Baumhaus Verein founding members (2016)
“Verein zur Förderung einer nachhaltigen urbanen Kultur e.V.”
Baumhaus founders Karen & Scott and:
Signe Heins moved to Wedding in summer 2013. She is per definition an all-rounder, can do everything and is intersted in everything. Anyways her passion arises when it comes to waste. Waste-management, upcycling, zero waste, circular economy these are her keywords. In her former life she studied political science and international relations in Hamburg and Coimbra (Portugal), worked as educational trainer and did a lot of acting – on stage and as group leader. “Eine Gesellschaft braucht immer auch eine Gemeinschaft. Und Gemeinschaft braucht Mitgestaltung. Im Baumhaus gestalten alle irgendwie mit und das schafft eine sehr positive Stimmung. Jeder, der hier herkommt, bekommt ein Gefühl von “Ich kann etwas erreichen”.”
Maria Marggraf lives and studies in Berlin since 2010. Both in her studies and in her free time she is engaged in different aspects of language and culture. She is studying hispanophone, anglophone und frankophone languages and cultures. In this context she is dealing with alternative ways of thinking and living in latin america. Her special interest is artistic language: in literature, in performances and theatre. Through the Baumhaus Maria got the possibility, to make a long dreamt dream reality. Here she found a space for starting a group of young poets. „ I’m engaged in the Baumhaus project, because it’s an open space where everyone is collaborating, working, thinking and exploring on a future beyond any form of exploitation.“
Kirsten Kohlhaw lives and works in Berlin since 2000. She studied literature-, film- & art-science and worked a copule of years in the film and TV business. To followe-up her interest of questions of self-organized and socially just life and work she completed an education in business and coaching. She lives up to her values by supporting people, special interest groups and young enterprises that share her values along the way. She offers councelling and transfer of knowledge as a systemic guide of processes, fire starter, communications consultant and text editor. Her Website“I got involved with the Baumhaus project because this is a place where global topics can be put local. Also we can achieve huge effects through local, participatory and for-the-common-welfare-initiatives of citizens and consuments, taking back their responsability to the global level.”
Hannes Kutza is a nativer Berliner. He has already done everything, including bike messenger, barkeeper & scientist. Hannes’ interests are wide spread because everything’s connected with everything. Nevertheless, his main focus is on the possibilities and concepts of post-fossil urban mobility, open source technology and active cooperation & collaboration of local initiatives. And he takes beautiful pictures: www.twoseconds.de “Baumhaus is THE missing link in Wedding. We are in urgent need for public spaces that we don’t shape as consumers but rather by getting together and taking effect.”
Tobias Stapf left his home town at 17 to go live, study and work in lots of different places. Through his work and experiences abroad he developed a particular interest in social innovation, p2p education, community development and civic engagement in cities. His current initiative is www.buerger-uni.de. He believe that during these times of social, ecological and political change, Europeans can learn a lot from communities around the world that have addressed their problems under great pressures with just the smallest amount of resources by finding ways to work together. “What I love about the Baumhaus is that it is an expression of that special spirit of Berlin that brings together great people who say: We want to make the world around us a better place, so why not just give it a try.”
Nino Khelaia is originally from Tbilisi, Georgia, she currently lives in between Berlin and Tbilisi, and is occupied with research in social and political sciences. Interested in various aspects of contemporary societies but most importantly in the – big, difficult an not novel – question: how is a better life possible? “The only certainty we can assume is that local problems can not be dealt without a global perspective and vice versa. The Baumhaus idea totally corresponds to this assumption and this is the reason why I find it promising.”