TtE-Bücherei
Freely accessible library and archive of left-wing social movements at the Alte Feuerwache — holding citizens' initiative journals and a substantial collection of grey literature.
The TtE-Bücherei is a library and archive of left-wing social movements, housed in the Alte Feuerwache community centre in Cologne's Neustadt/Nord district.
At a Glance
- Type
- Library and archive of left-wing social movements
- Location
- Alte Feuerwache community centre, Neustadt/Nord (Innenstadt district)
- Collection
- approx. 16,000 books and pamphlets, freely accessible and systematically organised
- Journals
- approx. 1,400 titles
- Notable feature
- around a quarter of the holdings is classified as grey literature
- Network
- Member of the research network FICEDL (Fédération internationale des centres d'études et de documentation libertaires)
The name "TtE" doesn't derive from a book title or person, but from a boycott: the former club venue was called "TT Embargo", named after a protest against the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.
History
The library traces its origins to a reading circle in Leverkusen in the mid-1980s, connected to the youth centre movement. In the early 1990s it relocated to Cologne. A sister project under the same name exists in Schwerin.
Journals
Alongside its books and pamphlets, the collection holds around 1,400 journal titles from citizens' initiatives, women's projects, self-help groups, and a wide range of political organisations.
The Name
The abbreviation TtE refers to two things: the former meeting venue TT Embargo of the Leverkusen support association for self-managed youth centres (Förder- und Trägerverein selbstverwaltete Jugendzentren e.V.), and the boycott of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.
Timeline
- Mitte der 1980er JahreFounded from a reading circle in Leverkusen in the context of the youth centre movement
- Anfang der 1990er JahreRelocated to Cologne at the Alte Feuerwache community centre
Map
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Official website (retrieved 2026-07-06)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-06-26)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-06-26)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-27
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