Brot & Rosen - Hamburg, Germany

 

the Hamburg CW's welcome pamphlet asked that photos of the house not be shared online, so there's only a few nondescript shots with this post. You'll have to catch me presenting in person for a few more images!

 

 If “the person from another land who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love them as yourself,” from Leviticus 19 is not the official motto of the European Catholic Worker scene it probably should be, and the Hamburg Catholic Workers are no exception. The Brot & Rosen (Bread and Roses) CW hosts “people on the move” from many places in the world who are trying to receive legal status of some sort in Germany. 

The housemates at Bread and Roses find themselves in a variety of places along their journey navigating the legal system. Some are waiting, taking the time required before establishing residency or making an asylum claim in Germany. Some might be actively going through the integration process and waiting for their papers to come through. Some might even have some sort of more permanent status but have found it near impossible to find their own affordable place in the ever more expensive Hamburg.

 I don’t often mention it in public/internet type settings but there can be a difference in the welcome different CW communities are able to extend to visitors. Sometimes I’m simply told “your room is up the stairs. Help yourself to whatever in the fridge,” and left to make my own way. But at the Hamburg CW I was greeted by all kinds of folks and maybe more impressively offered all kinds of tasty food! With people from many places in the world there was constantly something tasty being whipped up. I might have Afghan tomatoes and eggs for breakfast, an Iranian rice dish for lunch, and Syrian food for dinner. Oh and then CW Judith made banana bread too? Yum!

As a visitor there, folks were VERY gracious in helping me feel at home. (I don’t intend to throw shade at those other CWs who haven’t always had the capacity to as actively welcome me! I’m an experienced CW after all, I can take care of myself. Sometimes there’s a whole lot going on and I definitely don’t want my visit to be more work or to cause more stress for the community. I only mention it to note that while there is a certain feel and similarity to many CW houses there can also be different characters.) 

 Meals were usually vegetarian and a large portion of the food was made up of day-old veggies from the local organic food store that the CWs shopped at, trying to buy most of their food in a more environmentally friendly way. 

"eggplant is the meat of the poor," a number of the guests at Bread and Roses agreed

The community’s day was often started in prayer. Each weekday morning at 8:30 a bell was struck once letting people know it was time to descend to the basement chapel for the day’s scripture reading, some silent reflection time, and Taize songs. Mondays also featured bread and wine before the dedicated CW community members had their weekly meetings. 

After prayer time folks went about their tasks for the day whether in the house or elsewhere. In my time at the Hamburg CW I helped cook some dinners (a high pressure task with so many great chefs in the house), painted a few bedrooms, helped fold a few hundred newsletters, the kind of stuff you don’t need to speak German for (though folks around the house all spoke some English and many of them quite well). 

Like many CWs, the Brot & Rosen folks also “vigil” a couple times a week helping to promote some of the justice causes they are passionate about by simply standing someplace with a sign. Each Thursday you’ll find them outside the immigration office holding large banners advocating a just immigration policy and passing out leaflets to people passing by with info that might be helpful to folks new to the country (medical or legal aid, etc.). One CW told me they thought it was worthwhile being there just so that folks could see a friendly and welcoming face before entering the cold, uncaring, and often skeptical/hostile offices of the immigration bureaucracy. 

Stop the war!

They also join in every other week for an anti-war vigil outside a church near the city center. Again handing out fliers, this time questioning militarization. It seemed like more folks in Germany were willing to take the leaflets and even stop to talk with folks than I’ve experienced in the United States. The war in Ukraine was of course the most common topic of discussion but the various peace folks always took the time to respectfully and patiently explain their position. 

Another fun event I got to be around for while in Hamburg was the CW’s annual garden party. Once a year friends and supporters came for an afternoon of coffee and cake and friendship. Pingpong was played, sock puppets were crafted, friendships were kindled both old and new. I even performed a few songs as background music at the request of the CW. It felt like the flow of sweets was constant. Once one cake was finished a new attendee showed up with an equally delicious looking one!