Scene - Cult club Molotow about to close? Demo with concert planned
Hotel instead of cult club: because a hotel is to be built in place of Hamburg's Molotow music club, the operator has to look for a new place to stay and therefore sees its existence threatened. The Molotow was terminated by the landlord shortly before Christmas with effect from June 30, 2024, operator Andi Schmidt told the German Press Agency in Hamburg on Wednesday. However, the construction of their planned new accommodation on the Reeperbahn in the so-called Paloma district has not yet begun and the plans have been up in the air for years. This is the third time in ten years that the club has had to give way to the interests of investors, as Schmidt posted on Instagram. In addition, the future is extremely uncertain and insecure due to exploding rents. Project developer René Marn, who is responsible for the new construction of the hotel at Nobistor 14, initially declined to comment on the matter on Wednesday.
The news has also concerned Hamburg's Senator for Culture Carsten Brosda (SPD). "The termination by the owner is a hard blow. I can't and won't imagine Hamburg as a city of culture without @MolotowHamburg," he posted on the social network X. The authorities are in contact with Molotow. "We will meet with all stakeholders as quickly as possible to find a perspective for the club," he wrote. The talks are to take place very quickly in the new year, said a spokesperson for the authorities in Hamburg on Wednesday. According to operator Schmidt, initial dates have already been proposed.
The termination also came unexpectedly for the district office in Mitte, with district manager Ralf Neubauer finding clear words: "The termination of the Molotow before Christmas came as a great surprise to everyone here. The project developer assured us a week beforehand that there would be no last-minute termination and that there would therefore be time to find a solution for the Molotow. So we don't see him as particularly reliable at the moment." The Kiez would be inconceivable without its clubs, especially the Molotow.
On Saturday, Andi Schmidt has planned a solidarity demonstration with well-known musicians, including the punk band Team Scheisse, and a rally through St. Pauli. This is also intended to send a signal against investors, politicians and the administration. "We don't want to stand idly by and watch a city slowly abolish itself and become increasingly silent!" According to the police, around 3,000 people are expected to take part in the "Molotow Must Stay" rally.
Culture needs to be given more attention in urban development, writes Andi Schmidt in his Instagram statement. "Cultural venues need to be better protected in future and culture outside of the Elbphilharmonie must be given more weight and a greater voice in Hamburg."
Info from Molotow about the demo on 30.12. Post by Carsten Brosda on X Infos about the planned hotel
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Source: www.stern.de
