Women's Asylum

> *“She says I come too often? I don't need them! I have my own apartment. Yes, I'm regisered! But – why should I make the long journey?*
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The '**Women's Asylum'** was built by the "Berlin Asylum Association for the Homeless" at Füsilierstraße 7. The association was founded two years earlier and aimed to set up institutions like those already in existence in London, New York and Hamburg in order to "lovingly accommodate" the homeless and to evade the threat of police custody by peddling them  The asylum saw itself as an alternative to the "Pennen", cheap accommodations, which one had to pay for, which were often overcrowded and were breeding grounds for crime and disease.

It is featured in an episode of the ∇ Podcast:

Between the founding of the association and the construction of the house, temporary rooms for women, girls and small children were used in a rented building on Wilhelmstraße not far from the Spree. A short time later, the association also completed a men's asylum in Büschingsstraße, which worked according to the same principle.

In the first night only one 18-year-old maid sought asylum, however in 1881 the average of women staying per night was already of 60. While 17% took the opportunity to take a bath in 1871, ten years later it was only 8% of all visitors within a year.

The women's asylum disappeared in 1907 during the first season of the Demolition of the Scheunenviertel like all the other houses in the street. Shortly before that, the municipal administration had complained about the fact that women who had been turned away were drunk and hanging around in the hallways of neighboring houses.

#### **Equipment and Rules**

    Women and children were allowed to apply for admission up to five times a month. Everyone could keep their anonymous status during their stay. Intervention by the police or other authorities was prohibited. The only questions asked at daily admission were age, civil status and the number of nights one would have spent in the asylum.

A place to sleep was provided in the facility and simple meals were served in the mornings and evenings. Each dormitory had running water, an associated toilet in the hallway. Washing facilities were guaranteed, as was basic medical care and the possible placement of a job. In one of the asylum facilities in Berlin, the equipment received great praise.

It was open daily at 7 p.m. (summer) or 6 p.m. (winter). From 10 p.m. there is night rest. From 7 a.m. (summer) or 8 a.m. (winter) in the morning, the asylum seekers were eliminated room by room. Shoes were swapped for slippers for the night with one brand. If the housemother saw it as necessary in individual cases, the visitor had to wash herself, otherwise you could do this voluntarily. Taking off outer clothing was not allowed.

#### **Staff**

The Pape couple have been the house parents since the association was founded. When Frau Pape died in 1871, her daughter, a married E. Börngen, took over the role of housemother. After Mr. Pape also died in 1879, the daughter (now widowed herself) took over sole management until 1897. Then the married couple Kehren (or Kaehren) were house managers. In the last three years before the demolition, Ms. Kaehren was run as house manager.

## **References**

1. ↑ Quotes from the queue at the entrance transcripted in: H. Ostwald: Dunkle Winkel in Berlin. Verlag von Hermann Seemann Nachfolger, Berlin 1908
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Berlin Asylum Association for the Homeless, Berlin 1882
3. ↑ F. Bielefeld: Am Rande Berlins. be.br wissenschaft verlag GmbH Berlin-Brandenburg, 2021
4. ↑ Stenographische Berichte über die öffentlichen Sitzungen der Stadtverordnetenversammlung der Haupt- und Residenzstadt Berlin Ausgabe 35.1908
5. ↑ P. Börner: Hygienischer Führer durch Berlin, Verlagsbuchhandlung für Medizin- und Gesundheitspflege Berlin 1882
6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Asyl`
7. ↑ /34115316\_1897/1647/LOG\_0128/ Adressbuch für Berlin und seine Vororte Ausgabe 1897
8. ↑ Adressbuch für Berlin und seine Vororte Ausgabe 1898
9. ↑ Berliner Adreßbuch Ausgabe 1907