Katernberg, lass dich blicken!

The first edition of ›Katernberg, let yourself be seen!‹ introduced the Imkerverein Essen-Katernberg und Umgebung e.V. on Hegestraße which was founded in 1927. We spoke with Hubert Dewenter, the chairman of the association.

The second issue, focused on the florist shop ›Blütenzauber‹ located at Katernberger Straße 15. After 15 years, the shop had to close at the end of 2023 due to financial reasons. As a farewell, we spoke with Monika Iletschko, the owner of the shop, about moments of love, sorrow, and happiness that she and her colleague Bettina Otte experienced with each visit from customers. It was with heavy hearts that they said goodbye to their shop, but not yet to Katernberg.

To mark this occasion, the WerkStadt shop window was dedicated to the florist shop ›Blütenzauber‹ in December. Before the winter break, Monika Iletschko decorated the window with the last flowers from the shop.

Most recently, in February 2024, we showcased the non-profit organization ›Tausche Bildung für Wohnen‹ from Katernberg in the window. ›Tausche Bildung für Wohnen‹ advocates for compassionate and playful educational support in neighborhoods affected by poverty, offering alternative possibilities to the traditional school education system. The window was designed by children at the ›Tauschbar‹ and will be on display until mid-March.

At the Meerkamp housing estate in Essen-Katernberg, residents have long been actively engaged in trying to improve living conditions. For years, there have been various issues at the estate, partly attributable to the quality of the housing stock. Various actors such as the community centre Kon-Takt, the district caretakers of the AWO, district politics, the tenant association Mietergemeinschaft Essen e.V., as well as the neighbourhood moderation of ISSAB, are addressing the issue to support the tenants. The WerkStadt also engages with this neighbourhood-related issue in its own program. The fourth edition of ›Katernberg, let yourself be seen!‹ is an attempt to maintain the topic at the local level and inform others who are not affected. In the WerkStadt shop window, artist Melwyn Haensch creatively depicts local realities through drawings created at Meerkamp, making the topic visible to passersby.

Regular tenant meetings held at the community centre Kon-Takt, have already contributed to successful networking among tenants. Tenants exchange information with each other in a WhatsApp group. The ISSAB and the civic centre Kon-Takt maintain a list of concerns as a basis for discussions, for example, with the landlord and authorities (such as the housing inspection office of the city of Essen). Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, the tenant association Mietergemeinschaft Essen e.V. advises tenants from the Meerkamp in the community center Kon-Takt between 14:00 and 15:30 h.  Registration is not required.

Related press article: 
WAZ (27.02.2024)

In fall 2024, ›Katernberg, lass dich blicken‹ cooperated with Mahtab Mahboub, who is a facilitator in the Migrant Mom's Mic project, which is funded by filia. die frauenstiftung.

In the WerkStadt, seven women from Katernberg met regularly with the facilitator to share their stories, plans and favorite songs. These encounters not only resulted in a joint playlist and memories, but also a community map of Katernberg - a lively and personal portrait of the district, shaped by individual experiences, impressions and ideas for a more liveable district.

“I am one of the co-founders of the Migrant Mom's Mic project. Our central idea: storytelling is a form of self-empowerment. By sharing our stories, we draw attention to social structures and constructs that disadvantage and marginalize women* at the intersection of gender, migration and motherhood.

Our goal is to build a strong network of migrant mothers* who support and empower each other. This community-building engagement creates platforms where our voices are heard - and from which we develop the power to challenge dominant ideological and political discourses that influence our lives.

In this context, I would like to propose a series of empowerment workshops. The aim is to foster a sense of belonging and community and to strengthen social and political participation - by creating media that tell our stories.

These workshops are intended to create a safe space specifically for migrant women and mothers* in which collective forms of representation are possible - be it through video or audio recordings, posters or even children's drawings.

It was a great honor to work with these strong and resilient women. Every encounter was inspiring and enriching.“
– Mahtab Mahboub