RaumZeitLabor

RaumZeitLabor is a hackerspace in Mannheim, Germany, operated by the nonprofit association RaumZeitLabor e. V. Its activities combine practical experimentation, informal education, community building, and discussion of technology and society. The space is primarily financed through contributions from approximately 100 members and through donations. Membership is not generally required to attend its workshops and meetings, many of which are offered free of charge. The organization is based in a former Standard Elektrik Lorenz building in Mannheim-Käfertal. Its facilities occupy approximately 200 square metres divided among four rooms. These areas support a broad range of activities, including electronics, digital fabrication, textiles, woodworking, communal cooking, and public presentations. Equipment described for the space includes a 40-watt carbon-dioxide laser, oscilloscopes, soldering tools, electronics-parts storage, multiple 3D printers using material-extrusion and stereolithography techniques, a heat-transfer press, and a computer-controlled sewing machine. RaumZeitLabor's stated social purpose extends beyond providing tools. The association seeks to create an environment for youth work, adult education, information privacy, and interaction among communities. Its open-access orientation is reflected in the availability of public workshops, meetings, and talks. The space has also been associated with a strong culture of operational transparency. During its formative period, members rejected the creation of an internal-only mailing list, and an information screen was used to publish organizational material, including financial information such as the association's bank balance. This approach positioned the hackerspace as an accessible institution rather than a closed technical club. The organization has achieved visibility within German and European hackerspace culture through participation in events such as the Chaos Communication Congress, SIGINT, and FrOSCon, as well as through initiatives of its own. RaumZeitLabor helped initiate the Large Hackerspace Convention, intended to connect hackerspaces across the country. It also organized Trollcon, an international conference examining trolling as a social and cultural phenomenon. Trollcon 2012 reportedly attracted around 100 attendees and received press attention, with speakers including lawyer Udo Vetter and media artist Dragan Espenschied. The event also included a satirical or community-oriented "Troll of the Year" award. Regular talks and presentations, including material on subjects such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, complement the hands-on workshop program. RaumZeitLabor is therefore best understood not as a conventional commercial brand or training provider, but as a nonprofit community infrastructure project whose identity rests on openness, peer learning, public education, privacy awareness, and participation in the wider hacker and maker ecosystem.

RaumZeitLabor developed as a nonprofit hackerspace project in Mannheim and is operated by the association RaumZeitLabor e. V. The available reference material does not establish a precise founding year or identify individual founders. From its formative period onward, the organization emphasized an open model in which participation was not restricted to dues-paying members. Members and visitors could take part in workshops, meetings, and talks, with many activities offered without charge. The association's purpose brought together several strands of community work: youth engagement, adult education, information privacy, and social interaction among communities. This combination distinguished RaumZeitLabor from a purely technical workshop. Its facilities were intended both for personal projects and for public learning, allowing participants to work with electronics, digital fabrication, textiles, and woodworking while exchanging knowledge in an informal setting. The hackerspace established itself in a former Standard Elektrik Lorenz building in Mannheim-Käfertal. The site comprises roughly 200 square metres across four rooms, including a kitchen and dedicated or semi-dedicated areas for electronics, 3D printing, embroidery, and woodworking. The equipment inventory supported a broad maker practice: laser cutting, measurement and testing, soldering, electronics assembly, additive manufacturing, heat-transfer work, and computer-controlled sewing. This physical infrastructure enabled members to pursue individual projects while also supporting workshops and demonstrations. Transparency became an important part of the organization's public identity. During the founding phase, the creation of an internal-only mailing list was rejected, reinforcing the principle that information about everyday operations should remain accessible. An information screen displayed association-related material, including the bank balance. The organization was mainly funded by member contributions and donations, making openness and community trust central to its operating model. RaumZeitLabor's profile expanded through involvement in the German and European hackerspace network. Members participated in prominent gatherings including the Chaos Communication Congress, SIGINT, and FrOsCon. The space also helped initiate the Large Hackerspace Convention, a networking event intended to connect hackerspaces and encourage exchange between local communities. This activity contributed to RaumZeitLabor's recognition as a representative of German hacker culture in reporting about the 29th Chaos Communication Congress. The organization additionally created public-facing events around social and cultural questions. Trollcon, an international conference about trolling, was organized by RaumZeitLabor and held in 2012 with approximately 100 attendees and members of the press. Its program included lawyer Udo Vetter and media artist Dragan Espenschied, and Christopher Lauer received a "Troll of the Year" award at the event. Alongside special conferences, RaumZeitLabor organized and published talks on a weekly basis. Topics included scientific subjects such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, reflecting the space's interest in making complex technical and scientific themes available to a general audience. The available sources do not document a corporate succession, acquisition, stock-market listing, or commercial product strategy. RaumZeitLabor remains characterized by its association-based governance, shared facilities, public programming, and participation in hackerspace culture.

• 2012

  Trollcon 2012

  [1]RaumZeitLaboren.wikipedia.org

  The organization held an international Trollcon conference on trolling as a social phenomenon. The event reportedly attracted around 100 attendees and received press coverage.

• Establishment of the nonprofit hackerspace

  [1]RaumZeitLaboren.wikipedia.org

  RaumZeitLabor was established in Mannheim as a hackerspace operated by the nonprofit association RaumZeitLabor e. V. The available sources do not give a precise year.

• Move or establishment in the former Standard Elektrik Lorenz building

  [1]RaumZeitLaboren.wikipedia.org

  The hackerspace became based in a former Standard Elektrik Lorenz building in Mannheim-Käfertal, where it developed a roughly 200-square-metre shared workshop and community space.

• Launch of the Large Hackerspace Convention initiative

  [1]RaumZeitLaboren.wikipedia.org

  RaumZeitLabor helped initiate the Large Hackerspace Convention as a networking and exchange forum for hackerspaces.

Open, nonprofit hackerspace and community education platform focused on practical experimentation, peer learning, privacy, and cross-community exchange.

• Community infrastructure

  Community hackerspace

  The core offering is access to a shared, nonprofit environment for personal projects, collaboration, meetings, and informal learning. The space is open to non-members for many activities, so it functions as both a member-supported workshop and a public community venue.

• Technical workshop

  Electronics workshop

  The electronics area supports experimentation, repair, prototyping, and educational activity. Described equipment includes soldering tools, oscilloscopes, and organized storage for electronic components, allowing participants to move from circuit assembly to measurement and testing.

• Maker equipment

  Digital fabrication facilities

  RaumZeitLabor provides fabrication tools including a 40-watt carbon-dioxide laser and several 3D printers. The printers include both material-extrusion and stereolithography systems, supporting a range of prototyping and creative production uses.

• Craft and fabrication workshop

  Textile and woodworking workshop

  The space includes facilities for embroidery, computer-controlled sewing, transfer printing, and woodworking. These resources broaden the hackerspace beyond electronics and software, supporting physical craft, garment work, product-making, and interdisciplinary projects.

• Education and events

  Public lectures and workshops

  Weekly talks, workshops, and meetings provide informal education for members and visitors. Subjects can include technology, science, society, and privacy; the documented program includes a presentation concerning the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

• 2012Trollcon 2012

  Germany · International

  RaumZeitLabor organized an international conference examining trolling as a social phenomenon. The program included contributions from lawyer Udo Vetter and media artist Dragan Espenschied.

  Outcome. The conference reportedly drew about 100 attendees and members of the press, and included the presentation of a "Troll of the Year" prize to Christopher Lauer.

  Source
• Large Hackerspace Convention

  Germany · European hackerspace community

  RaumZeitLabor helped initiate the Large Hackerspace Convention, a networking initiative designed to connect hackerspaces and encourage exchange among communities.

  Outcome. The initiative contributed to RaumZeitLabor's visibility within the national and European hackerspace scene.

  Source

1. 1RaumZeitLaboren.wikipedia.org
2. 2RaumZeitLabor official websiteraumzeitlabor.de