Elba halls in Wuppertal – enter: the arts

The Küpper family adds new and lively appeal to a run-down district in Wuppertal.

In Wuppertal, a poor city with a desolate budget situation and a decreasing population, an investor buys complete blocks of buildings. Run-down, ramshackle, in need of repars. Having arts and culture on his construction agenda, Bodo Küppers improves the look and situation of his quarters, getting them public attention and a positive image to encourage a common identity among the residents.

Thousands of square metres of industrial premises are vacant – among others, also the Elba halls, once the production facility of the famous German files and folders; they are property of the Küpper family now.
Events like the Kunst-Cluster Wuppertal, the festival by Shakespeare live! and the Sommerloch, all staged in Küpper’s properties, put the focus of public attention on the district. Culture and economy – for Bodo Küpper, they belong together.
 

Credits:
Filmproduktion Siegersbusch, Wuppertal
camera: Grischa Windus
editing: Rene Jeuckens
text: Jan Filipzik

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