The former Floratheater, with its political banners and graffitied facade, is sure to catch your eye during a stroll down Schulterblatt, Sternschanze’s lively main street. In 1989 — a century after its grand opening — the building was squatted by local residents and leftist-autonomous groups, and has been known as the Rote Flora cultural centre ever since.
From Cultural Grandeur to Storage Space
The grand Floratheater was built in 1888 to host concerts, operettas and revues, and included a concert hall, a ballroom, a Viennese coffee parlour and a large garden. The top floor was made into living quarters for the staff. The initial grandeur didn’t last long, however. After World War I, looming bankruptcy forced the Floratheater to sell its upper floors to a cigarette factory. Under new ownership, a boxing ring was installed to reel in larger audiences, but to no avail. In 1936, the ballroom was made into a garage, the top floor was refurbished into low-rent apartments, and in 1941 a sizable bunker was built over the garden. After the on Hamburg in 1943,