#283: Squat saved, Berlin budget cuts, millions for Müll

A Rainer you didn't know you knew

Finanzamt Reinickendorf: my favorite Berlin building. Photo: jcornelius via CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed

Dear 20 Percent!

Ever traveled the U7 through what used to be West Berlin and wondered how high the architect was that designed thouse U-Bahn stations? Like Paulsternstrasse, Rohrdamm or even the weirdly beautiful Konstanzer Strasse (my once-home station)?

His name was Rainer G. Rümmler and, though his lambchop sideburns hint that he may have partook, no idea if he actually did. Rainer died 20 years ago, on May 16, 2004.

He spent most of his career in various building departments in Berlin, eventually being promoted to positions (Baurat and Oberbaurat) where he got to design seemingly most of the city. He designed not only numerous U-Bahn stations but also a Kreuzberg fire station and the Dreilinden customs building.

Rainer may just be my Roman Empire.

All of that just to say Monday is a holiday (Pentecost), so be smart and go shopping today or brave the panic of Germans fearing two days without grocery stores. As always, we’ll update our special page of what’s open on those days because we’re expats/immigrants, not planners.

Andrew

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Tuntenhaus squat saved

Not every housing story in Berlin ends up with an eviction and expensive condos: A 33-year-old squat on Kastanienallee was saved this week when Pankow exercised its right of first refusal to buy the Tuntenhaus, a queer housing project deeply connected to Berlin’s squatter scene, according to taz. The building was bought by a Bavarian investor in February and it seemed the squat’s days were numbered. But the building will now be purchased instead by the Edith Maryon Foundation, which says it buys properties for “socially responsible” uses. Nice. The Tuntenhaus moved to Kastanienallee in 1990 after it, along with a handful of other squats, were evicted from Mainzer Strasse in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (B-Movie, a documentary you should watch, has some good background on those violent evictions/protests).

Cleaning up expensive trash is also expensive, yo!

Grafitti that tells you what you already know: Stinky. Photo: onnola via Creative Commons.

Illegally dumped trash on Berlin streets cost the city-state over €10 million last year, according to Tagesschau. Government-owned Berliner Stadt Reinigung (BSR) has been responsble for cleaning up illegal waste city-wide since May 2023 and it sent a bill for €9.7 million last year. A new law went into effect last year to simplify and speed collection — less bureaucracy, yeah! However, BSR isn’t responsible for abandoned cars or trash in waterways — local councils are, which likely pushed the bill last year over €10 million. No word on how much of that are trashed “zu Verschenken” boxes (I know, I know, you got a great SOMETHING from one of those boxes once).

Berlin is cutting back. Again

You know what’s also expensive? Berlin. There was a time when the city-state was so poor that we had no running fountains in the summer and, if you needed something printed from the Bürgeramt, you had to bring your own paper. The over-ambitious budgets of the corona years coupled with our new, mostly conservative government means we may be returning to leaner times: interior senator Iris Pranger (SPD) struck €20 million from the cops’ budget for this year — fewer body cams and new cop cars will be ordered, according to Tagesspiegel (paywall). The fire department will also have to go without €10 million, which means fewer new fire trucks and a less-festive party for its 175th birthday. Get ready for more cuts. But not paper and fountains. Yet.

Factoid

Berlin’s always been good at a street party and the one that has remained consistently fun in my time here starts Friday: Karneval der Kulturen, a sort of parade of global cultures. There’s a street fest around the Amerika Gedenkbibliothek from Friday. The party peaks in a parade Sunday. Organizers expect over 1 million visitors and have a budget of €2.3 million, according to taz. Half comes from Berlin and the other half from licensing and sponsorships. 59 various cultural groups (most seeming to have something to do with drumming) and 3,500 participants are part of the show/party. Stay hydrated. Have fun.

📮 📮📮 Postkutsche event recommend 📮 📮 📮

Reader Majella wanted you to know: Irish Film Berlin returns for its second edition from May 24 to 26 at ACUD Kino in Mitte (or is it Prenzlauer Berg?). Celebrating Irish screen creativity in Germany, it features award-winning features and documentaries, as well as three programmes of specially-curated shorts, live-action and animation.

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