Thursday 5 November 2009

EKH SQUAT info





The Ernst Kirchweger Haus (EKH) in Vienna, Austria, has been squatted in 1990 in order to establish an internationalist, anti-fascist and autonomous centre. It takes its name from the Anti-fascist Ernst Kirchweger, who had been active in the resistance against national socialism during the Second World War. He was murdered during an anti-fascist demonstration in Vienna in 1965. Including an autonomous living space and numerous political as well as cultural initiatives and groups, the project has played an important role in the radical left of Austria and beyond.

Since the 20th of October 2004 it has been known that the former owner, the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ), has sold the building for much less than its worth to speculators from the extreme right-wing. Shortly afterwards, all the symbol leases have been quit and all users of the house were given notice that they have to be out by the 31st of December 2004. After that, there have been a lot of attacks of the new owner to the people in the house. But at the same time a lot of people have done solidarity actions and protests against the sale of the EKH. They have started several big demonstrations, street parties and action squatted some new houses and party headquarters around the area of Vienna. So the city of Vienna and the “Fonds Soziales Wien” have decided to start negotiations with the new owner the Porr AG. The Porr AG has done a verbal promise that they won’t evict the house before June 2006. But then they have started a new eviction process. So after all there are still no leases for the house and the future of all the projects, initiatives and groups in the house is very uncertain.

The EKH defines itself as a free zone for cultural, political and artistic activities.

To find more information’s to the initiatives and groups in the house go to http://www.med-user.net/ekh/.

In addition to the EKH there are several autonomous projects in Vienna that are threatened like the TÜWI , the female centre in the WUK, Echo and Public Netbase. The “Gruppe Freiraum” still want to have the „Altes AKH“(university campus Vienna) for spaces that allow different ways of life and we still need a Punker house in Vienna!

You will find the EKH in Wielandgasse 2-4 in the 10th district (Favoriten!) in Vienna (Austria) near the red metro-line or bus 14A -station "Keplerplatz", or tram number 6 "Reumannplatz"



Infomaden
INFOMADEN (info-maggots) ...is the name of the new infoshop. The Infomaden is open Thur-Sat from 4pm-8pm. The new infoshop, in the same space as the old one, has been open since January, 2006. The collective re-formed and reorganized itself, some left and others came. But the agenda remains the same: there will once again be the availability of undogmatic-left, radical information, a communication platform and availability of our space for left-leaning debate and praxis, offerings of products from the non-commercial, d.i.y. scene (music, clothes, zines, autonomous-lifestyle-chic, etc), places to sit, internet access, warm and cold drinks. Whoever is interested in our work and wants to join us is warmly invited to do so. Because there are a few bridges to the past and we don't want to be stuck in a paradigm, we will not retain the name "Infoladen X." That affects how we are reached electronically. Starting immediately there is a new e-mail address and URL:
infomaden@med-used.net
www.med-user.net/infomaden
Also the library shares our space in the Portiersloge with the Infomaden.
EKH SQUAT: web page my space

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