Back when I was doing a German teacher training program in college, I managed to convince a teacher to let my class go to Düsseldorf "to practice our German with native speakers". In reality, I just wanted to see a city I'd heard a lot about. Sadly, college canceled the trip less than a week before we'd leave. I was furious. My classmates and I had made an entire program, which included a visit to the Kiefernstraße. This street in a residential area of Düsseldorf is said to be home to the longest graffiti wall in the world. Street art was calling my name, and I couldn't answer. Saying I was furious about the whole thing became an understatement.
Exactly a year later, in the Spring of 2018, I was able to buy cheap train tickets to Düsseldorf. I spent my birthday there, exploring the historical city center, climbing the Rheinturm, doing what tourists do. The next day, my boyfriend and I went out to do what I'd actually come to Düsseldorf for: we visited the Kiefernstraße.
After a day in the city center, walking to the Kiefernstraße was like a breath of fresh air. It took us about 20 minutes to walk from the train station to the street full of street art, with Google Maps leading the way. It was July 18th, a sunny day in the middle of 2018's everlasting heatwave, but still the walk was pleasant. As I spotted the first pieces of street art from afar, I felt that familiar rush that comes with entering the domain of this creative subculture. We approached from the Fichtestraße, a regular street that in no way prepared us for what was to come. We turned the corner and suddenly found ourselves in the most colorful street I'd seen in ages. It was awesome.
The street was still mostly quiet and almost deserted early that morning, but the sunlight on the brightly colored walls made the Kiefernstraße feel so alive. I couldn't decide where to look first. There was so much to see, so much art to capture on camera. These houses were telling me a story with their art, but not just about the art itself. Back in the 80s, the apartments of the Kiefernstraße were mostly vacant, even though affordable housing in Düsseldorf was hard to come by. As a result, squatters moved in. They started painting the houses, giving the Kiefernstraße its alternative reputation. Some of the original group of squatters still live in the apartments with uneven numbers.
A part of the street's history that its art doesn't show is a lot darker: it was linked to the terrorist group called Red Army Fraction. The 80s were an interesting time for the Kiefernstraße, as a member of the RAF was arrested along with two residents of the street. Police raids followed and the Kiefernstraße suddenly became the center of terrorism in West Germany.
These days the street is just part of a nice residential area, albeit a very alternative one. I felt right at home. The street is about 400 meters long and there's something new to discover on every single one of these meters. Among my favorite murals were a Buddha and a Chinese dragon, but there's also a gigantic crossword, a saloon and an ocean to spot. Even Jesus with a little lamb can be found in the alternative universe of the Kiefernstraße.
Although it was still early when we wandered the street, we weren't the only ones with cameras there. I got to practice my German, as the Kiefernstraße is one of those places where everyone with a camera is some kind of internet-dweller who's up for a chat. I even got to pose with a bag in front of Jesus for the owner of a small business. In those moments on the Kiefernstraße, I felt at peace with myself and the world. More than that: I was happy. The sun was shining, the art was beautiful, what more could I wish for?
Around noon, my boyfriend and I left the Kiefernstraße behind. We still had to walk back to the train station and catch the train back home, so spending the entire day there wasn't an option. My thoughts stayed on the street though: for the longest time I could only think of art. Düsseldorf hadn't been all that nice to me on my birthday, but the Kiefernstraße made up for that. If you ever find yourself doubting what you're doing in this German city, go search for its street art. The Kiefernstraße will make you feel at home right away.
x Envy
