Tacheles Art Centre

Tacheles Art Centre

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The Tacheles Art Centre is one of many forums for alternative culture in Berlin facing eviction. It is housed in a historical building with property developers want to transform into luxury flats, hotels and boutiques.

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. BERLIN, Germany. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Artists have been drawn to Berlin since the end of the Cold War, attracted by low rents, state support and the charms of a city which Mayor Klaus Wowereit describes as "poor but sexy".

. BERLIN, Germany. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

An artist welds a cage to trap himself in the corner of the outside wall to protest against a possible eviction.

. BERLIN, Germany. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Many locals and visitors have rallied to the cause, while others protest that the buildings legally belong to new investors who are injecting much-needed capital into a city that has long teetered on the verge of bankruptcy.