▁has ▁been ▁squ atted ▁since ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁as ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁cultural ▁centre ▁in ▁opposition ▁to ▁a ▁decision ▁to ▁turn ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁musical ▁theatre . ▁The ▁collect ive ▁said ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁" We ▁are ▁the ▁' U FO ▁in ▁the ▁neighbourhood .' ▁The ▁black ▁hole ▁in ▁public ▁space . ▁The ▁City ▁won ' t ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁us ▁because ▁we ▁are ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁what ▁life ▁is ." ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁building ▁ ▁The ▁theatre ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁and ▁named ▁T iv oli - The ater . ▁So on ▁there after , ▁it ▁was ▁renamed ▁Con cer th aus ▁Flora , ▁and ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁Flora - The ater . ▁It ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁concert s , ▁oper ett as , ▁rev ues ▁and ▁box ing ▁matches . ▁Being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁the at res ▁in ▁Hamburg ▁not ▁dam aged ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁it ▁continued ▁to ▁host ▁performances ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁During ▁the ▁last ▁few ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁theatre ▁was ▁closed ▁and ▁used ▁for ▁storage , ▁but ▁soon ▁re open ed ▁after ▁a ▁renov ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁cinema ▁with ▁around ▁ 8 0 0 ▁seats ; ▁the ▁department ▁store ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁T ö p fe ▁then ▁moved ▁in ▁and ▁remained ▁until