#366: Hitler Youth 3.0, online health records, defence industry eyes Berlin
We're the 24.9% actually
Dear 20 Percent,
On Saturday, I rode the RE7 out to Bad Belzig to visit a friend. A couple of hours later I hopped back on the train to Potsdam and jumped on a tram to catch a concert another friend was playing. At the end of the night, it was a couple of easy S-Bahn rides back to my place. Not once on this trip did I have to think about paying a fare.
Thank you, Deutschlandticket.
Even at the higher price of €58 / month, it’s a great deal, especially when the weather warms up and it’s time for day trips to the Umland, the regions around Berlin. And kids under six ride for free!
Thirteen million people are signed up to the ticket, mostly city-dwellers. While it’s been a game-changer for me, the ticket could be sacrificed in the coalition talks between future chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU and likely partner SPD. The SPD wants to keep the ticket. The CDU, keen to support the struggling car industry, is on the fence.
Also, the Deutschlandticket is subsidised to the tune of €1.3 billion per year, in a time where the military, crumbling infrastructure and the economy are at the head of the queue for cash.
If you have a Deutschlandticket, I suggest you use it a lot this spring and summer. It might be gone by autumn — though I predict it will last at least til the end of the year. Remember: One-year €29 Berlin tickets purchased in 2024 morphed into Deutschlandtickets and have to be honoured for a year from the date of purchase.
More news below.
Maurice
Thanks to today’s sponsor, expat-friendly insurance experts, Feather!
Non-Ukrainians facing deportation?
About 1,800 people without Ukrainian citizenship who came to Berlin after the Russian invasion began will lose their residency status Wednesday and will probably soon receive a letter requesting that they leave Germany, writes taz — or face deportation. These include students, businesspeople or the foreign spouses of Ukrainians from countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Somalia, Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt and Syria. The decision to let their temporary residence permits expire was made by the Federal Interior Ministry. The Berlin government supports the right for them to stay.
Hitler Youth 3.0?
Berlin state prosecutors are investigating a state prosecutor in neighbouring Brandenburg on suspicion of involvement in a neo-Nazi youth group called Junge Adler (Young Eagles). According to journalists at Die Zeit and ARD, the group is the successor to Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend (HDJ), which was modelled after the Hitler Youth and banned in 2010. Junge Adler reportedly organised camping trips across Germany and indoctrinated kids in Nazi ideology. In case you were wondering: Yes, former HDJ people have taken leadership positions in the AfD. Back to the dodgy prosecutor: Police received a tip-off from the suspect’s wife, who no longer lives with him. There are even videos of the prosecutor teaching his own children how to do a Hitler salute and telling them not to do the salute at school.
Digital health record from April
No more faxing between doctors? Since January, Germany has been rolling out the Elektronische Patientenakte (ePA), or electronic personal health records, for members of public Krankenkassen (health insurers). The system gives doctors, hospitals and pharmacies access to digital patient records. Three pilot regions have been testing ePA. It’s supposed to launch in Berlin in April. People who don’t want their records stored in the system can opt out via their Krankenkasse. According to Tagesspiegel, the rollout could be delayed in the capital because of software issues. Krankenkasse SBK has comprehensive info on the ePA in English.
Defence boom?
That was quick. A couple of weeks after US Vice President JD Vance’s s̶p̶e̶e̶c̶h̶ rant at the Munich Security Conference, in which he told Europe it was pretty much alone when it came to defending itself, Berlin Partner, the agency tasked with attracting investment to the city, says it’s getting interest from an industry not usually associated with Berlin: “Suddenly companies from the defence sector are active, primarily from the US,” said Berlin Partner head Stefan Franzke. “The current discussion about European defence capabilities and higher spending on weapons is apparently attracting companies that had previously focused on the US market.”
Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin
🧳Musafiri: Of Travellers and Guests
Opening: Thursday, 07.03 - 6 pm and special program the whole weekend. Haus der Kulturen der Welt, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10. Free entry.
This exhibition is about travel, hospitality, and belonging. Musafiri explores movement, displacement, and the connections formed along the way. Through art and personal stories, it reflects on how travel shapes identities. The opening includes two concerts.
🗣️ Reflexes & Reflections: On the Future of Debate Culture
Thu-Sat, 06-08.03, various times. Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstrasse 24. Tickets: €6-8 for debates (EN-DE), and dance €12-39.
A deep dive into public discourse with panels, lectures, and performances. Highlights include the opening ‘Donald Trump, a Polarised Public and the End of Democracy?,’ a discussion on media and politics, plus dance by Emanuel Gat and a video installation by Hito Steyerl.
🍲 Kampf + Mampf
Saturday, 08.03, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Markthalle Neun, Eisenbahnstr. 42/43, Berlin.
Food and feminism come together for International Women’s Day. The market opens the doors with plenty to eat and drink, featuring women-led street food stands.
🎹 Leona Berlin + Ay Wing
Saturday, 08.03, 7 pm. Privatclub, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, Kreuzberg. Tickets: €21.
A night of neo-soul, R&B, and hip-hop with 🎧 Leona Berlin and 🎧 Ay Wing. Deep basslines, warm vocals, and introspective lyrics set the mood. A touch of pop for a relaxed night.
🪩 PuMp Berlin w/ Anja Schneider, PARAMIDA & Micki
Saturday, 08.03, 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm. OHM, Köpenicker Str. 70.
A daytime rave, no all-nighter required. 🎧 Anja Schneider and 🎧 PARAMIDA keep the energy high with rolling techno and house in the club’s signature sweatbox. Micki sets the tone early, and there’s food from CheHub to keep you going.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
😥 Two people killed in Mannheim attack
💰 Plan to massively boost defense and infrastructure investment
🇺🇸 German tourist (still) detained at San Diego ICE detention center
Factoid
We named this newsletter 20% Berlin because, three years ago, that was the share of registered Berlin residents with a foreign passport. Last year, RBB reports, that stat rose to 24.9%, or 971,878 people. The number of German passport-holding Berliners fell by 6,500, despite 21,000 new Germans. The city population was 3,897,145 in December 2024, up from 3,443,575 in 1991.
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Isn't the Deutschlandticket subsidy going directly or indirectly towards infrastructure?
Are you gonna change your name now? 25percent?