From Transformation to Co-Determination: Lessons Learned from a Unionised Makerspace

Abstract

This paper reports on an ethnographic study, following an action research approach that accompanied the establishment of a makerspace initiated by a local trade union in a rural, industrialized region in Germany. The resulting makerspace, initially envisioned as an exploration lab for technical innovation, evolved into a hybrid space shaped by local needs, volunteer engagement, and the socio-political practices of the union. Drawing from a series of workshops, field observations, and a ‘train-the-trainer’ program, we explore how the involvement of this unique setting effected the development of the makerspace and discovered signs of appropriation. We examined four themes: (1) openness, (2) unionisation, (3) the makerspace as a local community hub, and (4) the visibility of the trade union through the makerspace to analyse how the union appropriated the infrastructure and how this, in turn, influenced the development of communities in the makerspace.