in 2004, under Dähner’s leadership). Additional funding came from the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment (IZT).
• Planning workshop with students of the Rütli Secondary School, led by Michael Walther.
• Two well-attended public assemblies at the MANEGE (December 2002 / February 2003).
• Construction of two 4-meter-tall, 2.5-ton entrance sculptures in the form of bullfrogs, created with children and young people and installed at the corner of Rütlistraße and Weserstraße in April/May 2003. Painted and lacquered together with local residents.
• A lively street festival in April 2003 with performances by Kool Savas and Antagon theaterAKTion.
• Closure of Rütlistraße to motorized traffic in June 2003.
• Construction of a steel-and-wood café terrace, designed by architect Taco Holthuizen and executed by metal designer Andreas Kriston.
• A major street festival under the patronage of Mayor Heinz Buschkowsky, featuring live performances by P.R. Cantate, Culcha Candela, and others.
• Greening of the Youth Street with large-scale planters.

Project Phase 2 (2004): Socio-Cultural Projects

• Open-air exhibition “This Is Me” opened in April 2004 under the patronage of Berlin’s Commissioner for Integration, Günter Piening. Fifty large-scale portraits, created by photographer Volker Roloff in collaboration with children and young people, were displayed across Rütlistraße until October. Funded by the German Children’s Fund.
• Participation in the Carnival of Cultures (2004) with large-scale mobile sculptures created in the MANEGE workshop. FUSION received the jury prize for the most beautiful float.
• Summer 2004: Theater workshop with stilt-making course conducted by Antagon theaterAKTion from Frankfurt/Main, held in a large Bedouin tent erected in the MANEGE garden. The workshop culminated on October 30 in a spectacular performance of Time Out in the Youth Street.
• Regular sports projects at the Youth Street and MANEGE.
• Operation of a street café by staff member Susanna Zander together with young people.
• Establishment of a student breakfast program for pupils of the Rütli Secondary School and Heinrich-Heine Secondary School.
• Active participation in the Neighborhood Round Table organized by the Reuterplatz management, alongside schools, kindergartens, youth services, and local residents.
• A sports-oriented street festival on August 28, 2004 with competitions and live music.
• Workshops in costume design and dance.
• Launch of a political education project with the Rütli School: the Youth Street Conference, in which students formulated their views on the school system and developed realistic proposals for reform.
• October 30, 2004: closure of the open-air season with a spectacular Antagon theaterAKTion performance and a live concert by Casino Gitano at the MANEGE.

Creation of three large-scale animal sculptures for the schoolyard of the Hermann-Sander Elementary School in Neukölln, in collaboration with students, the association Agrarbörse Deutschland Ost e.V., and the architecture firm Hollricher.

Production of street furniture made of steel and polyester, a café sign, two FUSION go-karts, and a mobile bar for the Youth Street.

From April 2005, the Youth Street project office in the MANEGE as well as eight major street events were financed by Neukölln’s Department of Youth Services. Events included:

• warm up ’05 season opening
• Children’s festival
• school is out summer break party
• fusionstreet competition day sports festival
• Youth band concerts
• Neukölln Olympiad (Olymp-X-Games)
• Fairytale and juggling festival
• Season finale celebration

Regular workshops were also offered in street and breakdance (many led by the young people themselves), as well as juggling, acrobatics, and sports activities, supported by the Socially Integrative City program.

From September 2005, advanced dancers participated in a six-month dance instructor training for children and youth, under the guidance of dance teacher Ivan Stefanovic. This qualification program was made possible through LOS – Local Capital for Social Purposes.

The work at the MANEGE and Youth Street ranged from artistic design—including sculpture building, imaginative street furniture, mask-making, graffiti, painting, and mosaics under the guidance of Wolfgang Janzer and Marta Galvis de Janzer—to dance courses in breakdance and street dance for beginners and advanced students led by Hassan Akkouch, as well as sports and acrobatics workshops led by acrobat Andrej Bach and inline skating classes.

In the newly established recording studio, many young people had the opportunity to record their own songs. Initially directed by musician Boris Baberkoff and sound technician Valeri Schiller, the studio came under the leadership of sound designer Dudo Magerski in 2008. Ahead of recording sessions, a rap workshop was held, where young people learned to write lyrics from professional rapper Bektas Turhan.

Another important focus was on informal education. Children with learning difficulties regularly received homework support. In a film group, popular films were analyzed and discussed. Following the heavily publicized and often distorted media reports about incidents at the neighboring Rütli School, one group analyzed these media portrayals, while another group of older youths worked to establish contact with Arab families in the area, often considered difficult to reach. To this end, several family afternoons were organized.

The media attention around Rütli School also helped strengthen cooperation with the school. Numerous school events were hosted in the MANEGE. Wolfgang Janzer, director of the MANEGE, served as an external member of the school conference. FUSION e.V. was regularly represented in the Kiez AG and at the Youth Street Round Table (organized by the Reuterplatz Neighborhood Management and held at the MANEGE). The association also participated in the Reuterkiez Neighborhood Council and in regular youth welfare provider meetings convened by the district youth office.

We deeply regretted the resignation of Rütli School’s long-time principal, Brigitte Pick, who had always been strongly committed to the children and the neighborhood and with whom we had worked constructively and flexibly. The way she was pressured to give up by parts of her own staff and the school administration was, for us, a profound lesson in the structures and dysfunctions of a broken system.

Projects at the MANEGE: artistic work such as sculpture building, street furniture, mask-making, painting, mosaics, and playground design, alongside sports, acrobatics, dance, and inline skating. In the recording studio, numerous self-written songs were produced and compiled on a CD.

A special highlight was a radio play project developed with young people under the direction of Hakim El-Hachoumi, Wolfgang Janzer, and Dudo Magerski. The project involved inventing and dramatizing the story, rehearsing spoken roles, and recording in the studio. [The script for Ahmed and Lisa can be found in the text archive.]

Another focus remained on informal education: students regularly provided homework assistance for children with learning difficulties, coordinated by Marta Galvis de Janzer. In addition, a film group continued to analyze and discuss popular films.

Projects on Youth Street:

• 1 June 2007: Children’s festival with local kindergartens, featuring games, creative activities, and a magician’s performance.
• 29 June 2007: On the Way to a Neighborhood School street festival on Rütlistraße, organized by Susanne Dähner (Youth Street project office) with the Local Education Network, involving all nearby schools.
• During the summer, MANEGE activities frequently moved outdoors—sports competitions, dance training, and music rehearsals created a lively street scene that attracted neighbors.
• 7 September 2007: Fairytale and juggling festival.
• June–December 2007: Construction workshop for the renovation of the playground at Rütlistraße 5, commissioned by the Brandenburg Urban Renewal Corporation in cooperation with Neukölln’s Department of Green Spaces and Rütli School. Together with students, children, and young people, new artistic structures were created: an entrance portal, a pavilion, a covered seating area, and the restoration of existing elements, led by Wolfgang Janzer and FUSION staff member Gerd Jeworowski.
• May–October 2007: Mosaic design of large concrete planters on Youth Street, carried out with Rütli School students as part of their art classes.

Projects at the MANEGE:
Art workshops, children’s furniture building in the woodshop, music projects in the recording studio, theater, dance projects, youth-organized international dance competitions, acrobatics, and film screenings with discussions. Regular homework help was provided by students and neighbors of the MANEGE.

Projects on Youth Street:

• Jan–Apr 2008: Continuation of the playground renovation on Rütlistraße, significantly enhancing both the playground and the street. The new playground was inaugurated with a large family festival on 25 April 2008.
• 2 May 2008: Dance competition Fight Night with around 400 participants at the MANEGE.
• 1 June 2008: Children’s festival with local kindergartens, featuring games, creative activities, and a magician’s performance.
• 11 July 2008: Neighborhood school festival on Rütlistraße, organized by the Youth Street project office and the Local Education Network, involving all surrounding schools.
• 17 October 2008: FUSION Olympics children’s sports festival on the street.

Jan–Jun 2008: Project on the integration and empowerment of Muslim women and mothers, led by Marta Galvis de Janzer. Activities included arts and crafts, dance and fitness, city excursions, language training, and community celebrations. The aim was to support women in breaking out of rigid traditional family roles, to broaden their communication opportunities with German society, and to strengthen their confidence through creative activity. The project established lasting contacts with mothers of children attending MANEGE and Youth Street.

Nov–Dec 2008: City explorations with children, designed to broaden horizons through visits to key sites in Berlin. These excursions fostered curiosity about the city’s history and cultural life, counteracted the isolation of “ghetto mentalities,” and strengthened children’s identification with their city. They also served as rewards for those who regularly attended homework support.

The diverse programs developed in previous years at the MANEGE were successfully maintained and further developed.

Wolfgang Janzer, director of the MANEGE, served as an external member of the school conference of the newly established 1st Community School at the Rütli Campus, and FUSION e.V. participated in the working group of Campus Rütli stakeholders. The Campus Rütli project, initiated by Neukölln Mayor Heinz Buschkowsky and under the patronage of Christina Rau, was conceived as an innovative response to the acute education crisis. The MANEGE was an integral module, with FUSION e.V. actively involved in project development.

Although not explicitly acknowledged, the Campus Rütli concept (2007) was largely based on ideas introduced by FUSION in its 2002 “Youth Street” concept—with one decisive difference: whereas Youth Street envisioned equal cooperation among all actors, Campus Rütli placed schools and their administrations in the leading role.

FUSION e.V. continued its active involvement in the Reuterkiez Neighborhood Council and at regional youth welfare provider meetings. As MANEGE director, Wolfgang Janzer also joined the biweekly Youth Welfare Case Team for Neukölln North-East, which addressed cases of child welfare endangerment.

Street events on Youth Street in 2009:

• 10 January: Krumpetition dance competition, organized by Prince Ofori with youth participation, attended by around 300 young people.
• 2 May: Fight Night dance competition, organized by Hassan Akkouch and Saber Hussein, with around 400 participants.
• 15 May: Children’s festival with kindergartens, offering games and creative activities.
• 17 June: During the visit of Federal Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration Maria Böhmer, ARD journalist Werner Sonne presented FUSION e.V. with a €5,000 donation in support of MANEGE’s homework program. The event program was organized by the Youth Street project office.
• 20 July: Father-and-child football tournament on the Rütlistraße playground.
• 10 July: Neighborhood school festival on Rütlistraße, organized by the Youth Street project office and the Local Education Network, with participation from all surrounding schools.
• 30 October: Jam session at the MANEGE, co-organized with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), featuring Colombian musician and peace activist César Lopez, members of Berlin band Culcha Candela, and dancers trained at the MANEGE.

Additionally, the photo-comic project “Worlds of Images – Learning to See”, funded by the Berlin Youth and Family Foundation and led by Sabine and Sandra Wiesthal, began in 2009. Children enthusiastically designed costumes and props, and staged photo-shoots at notable sites across the city.

The open child and youth work, financed by the Neukölln District Office, as well as the ongoing project activities in the MANEGE and on Jugendstraße, continued throughout the year and were complemented by several additional initiatives funded through third-party resources.

With funding from the Neukölln District’s Department of Youth, the scope of the media project was expanded. The acquisition of cameras, lighting equipment, and computers for film editing now allowed young people to produce their own films in small groups and present them during community film afternoons.

Several parties organized by young people and MANEGE staff were hosted at the venue: an end-of-school-year celebration, a Halloween party, a summer event with parents and neighbors, a Christmas celebration, and numerous smaller birthday gatherings.

In the art workshop, large-scale papier-mâché and polyester sculptures as well as imaginatively designed street furniture were produced. The woodworking shop created children’s furniture, play objects, and models for school projects. Together with children and young people, the MANEGE garden was redesigned with new lawns and vegetable beds, while the garden house was given a colorful new coat of paint.

The Jugendstraße Project Office organized and managed the following initiatives in 2010:

• Making Your Own Films
• Theater and Museum Visits with Children and Young People
• Educational Offers in the Leisure Sector and Neighborhood Festival on Jugendstraße
• Children’s Festival on Jugendstraße, May 7, 2010
• Colorful Neighborhoods – Artistic Design of Public Space

Street-based events during spring and summer included:

• April 15, 2010: Comic release party marking the conclusion of the 2009 project Bilderwelten – Learning to See. Guests included parents, young people, and Roland Geiger, Managing Director of the Berlin Youth and Family Foundation.
• May 7, 2010: A children’s festival with play stations and creative activities on Rütlistraße, involving neighboring kindergartens.
• June 6, 2010: The closing celebration of Neukölln’s Week of Language and Reading, co-organized by the Jugendstraße Project Office and the MANEGE leadership.
• July 2, 2010: The neighborhood festival on Rütlistraße, organized in collaboration with the Local Education Network, featuring over 30 information stands and a full stage program of dance, theater, and music performances by local students.

During the summer months, many MANEGE activities moved outdoors: sports competitions, dance training, music rehearsals, and even water battles created a lively street scene that attracted audiences from the neighborhood.

The project Urban Explorations with Children continued, now expanded with theater and museum visits that introduced participants to important cultural institutions in Berlin.

February–December 2010: “Colorful Neighborhoods – Artistic Design of Public Space”
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs as part of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, this project engaged children, young people, and parents in creating large-format sculptures under the direction of Wolfgang Janzer with the support of Gerd Jeworowski. Eight fiberglass and resin spheres and other geometric objects were constructed and painted. Designed as both decorative and interactive pieces, they were used at street festivals and as stage props. A particularly striking piece—a 1.5-meter rotating globe crafted by artist Diego Ahrendt—was installed on a permanent pedestal in front of the MANEGE in spring 2011. Ahrendt also restored the two monumental sculptures at the entrance to Rütlistraße, originally created in 2003.

April–December 2010: “CrossCulture Made Visible”
In collaboration with FUSION e.V., COOPOLIS (temporary use agency), the Neukölln Department of Parks and Green Spaces, 0815-industries, a graffiti crew from Marzahn, and metal designer Andreas Kriston (ARK Design), a large-scale mural with three-dimensional elements was created at Maybachufer 5. Children and youth from MANEGE actively contributed under the guidance of Wolfgang Janzer. This project, continuing the 2009 Playground Design Maybachufer 5, exemplified how urban planning and participatory youth culture can work together effectively. It aligned with FUSION e.V.’s philosophy of aesthetic social space design, countering urban decay through artistic and participatory renewal.

January–December 2010: Theater Project “They Are Among Us”
Supported by Deutsche Telekom’s I Can Do Something! program, this initiative established a permanent theater group of 15 older youth in MANEGE under the leadership of Daniel Unsöld and Marta Galvis de Janzer. Participants experimented with dramatic writing, developed their own plays, and performed them on a newly equipped stage in the MANEGE hall. The project proved invaluable for building self-confidence and enhancing language and communication skills.

Open child and youth work in MANEGE and on Jugendstraße continued with numerous projects. Increasingly, workshops in art, music, film, and theater collaborated with one another, leading to interdisciplinary results. For example, stage sets and masks for the theater group were produced in the art workshop, performances were filmed, and audio tracks edited in the recording studio.

The garden redesign with children and youth also continued.

The theater project They Are Among Us entered its second year. Professional theater practitioners Daniel Unsöld and Caroline Cauville worked with the 15-member youth ensemble on dramaturgical writing, improvisation, and acting techniques. Their self-developed pieces were staged at 48 Stunden Neukölln, the Festiwalla festival at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, and during MANEGE’s open house.

Students from Strausberg who had left school participated in the Second Chance project, regularly visiting MANEGE to produce art objects for their school or personal use. For these young people—struggling to adapt to traditional schooling—MANEGE offered a structured environment to build concentration, practical skills, and overcome prejudices about Neukölln’s migrant community.

Street actions and neighborhood festivals on Jugendstraße had by now become an established tradition.

May 20, 2011: The neighborhood festival took place with a large audience, numerous information stands, a full stage program, and significant political attendance. The event also marked the groundbreaking for the Campus Rütli community hall. From our perspective, this state-led construction was an architectural misstep—a bureaucratic monolith disconnected from the character of Jugendstraße and the needs of its residents. Nevertheless, with the top-down implementation of the Campus Rütli project, the expertise of FUSION e.V., shaped by years of neighborhood work, was no longer sought.

Beginning in January 2011, responsibility for MANEGE shifted from the Youth Department to the Neukölln Department of Schools, Education, Culture, and Sports under City Councillor Franziska Giffey. The dominance of the school system in the Rütlistraße project relegated MANEGE, kindergartens, and neighborhood management to subordinate roles within a framework devised by bureaucrats.

For FUSION e.V., this was unacceptable. We voiced our criticism publicly and to the media, increasingly convinced that placing schools—already the weakest link in the area—at the center of reform was like letting the fox guard the henhouse.

Our dissent naturally provoked a reaction. After public criticism from Marta Galvis de Janzer and MANEGE staff member Osman Tekin, the school administration demanded a formal response from FUSION e.V. We provided one, outlining our position clearly. This only deepened the long-simmering conflict with the School Department and District Mayor Heinz Buschkowsky, the architect of the Campus Rütli project.

The contract for MANEGE and the Jugendstraße Project Office expired on December 31, 2011. Though Councillor Giffey had long announced her intention to re-tender the contract through a call for expressions of interest, time ran out after the September 2011 municipal elections. As a stopgap, contracts were extended until April 30, 2012.

The fact that MANEGE—an innovative youth culture center built up over 13 years—was now being tendered anew was, to us, a clear signal of political disregard for our work. Many neighborhood partners, with whom we had always worked constructively, expressed sympathy for our position and struggled to understand the logic behind the re-tendering.

By the end of 2011, uncertainty about the future loomed large.

The Rütlistraße in Neukölln, which we had transformed into Germany’s first Youth Street and where we had demonstrated for over a decade the socio-cultural potential of blending pedagogy, art, imagination, and collective creativity, no longer felt like home. We knew our time there was over.

Contracts with the Neukölln District Office for operating MANEGE and Jugendstraße were extended until June 30, 2012, by which point the tendering process for a new operator was to be resolved.

As MANEGE director, Jugendstraße project leader, and chair of FUSION e.V., Wolfgang Janzer held discussions with district politicians, gave press interviews, and published a detailed statement explaining why the association chose not to participate in the tendering process. This explanation was made available on the FUSION e.V. website.

The board, with the approval of members, decided not to apply for the tender under Councillor Giffey. The main reasons: continued inadequate funding, the loss of the Jugendstraße project (which had brought in significant third-party resources), and excessive subordination to the structures of the Campus Rütli community school—structures that would drastically limit MANEGE’s autonomy and hinder FUSION e.V.’s mission.

Work in the facility continued through the first half of 2012, though under a cloud of uncertainty. Music was written and recorded in the studio, objects built in the art workshop, and children’s furniture crafted in the woodshop. As part of the Second Chance program, school refusers from Neukölln joined workshop projects, developing concentration, teamwork, and social skills.

The film project Our House, Our Neighborhood, Our City, led by filmmaker Diana Näcke and funded by the Berlin Youth and Family Foundation and Aktion Mensch, was successfully realized. Youth participants were guided through all stages of film production, from planning to shooting to editing. The process resulted in two documentaries: one emphasizing visual impressions, the other deepened by interviews with MANEGE protagonists. For the youth, the project fostered narrative and technical skills, as well as lasting motivation to work with film.

On June 9, 2012, the youth-organized festival JugendTür Auf! was held at MANEGE. Featuring live music, a theater performance, the premiere of the documentary film, and a photography exhibition, the festival was a platform for young people to advocate publicly for preserving MANEGE as an open youth culture center. Parents, neighbors, and representatives of social organizations attended, gaining insight into both the center’s precarious situation and the youth’s passionate engagement.

At the end of June 2012, FUSION e.V. formally returned the facility to the Neukölln District Office.

During its Neukölln phase, FUSION e.V. had been active in several committees: the Neukölln Migration Council, the Reuterkiez Neighborhood Council, the Kiez-AG, and the Rütli School Conference, as well as in developing the Quality Management Handbook for Berlin Youth Centers.

As of July 1, 2012, MANEGE’s new operator was the Technische Jugendfreizeit- und Bildungsgesellschaft (tjfbg), previously unknown in Neukölln. MANEGE staff Osman Tekin, Nadine Hinz, and Mesut Aktas were retained after strong advocacy from local youth.

Remarkably, Osman Tekin—a Neukölln youth who had received his first paid job at MANEGE at age 15, later became the first in his family to graduate from high school, and went on to study social work—was appointed by the new operator as MANEGE director. He carried forward FUSION e.V.’s educational vision with consistency and success.

The association’s art objects were transferred to the historic Funkhaus Grünau, where the partner association kunterfunk e.V. was restoring the site and integrating the sculptures into new cultural activities. Some works were restored there by FUSION members on a voluntary basis.

After the end of the Neukölln phase, FUSION e.V.’s active project work was paused for the remainder of 2012. The board focused instead on reflecting upon past experiences, exchanging knowledge with other socio-cultural initiatives, and conceptualizing future projects aligned with the association’s goals.

FUSION e.V. had to reinvent itself from the ground up.

The association’s activities, carried out on a voluntary basis by the board and dedicated members, focused on developing concepts for future project work in line with the association’s mission, maintaining communication with cooperation and networking partners, searching for a new working location in Brandenburg, and establishing a FUSION art workshop in Strausberg.

Discussions were held with the management of Klax GmbH regarding a FUSION concept for the professional development of pedagogical staff in the fields of artistic design, creativity, and intercultural dialogue. These conversations, however, did not lead to concrete cooperation.

Talks with the management of Plötzensee Youth Detention Center about setting up an art workshop for incarcerated young offenders also remained without result.

FUSION e.V. cooperated with the artists’ association kunterfunk e.V. at the Funkhaus Grünau (Regattastraße 277), lending numerous artworks for site design and exhibitions. The association also participated in the Schrottregatta 2013 (Scrap Regatta), organized by Funkhaus Grünau in August 2013, with a self-constructed floating art object.

From July 2013 onward, FUSION e.V. became involved in the development of the site at Garzauer Straße 20 in Strausberg. Privately owned, the site was intended by a group of committed individuals to be developed into a cultural location where experimental models of communal living and cooperative economies could be tested. Board members Wolfgang Janzer and Marta Galvis de Janzer attended the group’s weekly meetings and contributed actively to the conceptual development, advocating for activities with clear social impact in line with the association’s goals.

In October, FUSION e.V. rented a 140 m² workshop on the site. Between October and December, the space was equipped and opened as the FUSION Art Workshop. In November, the artworks previously on loan to Funkhaus Grünau—whose operators were forced to abandon the site—were transported to Garzauer Straße 20.

From Strausberg, FUSION e.V. established contacts with the city administration and local youth work and education actors in the Märkisch-Oderland region, with whom the association’s vision of creating a cultural interface between Berlin and the Strausberg area was discussed.

From August to December 2014, FUSION e.V., in cooperation with Berlin-based partner Kulturlabor Trial & Error e.V., implemented the Erasmus+ project Becoming Visible: Youth and Public Space – Creative Spatial Strategies as Innovative Tools in Youth Work in Strausberg. Nine organizations from Georgia, Armenia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Italy, Spain, and Portugal took part.

The preparatory work (August–October) involved coordination with partners, selection and briefing of participants, preparation of the infrastructure for an 11-day training course with 40 participants, program planning, agreements with expert contributors, research, and the compilation of course materials.

The project responded to young people’s need to become visible in public space and thereby strengthen their influence on public opinion and political discourse. Forty young creatives and youth workers from various European countries came together to explore the relationship between youth and public space, reflecting on and translating their discussions into practical strategies. Based on diverse experiences, they examined spatial strategies drawn from urban planning, architecture, art, creative activism, and urban interventions—both legal and illegal—evaluating their usefulness as tools for effective youth work.

The training and networking course took place from 15–25 October 2014 at Garzauer Straße 20 in Strausberg. It combined theoretical input, excursions to Berlin and Strausberg, and hands-on training. Participants exchanged experiences of youth access to public space in their respective countries, creating a comparative overview of opportunities and challenges across Europe.

Through introductions, expert discussions, and site visits, participants studied both successful participatory projects and problematic urban developments that ignored residents’ needs. Workshops and excursions used non-formal learning methods, skill-sharing, and DIY practices to develop practical abilities.

The project deepened participants’ understanding of the significance of public space in democratic societies. Less experienced participants were inspired to explore creative strategies and interventions, while more experienced participants enriched their own practice through the exchange of methods and approaches.

Throughout 2014, the FUSION Art Workshop in Strausberg operated as an open space, hosting creative activities for children, youth, and young adults from Berlin, Strausberg, and the Märkisch-Oderland district. Funding applications for the workshop were declined, leaving the association to cover operational costs. The idea of building a practical interface between Berlin and Brandenburg, bringing together metropolitan and rural youth through creative activities, found little resonance among funding bodies.

The workshop, led voluntarily by Marta Galvis de Janzer with support from association members, became a hub for creative youth work. FUSION also engaged in a collaborative art project with chance e.V. at the Rehfelde youth club and initiated talks with a local refugee accommodation in Garzau, though no cooperation could be established within the rigid structures governing refugee facilities.

Contacts were also maintained with Strausberg’s youth office and the Brandenburg Cultural Education Platform, as well as with the youth club Horte and its operator AJP 1260 e.V., who supported FUSION in running the Erasmus+ training course.

As the premises at Garzauer Straße 20 proved unsuitable for long-term project work, FUSION developed a utilization concept for a 2.5-hectare former car dealership site at Spitzmühlenweg 1 in Strausberg, combining art, education, and innovative business. The city administration, including Mayor Elke Stadeler, expressed strong interest and pledged support. With the foundation trias joining as a partner, negotiations were pursued.

In December 2014, the Garzauer Straße workshop was closed. Some artworks were moved to Spitzmühlenweg 1 for storage.

Together with trias Foundation and GLS Bank, FUSION e.V. entered negotiations for the acquisition of the Spitzmühlenweg site. A business plan outlining usage and financing options was prepared, and discussions held with potential partners including the Association of Visual Artists, Kulturlabor Trial & Error e.V., and Kunst-Stoffe e.V. Despite intensive planning, the project collapsed in June 2015 when the owner sold the property to other buyers for a higher price.

FUSION’s work in 2015 focused on developing project concepts in the fields of flight, asylum, and migration, while continuing to seek a new base in Brandenburg.

On the suggestion of trias, FUSION became involved in planning for the acquisition of a listed manor estate in Prötzel-Prädikow (Oder-Spree district). The vision was to combine residential and working spaces with art, culture, and education across the 3.5-hectare site. Yet, both group dynamics among stakeholders and negotiations with the owner proved difficult, prompting FUSION to keep searching for an alternative, Berlin-adjacent location.

In November 2015, the association discovered a decommissioned youth education and recreation center in Grünheide-Kagel, formerly operated by Berlin-Mitte district until 2011 and now offered for sale by the Berlin Real Estate Management GmbH (BIM). A site visit was scheduled for January 2016.

In spring 2016, board members Wolfgang Janzer and Marta Galvis de Janzer held negotiations with BIM and trias Foundation director Rolf Novy-Huy regarding the acquisition of the 3-hectare Grünheide-Kagel site (Erich-Weinert-Straße 36). Built in the 1970s, the four buildings on the grounds were structurally sound and well-suited to the association’s purposes.

FUSION developed a concept for reactivating the site as a center for education, art, and recreation, with a primary focus on children and youth. On 27 May 2016, trias Foundation purchased the property and immediately transferred it to FUSION e.V. under a 99-year hereditary lease.

The transfer of use took effect on 1 July, with keys handed over on 6 July. Insurance, electricity, and telecommunications were arranged, while volunteer workdays cleared the grounds, cleaned interiors, and relocated stored artworks from Strausberg to Kagel. A business plan for future operations was prepared, and funding discussions were initiated with GLS Bank. The project received positive feedback from the municipality of Grünheide and the LAG Märkische Seen.

On 29 September, FUSION hosted a “thank-you party” for all who contributed to the purchase, clean-up, and preparation of the site. The lease was officially registered in the land register on 14 November 2016.

Berlin Activities

From 25 July to 5 August and 17 to 28 October 2016, FUSION partnered with the GLS Treuhand’s Zukunftsstiftung Bildung and the theater group Die Improvisionäre to run two holiday school projects with 30 refugee children from various shelters. Using playful, creative methods, the program combined German language learning with improvisational theater to enhance communication skills.

Additionally, FUSION secured funding from the Youth and Family Foundation of Berlin and Aktion Mensch for the Creative Communication Camp – FUSION Communication Workshop. Launched on 15 August 2016 with a one-year duration, the project drew on FUSION’s longstanding expertise in migration and integration. It addressed the challenges of rising migration from crisis regions, offering refugees and local youth opportunities to strengthen communicative, political, and cultural competencies, and to engage in dialogue.

Activities took place at Kulturlabor Trial & Error e.V. in Neukölln, complemented by excursions to historically significant Berlin sites, enabling participants to experience German history through architecture and urban spaces.

The project, led by Wolfgang Janzer and Marta Galvis de Janzer with support from Syrian student and cultural mediator Sam Jourieh, served as a platform for developing new formats at the intersection of migration and integration—formats that would later be anchored at FUSION’s newly established site in Grünheide-Kagel, which the association named ZEBRA KAGEL.

The project Creative Communication Camp – FUSION Communications Workshop, launched in August 2016, continued throughout 2017. Together with participants, we explored key themes in politics, history, society, and culture using a variety of methods. Numerous excursions were organized, including visits to the Topography of Terror exhibition at Anhalter Bahnhof, the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park, the Museum of Technology, the Green Party Federal Congress, and the Berlin House of Representatives.

From February onwards, the circle of participants was expanded. Many Germans attended the regular meetings at our partner organization Kulturlabor Trial & Error e.V. in Berlin-Neukölln. In May, in cooperation with Leuchtturm Mitte e.V., participants and young refugees co-created an artistic redesign of a basement space in a residence for unaccompanied minor refugees in Pankow. This transformation provided the youth with an attractive new communication hub.

A large-scale, complex board game entitled Wir Schaffen Das! – The Flight, depicting the journey from Syria to Germany, was developed and built collaboratively. It was presented to the public in June 2017 during the Open Neukölln (ONK) festival.

Another innovative project format, “Dental Day,” grew out of the professional expertise of two Syrian dentists and a participant training as a dental technician in Berlin. The program targeted families and children in refugee accommodations, offering much-needed information on dental hygiene and prevention. Educational films in Arabic were used, complemented by an interactive performance called the Cavity Game, supported by percussion. The format was first piloted on July 23 in a refugee center in Lichtenrade, and on July 28, it was carried out as part of a holiday school program with refugee children in Charlottenburg, organized by the GLS Treuhand’s Zukunftsstiftung Bildung.

In total, the project carried out:

• 56 group meetings at Kulturlabor Trial & Error in Neukölln
• 1 meeting at the BBZ in Moabit
• 15 excursions
• 16 creative workshops with youth at Villa Leuchtturm in Pankow
• 2 action days as part of the Open Neukölln festival
• 2 “Dental Day” initiatives
• 1 closing event at the FUSION site ZEBRA KAGEL in Grünheide-Kagel, Brandenburg.

Each group meeting and excursion lasted 5–7 hours, and the creative workshops in Pankow ran for 8 hours. Altogether, the project reached around 400 people. It concluded on August 14, 2017.

Parallel to this, FUSION e.V. commissioned architect Jörg Wappler (WOF-Planungsgemeinschaft GbR, Berlin) to provide architectural oversight of the renovation of the Grünheide-Kagel buildings, including drafting new site plans since the original ones were only partially available.

The municipality of Grünheide issued a highly supportive statement on the project to restore and sustainably reuse the former youth education and recreation center in Kagel, offering administrative and regulatory assistance.

To finance the renovation, project leaders prepared a detailed business plan, which was submitted to the GLS Bank in Berlin. In May 2017, GLS approved a loan of €300,000 for structural renovation, refurbishment, and initial operating costs.

Major works carried out by professional firms included inspection and partial renewal of electrical, heating, and water systems, as well as the installation of new windows. Since the facility is not connected to municipal water or sewage systems, it relies on a deep well and cesspits. Tests revealed elevated iron and manganese levels in the well water, prompting further technical planning for water treatment.

Project leaders Marta Galvis de Janzer and Wolfgang Janzer coordinated the construction work with the architect while also carrying out numerous renovation and design tasks themselves. Volunteers from the association contributed to landscaping and outdoor improvements.

From August 28 to September 2, 2017, FUSION’s partner organization Kein Abseits! e.V. held a summer camp at ZEBRA KAGEL with 50 children and 18 adults. FUSION members enriched the program with creative art activities.

Renovation of the association’s facilities at ZEBRA KAGEL continued in 2018. The complex consists of three main buildings:

• ArtHouse, with reception area, office, kitchenette, workshop, storage rooms, seminar room, project rooms, studios, and three staff bedrooms.
• TIME OUT guesthouse, with 18 rooms across two floors and shared sanitary facilities.
• Main Building, including a large hall, multiple dining rooms, storage areas, a professional kitchen with pantries and cold storage, laundry and workshop rooms, and several bathrooms. Three apartments are located on the upper floor.

Key renovations completed in 2018 included:

• Replacement of all windows by a professional contractor (March).
• Installation of a panic door in the TIME OUT building.
• Painting of rooms, hallways, and staircases.
• Construction of custom-designed natural wood beds for 17 rooms.
• Installation of a self-catering kitchen for groups of up to 10 people.
• Renovation of sanitary facilities with new showers, toilets, tiling, and drywall.
• Upgrading of electrical systems in all three buildings to modern standards.
• Establishment of workshop, storage, and seminar spaces in the ArtHouse.
• Refurbishment of the large hall and dining areas, including mosaic tiling, custom-made furniture and lamps, and aesthetic redesign to enhance usability.

Heating repairs were carried out, and water supply and wastewater systems were comprehensively renewed by a specialist firm. To ensure clean drinking water from the deep well, a high-quality filtration system and new water tanks were installed.

For these additional works, a supplementary loan of €150,000 was approved by GLS Bank in March 2018.

Throughout the year, project leaders Marta Galvis de Janzer and Wolfgang Janzer coordinated the technical and aesthetic work, ensuring that the renovations aligned with the intended use of ZEBRA KAGEL as a site for education, art, and recreation with a focus on children and youth.

The project attracted numerous visitors, including local officials and cultural partners, who expressed strong interest in the reactivation of the site. FUSION also began building cooperative relationships with local and regional associations.

In August 2018, Leuchtturm Mitte e.V. organized a youth retreat at ZEBRA KAGEL for unaccompanied minor refugees previously involved in FUSION projects. Together, we carried out activities such as archery and sculpture-making with natural materials.

The project A Message for Inclusion, funded by Aktion Mensch (August 2019 – January 2020), focused on building a cooperation network with partners from Berlin, Brandenburg, and neighboring European countries. The aim was to co-develop and use the bungalows at ZEBRA KAGEL for inclusive programs supporting disadvantaged children and youth. Historian Dr. Peter Mitchell was engaged to lead the project, organizing meetings with potential partners and drafting future funding applications. A closing event was held on January 18, 2020, with artists and partner representatives. The project laid the foundation for future collaborations with organizations such as Schlesische 27 (Berlin), Kein Abseits! e.V. (Berlin), Lial e.V. (Berlin), LOGOS NGO (Poland), Familienzirkel Kagel, Midria e.V. (Strausberg), and Wissensbude Wildnis (Bad Saarow).

The German-Greek professional exchange project Migration Society (funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth) took place December 8–15, 2019, at ZEBRA KAGEL with 20 participants (10 from Germany, 10 from Greece) in partnership with PRAXIS (Serres, Greece). The focus was on the challenges migration poses for youth work in both countries, developing and testing constructive approaches using creative and informal learning methods. Participants created symbolic objects reflecting the theme of migration and integration and also engaged with FUSION’s board game Wir Schaffen Das! – The Flight.

In 2019, outdoor areas at ZEBRA KAGEL were developed: land was cleared, enriched with topsoil, and cultivated with flowerbeds, vegetable plots, and a raised herb garden. Several fruit trees were also planted, with active participation from young migrants from Berlin.

Community engagement highlights included:

• A school festival with Gerhart-Hauptmann Elementary School (June 19), featuring creative workshops.
• A summer camp hosted by Kein Abseits! e.V. (July 22–27), with 50 children, culminating in the ceremonial burning of a 4-meter “Burning Man” figure built by the children.
• Hosting 50 cyclists from a community bike tour organized by the Grünheide cultural office (April 29).

2019 also marked the official launch of ZEBRA KAGEL as an operational site.

To manage accommodation, catering, and facility rentals, FUSION founded ZEBRA TIME OUT UG (limited liability), which signed a lease agreement with the association. Revenue generated contributes to covering the operational costs of ZEBRA KAGEL.

The site was used by numerous groups for school trips, youth exchanges, student projects, and family gatherings.

By the end of 2019, we were satisfied with our progress and optimistic about the future—until the unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Erasmus+ program of the European Commission, FUSION e.V. submitted two project funding applications to Jugend für Europa—both of which were approved:

1. Project: “Learning with History”
2. Project: “The Expressive Mask”

Both projects were designed as training courses for professionals in youth and cultural work. Participants were recruited in cooperation with partner organizations across several European countries.

The first project, Learning with History, was able to take place after the first wave of the pandemic, from October 27 to November 5, 2020, at ZEBRA KAGEL under the direction of historian Dr. Peter Mitchell and Marko Boyko from our Polish partner organization LOGOS. Participants from various European countries explored the significance of teaching historical knowledge in youth work, particularly in the field of political education. The program included seminars and excursions to Berlin, where participants produced documentary videos on historical sites.

The second project, The Expressive Mask, originally scheduled for December 2020, had to be postponed to 2021 due to the lockdown and international travel restrictions.

The government-mandated lockdown forced all projects and bookings at ZEBRA KAGEL in the first half of the year to be canceled or postponed, resulting in substantial financial losses for FUSION e.V. Ongoing operating costs could only be covered through state emergency support.

From August 2020, the easing of pandemic restrictions allowed for a limited number of events and projects.

From August 1–6, 2020, the Berlin band Dirty Feetz filmed a music video at ZEBRA KAGEL. As a long-standing partner of the association known for its creative and experimental approach to music and performance, the group was granted free use of indoor and outdoor facilities. Marta and Wolfgang of FUSION e.V., along with the association’s cat Gallina, took part in the shoot. The completed video was later published on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

On August 26 and September 11, 2020, FUSION e.V. hosted creative workshops for people with disabilities supported by our cooperation partner Midria e.V. from Strausberg. Led by Frank Kutsche and Antje Modespacher, participants enjoyed three intensive hours of craft-making and proudly took home their handmade creations.

Also with participants from Midria e.V., a large solid-wood swing was built for the outdoor grounds of ZEBRA KAGEL in workshops on August 3 and 7, 2020, under the guidance of social worker Robert Scheffler.

The Tipi Village at ZEBRA KAGEL, with five large tipis and an outdoor kitchen, was inaugurated on July 27, 2020, with a week-long summer camp led by our partner Frank Kutsche. Twenty-one children took part.

In the ArtHouse at ZEBRA KAGEL, textile artist Anja Schweinbenz set up a sewing studio, with plans for regular workshops in autumn and winter. Unfortunately, these had to be canceled due to the pandemic.

In 2021, the association’s activities continued to be heavily restricted by pandemic regulations. Only from August onward could ZEBRA TIME OUT UG and project work at ZEBRA KAGEL resume.

On August 14, 2021, ABH e.V. (Anlaufstelle Berliner Heimkinder) held a summer festival at ZEBRA KAGEL in cooperation with FUSION e.V. With films, live music, and time spent in nature, many people from Berlin associated with ABH e.V. enjoyed a rich and memorable day.

On August 20, 2021, textile artist Anja Schweinbenz led a creative workshop in the ZEBRA KAGEL sewing studio with eight members of the Kagel Creative Circle, who developed and implemented their own artistic ideas.

On August 23 and 30, 2021, people with disabilities supported by Midria e.V. built a large wooden seesaw for the ZEBRA KAGEL outdoor area, under the guidance of social worker Robert Scheffler.

Between July and October, four multi-day tipi camps took place at ZEBRA KAGEL in cooperation with Frank Kutsche of Wissensbude Wildnis. Around 100 children from Berlin and Brandenburg experienced memorable days of outdoor adventure and authentic encounters with nature.

From August 29 to September 12, 2021, the organization ICJA hosted a preparatory seminar at ZEBRA KAGEL for 30 volunteers from Central and South America, preparing them for a one-year voluntary service in German social institutions.

From September 16–27, 2021, Navigaia Journeys conducted the project Encourage 2 with 45 participants from various European countries, focusing on mobility, travel, tourism, and personal development.

From September 28 to October 3, 2021, the German Foundation UWC (United World Colleges) organized an international youth exchange with 40 participants at ZEBRA KAGEL, featuring intensive programs of cultural exchange, communication, and creative collaboration.

From December 6–21, 2021, the postponed Erasmus+ project The Expressive Mask, applied for by FUSION e.V. and approved by the European Commission, was finally realized at ZEBRA KAGEL. The 24 participants came from Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, France, and Greece. The mask-making and theater workshop was directed by Dr. Peter Mitchell and Marko Boyko of LOGOS (Poland), with theater specialist Richard Kimberley and mask-maker Juri Kussmaul as workshop leaders.

This training course for youth and cultural workers combined mask-making with theater production. Participants created their own theater masks and performed original plays, experiencing firsthand the educational power of theater pedagogy in youth work.

The course concluded with a public performance in the large hall of ZEBRA KAGEL, attended by numerous visitors from Berlin and Grünheide.

In May 2022, our partner Midria e.V. held a rehearsal week for the Midria Band at ZEBRA KAGEL. The 12 band members, all people with disabilities, practiced a repertoire that culminated in a public concert on May 13 in the large hall. Local residents from Kagel enjoyed a professional performance and mingled with the musicians afterward.

On August 2 and September 27, 2022, FUSION e.V. held creative workshops in the Tipi Village with participants from Midria e.V., guided by wilderness educator Frank Kutsche. Each group of 12 participants produced original handcrafted objects and developed artisanal skills.

From July 11–15 and July 18–22, 2022, two summer camps were held in the Tipi Village in cooperation with Wissensbude Wildnis, enabling 35 children from Berlin and Brandenburg to enjoy restorative and adventurous days in nature.

Our Berlin partner S27 Kunst und Bildung organized two projects with young migrants at ZEBRA KAGEL:

• June 20–23, 2022: Creative work with 50 participants, including outdoor design, textile art, music, dance, and communal celebrations.
• September 17–18, 2022: Outdoor activities and communal cooking with 20 participants.

The organization ICJA conducted several seminars at ZEBRA KAGEL in 2022, bringing together volunteers from Germany, Latin America, Africa, and Asia for intercultural training and exchange:

• January 25–February 7: 22 participants
• April 6–10: 13 participants
• June 26–July 10: 42 participants
• August 30–September 5: 27 participants

From July 23–August 14, 2022, UWC Germany held an international youth exchange with 69 participants at ZEBRA KAGEL, using the facilities for an intensive program of learning, exchange, and creative collaboration.

The PeWoBe gGmbH (Frankfurt/Oder) held three Erasmus+ youth exchange projects at ZEBRA KAGEL, addressing climate change, sustainability, and cultural diversity:

• May 20–29, 2022: 36 participants
• June 3–11, 2022: 25 participants
• October 21–30, 2022: 30 participants

The German-French Ecological Volunteer Service (DFÖJ) held a preparatory seminar for 25 participants from France and Germany from March 11–19, 2022.

Other groups included:

• Rehfelde Primary School (class trip with 38 children, June 14–17, 2022)
• Berlin choir Stimmgewalt (rehearsal weekend, February 11–14, 2022)
• Stagies Berlin e.V. (musical workshop with 25 youth, March 11–19, 2022)
• Filmarche e.V. (film seminar with 60 participants, October 14–16, 2022)

All of these projects integrated presentations of ZEBRA KAGEL as a creatively restored site with historical and contemporary significance. Visitors were reminded of the value of creating inspiring spaces for encounter, dialogue, imagination, and cultural exchange.

In 2022, around 600 people from around the world participated in educational, cultural, and artistic projects at ZEBRA KAGEL.

A difficult year. Rising energy prices and inflation, triggered by the war in Ukraine, created severe financial pressure for both FUSION e.V. and the operation of ZEBRA KAGEL.

Just as the pandemic crisis seemed to be overcome, this geopolitical crisis placed many small organizations under renewed strain. As funding for educational and youth exchange projects became harder to secure, bookings at ZEBRA KAGEL declined, while energy and maintenance costs rose sharply. What had begun as a promising endeavor now became a precarious balancing act.

The challenge has since been to stabilize the association financially while preserving its critical and emancipatory mission. We are working intensively on new concepts to secure the future of FUSION e.V. and ZEBRA KAGEL in uncertain times.

In summer 2023, a substantial library was established at ZEBRA KAGEL, offering books in literature, art, history, politics, and philosophy—donations from members and friends of the association. For us, books hold a high value, and reading as a cultural practice remains an essential element of education. The library is envisioned as a place of quiet and reflection for all who know how to use it.

Highlights of 2023 included:

• December 2022–January 2023: A New Year’s retreat by the Falken (SDAJ).
• February: A textile upcycling workshop led by Anja Schweinbenz with Midria e.V. participants.
• March–April: Youth exchange programs by PeWoBe with participants from Europe and beyond.
• May–June: Three school classes from Berlin and Brandenburg visited on class trips.
• May–November: Musical rehearsals by the Berlin Stage Company, Schöneberg Chamber Choir, and Jugendclub Klinke, including concerts for local audiences.
• June: A Franco-German youth exchange organized by DFJW.
• July: A program with young migrants organized by BBZ Berlin.
• August–September: Four ICJA international volunteer seminars.
• September: A one-week project by netzwerk n e.V..
• September 8: Premiere of the film Detective Mirko and the Secret of Kagel, produced by Midria e.V. with people with disabilities.
• October 8: A literature reading organized by Campus Kultur – Burg Beeskow & KulTus e.V..
• December: Annual meeting of Demeter im Osten e.V.

Throughout the year, several camps were held in the Tipi Village, offering children unforgettable experiences in nature.

Work on new concepts and the restructuring of the association.

Keep the flame burning!

Personal note from Wolfgang Janzer, founding member and board member of FUSION e.V.:

Time has not stood still for those of us at FUSION e.V. who were there from the very beginning and carried responsibility for the association’s goals.

One sign of growing older is the realization that the concepts and frameworks that once shaped our thinking and practice are no longer fully understood by many young people—or that these hold little relevance or priority for their ways of thinking and acting. They are children of their time, of the digital revolution, the triumph of neoliberal ideology, and the Western-implemented “rules-based world order.”

We once saw ourselves as Wirlinge (WE people)—socially engaged people, motivated and driven by utopian visions of society. Today, we find ourselves surrounded by a younger generation of Ichlinge (I people), who were born and socialized at the very moment we were at the height of our activity. So what was the point of our actions? Was this whole endeavor—the long story of a small, innovative, and unruly association that stands for many like it, and unlike so many others, has survived until today—nothing more than Quixotry, a fight against windmills?

FUSION must renew itself in order to survive. Can we do this? Do we even want to? And for what purpose? Our answer can only be: for the next generation of the unruly and the free thinkers.

Everything must be rethought and reorganized. What we do know is this: with ZEBRA KAGEL, FUSION possesses a real, tangible place worth preserving—a place where new ideas for a livable society can take root and come to life.