Abstract
Islam, Muslims, and mosques are controversial topics in European public debates. Less attention is given to what Muslims and their communities have contributed to European cities as they have introduced new spaces and spatial practices and have reshaped urban spaces. This chapter examines the largely unplanned and informal spatial and cultural creativity of a mosque complex in Stuttgart, Germany. It analyzes how this complex evolved over two decades into a uniquely vibrant social, cultural, and economic center. Informal transformations quickly transcended the boundaries of the complex as more businesses were attracted by its vibrant spaces and successful businesses. Introducing exemplary spaces, this chapter explores the informal creation of popular urban spaces centered on a mosque as an instance of faith-based urban innovation. Islam as a religion is situated in the realm of urban creativity.
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Notes
- 1.
All places and personal names, unless otherwise indicated, are pseudonyms.
- 2.
I have written elsewhere in more detail about the Salam Mosque as part of the larger mosque-scape in Stuttgart (2010, 2014) and the details of the mosque’s complex early transformation processes (2011).
- 3.
Details on the history of the mosque complex are based on an interview with a mosque board member, June 2007.
- 4.
Halal is food permitted by Islamic law.
- 5.
Lahmacun is a flat bread topped with a ground beef mix, rolled up with tomatoes and other ingredients.
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Kuppinger, P. (2019). Informal Place-Making: Mosques, Muslims, and Urban Innovation in Germany. In: Arefi, M., Kickert, C. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Bottom-Up Urbanism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90131-2_10
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