Text: Rosa Hauch · Photos: Yvonn Spauschus
In 2022, she took the initiative to organise a meeting so that the neighbours could get to know each other as such. People greet each other, but otherwise they are and remain anonymous in the direct vicinity of hundreds of other tenants.
Brigitte Glodschei doesn’t like it either. She has lived here for almost 30 years now and at some point she told Laura about the old days and how it was quite common for neighbours to get together to celebrate, talk and also help each other. And Laura, who came to Dresden from Lithuania in 2016, had already found her contact person in Brigitte, who in turn has Italian roots. Italy, temperament, cliché, well, in this case it’s true. “I’ve always struggled,” says Brigitte, smiling not sweetly but openly. Some people get bitter when life is a big, hard struggle. Brigitte lives her life as it is and infects everyone with her energy. She brings ketchup to one person’s bratwurst, a friendly greeting to another and a new plate for herself.
Felix, Laura’s husband, is in charge of the barbecue. The Schlager music comes from the in-house DJ, the one or other beer table set from the housing association.
Laura and Brigitte have managed to bring as many people as possible to these tables who are active in Johannstadt. This includes the Kulturtreff as well as Café für alle (Coffee for all).
Games are played together on the lawn, cake and bratwurst are fragrant, the music penetrates at least to the 10th floor and it is a warm day. The windows are open, the hearts will soon be too. For sure.
Dresdner Nachbarschaften – sichtbar, vernetzt, engagiert!
Neighbourhoods are everywhere – we are right in the middle of it. With district walks, conversations in the green, creative workshops, exhibitions and much more.
Period
05-12.2023
Project coordination
Yvonn Spauschus (project management)
Yulia Vishnichenko · Moussa Mbarek · Nadine Wölk · Nazanin Zandi (workshop leader)
Rosa Brockelt · Rosa Hauch · Falk Goernert (moderation and documentation)
Cooperation partners
Club Passage / JugendKunstschule Dresden · Omse e.V. · Chinesisch Deutsches Zentrum e.V. · Treffpunkt Prohlis / Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. · Stadtteilverein Johannstadt e.V. · Neues Volkshaus Cotta / Konglomerat e.V. · Montagscafé / Staatsschauspiel Dresden · Freizeitclub / Lebenshilfe Dresden e.V. · Quartiersmanagement Prohlis, Johannstadt und Gorbitz
Supported by
The project is funded by the State Ministry for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion. This measure is co-financed with tax funds on the basis of the budget passed by the Saxon state parliament within the framework of the state programme Integrative Maßnahmen.