Eastern Germany’s hackspaces are becoming places to organize against the far right

At the InselChaos gathering on Rügen, enthusiasm for technology shared space with anxiety about Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s approaching election. netzpolitik speaks with members of four hackspaces about how their communities respond to the political shift.

Port39 in Stralsund describes itself as the Chaos Computer Club’s most sparsely populated local outpost. An event may need several attempts before organizers can judge whether it works. Maintaining a dependable meeting place is itself part of the work.

Its activities include programming and fabrication, documentary screenings, and school outreach on digital literacy. Through Chaos macht Schule, volunteers work with pupils, parents and teachers, discussing phishing, passwords and social-media risks alongside broader political questions.

The reporting follows technical communities that already treat technology as political. Their response is not limited to debating surveillance laws: it includes keeping local spaces open, teaching and helping people feel less isolated.