Die Voices of the Balduintreppe wurden auf Wunsch der interviewten Personen neu eingesprochen.

A: What we wish is to have work, a better work to do, a work that you be respected, you know. You’ll not be bullied, you’ll not be intimidated and you’ll not be arrested. That’s our wish, you know. If we can have something legal to involve ourselves in. […] [N]obody wants to remain in this kind of situation forever ’til eternity. Come on. We’re sick and tired of it already. [lacht] 

B: […] [W]e are industrials. We are hard-working peoples. That’s why we left in this cold to stand in the street. If they give us something better, we will do it. Somebody who stand in the cold here, outside, raining, cold, running for police, falling, injury… When he sees a better work, he will do it. No doubt about that.

A: What I would like to tell people if they are wishing to help us…. You know, we know it is hard without a document to do something in Germany. It is not so easy, but we know there are people also, who are here, they don‘t have document and there are ways that, you know, they are helping them to do certain works […], because lot of Ghanaians are doing this kind of things. If we can, I don’t know, have assistance from associations, or social workers, if possible, 4you know, we would like to do any kind of work, even with less payment, less salaries. You know, I think it will be better, because we cannot remain like this forever, you know, we need to change, you cannot be doing this for the whole rest of your life. What will you gain in you living? You don‘t gain nothing. So, if there can be possibilities, there can be helpings hands, you know. […]

A: […] [T]here are people in the neighborhood if you have a problem, they will […] try to contact a lawyer for you. You know, and some try to even provide food for us like breakfast and all that. And I think that are the very positive of the neighborhood. But there are also bad people because there are some people here, they are totally racist. We know them and we know they are racist. They will show it to you or some they will even pretend but we know deep inside… You know, we are not foolish people, you know. Sorry to say, yeah. We are very smart, but some of them they will show you racism in a very diplomatic way. They will be thinking that you don’t know, but they are racist. I know, there are lot of racist people in the neighborhood here. You know, I once experienced racism. I think it was two years ago. You know, I was passing by a building here in the neighborhood on top of the stairs. There was this woman pour water on me. She put a bucket of water on me. I just look. I saw a lady close the window. I don’t even know what to do, you know. So, this are also… But that’s not even important, you know. Those things are not so important. But there are also some positive vibes in St. Pauli. If you come here newly you feel like home, you know. […] We are in Corona time. Maybe this time is difficult. But before Corona you come sometimes, the bars are open, some doors are open where we can go and have our chill time, you know. We can rest, drink tea, you know, have our little conversation. For this you feel like home. You feel… Your mind relax, you know. But when you go outside, and you see the police again then everything disappears… [lacht]

B: […] I have this hope that I can renovate in Germany or in Hamburg. […] I can do furniture. That’s my profession. Although agriculture has not much power here, but I am a diplomatic in agriculture also. Agricultural science. […] I found it different when I came. What I think and how I found it’s different. [….] [Pause] It’s very hard to proof yourself. Ya, because the chance is less. Even people wanted to help you those people will find obstacles that they cannot even help you because of how the system is. […]

A: […] [I]f [they/the white people in the neighborhood] can assist would be better like you get controlled by the police and you have no power and the police know, you don’t have any family here, you don’t have anybody to stand for you. Maybe except you lawyer but before you […] even get in touch with your lawyer it takes time but like in the neighborhood you see police control somebody, one or two persons come there, it gives you courage, it gives you courage to also explain what is going on. At least they can witness something, you know, but if the police too also know they are playing something or they are doing something which is not lawful and they see somebody came there they will try to change the narrative, they will try to change the action. But we alone sometimes they will come and control even they saw you dealing they can come and arrest you in a very ugly way. They can even injure. They injured a lot of people here for that way. […] [I]f it will be possible like police control somebody and the neighbors saw it, you can come closer or even you don’t say anything but when you are there, I think, the situation can be more calm, you know, then when we’re there alone with them. […]

B: […] [W]e are fighting our right against the state. So, you must be collective and stand for your right. There are people here they can do something different. They have the knowledge. I had a friend here who was a very great tractor driver, and he is a mechanic. He can do something. You know, we can do something different. […] People are here who are very good in cooking, African foods… We can make a restaurant for ourselves. You know, right now we are in this Corona horrible moment, but we hope that it will never last. But we can have our restaurants. We can produce our own drinks. We can do some special things for ourselves because we want to make ourselves like a city.

B: This is just the beginning. We can say that this is just the beginning. We have a long road to go, and we have lot of fights to tackle, and we have to be much prepared, to be able to enforce ourselves to do the best way as possible, to go on this mission. Because this is a mission. Maybe the benefit of this mission will not be in my present, but it can be the present of my family, or of my brother, or someone else who can have the benefit of it. And that is justice, and that is the real sense of revolution also. Whom it will benefit, nobody knows, but the effort will always will be great.