The Gängeviertel once covered most of Hamburg's city center. In the Alt- and Neustadt districts, right next to the Congress, they created an impenetrable labyrinth of half-timbered houses that was home to the city's poor and outcasts - a district whose size and reputation rivaled that of London's notorious slums. After centuries of demolition, displacement and gentrification, not much of the former city center remains. In 2009, the remaining 12 houses were occupied by the Komm in die Gänge initiative. After a long struggle and tough negotiations, the initiative now runs an autonomous cultural center with numerous galleries, pubs, concert spaces, clubs and workshops. More than 500 volunteers keep the Gängeviertel alive just five minutes away from the CCC and create one of the largest and best-known socio-cultural projects in Europe. Vor-Gänge tells the story of the Gängeviertel from the historical slums to today's squat and offers an insight into the inner workings of a successful occupation.