The stage of the left-wing collective bar “Dots” in the Börnerviertel burnt out

Göttingen.Early on Friday morning, the stage structure of the “Dots” bar in the inner courtyard of the Börnerviertel on Barfüsserstraße was completely burned out. A resident noticed the fire around 5:30 a.m. due to loud cracking noises, looked out the window and called the emergency number. Nobody was injured.

What happened that night

The flames rose meters high up the facade. Because the keyword “roof structure fire” was initially issued, the fire station Klinikum and the local fire departments Stadtmitte and Geismar were deployed in addition to the south station of the professional fire department. On site it became clear that only the stage and roof, which was mainly made of wooden pallets, burned - it belongs to the bar opposite in the inner courtyard.

The fire was quickly extinguished using a C-pipe. There was hardly anything left of the stage; The house wall was significantly damaged by the smoke. The Stadtmitte local fire department arrived with the hygiene equipment truck so that the emergency services could change their smoke-contaminated protective clothing directly at the scene. There was initially no information available about the cause or amount of damage - the investigation is ongoing.

The “Dots”: a collective, not a business

The “Dots” is not just any bar. The café, bar and club have been operated as a collective since 2015: decisions are made together, the work is shared, everyone earns the same wage. “No one benefits from this place,” the collective writes about itself. It expressly sees itself as more than gastronomy – as a space in which culture and subculture are lived and in which everyone is welcome, regardless of gender, skin color or sexual orientation. Sexism, racism and anti-Semitism are openly rejected. “Eat the rich, we serve the drinks” is one of their mottos.

This makes the “Dots” one of the few self-managed, alternative open spaces in downtown Göttingen – a place of open, solidarity-based coexistence.

A place with history: the swastika attack in October

The fire is not at the beginning of a story, but in the middle. On the night of October 5, 2025, unknown persons daubed the outside seating, walls and windows of the “Dot” with a total of 13 swastikas, 20 to 80 centimeters tall, in white paint. The State Police Commissioner's Office began investigations into the use of license plates of unconstitutional organizations and damage to property. There was no trace of the perpetrators.

The collective refused to be intimidated: "The Dots is and remains a place where everyone is welcome - except fascists. We stand for respect, diversity and community. This act of hate will not silence us." A report was filed.

What counts now: solidarity

Nothing has been said yet about the cause of the fire. We do not speculate and will wait for the assessment of the fire department and investigative authorities before making an assessment. What we are already saying today: We stand in solidarity with the collective.

After the swastika attack, “Dots” showed that intimidation doesn’t work – and this stage will also be rebuilt. Solidarity specifically means: going there, supporting, not leaving the place alone. Faultline updated as soon as reliable information about the cause of the fire is available. Anyone who observed something in the Börnerviertel area on Friday night should contact those affected and local anti-fascist structures.

Facts: HNA (Stefan Rampfel, September 11, 2026; Bernd Schlegel, October 7, 2025), dasdots.de. Classification: Command 161.