You could call it alternative house building: Annette and Bernhard have their very own ideas about what their house should look like: individual, with lots of light and windows in the most unusual places. That's why they simply built their house themselves. Over the years, their ideas and needs have changed from time to time. No problem, because their self-built home simply grows with them. The alternative house construction was possible in the housing estate on Kalscheuer Weg in the Zollstock district of Cologne. The so-called “Indian settlement” has a long history. A good 100 years ago, unemployed people were able to use plots of land here to build on. There were hardly any restrictions, which is why very individual houses were built there. The term “Indian settlement” was coined by a book author and resident of the settlement, who felt it was as idiosyncratic and close to nature as the reservations of the indigenous peoples in North America, which he got to know on a trip. Annette got to know and love the estate in the 1980s. She moved to the estate with a friend and her children. At first, the single mother lived in a construction trailer, but her two daughters wanted a real house. Annette then built it herself without further ado - together with a few friends and lots of donated materials. Within six weeks, the house was standing on the 300 m² plot, and from then on it continued to grow with her and her ideas. At the end of the 1990s, Bernhard moved in with Annette and built a house from his trailer on Annette's plot. Bernhard's original 12 m² trailer gradually became a 40 m² house. He also had plenty of windows and was able to make the outer walls and roof very light and airy. A friend from Switzerland, a hobby carpenter, helped him with this. So they built the roof with lots of corners and edges. The house is semi-circular and faces the main house. Bernhard mainly spends time here when he is making music. And: his house has already served as a filming set for the crime scene several times, Bernhard says proudly. Between the main house and the trailer house is the inner courtyard - the small garden on their plot. They spend a lot of time here. Annette and Bernhard pay a total of 300 euros in rent for their plot with the two small growing houses. There are also additional costs such as electricity and water. That's not a lot overall and the couple really appreciate it. This gives them plenty of time for their numerous social and musical projects. They make music, play theater and support friends when they need help. Annette is a dedicated grandma and is currently training to become a hospital clown. Both are involved in local politics. For Annette and Bernhard, their plot in the settlers' cooperative is perfect living, because they were able to make and build a home that really suits them and live together with some people in neighborly proximity who suit them. The fact that this settlement still exists is thanks to the Kalscheurer Weg Settlers' Association, which was founded in the 1970s and campaigned for the continued existence of the settlement. In 2001, the association became a cooperative and shortly afterwards the railroad sold the site to the newly founded settlers' cooperative. A 2002 urban development contract between the city of Cologne and the settlers' cooperative states: “All future construction measures are subject to planning permission.” There are many different cooperatives in Germany. The Kalscheurer Weg housing cooperative in Cologne is unusual and almost unique. A film by Katja Heinrichs, sagamedia (editor), Maximilian Biermann and Lennart Haneklaus (camera), Jan Scharfenberg (sound) and Volker Steiger (editor). 00:00 Living in the self-built house 00:01 Annette's plot 02:44 Cooking and dining area 03:15 Living area 04:27 Children's room 05:22 Bathroom 07:28 Bedroom 08:29 Bernhard's plot 08:38 Hobby and living room 10:35 Bedroom 11:22 Bathroom
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