#353: Is Berlin prepared? Teaching at 80?Zoos stay closed
Start-ups getting funded - but not as much
Dear 20 Percent,
I spend a lot of time on public transport, shuttling my two very young boys around from one place to another. Mostly, I enjoy these trips. My kids usually love being on trains and buses. But sometimes they’re tired or hungry or annoyed at one another or a combination of these states, as was the case the other day. It was late afternoon, we were almost home, but I was losing my mind trying to soft-skill multi-task to keep them calm until we made it to the front door.
We got off the Ringbahn. As we began the final trudge to our flat, the sound of a saxophone rose above the street noise. The melody became recognisable: Dancing Queen! Somewhere, a busker was playing Abba on their sax.
To be honest, I kind of hate that song, but at that moment it reset my mood and saved the rest of my day.
All you (good) buskers out there, thanks for the joy you bring. Keep up the good work.
Maurice
Some news below.
How prepared is Berlin?
Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, power cuts, flooding and many other scenarios could wreak havoc on our lives. In theory, Berlin is well-prepared for such disasters. The city has planned 37 “catastrophe lighthouses”, centres where citizens can access emergency power generators, self-sufficient WLAN or get information on safe drinking water sources. Sounds like a plan. Unfortunately, found the taz newspaper, only 12 of these centres are up-and-ready. Why? Our old friend bureaucracy and a lack of “uniform regulations on terminology”, which would seem like a solveable problem in a normal city. By the way, if the water system crashes, we have 2,100 of those old-timey hand pumps on our streets, though 400 don’t work.
Berlin’s oldest teacher still teaching
Okay, a litte feel-good story about Berlin’s supposedly crumbling education system in which it sometimes seems every single teacher is burned out because of underfunding and difficult kids. Verena Zapf turned 80 on January 4 — and she’s still working as a biology and chemistry teacher two days a week at the Evangelische Schule Köpenick, writes Tagesspiegel. She’s worked almost non-stop since 1967 except for when she retired briefly at the age of 67. “I missed everything, the pupils, my colleagues, the whole environment. I almost became depressed,” she says - and decided to go back to work. She hopes to teach until 100.
Zoos still closed
Berlin’s two zoos remain closed until further notice. They shut their gates on January 11, in response to the cases of foot and mouth disease reported in animals in Brandenburg, including a herd of water buffalo that live on the edge of Berlin. Agriculture Minister Cem Özedemir said Friday that no new cases had been found, but several countries continue to restrict German agricultural imports.
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Factoid
For years, Berlin has been the top German state when it comes to venture capital start-up funding. Last year, however, Bavaria squeezed narrowly ahead of us, according to a report by EY. The Lederhosen crowd down there scored €2.3 billion in venture capital funding deals in 2024, versus €2.2 billion for Berlin firms, slightly down from 2023. To put things in perspective, Bavaria has a population of 13 million versus 3.85 million Berliners. Per capita, we’re still top dog. Meanwhile, when it comes to cost of living, Berlin is ranked 95th most expensive city in the world, Munich 45th. Ha!
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Just wanted to say that the busker story was beautifully told and extremely relatable.
I think it is important the unexpected sources of positive vibes that lift us in such times, be it music, a smile, a smell or a ray of sunlight.
Have a good weekend.