Self comprehension
Fundamental rules of the Bettenhaus
What are they needed for?
As in any other kind of community, conflicts in a self-organised house are inevitable. In order to make the living together work, basic rules need to be shared and respected by all the people living in the project: the respect of these rules can be demanded from each inhabitant to the community and by the community to each inhabitant. Living together requires a certain amount of social competences and personal responsability.
How the Bettenhaus understands itself as a political and social project
The Bettenhaus considers itself as an alternative to isolated living solutions, such as living in a student hostel or in a private apartment. Moreover, living in the Bettenhaus is radically different from living in a fraternity hall: fraternities exclude women and promote a hierarchical and elitary ideology that is not compatible with our fundamental principles.
The Bettenhaus understands itself as an international, self-organised and grass-roots democratic collective project. It provides alternative possibilities to a traditional and isolated life, based on restrainless economical liberalism and social exclusion. We refuse any discriminatory behaviour -active or passive-. We refuse and condemn discrimination based on categories such as „nation“,“race“, „sex“ and „social class“. We also refuse discriminations based on physical or psychical abilities.
In order for these rules to be applied in everyday life, they have to be shared by all: by any means should physical violence against other people be admissible as a method to explain your reasons. It is also clear that nationalist, sexist,racist.antisemitic,fascist,homophobe discriminations and behaviours will not be accepted.
The respect of these basic rules can be demanded by every and each inhabitant of the house. Should an incident occurr, the afflicted person can rely on the project’s solidarity. Who violates the basic community rules has to realize that he/she would be deprived of the house’s solidarity and trust, and therefore he/she would have to move out of the house.
Equal number of „women“ and „men“ and „german“ and „non-german“ citizens
The anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-antisemite and anti-fascist principles lead to the fact that an equal number of „women“ and „men“ and people who have a german passport and people who do not have a german passport or are not perceived as „german“ should live in the house. The same principle applies for the management collective. An equal share does not guarantee a non-discriminatory space, though: we ask to all the inhabitants to adhere to these basic rules, in order to allow a communitarian and alternative living in the Bettenhaus.
Grass-roots democracy
The function of the management collective is only to guarantee the administrative good functioning of the house. All the decisions concerning the house should be taken by the inhabitants‘ general meeting that is open to every and each person living in the Bettenhaus.
The apartments organise themselves autonomously, always keeping in mind the general principles of the house community.
Collective organisation
The Bettenhaus is self-organised, but this does not mean that it organises by itself! Since every inhabitant is part of the community, every and each inhabitant is required to take part in the activities, in order to ensure the good functioning and the progress of the project. Everyone is invited to participate to the general meetings, which take place regularly once every two weeks.
Moreover, we think it is fair to spend at least one hour per week for the project. There are many possibilities to take part to the activities of the project: participate in different commissions (BIG- Deluxe, management collective), take care of the house’s public relations, follow the renovation process, collaborate with the different groups (Bar group, Sommerfest group, Fotolabor group, Library group, Atelier and Werkstatt group, Day care group, Sport group). The inhabitants can choose freely in which activities to participate.
The Bettenhaus provides free space for creativity
Every inhabit is encouraged to re-decorate the apartments‘ private and collective rooms and the cellar rooms and also to start new artistic projects.
The „Rakete“ (the Rocket) is Bettenhaus‘ pub and it can be used for regular meetings, concerts, and parties, if approved by the inhabitants‘ general meeting (MV).
External groups
The Bettenhaus functions also as meeting point for different cultural and political groups. Of course these groups have to share the Bettenhaus‘ principles and they have to ask permission to the inhabitants‘ general meeting before using the rooms in the cellar.
The inhabitants of the Bettenhaus, September 2012