Historical industrial complex at Gerichtstrasse

Around 1860, the narrow, long plot of land between Gerichtstrasse and Wiesenstrasse was occupied by a factory building, warehouses, horse stables, and carriage sheds. Later, a boiler house, engine house, other factory buildings, an expedition building, and an ether cellar were added to the 9,000m² site.

The owner was "Chemische Fabrik J.D. Riedel AG", which produced medicines, quinine, and basic materials for the incandescent mantles of the famous Berlin gas lanterns. These chemicals, some of which were highly toxic and explosive, were stored in the "Aether-Keller", which was located roughly in the area of today's Staircase 7.

In 1912, J.D. Riedel founded the "Industriestätte Nordhof", which has remained almost unchanged to this day. For this purpose, the older buildings were demolished and the four-storey factory building with its large windows, precious glazed bricks, and electric lifts was erected. The first tenants at that time were the "AEG-Apparatefabrik", a liqueur factory, and an AOK office. The residential building in Gerichtstrasse, which was conspicuous for its size and lavish furnishings, followed later. Where the largest courtyard now stands, the imposing central section stood until the end of the Second World War. According to reports, this section only collapsed in 1945 when a gun exploded, which a Hitler youth must have been too overwhelmed to operate, killing him there a few days before the end of the war.

Art in the Gerichtshöfe

In 1983, the first artists rented spaces in the Gerichtshöfe complex in Berlin-Wedding at favourable conditions and converted them into studios according to their needs. In the meantime, GESOBAU AG had become the owner. Over the years, the art quarter between Gerichtstrasse and Wiesenstrasse grew and developed into a place of dynamism and creativity. The mixture of artists' studios, workshops, flats, and craft businesses that is so typical of Berlin still exists here. With a good 70 artists from a wide variety of backgrounds and artistic orientations, one of the largest art quarters in Germany has been created here.

Presentation to the outside world is a tradition

Open studios have a long tradition in the courtyards. In the early years, the artists, partly together with the Wedding Art Office, organised open studios, morning pours, and studio visits in the "Living Museum" event series. The landlord GESOBAU AG recognised the potential of the art quarter and decided to become financially involved here. In 1995, the artists' group organised open studios together with GESOBAU for the first time under the title "Weddinger Sommerfest in Hof + Atelier". In addition, an elaborate catalogue of the 21 participating artists, financed by GESOBAU, was published and for the first time offered a representative overview of the artistic work in the courtyards. This version of the Open Studios continued until 2002. From August 2002 to January 2004, the artists, together with GESOBAU, regularly took part in the "Long Night of the Museums", which attracted more and more visitors each year.

Since GESOBAU had to reduce its commitment again for economic reasons, the artists' group founded the association "Kunst in den Gerichtshöfen e.V." in 2004. Its aim is to continue to open the studios on various occasions and to make the Gerichtshöfe art quarter a place of lively exchange for neighbours, artists, and art enthusiasts. The association is non-profit, non-commercial, and financed by membership fees and donations. All artists in Gerichtshöfe can participate in the projects regardless of association membership.

With the support of GESOBAU AG and other sponsors, an empty room was converted into the Art Lounge in 2005 and put into operation. Until 2009, the lounge was available to artists, other tenants, neighbours and GESOBAU for events. It was used for exhibitions, theatre performances, workshops, readings and celebrations and served as a central meeting point for the "Long Night of the Museums" with an information stand, catering and seating. In 2009, the Art Lounge was converted into a commercial space and rented out.

Der Verein „Kunst in den Gerichtshöfen e.V.“

The board since 2024

Andrea Wallgren: Chairwoman, artist
Anna Zett, artist
Michael Hakimi, artist
Christoph Rüther: master carpenter
Günter Ries, artist

The board can be reached at: kontakt@gerichtshoefe.de
"Kunst in den Gerichtshöfen e.V.", Gerichtsstr. 12-13, staircase 7, 13347 Berlin-Wedding

The board before 2010

Birgit Bayer from 2010 to 2021: Chair of the Board
Andrea Wallgren
Eva Sörensen
Kate Schneider

The founding members of the association from 2004

Ulrike Hansen: artist (painter)
Helga Schmelzle: artist (ceramics)
Albrecht Noack: artist (photographer)
Mathias Rühl: artist (painter)
Sue Hayward: Artist (Painter)
Christine Sinner: Artist (paper art)
Günter Ries: Artist (Painter/Light Art)

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