Dear 20% Berlin,
It’s set to be the hottest day of the year so far. I’m avoiding the clammy U8 and doing as little work as possible. We’re deep into the news desert known at the Sommerloch (summer hole). Apart from a few depressing crime stories, this week’s strike at 280 childcare centres, not much is happening. The politicians are heading off on vacation. — and I head to Albania tomorrow. Andrew is at the shoot of a German TV series in which he plays a not-so-minor character, so it’s a skeleton crew here at 20%. But I promise you the essentials.
Maurice
P.S. Support 20% Berlin — with your likes, comments, shares — and euros. Upgrade to a paid subcription below so we can get that office fan.
Deutschlandticket price hike?
Once upon a time, as a reward for putting up with a pandemic, a country was offered an unbeatable ticket deal that allowed for nationwide travel (on local transport) for just €9 / month. The Volk loved the €9 ticket. But alas, it was deemed too costly for the state. The deal returned in the form of the Deutschlandticket, but at €49 / month. Now, having discovered there’s little money left for nice things, Germany’s state transport ministers have agreed the ticket should continue to exist but that the price should go up next year, though it’s unclear by how much. Brandenburg transport boss Rainer Genilke (CDU) put it this way: “We all want to keep the Deutschlandticket at the most attractive price possible in the long term, because it has never been so easy to use public transport. What must not happen, however, is that we have to cancel and thin out services due to a lack of financial resources.”
Hamas symbol banned
The CDU, SPD and (far-right) AfD in the Berlin state parliament have voted in favour of banning the red, downward-pointing triangle used by Hamas, reports The Daily Telegraph (via Yahoo). The Greens and Die Linke abstained from the vote. The ban aims make its use in connection with the Middle East conflict a punishable offence. Politicians say militant Islamists use the symbol in propaganda videos and grafitti to mark enemies and attack targets. The symbol has reportedly been used to threaten Berlin mayor Kai Wegner (CDU), who ordered the police to violently evict pro-Palestianian demonstrators from the Free University earlier this year. Green politician Vasili Franco said the blanket ban went too far and was possibly unconstitutional.
Phishing for Sparkasse customers
The Sparkasse group of savings banks has issued a warning about fake letters and emails as part of a widespread phishing campaign. Snailmail letters sent in the name of the Deutsche Sparkassen- und Giroverband encourage recipients to update their personal data via a QR code that opens up a fake site and asks users to enter their online banking credentials and other personal data. Sparkasse’s online security alert (in German) has more detailed info and an image of a fake letter.
Sure, you don’t need to learn German to live in Berlin…
…but wouldn’t it feel damn good to master your der-die-das once and for all? Get serious about learning German at the Berlin-based online course, Smarter German. Sign up for a free trial today.
A grab-bag of summer events curated by The Next Day Berlin:
🥗The Food Fad Issue by Famous for My Dinner Parties
Thursday, 11.07, 6-9 pm. Studio FFMDP, Kluckstraße 31, Schönenberg. Free admission.
The food magazine launches issue 002 in their Berlin studio. The publication celebrates, portrays, questions, and discusses different aspects of the culture around food and eating.
🎸Sound in the Garden
Thursday, 11.07, 5-10 pm. Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Str. 50, Tiergarten. Free admission.
This promises to be a beautiful evening of ethereal and healing music with Lyra Pramuk presenting a neo-psychedelic, emotional performance with guitar, vocals, and poetry, and KOAXULA, by Natalia Escobar and Daniela Huerta, delivering a hybrid performance inspired by mythological archetypes, exploring intimacy and vulnerability, echoing themes from the exhibition 'Andy Warhol. Velvet Rage and Beauty.'
🎹Heroines of Sound Festival
Thursday, 11.07, 5 pm - 12 am; Fri-Sat, 12-13.07, 4 pm - 12 am. Radialsystem, Holzmarktstrasse 33, Friedrichshain. Tickets: €40/€55 for 3-day pass.
The festival celebrates female and FLINTA* pioneers in electronic music. Highlights include drum and electronic sets by Katharina Ernst, and Tatiana Heuman, and new works by Kompopolex and PHØNIX16. The festival features Marisol Jiménez's "Maŝinika Deliro," performances by Katalin Ladik, and Irish Quiet Music Ensemble. Guest curator Julia Mihály presents “18WEST – Songs for the Downfall.” The program also includes video art, workshops, and panel discussions.
🕺🏽Boiler Room Berlin (Open-air)
Sat-Sun, 13-14.07, 12 - 10 pm. RSO/Valley, Schnellerstrasse 137, Treptow-Köpenick. Tickets: €35
Two days with a huge lineup, including the live hybrid debut of DJ Fuckoff.
💡Handpicked Berlin: Career, tech, startup, and Berlin news, plus timeless inspiration. Mondays in your inbox.💡
Germany-wide news
💶Coalition agrees on 2025 budget
🚀New German defence budget too low?
🤝Germany’s good at integrating immigrants, says OECD
Factoid
Hot weather = BBQing in the park. You might not have guessed it by some folks’ tendency to grill their Fleisch on any available patch of dirt, but Berlin has designated Grillzonen. Read the official rules and “BBQ Etiquette” in English. Volkspark Friedrichshain has gone extra-strict this year and requires online reservations (German & Arabic) to use its limited, numbered grill spots.
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