The International Women* Space (IWS) was founded by activists during the 2012-2014 refugee protests and occupations of Oranienplatz and Gerhart-Hauptmann-Schule in Berlin-Kreuzberg.
In 2012, a group of asylum seekers marched 600 kilometres from Würzburg, Bavaria, to Berlin, demanding structural changes to the German asylum system, such as the abolition of compulsory residency and refugee camps, the right to study, and the right to work. The march arrived in Berlin in October 2012, with participants setting up a protest camp at Oranienplatz. In December, activists also occupied Gerhart-Hauptmann-Schule in Ohlauer Straße, just a few blocks away from Oranienplatz. A group of women* created a space just for women* to make the voices of migrant and refugee women* heard. From the beginning, the IWS focused on being a space for self-determination and self-organisation as well as documenting the struggles of women in the context of migration. During the 17 months of the occupation of Gerhart-Hauptmann-Schule, hundreds of women interacted with IWS and got organised.
The march and the occupations attracted national and international attention while building pressure for changes to the German asylum system.
In April 2014, Oranienplatz was evicted after some refugees signed an agreement with the Berlin Senate and helped to destroy the protest camp. Refugee activist Napuli Langa resisted by climbing one of the trees at Oranienplatz, staying there for four days in protest. In July 2014, the Berlin Senate and the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg attempted to reach a similar agreement with the 300 refugees occupying the school. They threatened to forcibly evict them. Around 40 activists, including members of the IWS, resisted by occupying the roof of the building for nine days. The neighbourhood displayed their solidarity. Police officers from six federal states were deployed for almost 170,000 hours, costing over 5 million euros and making the operation one of the largest police actions in Kreuzberg’s history. In the end, an agreement was reached and the building continued to be used by a dozen refugees until 2018. The IWS left the building after the occupation of the roof ended.
Since 2015, the work of the IWS as a founding member of the Alliance of Internationalist Feminists – Berlin has included the organisation of two annual demonstrations, on 8 March, Women’s Day, and on 25 November, the Day Against Violence Against Women. In addition, three books have been published, ‘In our own words’, 2015, and ‘We exist, we are here’, 2018, both self-published, and ‘Als ich nach Deutschland kam’, 2019, published by the Unrast Verlag. In 2022, IWS released the documentary video series ‘Kämpfer*innen’ and dozens of podcasts.
In 2022, the IWS organised celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the occupations with an open-air art exhibition on Oranienplatz entitled ‘Oplatz wird 10 – Baustelle Migration’. The IWS continues to be a place for women* to develop projects and get organised.
