Peter lives with his family in a kind of Tiny House Community of the first hour. The Wagenburg Bambule was founded 30 years ago to try out a reduced living model that is close to nature and conserves resources.

The Wagenburg Bambule is located in the French Quarter on a former military site in the south of Tübingen. It is a community of 30 adults and seven children who live in old construction trailers, circus wagons and converted trucks.
The people there have chosen this alternative form of housing because community, self-determination and proximity to nature are important to them. The area is not developed. Electricity is therefore only available via solar panels. And to get drinking water, the community has to drive with a tractor to a hydrant in the French Quarter, where they can fill a large stainless steel tank with fresh water. Rainwater is used as domestic water. In winter, the wagons are heated with wood and gas.

The focal point of the wagon house is a central fireplace. Here, everyone gathers regularly to discuss current concerns in a "plenum". When it rains, they meet in the community room. Movies are also watched there, and yoga and boxing training are offered. Another meeting place is the "Schunkelbude" - a cozy wagon pub where small events for the neighborhood and friends take place.

The Wagenburg was founded in 1992, when Tübingen was rioting because of the precarious housing and real estate situation. The Wagenburg was founded out of a part of the squatter scene. These people wanted to realize their ideas of communal living. After several evictions from different places and a lot of political work, the Wagenburgers succeeded in obtaining a lease for their current location in 1995. In the process, they experienced great support from the people of Tübingen. It is impossible to imagine the French Quarter without the Wagenburg. In the meantime, it has become part of Tübingen's cityscape.

Peter has lived in the square for over 30 years. In the beginning, he lived in a simple construction trailer. Now he lives in a circus wagon that he built and designed completely himself. As a carpenter and professional wagon builder, he was able to build his personal dream wagon. Peter's wagon is a gem: historic wooden floorboards and an artfully glazed round window are two of many elements inspired by shipbuilding. For the construction, Peter collected many old materials to create a nostalgic flair. He invested around 1,000 hours of labor in his car, in addition to the cost of materials.

Peter's partner Katleen and his now grown-up children live right next door. Both children were even born in Katleen's car under a glass dome. Even though they are a family, Peter, Katleen and the children appreciate that they all have their own retreat. Son Milan lives in a small carny wagon that originally served as the cash register for a roller coaster.

The Bambule caravan also includes Elena and Tom. After years of living in a truck, Elena moved into a circus wagon she built herself. Since she used Peter's workshop, the two of them were able to talk about things that were important in building there.

Tom lives in a former pigeon truck that he had to do a lot of wrenching on to make it livable. The vehicle gets its unique charm from his inventive upcycling creations. In the past, mobility was always very important to Tom. Today, that desire has subsided a bit as he has become a dad.

Anyone who wants to live in the Wagenburg Bambule must introduce themselves to the community as soon as there is a vacancy and express their desire to move in in a plenary session. This is then voted on democratically. The lease and overhead costs are passed on to all adults in the community.


A film by Feline Gerhardt (director & camera), Kathi Kraft (camera), Cécilia Marchat (sound), Oleg Kauz (editing), production: EIKON Media GmbH, on behalf of SWR.

00:00 Life on the wagon
00:40 Peter's wagon
03:35 Katleen's wagon
04:09 Milan's wagon
05:01 Community kitchen
07:52 Tom's truck
10:20 Pub truck
10:48 Fireplace