“A haven for rebels and thinkers” someone once whispered. That’s Langer August. Right here in Dortmund’s Nordstadt stands Langer August a self-governed sociocultural center. Founded in 1979 it occupies a building from 1904. The building originally housed two families per floor plus a single lodger. It’s a testament to working-class housing around the turn of the 20th century.
Langer August’s story is far from ordinary. It began when Pastor Gerhard Breidenstein acquired the building. He intended it for Dortmund’s Arbeiterselbsthilfe a self-help group. When that group dissolved Langer August rose. A group of activists envisioned a self-managed “left-wing center.” They formed a non-profit the Langer August association. They took over and bore the costs.
The name Langer August meaning “Long August” honors Kurt Schmidt. A Dortmund resistance fighter and communist. His friends nicknamed him “Langer August” because of his height. He fought against Franco’s fascists in Spain dying in 1938.
Over the years Langer August became a hub. The Wissenschaftsladen Dortmund a science shop took up residence. So did the FREE internet project. The Dortmund chapter of the DFG/VK a peace organization also found a home here. The Chaostreff Dortmund a hackerspace joined the community. Germany’s oldest lesbian and gay center the Kommunikationscentrum Ruhr arrived in 1983. It settled in a building in the courtyard.
In 1991 authorities searched the DFG/VK’s space. They were accused of distributing leaflets urging desertion during the Gulf War. In 2018 another raid occurred. Police seized servers from the Wissenschaftsladen. The investigation focused on activists’ release of documents about a planned French nuclear waste site.
Today Langer August thrives. It hosts a cafe a seminar room and various initiatives. It’s a vibrant space reflecting decades of activism and community. It’s more than just a building. Langer August is a living monument to resistance creativity and social engagement. Its enduring legacy is a reminder of Dortmund’s spirit of resilience and its ongoing fight for social justice.