#400: Gaza demo, ideas for Tempelhof, lotsa daycare spaces
New pod out now
Hi 20 Percent,
I embarked upon various adventures through Brandenburg at the weekend — at some point I encountered this burned out bus that had somehow ended up here, south of Potsdam. I ended the weekend with a swim in the fantastic Liepnitzsee. Getting there in our Bolt was a hassle but floating in the lake’s cool blue water with air temps of 33°C was well worth it.
Other swimmers weren’t so lucky. Three people died in our region’s waters — a 20 year-old man drowned in a gravel pit (flooded pits and quarries can be especially dangerous for swimmers) near Linthe. In the Groß-Glienicker See, two 24-year-old men were saved from drowning, resusciated by first responders, but then later died in hospital. At least a lifeguard saved a 5-year-old struggling in deep water in Reiswerder. Please be extra-careful out there, dear readers.
Maurice
☀️Grab a ticket to our first summer event, The Next 20% Summer Pod Party, while they’re still available!
🎤 Episode #15 of the 20% Berlin Podcast featuring yours truly and funny man about town Andrew Bulkeley is out now!
🙏 Thanks to today’s sponsor, Ostrom, Germany’s all-digital, expat-friendly power utility!
Big Gaza demo outside Merz’s office
On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators marched through the government district to protest Israel’s war in Gaza and Germany’s refusal to stop weapons shipments to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The police spoke of 15,000 participants, organisers 30,000. I was there and the huge Palestinian flags passing by the Kanzleramt were a sight to behold. Police said they arrested 50 people on charges including “bodily harm, damage to property, chanting illegal slogans and carrying illegal symbols.” Interestingly, the day before, a Berlin court aquitted a student of the charge of “spreading terrorist propaganda”. The 23-year-old had shouted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” at a protest in May 2024. In her decision, the judge cited experts who testified that the chant was not exclusively linked to Hamas. Former interior minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) banned “From the river to the sea…” in 2023.
Six ideas for Tempelhofer Feld
A jury hired by the Berlin government has selected six proposals on how to further develop the giant former airport. A total of 164 proposals were submitted in the international competition. The ideas are now being presented in a series of “dialogue workshops” with 275 randomly selected citizens. Interestingly, only two of the six proposals suggest the construction of housing around the edges of the park — contradicting mayor Kai Wegner’s (CDU) plans to build. Voters decided in a 2014 referendum to ban construction on the entire 300-hectare area — but CDU and SPD politicians hope to develop some of it as a way to help alleviate Berlin’s housing crisis. Critics accuse the CDU-SPD coalition led by Wegner of staging the competion and workshops to circumvent the result of the referendum.
Lots of daycare spaces
Not long ago parents had to fight tooth and nail for daycare spots. Now, Tagesspiegel (paywall) reports, there a sudden uptick in free spaces. Ten percent of the city’s 192,323 registered Kita spots are unfilled — good news for picky parents, bad news for facilities struggling to make ends meet. Three main reasons seem to be responsible for the change: the falling birth rate; a spate of newly opened Kitas; families fleeing Berlin’s high rents.
First German AI commercial. Maybe.
I find it hard to believe that it took so long but agency Jung von Matt claims this is Germany’s first bot-created commercial. The imagery and voices in the ad for local beverage company Spreequell’s (apparently alpine) herb-flavoured soft drink Kräuterbrause are AI creations. Not the music though so there is some hope for second-rate techno producers.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
👴 Merz defends US attack on Iran
🎓 Immigrant education levels reach new high
🦝 The racoons taking over Kassel
Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin
🪩 Berlin Beats: Freddy K
Thursday, 26.06, 7 pm – 10 pm. Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstraße 50-51. Tickets: Free
Freddy K plays a vinyl set in the museum garden with straight techno and no frills. Let’s dance!
🎭 Confronting the Shadow by Tamara Trunova
World premiere: Thu-Sat, 26-28.06, 9 pm. In Ukrainian with DE and EN surtitles. Ballhaus Ost, Pappelallee 15. Tickets: €20. Part of Performing Exiles.
The play explores Ukraine’s war-altered reality, challenging stereotypes of resilience and reclaiming identity amid destruction. With bold honesty, it defies expectations of Ukrainian theatre and embraces complexity over clarity.
🎨 48 Stunden Neukölln: WTF (What the Fact)?
Opening: Friday, 27.06, from 7pm. Galerie im Körnerpark, Schierker Str. 8. CANK Opening Party, Friday, 27.06, from 9:30pm, CANK, Karl-Marx-Str. 95. Until Sunday in Neukölln, 29.06, various times.
Art takes over Neukölln for 48 hours with exhibitions in studios, galleries, courtyards, and apartments. The best part? Wandering through the night, letting the route surprise you.
🎷 Jazzwoche Berlin #7 – Where Do We Go From Here?
Sat-Fri, 28.06 – 04.07. Various venues across Berlin. Ticket prices vary
Seven days of jazz, experimental and improvised music across Berlin, from club gigs to outdoor actions, panels, and workshops. Expect bold sounds and conversations on art, space and solidarity. Opening on 27.06 at Gretchen.
Factoid
These days Berlin is home to 17 active breweries, down from about 150 in the 19th century. Back then we were in fact the capital of European brewing. One of them, Berliner Berg in the borderlands between Neukölln and Treptow, will be hosting our party on July 17. 🍺
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