#344: €29 ticket upgrade, Sunday shopping, rents too high?
Episode 2 of our podcast is out
Dear 20 Percent,
It’s been one of those mornings. After I had strapped my two kids into the cargobike for the Kita run, I noticed the seat was missing. Another gratuitous theft of a crucial bike part. The trip to kindergarten was long and arduous. If you’re reading, thief, go F yourself.
In proper news, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) held a vote of no confidence in the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag Monday afternoon. As was expected, Scholz lost the vote, paving the way for new national elections. They’ll likely take place on February 23. For those of you craving more detail on what happens next, DW’s got you covered.
Hope you make it through the final pre-Xmas week in one piece (unless you’re that thief).
By the way, Andrew and I recorded Episode 2 of the bi-weekly 20% Berlin Podcast last night. I hope you like it.
Maurice
Free €29 ticket upgrade
After much back and forth on how to phase-out the €29/month local transport ticket, the Berlin government has decided to give people who signed up for the deal in 2024 a free upgrade to the Deutschland-Ticket next year — for however many months are left on their €29 ticket contract. The deal will last 12 months from the month you signed up for the €29 ticket. Berlin slashed the scheme as part of its across-the-board 2025 budget cuts. An upgrade to the Deutschland-Ticket isn’t so bad, since it permits unrestricted travel Germany-wide travel on regional public transport. When the 12-month period is over, be sure to cancel your subscription, unless you don’t mind paying the 2025 Deutschland-Ticket price of €58 per month. Meanwhile, the trade union Verdi is demanding a 30% pay increase for BVG workers — and is threatening massive strikes in January. 😵💫
Extortionate rents in Berlin?
Last month, the left-wing party Die Linke launched an online tool (with limited English info) to help people figure out if the their apartment rent lay within the legally permissible range in the cities of Berlin, Leipzig, Hamburg and Freiburg. Under German law, extortionate rents are those that lie at least 20% above “local comparable rents”. Some 10,000 people have used the tool and in 75% of cases, rents were too high. The site also helps users submit a complaint to their local Bezirksamt. Authorities are required to investigate and order landlords to adjust rents and/or issue refunds. Strangely, according to an enquiry in the local parliament, the Berlin authorities have only received 280 cases of suspected excessively high rents so far this year — which seems like a very lower number.
Loneliness summit
On Monday, Emine Demirbüken-Wegner (CDU), mayor of outer borough Reinickendorf, hosted a conference to address the loneliness crisis that is affecting many Berliners, reports taz. Studies have found that 10% of the city’s inhabitants suffer from loneliness — but the figure climbs to 40% for people aged 18-25. “The mental strain of the pandemic affected young people more severely,” says psychiatrist Mazda Adli. While the proportion of lonely young and middle-aged adults remained stable between 14 and 17% nationwide from 2005 to 2017, it rose to 40% during the pandemic. Reinickendorf hired a loneliness officer last February, the first local authority to do so in Germany. So far, projects have focused on seniors. In 2025 they will be more centered around loneliness among young people.
Events this week, selected by The Next Day Berlin
🎭 Vatermal
Theatre Premiere Saturday 21.12, 7:30 pm and Wednesday 25.12, 6 pm. By Necati Öziri. Directed by Hakan Savaş Mican. In German with English surtitles. Maxim Gorki Theater, Am Festungsgraben 2, 10117 Berlin. Tickets: €12 - €40.
Arda is young and doesn't know how much time he has left. His organs are failing as he lies in the intensive care unit of his hometown hospital in the Ruhr area where the weeks seem to unfold like one never-ending day. Arda can't help but think back on the moments when he had the feeling that he was a little closer to life.
🌍 Alfredo Jaar, The End of the World Until 01.06.2025, KINDL, Am Sudhaus 3, 12053 Berlin. Jaar's site-specific installation at KINDL critiques ecological and political crises, drawing from a five-year research project on our ailing planet.
🪩Naked Solidarity Vol. 4
Saturday, 21.12, 10 pm - 6 am. Bi Nuu, Im U-Bhf. Schlesisches Tor, 10997 Berlin. Tickets: €12/€15.
FLINTA*s take over Bi Nuu for the 4th edition of this feminist solidarity project. Proceeds support Unterschlupf e.V. and Frauenzentrum Paula Panke e.V. 🎧 Punani
🔊 Farewell Watergate w. Christian Löffler, Adana Twins & More
Saturday, 21.12, 11pm - 11 am. Watergate, Falckensteinstrasse 49, 10997 Berlin. Tickets: €23.75.
One of Berlin's most iconic venues continues its victory lap before closing down. Our highlight: 🎧 Christian Löffler (Live) performs on one of the city's most beautiful dance floors
🎄Last Minute Call: Xmas pop up shop by F*ck the Internet
Until 22.12, Tue-Fri, 2 - 9 pm; Sat, 12 - 10 pm; and Sun, 12 - 6 pm. Backhaus Projects, Weserstrasse 168, 12045 Berlin
Cute outfits, gift wrapping station & free drinks if you register on RA event.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
📉 Bundesbank: More trouble ahead for the German economy
⚕️ NRW school temporarily closed after mpox case reported
✈️ Ramstein Air Base confirms unauthorised drone activity
🎞️ Germany transfers archived films to Ukraine
Factoid
Berlin’s first traffic light went into operation on 15 December 1924. Berlin is so proud of this structure, it built a replica when the current version of Potsdamer Platz sprouted out of the ground following the reunification of the city. Contrary to popular belief, the signal wasn’t Germany’s first — that honour goes to Hamburg. Coincidentally, the government coalition that just collapsed was also dubbed the Ampel (traffic light), thanks to the three parties’ colours.
The 20 Percent Berlin podcast
This week we solve the problem of fireworks in Berlin, are happy our Syrian neighbors are safe, learn about Maurice’s theory on neo-skinheads and get an update on Andrew’s citizenship journey. Listen here (or wherever you listen to podcasts).
Oh I hope we can still read Andrew's story here! I don't have time for podcasts! I was going to ask whether he was going to make "how to" summary at some point, as we now have our B1 tests scheduled.
Is the 20% Berlin podcast available on the iTunes store? I'm using the American version of iTunes (because I don't want to lose all of the media I purchased by switching to the German store) and I can't find it?