Witchful Building 
Feminist project development as a moving practice
Conference of the Department of ARCHITECTURE CITY ECONOMY, University of Kassel

Location: Zentrum für Umweltbewusstes Bauen, Universität Kassel
Gottschalkstraße 22, D-34127 Kassel

Since the 1980s, the women's movement has been creating places that have been developed differently - through squatting, conversion projects or campaigns. The conference is dedicated to this feminist project development as a moving spatial practice and focuses on today's organizational forms and strategies - from new beginnings and network formation to new alliances.
How did feminist groups create spaces - and how do they shape opening processes today? What continuities are becoming visible?
Together we want to share experiences, network actors and open up spaces for new collaborations.

Program

Monday, 15.6.2026

12:00 Welcome by Gabu Heindl and Bettina Nagler

12:15 - 13:45 Wistful Past - Historical retrospectives ^{in German}

• Ruth Becker, Eveline Linke: Feminist strategy of taking up space - a review
• Heidrun Hubenthal: Science and teaching, not second and third row!
• Followed by a discussion

14:00 - 15:00 Lunch

15:00 - 16:45 Witchful Planning - Solidarity economies and operator and sponsor models ^{in German}

• Anke Peterssen: 45 years of the Schokofabrik women's center in constant change - alternative forms of organization and economy and safe spaces
• Inken Baller: No economy without women - Europe's largest women's start-up center
• Elke Hellmuth: Brückenhof und building bridges: Feminist participation processes in Kassel
• Lisa-Marie Schmidt: Hexenwerk? Development of a feminist housing collective
• Followed by a discussion

16:45 - 17:15 Break

17:15 - 18:45 Wilful Movements - Presents of New Coalitions and Alliances ^{in English}

• Teresa Fischer: Last Little Haven: Recovering the Historic Lesbian Bar
• building diversity: t.b.a.
• Hannah Berner: From Shopping Malls to Care Centers - Organizing the Neighborhood
• Discussion

18:45 - 19:15 Break

19:15 - 20:00 Dinnerlecture ^{in English} 

• Ana Filipović: Expanding the Field of Struggle: Feminist Spatial Critique in Theory / Practice

Tuesday, 16.6.2026

from 9:30 Networking breakfast

10:00 - 12:00 Wishful Transformations - Transformation Workshop ^{in German}

Getting into organizing

• FOPA Bremen: Käthe Protze, Insa Meyer: Rope teams, Networks und other strings
• FOPA Kassel: Heidrun Hubenthal, Elke Hellmuth, u.w.
• Equal Opportunities Officer ASL: Jenny Brand, Ana Bisbicus
• Kompetenzzentrum Geschlechterforschung in der Transformation, Universtität Kassel: Elisabeth Tuider
• Participants of the conference

12:00 - 12:30 Joint conclusion

Participants:

Ana Filipović

building diversity

WeiberWirtschaft eG: Inken Baller

Ruth Becker

Eveline Linke

Heidrun Hubenthal

Women's Center Schokofabrik e.V.: Anke Peterssen

KontorhausKollektiv KoKo: Lisa-Marie Schmidt

Elke Hellmuth

Last Little Haven: Teresa Fischer

"Sorge ins ParkCenter": Hannah Berner

FOPA Kassel

FOPA Bremen: Käthe Protze, Insa Meyer

Equal Opportunities Officer ASL: Jenny Brand, Ana Bisbicus

Competence Center Gender Studies in Transformation, University of Kassel: Elisabeth Tuider

The conference is organized by Prof. Dr. Gabu Heindl and WM Bettina Nagler with the support of research assistants Laura Lender and Laetitia Göttermann as part of the project "Building Together & Otherweise - über (Wohn-)Baustrategien feministischer Bewegungen", funded by the research focus "Dimensionen der Kategorie Geschlecht - Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung in Hessen" by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture.