#318: A100, fruit salad, repair bonus
When Martin Luther King came to E.Berlin
Dear 20 Percent,
With everything else going on in the world, it’s easy to forget about things like the almost-forgotten debate over the Humboldt Forum (the giant fake palace opposite the cathedral).
For those of you who weren’t in Berlin at the time: In the 2000s a battle raged over whether to demolish the Palast der Republik, a central, iconic structure built in 1970s communist East Berlin that housed the country’s parliament, a concert venue and a popular leisure centre, to make way for a rebuilt version of the Prussian Kaisers’ Berlin palace, or Stadtschloss — which had itself been demolished in the 1950s after it was badly damaged in the war.
Those who favoured rebuilding the Prussian palace said they wanted to restore architectural balance to Berlin’s historical centre.
Palast der Republik supporters complained that one shouldn’t just erase each and every trace of East German communism. The socialist Palast could be turned into something cool and contemporary. I got a taste of what was possible in the summer of 2005, when I caught an astonishing 5-hour theatre version of the novel “Berlin Alexanderplatz” in what was left of the already gutted building, featuring a 50-metre wide stage with cars driving around on it.
Sadly, the Stadtschloss people won. Germany chose to restore the aesthetics of monarchy and empire. The replica of the Hohenzollern's residence was branded as Humboldt Forum, but it was still a weird facsimile of a baroque palace. The thing cost €677 million to construct. Today, the clunky building houses a slew of exhibitions.
Interestingly, in one of those exhibitions, you can currently relive the whole debate surrounding the Palast der Republik — and experience the vanished East German building with a VR headset (photo).
If you want a deeper understanding of the history of this city and its lingering divisons, it’s probably worth a visit.
More news below.
Maurice
Germany’s most expensive autobahn got more expensive
The estimated cost of the 3.2km extension of the A100 highway from Neukölln to Friedrichshain just rose by 18% over last year’s estimate, according to government officials. The total is now €1.8bln, making it Germany’s most expensive road per kilometre. For that money we could build 100km of tram line, quipped Die Linke politician Gesine Lötzsch. Meanwhile, the A100 stoppen! initiative took to the streets Friday afternoon for its latest “A100 Wegbassen” protest. Opponents of the A100 say the road will increase noise pollution, take away green space, wipe several clubs and culture venues off the map — and actually generate more car traffic in affected neighbourhoods.
“Repair bonus” launches today
From today, Berliners can apply for a one-off payment of up to €200 from the state to get these electrical appliances (pdf) fixed at a repair shop or repair cafe. The bonus can cover 50% of the repair bill, but up to 100% of the cost of spare parts used by the workshop. The pilot waste reduction programme runs through December 31. More info and how to apply here (in German) and might be continued in 2025. Search for repair cafes and repair specialists at repami.de.
Record-breaking fruit salad
First, Germany’s most expensive road, now the world’s biggest fruit salad! We live in a city of superlatives. Four hundred volunteers sliced and diced 18 metric tonnes of fruit to produce the 11,790kg salad on Sunday, besting the previous Guiness world record of 10,340 from France. The creation is being turned into smoothies and jam. The stunt was in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Berliner Fruchthof wholesale market in Moabit.
Some events curated by The Next Day Berlin:
🎭 Open Studios: Gerichtshöfe
Saturday, 21.09, 3 - 11 pm. Gerichtshöfe, Wedding, Access via Gerichtstr. 12-13 or Wiesenstr. 62.
Open Studios at Gerichtshöfe Wedding is a must-see event in Berlin’s art scene. Every September, 45 artists and designers open their studios in this historic building, showcasing everything from classic art to live performances. Visitors can enjoy a vibrant mix of art, snacks, and a late summer vibe.
💻Hacking Alienation Migrant Power, Art & Tech
Sat-Sun, 21-22.09, Studio 1 · Kunstquartier Bethanien, 2 Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg. Tickets are €8 for Saturday. Sunday’s event is sold out and open only to FLINTA.
'Hacking Alienation' explores how art and technology can empower those without citizenship and facing oppression. The conference features talks and workshops on using tech and media for community-building, combating racism, and challenging surveillance, with input from activists, artists, and tech experts.
🎸NewDad
Sunday, 22.09, 8 pm. Prachtwerk, Ganghoferstrasse 2, Neukölln. Ticket: €24.90.
NewDad is an Irish (cute) band that emerged during the shoegaze revival, mixing dreamy rock with chill, introspective lyrics. They blew up with their 2021 track 🎧 I Don’t Recognise You, becoming one of the big names in the scene. 🎧 MADRA
Germany-wide news
🛂Tighter border controls began Monday
🪖Man suspected of planning to kill soldiers
☀️Trump sneers at German energy transition
💡Handpicked Berlin: Career, tech, startup, and Berlin news, plus timeless inspiration. Mondays in your inbox.💡
Factoid
Sixty years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. paid a surprise visit to communist East Berlin on September 15, 1964 and held a speech in the Marienkirche at Alexanderplatz. Just three years after the Berlin Wall was built, 1,000 East Germans listened to him say that people “either side of the Wall were God’s children, and no man-made barrier can obliterate that fact.” RRB has a short video on the visit.
Achtung, Achtung! Feel like getting serious about learning German? SmarterGerman, an online language school created by veteran German teacher Michael Schmitz, is there to help. Sign up today for a free trial lesson.
Like it or not, the DDR is a part of the real history of Berlin. And to erase that is revisionism.
This was a very good issue!