Living in Legends: Frames, Legends and the Conflict over the Hamburg Hafenstraße, 1981–1995

During the 1980s, a conflict over eight occupied houses in the Hafenstraße in Hamburg developed into one of the most contested squatter struggles in West Germany and strongly resonated with squatters abroad. As the conflict escalated, a long-drawn-out discussion unfolded between Hamburg’s squatters, authorities, media and inhabitants over who the squatters were and how the city should deal with them. This article sets out to explain why these eight buildings became such a potent symbol for so many different groups. In order to do so, it combines social movement studies methods with folklore studies approaches and analyses the Hafenstraße as a site of legend, as a canvas onto which various actors projected societal hopes, ideals and fears. Central to this analysis are the four main legendary tropes that circulated in the 1980s: the Hafenstraße as a refuge for young dropouts, as a lawless zone, as a haven for terrorists and as indicative of the city’s governance crisis. Finally, it asks how such legends informed people’s actions and explains the importance of these tropes in the escalation and resolution of the conflict.