▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁ ▁Occ up ation ▁▁ ▁After ▁the ▁department ▁store ▁closed , ▁musical ▁producer ▁Friedrich ▁Kurz ▁came ▁forward ▁with ▁plans ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁empty ▁building ▁into ▁a ▁musical ▁theatre . ▁However , ▁residents , ▁shop keep ers ▁and ▁autonom ous ▁groups ▁respond ed ▁neg atively ▁and , ▁within ▁months , ▁the ▁protest ▁grew . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁historic ▁building ▁was ▁partly ▁torn ▁down ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁The ▁protest s ▁continued ▁and ▁cul min ated ▁in ▁violent ▁assault s ▁by ▁milit ant ▁groups . ▁The ▁need ▁for ▁police ▁protection ▁and ▁the ▁negative ▁response ▁in ▁the ▁media ▁eventually ▁caused ▁the ▁invest ors ▁to ▁abandon ▁the ▁plan . ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁following ▁summer , ▁what ▁remained ▁of ▁the ▁building ▁stood ▁vac ant , ▁although ▁several ▁groups ▁that ▁had ▁ ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁protest s ▁had ▁amb itions ▁to ▁renov ate ▁and ▁reuse ▁the ▁theatre . ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁city ▁unexpected ly ▁offered ▁a ▁six - month ▁le ase ▁to ▁these ▁groups . ▁After ▁the ▁le ase ▁was ▁official , ▁the ▁R ote ▁Flora ▁opened ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁However , ▁the ▁le ase ▁was ▁soon ▁declared ▁ob sole te ▁and ▁the ▁R ote ▁Flora ▁was ▁declared ▁as ▁squ atted ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁Since ▁then , ▁the ▁R ote ▁Flora ▁has ▁function ed ▁as ▁a ▁cultural ▁centre , ▁offering ▁space ▁for ▁cultural ▁and ▁political