#315: Where the currywurst was actually born

A rapper was downed in a drive-by Thursday

Great. Now I’m hungry. Photo: Franklin Heijnen via CC

Hey 20 Percent!

I’ve never understood why Berlin feels the need to advertise itself to other cities — we get enough free press every time a young journalist visits/moves here. But our new government launched a new advertising campaign and, to be fair, it’s just as cringe as they always are.

They want to hang posters all over the world in various languanges with sayings like, “Where losing and finding yourself is the same”, “Where it’s no big deal if you’re a big deal”, and “We loved it so much we put a ring on it”.

2010 called. It wants its meme back.

The previous campaign, “Be Berlin”, wasn’t much better. I have enough trouble just trying to be me.

My own contributions would have been “keine Kartenzahlung”, “ohne Anmeldung” or “A Döner so bad even Kanye ate it”. But nobody asked me.

Keep cool this weekend y’all — it’s hot out there.

Andrew

If you speak German and want to support me, come out to my German solo “Aus Versehen Deutsch” at the now-legendary Downstairs Comedy Club September 19. I’ll do an English version soon (watch this space). And if you want to support this newsletter, consider today’s sponsor, Ostrom, who supplies our electricity — more info below — or upgrade to a paid subscription.

School caterer not catering

Not sure how many of our readers have schoolkids but they this week they probably have very hungry schoolkids (I mean, hungrier than usual). Berlin’s new school caterer failed to deliver meals, delivered them late or even included moldy vegetables in food deliveries to schools this week, leaving some kids without food from 8am to 4pm, according to RBB24. The caterer, 40 Seconds, said legal shenanigens by rivals made it impossible for it to properly prepare when schools re-opened Monday, leading to the disaster — critics said it was clear a caterer who had previously only delivered 5,000 meals a day would be unable to cook the 50,000 per-day required by the new contract. Hopefully the hiccups will be fixed quickly — my kids were at their worst when they were hungry.

Drive-by in Schöneberg

A Turkish-German rapper was killed and two injured in a drive-by in Berlin’s red-light district early Thursday, according to Tagesspiegel. The 42-year-old victim, known as Challa, was sitting in a red BMW on Bülowstraße near Potsdamer Straße in Schöneberg when shots were fired into his car from another — his 44-year-old brother was also injured. A third man, a 42-year-old Brazilian, cycling past was also hit but was supposedly not a target. Police said the shooting stemmed from an earlier argument in a cafe on Mehringdamm and was not linked to organized crime in the area. Kurfürstenstraße one block north has been Berlin’s red-light district for decades and the activity spills into the surrounding neighborhood.

To curry or not to curry

Berlin’s other food — the Currywurst — was apparently not actually invented here 75 years ago this week, according to Morgenpost. According to the Hauptstadt myth, Berliner Hertha Heuwer was inspired by exotic spices brought by occupying British forces and devised a ketchup-based curry sauce in 1949, ushering in the era of the Currywurst — a chopped sausage drowning in ketchup and spices. And, for some reason, Berlin has been proud of this delicious culinary abomination ever since. But the not-so-delicacy was actually invented in the western industrial city of Duisburg in the 30s by a creative snack shop owner, according to a new book, long before British troops were stationed in Germany. Having had both Berlin and Duisburg currywursts, I hate to admit Duisburg actually wins.

Germany-wide news

👮 Gunman killed near Israeli embassy in Munich

🏭 VW mulling two German plant closures as sales drop

🇨🇳 Germany slinking away from China post-Merkel

👩🏽 Sarah (Wagenknecht) who?

Factoid

Analog advertising the digital. Photo: IFA Berlin

The Internationale Funkausstellung, or IFA, an electronics show, opens to consumers Friday and is turning 100 this year. The show introduced both the color TV and the Walkman to Germany but has lost importance as the internet gained traction. Nerds used to look forward to the show as a place to try out the latest stereos and TVs but they can now also check out the settings on a dryer with WiFi or a robot mower. The show runs through Sept. 10 at the Messe convention center in Charlottenburg.

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