A small oasis for hobbyists, tinkerers and creatives

Daniel Tauscher

Giving something homemade as a Christmas present always goes down well with friends and relatives. What's missing is an idea, the right tools or the know-how? No problem! For almost three years now, the Chemnitz Sonnenberg has been home to FabLab, an open DIY workshop, a small oasis for hobbyists, inventors and creative people. This is where ideas can be put into practice. Daniel Tauscher, chairman of the Stadtfabrikanten e.V. association, which is in charge of the project, explains what the workshop is all about and why it is important to him to create something sustainable for his home town.

What is FabLab?
Daniel Tauscher: FabLab is the abbreviation for fabrication laboratory. The basic idea is to share space, machines and a lot of knowledge. The first FabLab was set up in the USA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2002, and these hands-on workshops have since been established everywhere. FablabChemnitz, a project of Stadtfabrikanten e.V., has set itself the goal of encouraging people to work together on projects and innovations. To this end, it creates and offers access to the tools and methods of digital and traditional production. It is an open workshop that supports people of all ages and social backgrounds in the realisation of their ideas, projects or hobbies, regardless of their previous knowledge in the individual areas.

What can interested people find here?
The opportunities are many and varied. If you can't realise your idea here, you're doing something wrong. We are broadly positioned. From 3D printers to electronics, textiles, ceramics, soldering, CNC, wood and metalworking and much more.

Why are you doing this?
We don't have a business purpose, but a social one. We want to strengthen the community and teach people something. We want the people who come to us to fertilise each other intellectually. We want to create a sense of community.

Who all comes to you?
Anyone can come to us. We have 31 members between the ages of 17 and 80. That has grown over the past few years. We're happy with that. We have everything from students, trainees, pensioners and teachers to a former professor. We have an open workshop on Wednesdays, which non-members can also attend. Even a professor and a 14-year-old student can meet on the same level and talk about things in an informal way. I think that's cool. They would rarely meet in real life and when they do, it's not in this atmosphere.

How do you finance yourselves?
Through membership fees, each member pays 15 euros per month. We also receive donations, including in the form of machines and grants. Or we, as the association's board, pay bills from time to time. We are one hundred per cent volunteers, we all still work or go to school.

How do interested parties find out about you?
Through trade fairs, participations, the district management, the website or through festivals, such as the Hoffest Phil, which we organised for the second time this year. In 2017, we counted around 400 to 500 visitors. This year was similar. All the local craftspeople and tinkerers take part.

When were you founded?
We founded the Stadtfabrikanten e.V. association on 13 January 2016. The association is responsible for the FabLab project. Since then, we have been busy equipping the workshop, creating structures and expanding the machinery.

How did you get involved?
I started my own business with the results of my dissertation. I had previously lived in Nigeria and Switzerland. But it was always my ambition to create something sustainable in Chemnitz. I was born in Chemnitz and love my city.

Why did you come to Africa?
Curiosity about an unfamiliar world and to broaden my own horizons.

What did you do there?
Daniel Tauscher: In 2008/2009, I renovated a villa belonging to a bank director through a German company. That was a life experience that I wouldn't want to miss. You learn to appreciate what you have here at home.

How did you come up with the idea of anchoring FabLab in Chemnitz?
As part of my dissertation. I wrote a utilisation analysis for a property that used to house a timber trade. I wanted to revitalise all parts of the building. With these findings, I set up my own business in the field of industrial woodworking. However, for various reasons this did not work out as I had hoped. I was left with debts. Going into personal insolvency was not an option for me. During this time, I learnt about the MitMachWerkstatt concept and it stuck with me. Together with a few others, we then founded the association and the FabLab.
Since then, I've been in charge of it, I'm the elected chairman of the board, I'm an idealist, a bit crazy. The project brings me closer to my goal of creating added value and an institution for Chemnitz. I'm not doing it for myself, but for the community. Together with the other board members, I subsidise the project the most.

Is the Sonnenberg a good place for the hands-on workshop?
The Sonnenberg as such is home to many artists and creative people of all ages. We fit in very well in this environment. Even if it is difficult to heat the workshop permanently in winter, it is difficult to find another property in Chemnitz that allows us to run a workshop and is affordable because of our machines.

What are your goals for FabLab?
The aim is to cooperate with schools and museums to offer afternoon programmes. If we could do our bit for early childhood education, that would be fantastic. That is also my personal intention: to pass something on to the next generation. If you can teach children something outside of consoles, TV and the internet, it's a great feeling. Sometimes children or young people know what a screwdriver looks like, but not how to hold it.
Another goal is to become an institution for Chemnitz and create added value for the entire city. That the majority of people in Chemnitz know us and come to us if they have a problem that we can help with.

Who do you work with?
With the library, for example. Here you can spend an afternoon learning about 3D printing technology, trying out technical craft kits and soldering kits and repairing broken things and devices yourself. We could imagine doing something similar with other organisations, such as the art collections or smac.
We also already had a co-operation with the start-up network of Chemnitz University of Technology, SAXEED. There was a course there called the Ideas Workshop. It explained in theory how to set up a company: How do I generate business ideas, how do I present it. We taught the students how to use a 3D printer, how to operate a laser and how to handle other machines. We would like to establish co-operations in order to reach a different audience. The "normal" visitor to the art collections is unlikely to find their way to us.

How many hours a week do you invest in voluntary work?
I'm here three or four days a week. That adds up to at least fifteen hours.

We want to become the Capital of Culture. How do you feel about that?
I'm in favour of the project. Whether it becomes Chemnitz or not doesn't play such a big role for me. The decisive factor is the thought processes involved in dealing with such an application and developing a vision. That's the best thing that can happen to Chemnitz. For me, Chemnitz is still a sleeping giant. In terms of economic power alone, with all the companies based here, the city has incredible potential.

What else needs to change in the city by 2025?
First of all, people should talk to each other more. I think the citizens' platforms that have been set up are very good for this. Chemnitz needs a vision, Chemnitz needs a goal. You have to get people on board for that. Not everyone in Chemnitz will ever participate, but you have to break up the disenchantment a little.