The gate to the legendary “Berghain”, a place of longing, the international Party Community, is now fully sprayed with a “Black Lives Matter”-Graffiti. After in March, Berlin’s health Senator Dilek Kalayci announced – “It is not just the time for parties!” – went through here no more. Probably until the end of the year, says the Berlin state government, the Senate, will not change that much. Unlike, for example Zurich, Berlin has not eased the bans on the Clubs yet.
Berlin would not be Berlin, wouldn’t there be people who still Party. “Meditanzion” is the name of a group Dance, Yoga, Meditation, Techno-and a “We-are-all-equal”-Demo in an Event on the streets brings. The “Neo-Hippies”, organised already the evenings directly in front of the Brandenburg gate. DW/K. A. Scholz Statement, instead of standing in a queue: the door to the Club Berghain in Berlin is closed
The other Berlin youth flees meanwhile, in the large Park. There, on the great meadows, they meet regularly to Dance. The police often comes over, but grant calls only from time to Time to keep their Distance.
“the Raven Sitting is no fun”
Some Clubs have even in spite of the Corona-pandemic open – so half at least. Anyone who has an outer surface that is allowed to sell drinks. Dancing is forbidden! Thus, the remembered gardens of normal beer, called, for example, the popular “About blank” to be free-air-Area, “champagne garden”. DW/K. A. Scholz “Meditanzion” on the Pariser Platz in the center of Berlin
“But the Raven Sitting is not fun,” says Dennis, in civil life, the Barber, in a fine Store near Gendarmenmarkt. Was celebrate for many years to be a Hobby. Maybe, something is changing, he says now. Longer he was gone not at all like to celebrate. “The music, the people – everything was commercial and not very creative.” Just prior to the Lockdown, he recalls, he looked after a long time again in a Club, but then not once more be beer drunk. “The music was just awful.”
But it is not just the commercialization of gnawed before Corona on Berlin’s Party-Image displacement by financially stronger tenants is another Problem. The world famous fetish Club “Kitkat” announced the end of 2019 be Made for the location in the middle – he was not the first one who had to make way.
Little Party – it’s bad for Berlin
the Party-metropolis bad, is a economic Problem for Berlin as a whole. Since the turn of the Millennium, Berlin advertised with the Slogan “Poor but sexy” and attracted such a mass of tourists in the city. And now? At the end, only “Poor and sexy” left?
In June, the unemployment rate rose to 2.7 percent – more than in any other state. Not 80 or 90 percent as usual, but 10 or 20 percent is the current capacity utilization in the hotel. The situation was “catastrophic”, reported the Hotel and restaurant Association in June. In no other German city, the slump was so strong. DW/K. A. Scholz Barber, Dennis has had enough of celebrations
250 Clubs, 150 million in revenue, three million tourists – describes a study of the Senate, the Dimension, what it’s about. Over many years of the 3.7 million inhabitants lived quite well from the reputation of the Party capital. “It also influenced investments outside of tourism,” says urban planner and journalist David Koser. “So is likely to have played in the settlement of the Tesla factory in the outskirts of Berlin, this Image is a role – after all, Berlin is not a classic automobile location.”
guest host John from the mid-feared Bad. The Clubs, the Restaurants, beverage stores and other places of amusement industry. In the second half of the year, he can expect a big Bust-shaft. A message that struck at the end of June how a bomb fits. Easyjet, the Airline, the tourism is like no other for Party, halved its fleet in Berlin.
Against the doldrums, a newly founded group of Club operators, restaurant owners and cultural people braces. They call themselves “One Berlin”. From the Senate they are demanding tax relief. You run massive existence-fear and great concern for the urban life in Berlin, it was said at the founding event. Among other things, they are calling for more parties to public places, such as the Alexanderplatz, in the center of Berlin to allow.
A Revival of the Frederick street?
However, many people in Berlin to find the Party lull very relaxing to listen to again and again. The tourist classification. “The Party-tourism has been hit significantly in the urban structure of the actual residential neighborhoods,” says Koser, “with a high proportion of tourist-oriented catering, late sale shops, holiday apartments and Hostels.” With the effect of a “displacement of the resident population and the tourist industry”. Unlike gentrification, no new civil district to be created, but “around and around-the-clock district, lively nightlife”.
Perhaps the crisis also opened up for ways to arrange some things new. As a Chance to shift the Party-tourism from the residential areas, says Koser. “Namely, there where he belongs and doesn’t bother: in the centre of the city, particularly in the area of Friedrichstrasse, once Berlin’s Central entertainment district”. picture alliance/W. Steinberg, What is the Friedrichstraße?
In fact, searches for the Frederick street currently, to a future. From the Plan of a luxury mile to nothing. Many shops are empty. Starting in August, the Senate wants to block the car traffic and to test whether there is a pedestrian area brings more audience. Many are skeptical.
“I see, where the Corona-crisis, the end of the Party metropolis of Berlin is not solved,” says Koser. “The need for a Party in a large urban setting is there.”
in Addition, was probably not exhausted the “innovative Potential” in Berlin for a long time. Even if the since already 30 years, formative Techno-culture should be abating. Finally, it was just already in Berlin, so that only empty space for culturally stand New bot.
Manuel Neuer sings in Croatia-holiday song from extreme right-wing scandal-Band PCP Manuel Neuer sings in Croatia-holiday song from extreme right-wing scandal-Band
*The post “Berlin and Corona: the end of the Party?” is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
