Statutes

This English translation is provided for convenience only and is not legally binding. The legally binding version is the German original.

I. Preamble

Today’s information society is no longer conceivable without computers. The possible uses of automated data processing and data transmission offer opportunities, but also pose risks for individuals and for society.

Information and communication technologies change the relationship between humans and machines and among humans themselves. The development toward an information society requires new forms of knowledge across all parts of society.

Despite ever new and faster forms of communication that can make physical proximity seem unnecessary, personal exchange among people with shared interests in science, technology and digital art cannot be replaced by anything.

Exploring technical possibilities, conducting experiments and assessing the potential impacts of new technologies have a long tradition and form the foundation for any kind of research and further development. Since microprocessors have become affordable for individuals as well, there has been a growing need for new communication platforms in both the physical and the electronic world.

Around open source, free software and internet visionaries, a new active movement has formed. “Hacker culture” in the original sense of the word is characterized by a constructive, playful and progressive approach to technology and is driven by the creative potential that information technology has opened up to the public. We see hacker culture as an important contribution to socio-political development and as a creative driver for technological and societal innovation.

This development and technological progress have made new manufacturing and machining methods such as 3D printing, laser cutting or CAD-controlled milling accessible to private individuals. The possibilities of these new techniques are far from fully explored and offer attractive new fields of activity for people interested in technology as well as design.

Munich Maker Lab aims to advance societal development and global, freely accessible knowledge. Based on collaborative knowledge exchange, the goal is to acquire new knowledge for society through exchange among specialists from a wide range of fields and by connecting different areas of modern technology. Its members work, for example, in areas such as 3D printing, microcontrollers, circuit design, digital democracy, CAD/CAM, electronic music, alternative telecommunications infrastructure, photography, applied cryptography, augmented reality, systems theory, object-oriented and imperative programming from Arduino to Java to shell or Python, as well as the use of new technologies in contemporary art.

II. Main Part of the Statutes

§1 Name, Registered Office, Registration, Fiscal Year

1. The association is called Munich Maker Lab.
2. Its registered office is in Munich.
3. It is registered in the association register at the Munich register court.
4. The fiscal year is the calendar year.

§2 Purpose of the Association and How It Is Achieved

1. The purpose of the association is to promote education, science, and digital art and culture.
2. The purpose is achieved in particular through:
   • Regular meetings to connect interest groups (so-called user groups) and individuals for the exchange of knowledge and experience
   • Screenings of films, especially documentaries, recordings of talks and live broadcasts of events
   • Conducting educational events and workshops
   • Youth work and adult education in the area of media literacy, for example training on responsible use of new media in cooperation with public and private educational institutions
   • Promoting interdisciplinary working groups, for example artistic exploration of modern information technologies and their creative implementation in collaborative projects
   • Integrating artistic work on society, culture, design, manufacturing and craft techniques, computers and new media into association life, among other things through exhibitions in the association’s premises
   • Promoting intercultural encounters and exchange in the context of the international hacker and maker movement
   • Providing spatial and technical infrastructure to support the activities mentioned above

§3 Non-Profit Status

1. The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes within the meaning of the section “Tax-Privileged Purposes” of the German Fiscal Code.
2. The association is non-profit in nature and does not primarily pursue its own economic interests.
3. The association’s funds may be used only for purposes defined in the statutes. Members receive no benefits from association funds.
4. Members receive no profit shares. No person may benefit through expenses that are unrelated to the association’s purpose or through disproportionately high compensation.

§4 Membership

1. Any natural person or legal entity may become a member of the association. In the case of minors, the consent of the legal guardian is required. The application for membership must be submitted in text form to the executive board.
2. The executive board decides on admission. An appeal against the decision may be made to the general assembly.
3. A member may be excluded by resolution of the executive board if they damage the reputation of the association, fail to meet their membership fee obligations, or if another important reason exists. The executive board must notify the member to be excluded in text form, stating reasons, and grant a hearing upon request. An appeal against the decision of the executive board to the general assembly is permitted. Until a decision by the general assembly, the membership is suspended.
4. Membership ends through resignation, death of natural persons, dissolution or termination of legal entities, or exclusion.
5. Resignation must be submitted in writing to the executive board and must be given with a notice period of 3 weeks to the end of the quarter.
6. If membership fees are not paid on time, membership is suspended.

§5 Organs of the Association

The organs of the association are:

1. the general assembly
2. the executive board

§6 The General Assembly

1. The general assembly must be convened by the executive board at least once per year with at least 14 days’ notice.
2. Invitations are sent in written or electronic form.
3. The executive board must additionally convene a general assembly without undue delay if at least 20% of the association’s members request it in writing.
4. Each voting-eligible member has the same voting weight.
5. Every present member whose membership is not suspended is eligible to vote.
6. The general assembly passes resolutions by a simple majority.
7. Minutes must be kept of the resolutions and signed by the chair of the meeting.
8. Votes must be held by secret ballot if at least one member requests it.
9. The general assembly appoints an auditor who reviews the work of the treasurer and reports to the general assembly.

§7 The Executive Board

1. The executive board is responsible for all ongoing matters of the association and for representing it externally.
2. The executive board consists of:
   • a chairperson
   • a deputy chairperson
   • a treasurer
3. The executive board is elected by the general assembly and remains in office until the successor takes over.
4. Each board member is authorized to represent the association individually.
5. The executive board adopts rules of procedure regulating the distribution of tasks within the board, mutual representation among board members, and how resolutions are adopted; these rules require approval by the general assembly.

§8 Membership Fees

1. To regulate membership fees, the general assembly adopts a scale of fees.

§9 Dissolution of the Association

1. The general assembly decides on the dissolution of the association.
2. In the event of dissolution or termination of the association, or if tax-privileged purposes cease to apply, the association’s assets shall go to a legal entity under public law or another tax-privileged body for the purpose of using them for the charitable purpose of promoting education, general and vocational training, including student assistance.