ZENTRALWERK Kultur- und Wohngenossenschaft Dresden eG is a cooperative based at Riesaer Straße 32 in Dresden’s Pieschen district. It was founded on 8 July 2013, with 26 founding members; the founding board included Britta Sommermeyer and Nikola Basler.23 The cooperative grew out of a group of cultural practitioners associated with the predecessor organisation friedrichstadtZentral e.V., which had been seeking a new home after its former premises were lost.68
The cooperative’s project is to bring housing, work, art and culture together in a former industrial complex. It is responsible for the redevelopment, operation and administration of the site, while the separate cultural association Zentralwerk e.V. organises cultural activities there.810 The complex is held under a 99-year hereditary building lease granted by Stiftung trias, which owns the property.9
The site provides residential and workspaces, including studios and rooms for cultural, social and community initiatives. Its facilities include large and small halls, exhibition and event spaces, and studios for visual arts, craft, dance, theatre and music.1113 The association’s programme includes performances, concerts, exhibitions and other public events, as well as opportunities for local groups and initiatives to use the spaces.11
ZENTRALWERK’s activities are rooted in Dresden, with the cultural programme and facilities serving the Pieschen neighbourhood and the wider city. The cooperative also hosts an artist-residency programme developed with nearby GEH8, inviting artists, curators and researchers to work in Dresden and present projects publicly.1214 The cooperative’s current board members listed on its website are Klaus Isert, Barbara Lubich, Roswitha Maul and Markus Prodehl.5