Homelessness, violence and the role of the state. The story of an eviction (GER)

In 2023, a series of homicides and attempted homicides of homeless individuals in the city of Vienna received considerable media coverage. Furthermore, attacks are frequently reported in Berlin, and the number of violent incidents against homeless individuals continues to increase. These incidents are not isolated occurrences. The figures are alarming, and the reports on the circumstances of the individual acts are deeply distressing. The fact that the perpetrators are not only right-wing radicals, but also young people from the “middle of society”, illustrates the structural nature of the problem. Historically evolved ideologies result in violence perpetrated by individuals or groups against homeless people and also influence the manner in which the state and its authorities treat those affected.

The question arises how it is to be explained that such a vulnerable group is not only exposed to the direct hatred and violence of individuals, but also how state institutions, which many hold to be responsible for protecting people, are complicit in violence and discrimination? What is the reason for the perception of the mere presence of homeless individuals in public spaces as a disruption and a provocation to the state and the urban order?

In order to approach these challenging questions, I will first present historical continuities of exclusion and violence based on the research for the chapter “A Genealogy of Exclusion” in my dissertation. The central element of the presentation is a case study from Berlin that documents how locations that are central points of reference in the lives of homeless people are dealt with. The account of an eviction illustrates that police and regulatory measures frequently situate homeless people in circumstances that result in the loss of essential places and objects, and in which their already vulnerable physical integrity is further endangered.