A commentary by Evangeline Asieduaa
The US-American sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term Third Places in 1989 with the release of his first published book, The Great Good Place. His overall observation was that humans were caught in a “home-to-work-and-back-again shuttle” that neglected to prioritize places in between our homes (First Places) and our workplaces (Second Places). Therefore, emphasizing the need for informal alternatives in our daily lives that can cultivate community and foster political debates and thus can function as a break away from mundanity.
Ever since the science influencer @colethesciencedude has given this topic new momentum on TikTok, I couldn’t help but wonder where some of the aforementioned are located in our region. Here is what I found.
Coralle in Essen (@coralle_frohnhausen)
In our modern way of living we have managed to completely erase encounters with those whom we share a house with. Instead of approaching our neighbors in the hallways to engage with them and have lively conversations, we isolate ourselves by waiting in our very own hallways for them to exit the house to avoid an encounter by all means. Our society continues to uphold the belief of individualism to the detriment of the collective. The ambition of the nonprofit organization Coralle, which is located in Essen Frohnhausen, is to alter the growing trend of neighbors turning into strangers. The independently owned and multifunctional operating establishment consists of a communal garden, a bar, and a large living room, which allows for a wide range of activities from political workshops and communal cooking all the way to competitive game days. Whether one is in financial hardship or just craves the feeling of belonging, their door is always open regardless of race, gender, or sexual identity. If you are interested in helping them realize their goal of a prospering community in Essen Frohnhausen or want to develop your very own concept, the establishment invites you to come over and share your ideas.
STADT_RAUM in Dortmund (@stadt_raum_mkk)
The Ruhr region is home to numerous political youth organizations that create spaces where like-minded people can come together to transform their political stance into semi-real action. Traditionally these spaces are of the belief that political negotiations need to happen within governmental institutions to be effective; as a result, informal spaces that bring citizens together regardless of their ideology are disregarded. With the opening of the Stadt_Raum in 2023, the City of Dortmund has cultivated a space that centralizes and welcomes marginalized communities and everyone in between to use their premises as a means to exchange arguments — not to seek consensus, but to create a space where all can participate in the discourse and be heard. As well as functioning as a place for discussions, the museum exhibits the art of marginalized artists who are rarely given a chance to display their work in the mainstream. As a guideline, the institution positions itself as queer-feminist, anti-classist, post-migrant, postcolonial and is free of charge.
Neuland Bar in Bochum (@neuland_bochum)
Society’s structural conditions are forcibly pushing its low-income citizens into the private sphere. If a corporation isn’t able to turn your need for leisure and culture into a commodity, chances are the only way of obtaining accessible entertainment will present itself in the form of doomscrolling or watching television. Although the Neuland Bar is an establishment that exchanges money for drinks, they are committed to cultivating the Bochumer community by offering a space that charges for affordable drinks. With recurring events like trivia or concerts, the bar makes sure to reach a wide range of people. As well as operating as a bar, the establishment occasionally screens films beyond the mainstream.
Stapeltor in Duisburg (@stapeltor)
The Stapeltor, which was founded and developed by a young cultural scene in Duisburg, embodies the belief in a local, community-oriented cultural production of art. And, therefore, refuses to derive the idea of a maximum profit logic. Spanning across multiple floors, the space is constructed to be as welcoming and accessible as the sociocultural center itself. As it offers intergenerational encounters by hosting music concerts, communal cooking events, comedy shows and political workshops as well as family-oriented events, the place addresses not only the need for alternative encounters within society but also the growing isolation of retired and/or elderly people as well.
The center has established itself as a central argument as to why urban planning should be realized from the bottom up.
Why Third Places Matter
Fortunately, these aren’t the sum of third places that are located within the vicinity of the Ruhr region. Nevertheless, the unsettling truth is that these places, at least according to Oldenburg’s understanding, are vanishing at an alarming rate. By combining a framework that is based on neolocalism within a profit-oriented-system, “Third Places” have transformed into exclusionary, commodified products.
Re-negotiated as growth drivers these spaces are further contributing to the fragmentation of its own envisioned purpose. Therefore, the responsibility falls upon a people to participate within the non-commodified spaces as well as shine light upon their existence in order to assure that they won’t be wiped out.
