betterplace Umspannwerk

bUm is a diverse and vibrant place by the Landwehr Canal in the heart of Berlin-Kreuzberg, which has established itself as a central meeting point for community-oriented organizations, civil society initiatives, and socially engaged actors.

• Event Venue: bUm offers spaces for various events, from workshops and conferences to cultural events.
• Coworking Space: Affordable and attractive workspaces for initiatives and projects that are committed to the common good.
• Meeting Rooms: Modern and well-equipped rooms for meetings and sessions.
• Support Services for the Homeless: Support programs and services for people in precarious living situations.
• Neighborhood Terrace: A cozy meeting point for the community and the neighborhood[1][2][4].

bUm stands for the committed heartbeat of civil society and aims to promote a regenerative work culture and explore sustainable, intersectoral collaborations. The mission of the organization is to empower community-oriented organizations and initiatives and provide them with a space for working, learning, and networking together. Values such as intersectional feminism, social justice, and resistance against racism, right-wing extremism, and all forms of discrimination are central to the work of bUm[1][4].

bUm is engaged in numerous sustainable and social projects:

• Climate Restart Berlin: bUm supports initiatives such as the citizens' initiative Berlin 2030 Climate Neutral.
• Museum of Values: Here, interactive exhibitions take place, such as the "Data Lab".
• Resolve Network: A nationwide network of discrimination-critical and discrimination-experienced mediators and supervisors.
• Unconditional Basic Income: The team advocates for the Unconditional Basic Income and the rights of people with migration backgrounds.
• Neighborhood Initiatives: Regular offerings such as weekly meditation, market swarming, and anti-patriarchal reading groups benefit the neighborhood and promote community[1].

Founded in 2019, after Google handed over the substation to the social cooperative Karuna and the donation platform betterplace, bUm has quickly developed into an important center for social engagement. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the bUm team and the community have continued to grow. With the expiration of the usage contract with Google in 2026, discussions and considerations about the future are already underway, but one thing is certain: bUm will remain a fixed part of the civil society landscape in Berlin[1].

• 1 - https://bum.berlin/ueber-bum-2/
• 2 - https://bum.berlin
• 3 - https://bum.berlin/job/
• 4 - https://bum.berlin/en/about-bum/
• 5 - https://bum.berlin/bumunity/?vp_filter=category%3Aberatung