Wasen buoy

Twice a year, up to three million people celebrate exuberantly at the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart. This can lead to situations that make visitors feel insecure: suddenly the group is gone, the cell phone battery is empty and the way home is unclear. Girls* and women* in particular repeatedly experience critical situations in the form of sexualized verbal and physical assaults.

This is why the city of Stuttgart offers a safer space at the Wasen with its "Wasenboje" project, where girls* and women* can get help on site. In this safe space, they can take a deep breath, charge their cell phones and are supported in getting home safely. In the event of harassment, threats or sexual assault, the Wasenboje is a first point of contact with qualified staff on site at the Wasen. The socio-educational or psychological specialists have been trained for their work by the Women's Counseling Center (FETZ e. V.) and the Prevention Department of the Stuttgart Police Headquarters.

The Wasenboje is a service aimed at girls* and women*, as they are particularly often affected by sexualized violence.

The Wasenboje has three goals:

1. Acute help: The Wasenboje supports girls* and women* in cases of sexualized harassment and other critical situations.

2. Prevention: As a safe space, the Wasenboje offers help before something happens and in initially harmless situations (for example, when the cell phone battery is empty).

3. Raising awareness: The presence of the Wasenboje on the fairground brings the topics of sexism, sexualized harassment and gender-specific violence into the public discussion.

The Wasenboje offers a place to take a deep breath on the Wasen. If people have been harassed or threatened or have experienced a sexualized assault, qualified staff at the Wasenboje can be contacted on site as a safe space.

For example, the Wasenboje offers help and support if...

• someone feels uncomfortable, alone or disoriented,
• a glass of water and a place to sit would do them good,
• a person wants to make a phone call or recharge their cell phone battery,
• support is needed on the way home,
• someone has been harassed or has experienced sexualized violence.

The Wasenboje has the same location at both festivals. In the form of a container, the Wasenboje is located at the entrance to the festival grounds coming from the parking lot in the immediate vicinity of the DRK and the Wasenwache.

The Wasenboje is a project of the Municipal Crime Prevention and Equal Opportunities Department of the City of Stuttgart. The Wasenboje supports girls* and women* at the Wasen and thus contributes to their safety while partying. A broad alliance of cooperation partners supports the project: the Fetz e.V. women's advice center, the Prevention Department of the Stuttgart Police Headquarters, Mobile Jugendarbeit Stuttgart, SSB, the cab office, Stuttgart Youth Hostel and many more.

When planning and implementing the Wasenboje, we benefited from the experience of our colleagues in Munich, who have been offering the  "Sichere Wiesn" (opens in a new tab), a safe space at the Oktoberfest, for more than 20 years.

The press is also interested in the Wasenboje. Here is a small excerpt from the reporting:

• "Wasenboje reports around 150 cases",  Stuttgarter Nachrichten from 12.05.2024 (opens in a new tab)
• "On the road with security forces at the Wasen",  ZDFheute on YouTube from 06.10.2023 (opens in a new tab)

In addition to the Wasenboje, the city of Stuttgart has created another continuous service at night to further improve the safety and sense of security of girls*, women* and vulnerable groups.

The  Nachtboje project is an offer for all people who are out and about at night and do not feel safe in public spaces. Various night-time infrastructure facilities such as snack bars, kiosks, restaurants, bars and hotels offer people in need an open door to take a quick breather. People who have just come out of an unpleasant situation can come to rest here without being forced to consume. A glass of water, a place to sit or the call of a cab are part of the free and anonymous services offered by the participating Nachtboje facilities. Advice following harassment, threats or sexualized violence cannot be provided here. However, victims are given contact to professional  advice centers and an overview of all emergency numbers at a Nachtboje facility.

If you are interested or have any questions about the project:  Department for Equal Opportunities and  Security Partnership Unit in the Municipal Crime Prevention Department of the City of Stuttgart, phone:  +49 711 216-80435, email:  wasenbojestuttgartde