Repairing instead of consuming: With the ReparierBar, students have created a monthly meeting place where young people can make broken items usable again with support. The concept also includes cultural events and discussions.
The most frequent "patients" at the ReparierBar are broken electrical appliances. A student is currently unscrewing his keyboard. "C2 doesn't work," he says, pointing to the silenced key. Meric Turgut, a student in his first semester, also has a sound problem. Together with electrical engineer Nico Merz, he bends over the jack plug of his broken headphones. His own attempts to repair it were unsuccessful. Turgut also has idealistic reasons for not wanting to throw the headphones away. "A YouTuber gave them to me as a gift," he says.
Since October last year, the workshop rooms of the Technical Education department have been transformed into a repair bar on the second Friday of every month from 4.00 pm. Where soldering irons normally stay cold and circular saws stand still in the evenings, there is a lively atmosphere from 4.00 pm until late in the evening. After tidying up, everyone heads into the city centre - the company is too good to go straight home.
Anyone who wants to repair something fills out a cumulative course result sheet at reception, on which the defect of the item brought along is noted. Then you may have to wait until a so-called repairer is free. This is the name given to the craftsmen and women who volunteer to help people with repairs. "We have someone who is familiar with almost every area," says Ocko Grensemann, himself a trainee technology and music teacher. Only trained people work in the electrical workshop, but there are also experienced hobby craftsmen and women in the other workshops. Grensemann initiated the ReparierBar at the university together with student teacher Clara Hippach.
The electrical workshop is particularly popular
In addition to wood, metal and electrical repairs, volunteers also help with broken bicycles and computer problems. There is even a 3D printer available to produce missing spare parts at short notice.
If you have to wait, you can easily pass the time - there are drinks, snacks and a clothes exchange in the bar room. The ReparierBar also offers a cultural programme: readings, live music, poetry slams and talks are held on the side. The events are just as important to the concept as rescuing broken hairdryers or kitchen chairs. "We want to use the cultural offerings to reach young people in particular who have never dealt with repairs before," explains Grensemann.
The ReparierBar is supported by the resource centre run by ReparaturRat Oldenburg e.V. on Ofener Straße. There, too, people can repair broken items with professional assistance. Ocko Grensemann works for a ReparaturRat project alongside his studies, which is also about passing on repair knowledge to the next generation. The Resource Centre also trains all electricians in the use of special electrical testing devices. These devices can be used to determine whether items can continue to be used safely after repair.
Non-students have also become aware of the new offer at the university. An elderly man from the neighbourhood saw the large banner next to the entrance to building A1 on his dog walk and brought his 38-year-old hi-fi receiver with him on this Friday evening. "It's only had minor problems twice in all that time, but now nothing comes out even though it's still on," he reports.
"Basically, absolutely everyone is welcome," emphasises Clara Hippach. However, special attention is paid to students. "There are more than 20 repair cafés in and around Oldenburg, but they are not attended by young people, even though they are the ones who are committed to sustainability," she says.
She became aware of this imbalance last year in the seminar "Energy and Climate Interdisciplinary", which is part of the "Education for Sustainable Development" concept. It aims to enable students to look beyond the boundaries of their own subject. There she met Dr Katharina Dutz from the Technical Education working group, who told her about the repair cafés. "For years, I've been keen to get young people interested in the culture of repair," says Dutz, who is also a member of the board of the Repair Council.
With her idea for a student initiative that explicitly focusses on young people, the students therefore opened an open door for her. Dutz supported the initiative by making contacts and helping to find suitable rooms. At the same time, it is important to her that the students act independently. "I believe that young people are only interested in volunteering if they can take on responsibility."
The students are very satisfied with the re-registering students. "They are enthusiastic," says Clara Hippach. "For many, this is the chance to solder, sing or sew for the first time in a safe space. It's also a success for us."
