By Anja Opitz
In the self-help workshop “U Fix It” on Alexanderplatz, Berliners receive support in repairing defective consumer goods.
“Buying new is always quick,” says Kerstin Schadow-Albrecht (42) and boldly reaches for the screwdriver. “I’d rather try to fix our drill first.”
To do this, she came to the House of Materialization on Alexanderplatz (Karl-Marx-Allee 1, access via Berolinastrasse), where the self-help workshop “U Fix It!” is open on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. She had heard about the free offer a while ago, but now there is a reason: “We want to renovate our holiday home, so we need working tools. And the impact drill somehow gets stuck, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” says the clerk. “Maybe we can fix the problem? I don’t want to throw it away right away.”
With the help of Jan-Micha Gamer (28) from the association Kunst-Stoffe eV, which runs the workshop, Kerstin Schadow-Albrecht unscrews the machine. Together, the two rule out step by step what the “loose contact” could be. “It’s not a broken cable, the carbon brush works too, nothing’s broken,” explains the product designer.
He is actually responsible for the association’s educational offerings and organizes workshops and seminars. But the self-help workshop is also about education: “I want to show people what actually happened to such an object, why it no longer works. And then what you can do.”
Jan-Micha Gamer cannot save the old toaster, but the individual parts can Photo: Charles Yunck
In contrast to repair services, which specialize in certain products, a lot is improvised. Of course, you don’t have the right spare part for every device, but there is no shortage of screws, nails, cables, wires, etc. And they are used optimally and creatively!
“Three weeks ago, an elderly lady came to us with a broken boot,” says Gamer. The cobbler asked for 25 euros, she didn’t want to spend that much just before the end of winter for a shoe that only cost 50 euros new. “We then cobbled something together, but I said to her: I don’t know if it will last,” he recalls. 14 days later she came by to say thank you because the shoe was still holding up.
“I really love this job. Every object that comes to me has an interesting story attached to it. That’s why it’s valuable and worth repairing,” enthuses Gamer. The broken handle of a favorite cup, a broken picture frame, a defective projector.
“We also understand repairs in this way: If the entire product no longer works, at least individual parts of it can still be used.” That’s why his suggestion to radio heirs, for example: keep the beautiful housing, remove the old technology and install new loudspeakers – complete! “You can be sustainable with unusual solutions.”
The old radio is fitted with new speakers Photo: Charles Yunck
The aim of the self-help workshop, which is financed by the Senate Department for the Environment, Mobility, Consumer and Climate Protection, is to bring this idea closer to Berliners. “The repair offer is aimed at everyone who takes responsibility for their consumer goods and wants to learn something about how to extend their lifespan,” explains Corinna Vosse, Managing Director of Kunst-Stoffe eV
“It used to be a matter of course: you looked after, maintained and repaired your possessions. We have forgotten that in external supply through industrial production.”
Corinna Vosse is the contact person for all questions relating to the offers of Kunst-Stoffe eV Photo: Charles Yunck
In the House of Materialization there are opportunities from various associations:
►Bicycle workshop: Assistance with bike repairs, tips for bike maintenance, used parts for a fee (Tue/Wed, 3-7 p.m.)
►Textile workshop: Textile repair and upcycling (Tue/Wed, 3-7 p.m.)
►Repair Cafe: Support for technicians in repairing defective items (1st Monday of the month, 6-9 p.m.)
►wood workshop: cut your own material, advice on projects, build small furniture from leftover wood, etc. (Tue/Wed, 3-7 p.m.)
For Kerstin Schadow-Albrecht, the visit to “U Fix It!” was worth it: “The switch is broken, a classic,” says Jan-Micha Gamer. But it can be easily replaced. “I’m totally happy,” says the Berliner, beaming. “With help I was able to do something that I could not have done on my own. And now I know that I don’t have to throw the machine away, I just have to order the spare part.”