Micro-trafficking in drugs should be allowed: residents are drafting a proposed solution for Görlitzer Park in Berlin

They also recommend tolerating drug micro-trafficking within clearly defined areas. The residents also want to integrate a supervised drug consumption room into the “Görli”.

More than 70 residents and social organizations took part in the participation event. This gave rise to the concept “Görli to the Future – Future instead of Fence”.

Residents continue to fight against fence

The current status is a political and legal interim state: the fencing and gates have been built, but the night-time closure has been suspended for the time being. The Senate wanted to close the park at night from March 1, 2026 – generally from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and in the summer months until 11 p.m. Five residents complained. The administrative court granted her urgent application on June 1st; the park was accessible again at night that same evening.

On October 1st, the Higher Administrative Court confirmed the suspension of opening hours. It complained that the Senate had not effectively assumed responsibility for the district because the necessary specific instructions to the district were missing. The decision cannot be appealed in the expedited procedure; However, the main issue of the lawsuit has not yet been decided.

The fence with 16 swing gates and additional entrances is in place. The alliance calls on those politically responsible to dismantle it and address the social conflicts.

The 18-page paper from “görli zaunfrei” sees the park not only as a place of crime, but also as a play and sports facility, meeting place, retreat and traffic route. Main idea: “An open park for everyone, characterized by mindfulness and respect.” The concept relies on “social presence instead of isolation” and wants a “place of encounter and solidarity support, not a place of repression”.

The core consists of four modules: An outreach “social space team” made up of social workers and peers is intended to make contacts, de-escalate conflicts and accompany people in acute crises. Advice and health services should offer a barrier-free retreat, food, clothing, hygiene products, first aid, wound care, medical consultations and psychosocial support.

Allow drug trafficking in limited areas

There would also be a supervised consumption room for heroin with emergency assistance. A fourth module includes barrier-free toilets, showers and washing facilities. If necessary, the teams should provide further help, accommodation and housing offers.

The idea of ​​tolerating drug trafficking in a clearly defined area is particularly far-reaching. The initiators hope to reduce open scenes and conflicts in public spaces. It takes “courage to take new paths, for example with the approach of allowing the micro-trafficking of illegal substances.” Such spaces already exist in Zurich. Most recently, the mayors of Düsseldorf and Cologne (SPD and CDU) proposed creating legal requirements to allow “micro-trafficking” in special drug help centers. This should mean that trading no longer has to take place in dark alleys.

The Kreuzberg residents’ concept does not name a specific location or access, quantity or supervision rules.

The consumption room is intended to provide health assistance and a safer place for consumption. There are already such spaces nearby: at Kottbusser Tor and on Reichenberger Straße. Raphael Schubert, managing director of Fixpunkt gGmbH, which operates the rooms, spoke out in the Tagesspiegel in October last year in favor of decriminalizing micro-trafficking: “These people have to consume and need the substances, that’s what causes the illness. Nobody is helped if you regularly prosecute seriously ill people for buying substances.”

Schubert would also welcome it if drug checking could be carried out in the consumption rooms – a test of the substances consumed: Are they too high in dosage, mislabeled or contaminated?

In their concept, the Görli residents are calling for a joint steering group made up of the district, senate, social institutions, park council and neighborhood as well as regular evaluation. It names several possible forms for the rooms – from district-owned properties to containers or a tent as a drug consumption room and lounges.

A strength of the proposal is that it does not stop at the demand for “more social work”. It names specific offers, target groups, personnel profiles and a possible cooperation structure. The authors also admit that not all people will take advantage of offers of help; Therefore, there is still a need for places to stay and infrastructure in public spaces.

The paper calculates one-off infrastructure costs of around 220,500 euros and around 672,700 euros annually for personnel and material resources. The Senate fence cost 1.741 million euros, plus 800,000 euros annually for maintenance and security. At the same time, the concept emphasizes: “The basic requirement is continuous and long-term financing.” For the social offer, the specific costs for rooms, operations, administration, and replacement in the event of illness and vacation as well as long-term, reliable night and weekend coverage remain to be clarified.

It is still unclear whether the Senate will deal with the residents’ paper. The Left, SPD and Greens are currently negotiating a possible coalition. At least the Left and the Greens had repeatedly emphasized that they were against the fence around the Görli that the Berlin government made up of the CDU and SPD had built.