Needle factory

The first construction phase for the four-wing factory building was completed in 1910. From 1911 to 1955, the needle manufacturer Walther Hesse ran the factory, where up to 2,000 people earned their living. Among them were many workers who formed the first generation of migrants in Aachen from the 1960s onwards. The sale of Rheinnadel to Herbert Pavel in 1955 marked the beginning of a new era in factory history: Rheinische Nadelfabriken GmbH developed into a widely diversified industrial company through the acquisition of various companies throughout Europe. Due to strong competition from the Asian market, needle production had to be discontinued in 2004. The machines and customer contacts were sold to a company in southern Germany. Rheinnadel-Automation still has its production facilities at Reichsweg 38.

In 2008, the city of Aachen acquired the Rheinnadel GmbH building in order to put it to a new use. Parts of the Wilhelminian-style administration building and the production halls are listed buildings. The extensive conversion work began in February 2010 and was completed in spring 2012. Since then, around 10,500 m² of space has been available to the various users. Events of all kinds take place in the special ambience of the foyer, such as theater performances, exhibitions, meetings, celebrations and much more.

As the conclusion of the ten-year district renewal of Aachen East, the house will become a permanent and therefore sustainable institution for the residents of the district. Against the backdrop of the district growing together and the increasing identification with what is a new home for many residents, an institution is being created that will be able to continue the work it has begun in the future.

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Neighborhood management serves as a point of contact for citizens of the Aachen Ost district. The task of the neighbourhood manager is to find ways to identify the everyday needs and problems of the residents face-to-face in order to develop solutions with the involvement of other institutions, such as the district conference. Another important component is the organization of citizen participation. The motivation of the residents of the district to actively participate in what is happening in the neighborhood should be strengthened.

Neighborhood management / district office

Aachen East / Rother Erde

The Integration Council is an important part of the integration policy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It enables migrants living here to participate in politics. Appointments can be made at the office of the Integration Council.

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The social services of the Youth Welfare Office have the task of supporting children and young people in their individual and social development and helping them to become responsible and socially competent individuals. This includes advising and supporting parents and guardians, protecting children and young people from danger and creating positive living conditions. The Youth Welfare Office works on the basis of the eighth German Social Code (Kinder- und Jugendhilfesgesetz).

To the service portal

The Aachen City Archive is one of the most important municipal archives in North Rhine-Westphalia and, as a documentation center for the city's history, contributes significantly to the identity of the city and its citizens. Its tasks include Preservation of the historical archive holdings, securing documents for historical research by organizing, indexing and storing the originals, advising citizens interested in history by trained specialist staff, research site for scientists, treasure trove for family researchers and every interested citizen, researching the history of the city of Aachen, introducing young people and students to historical issues.

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The Municipal Integration Center of the City of Aachen sees integration policy as a cross-sectional task. Supported by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the integration center develops and consolidates existing support structures, networks integration-relevant stakeholders and coordinates them.

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The two artists Christel Wermuth and Monika Petschnigg share a studio space on the second floor. They are both members of the BBK (Berufsverband Bildender Künstler Aachen / Euregio) and the association dreieck.triangle.driehoek e.V, the Euregional artists' association that works across borders. They open their studios to visitors several times a year. But art lovers are also welcome by appointment at any time.

christel-wermuth.de

monika-petschnigg.de

As the umbrella organization of Aachen's sports clubs, the StadtSportBund Aachen represents the interests of Aachen's sports clubs and is therefore responsible for 60,000 athletes in Aachen. The most important tasks of the StadtSportBund include advising clubs, promoting cooperation between schools, kindergartens and clubs, training and further education in the field of sport, especially for teachers and educators, public relations work and political lobbying for sport in Aachen. The StadtSportBund is also the operator of Schwimmhalle Ost.

Stadtsportbund Aachen e.V.

SportBildungswerk NRW

The Werkstatt der Kulturen is a facility run by the Diakonisches Werk with three main focuses: Education, encounters and counseling. As a licensed language course provider, it offers integration courses, German courses and tandem language exchange programs for women and parents with childcare. As a debtor and insolvency counseling service, the facility offers help in clarifying financial and legal issues and in coping with the consequences of excessive debt. A specific service offered by the Werkstatt der Kulturen is native-language advice in Turkish and Arabic.

diakonie-aachen.de

The anti-violence initiative "Aachener Wirbelsturm gegen Gewalt" (Aachen Whirlwind against Violence) is essentially based on the results of a vacation camp for teenagers and young adults aged 14-19 who have experienced violence, organized by IN VIA Aachen in cooperation with the Prevention Department of the Aachen Police in 1997.

Through a group-oriented and holistic approach, young people who have experienced violence are given the opportunity to break out of the spiral of violence. The aim is to raise awareness of the various forms of discrimination and latent racism in everyday social life. The aim is for young people to develop resilience in the face of extremist, discriminatory influences and to take responsibility for working together in a spirit of solidarity."

Whirlwind against violence

InVia

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In Via Aachen

Aachen whirlwind against violence

Polregio e.V. is a platform for European integration and the development of civil society for the Polish-speaking population in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. Polregio e.V. offers networking opportunities for Polish-speaking initiatives through meetings, workshops, symposia, conferences, congresses and the implementation of specific projects. Cultural goals to promote Polish traditions are achieved by organizing festivals, concerts, meetings with authors, exhibitions and other artistic programmes. Polregio e.V. is open to any cooperation that supports the conscious construction of the European Union.

Polregio

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Polregio

The Greek Community Aachen is a registered association that is active on a cultural, social and administrative level for Greeks in Aachen. Specifically, it promotes intercultural communication by strengthening the Greek cultural identity while at the same time incorporating German culture and that of other nationalities. It also provides assistance in dealing with the authorities and ensures a lively exchange between members.

Greek community

The Kaneza Foundation for Dialogue and Empowerment e.V. has the vision of promoting human rights, equal opportunities and diversity. We are committed to a world free of racism and discrimination. We want to empower our generation to make an impact in all areas of life, to break down prejudices and to make our society diverse and fair.

Kaneza.org

Eurotürk is a German-Turkish society that has become a household name not only among fellow citizens of Turkish origin, but also among Germans who are concerned about peaceful coexistence with migrants. Eurotürk is a symbol of liberal democracy, not a political party, but resolutely opposed to left-wing and right-wing extremism. The first Turkish associations were founded in the 1960s. Since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany, the aim of German-Turkish societies has been to publicize Turkish culture and foster relations between Turks and Germans. Later, politically oriented associations were founded. Turkish citizens in Germany, who belong to the political center, also had the desire for unification and sought friendly relations between Germans and Turks. For this reason, Hür Türk Aachen was founded in 1989. In 2001, Hür Türk was separated and renamed Eurotürk.

eurotuerk.com

The Post-Telekom sports club has been active in Aachen since 1925. Boxing, combined with socio-educational support (e.g. homework supervision), is breaking new ground with the Boxgym, supported by IN VIA.

sportverein-aachen.de

Office of the Brazilian Consulate
It is the only Brazilian consulate in NRW that has been working for the Brazilian state for over 50 years.

Museum
This privately financed permanent museum exclusively displays art and everyday objects from the Amazon region of Xingu. It displays the collection of indigenous art and everyday objects that Klaus Pavel has collected over 50 years. According to experts, it is one of the best museums of its kind in the world. All the objects in the museum were donated back to the indigenous people in 2024, but they are still on loan to the city of Aachen in the "Nekrei" museum.

These two foundations, "Pavel Children Foundation" and "Fundacao pavel", founded by the Pavel family, have their offices in the needle factory. Together with the "Kindermissionswerk - Die Sternsinger" and the Pavel family, they support a major project to educate and support children and young people in the poorest region of the country in the north of Brazil.

Consulates

Nekrei exhibition

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The BBK Aachen/Euregio is a registered association with currently 160 members. Due to its geographical location, its area of responsibility is not limited to Aachen. The BBK Aachen/Euregio also covers the border regions of the Netherlands and Belgium. It was founded in 1995 as a district association and, together with six other regional associations, forms the NRW state association based in Cologne. The 16 regional associations form the Federal Association of Artists (BBK) based in Berlin. With more than 10,000 members nationwide, the BBK is the largest professional association of visual artists in Germany. The associations are represented on important committees and help shape cultural policy at all key levels.

bbk-aachen.de

Maler und Lackierbetrieb Keilhauer has many years of experience in painting with mineral paints. It also carries out "normal" painting and wallpapering work in both the private and commercial sectors.

Painting and varnishing company Keilhauer

Wherever workpieces are delivered in a large mess and then have to be provided as individual parts in a specific position in an automated assembly process, Rheinnadel-Automation machines are used: from the nib in ballpoint pens to the individual parts of a socket to the cap of nasal sprays. RNA emerged as an independent company from the mechanical engineering department of the needle factory back in 1972.

Rhine needle automation

Stausberg & Vosding GmbH is active in the field of automation and control technology. The focus is on the creation of software for control systems and process control systems, with an emphasis on process engineering, supply engineering, the control of CHP units and emergency power supplies as well as machine controls and conveyor technology.

Stausberg & Vosding GmbH

The Jörg Theisen mobile welding and soldering service is an innovative solution for thermal joining tasks of all types and sizes. The team specializes in solving welding and soldering tasks using the latest methods - either in-house or directly on site.

Welding and soldering service Jörg Theisen