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

• With contributions from:
  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, moderated by Bettina Nagler

14:00 - 15:00 Lunch

15:00 - 16:45 Witchful Planning - Solidarity economies and operator and sponsor models - in german

• With contributions from:
  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, moderated by Bettina Nagler

16:45 - 17:15 Break

17:15 - 18:45 Wilful Movements - Presents of New Coalitions and Alliances* - in english

• With contributions by:
  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, moderated by Gabu Heindl

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
  With:
  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*innen der Tagung

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.

The conference is open to the public.