Published
Fri, Apr 22, 2016, 11:20
- The venue is galvanizing international support as it tries to reopen amid a protracted legal battle between the venue's two owners.
Hamburg's Golden Pudel is rallying international support as it battles to reopen in the aftermath of a recent fire.
In addition to the blaze, which was treated by fire investigators as arson, the venue is in the midst of a lengthy dispute between the building's two owners. A planned auction, which was due to happen on April 20th, has now been pushed back until later in the year. With no date set for the auction, the club's future continues to hang in the balance despite recent assurances that it was due to reopen imminently. It has been confirmed that repair work is set to commence soon, with the old fire-damaged roof to be replaced by a flat roof.
In a new statement, the club says it is now facing "the final axe." The statement reads: "The reconstruction of the house is currently prevented by part-owner Wolf Richter. He also enforced the pending auction by court order, allegedly with the intention to buy it himself. And he tried, after the arson, to terminate the long-time lease contract with the Golden Pudel."
The club states that it is an integral part of Park Fiction, the arts- and community-focused area where it is located. "The arson at the Golden Pudel has ripped the heart out of the park," they say. "Without the Pudel, the park is like Versailles without the palace, or like the Mona Lisa without the smile." Following a demonstration in the days after the fire, the Pudel has now rallied support from various academics, doctors and politicians. Working with the Park Fiction committee, they say they aim to:
– Secure the Golden Pudel's future by securing the property from the market
– Guarantee the venue's artistic freedom
– Develop the building for additional arts and community use
Photo credit: Ralf Köster