What to do with a toaster that doesn’t work anymore? Or with a bike that causes problems? Or a jumper that was feasted upon by moths? Throw it away? Or maybe the “Repair Café” at Paul-Gerhart-Stift in Wedding can help?
At Paul-Gerhardt-Stift (Müllerstr. 56), a workshop aiming to fix everything is opening on the 3rd of July. “We’re open between 3 and 6 pm and invite you to try and fix any of your appliances, supported by an expert”, the organiser of the project, Wille gGmbH, announces. Visitors can bring their items that need fixing: Bikes, prams, PCs, printers, lamps, clothes, toys… whatever is broken or doesn’t work anymore. Experts will then help you to fix your broken goods again.
The aim of the project is to pass on knowledge and expertise, to create new networks and to link neighbours. The “Repair Café” also wants to become a popular meeting and exchange point in Wedding. “If you fix a bike, a CD player or a pair of pants with a neighbour you don’t know yet, you’ll look differently at that person when you see him or her on the streets. Fixing things tigether can lead to great contacts in the neighbourhoods”, says Wille gGmbH.
In Germany, incredible amounts just get thrown out – even items that could be fixed easily. Unfortunately, not many people try to fix things anymore. The “Repair Café” wants to change that. A “Repair Café” doesn’t only help to reduce the garbage pit, but also preserves rare earths and reduces CO2 emissions. “But mainly, we want to show that repairing is fun and easy”.
The idea “Repair Café”
The concept of “Repair Cafés” was developped in Amsterdam, where the „Stichting Repair Café“ (www.repaircafe.nl) has been organising repair meetings since 2010. In Germany, the network is coordinated by “Stiftungsgemeinschaft anstiftung & ertomis”.
In Wedding, the “Repair Café” will happen every 1st and 3rd Thursday – dates and times can be found at www.diewille.de.
2nd courtyard
Müllerstr. 56 – 58
translation: Daniela Hombach
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