The Main-Rail­way-Sta­tion

Being mobile

The main rail­way sta­tion is the gate­way to a clo­sely net­worked world and the arri­val point in the Euro­pean metro­po­lis of Frank­furt. Almost 500,000 tra­vel­lers arrive, depart or con­ti­nue their jour­ney here every day. Being mobile, being on the move, being able to move freely is a cen­tral motor of life, a mat­ter of course for many. Free­dom of move­ment is a fun­da­men­tal right for EU citi­zens. In the sum­mer of 2015, peo­ple at the »gates of Europe« fought hard for a brief moment to take this for gran­ted. Some of them also arri­ved here at the main sta­tion in Frank­furt in search of a life in safety and peace. The images of civil society for help and soli­da­rity at the main sta­tion here and throug­hout Ger­many were emble­ma­tic of the so-cal­led »Ger­man wel­come cul­ture« at the time. While this fit in quite well with the self-image of a huma­ni­ta­rian, (once again) good Ger­man nation, it also stood in stark con­trast to the rea­li­ties of Ger­man asylum and migra­tion policy.   

Raci­ally excluded and controlled

Rea­li­ties of racism and natio­na­lism inscribe them­sel­ves into the city and as well as into people’s lives here at main sta­tion. Because free­dom of move­ment does not apply equally to all peo­ple. Mobi­lity is cate­go­ri­sed, eva­lua­ted, pro­mo­ted or limi­ted. Peo­ple are made into »expats«, »refu­gees« or »migrants«.  When »migra­tion« is men­tio­ned, it is often in a nega­tive and racist con­text. Migra­tion is usually trea­ted as a social pro­blem that needs to be sol­ved. One that sup­po­sedly threa­tens law and order. One that is clo­sely ent­an­gled with capi­ta­list inte­rests and racism.   

And peo­ple who are read and/or racia­li­sed as migrant feel this every day — also here at the main sta­tion. For exam­ple, when they are che­cked by the police »wit­hout sus­pi­cion« because of »exter­nal cha­rac­te­ristics«. Because they are assu­med to have a migra­tion history or a cer­tain ori­gin, the main sta­tion and its sur­roun­dings are any­thing but a safe place for them to arrive, to leave, to stay, to be (wel­co­med). Cop­watch Frank­furt coun­ters the nor­ma­lity of racial pro­fil­ing and racist police vio­lence with con­crete sup­port for those affec­ted, soli­da­rity-based acti­va­tion of passers-by and poli­ti­cal public rela­ti­ons work. You can find out more about the work of the initia­tive here.