Hey 20 Percent,
I was cycling across Tempelhofer Feld on Friday when a RBB (local TV) camera crew stopped me and asked me to comment on a print-out of the above photo. Without hesitating, I said: “I think it’s cool,” probably not what they were expecting.
Last week, veteran Berlin architect Christoph Langhof, published a proposal to build 12 skyscrapers nestled up against the old airport terminal and hangars. This is Langhof’s solution to the neverending park-vs-housing debate. The towers, some as high as 240m, would have 5,000 residential units including a bunch of social housing. And the plan, in Langhof’s words, “preserves the symbolic vastness” of the park. You can have your cake and eat it. I’m in favour.
Of course, as my co-writer Andrew argues in the latest episode of the 20% Berlin podcast, the project will never happen. For one, Berliners don’t trust the city to build substainable amounts of affordable or social housing there. Second, Berliners are already complaining that the skyscrapers would ruin the appearance of the old airport building, a protected historical monument — something I personally don’t care about. Langhof says the towers wouldn’t actually touch the protected airport building, but that won’t convince Berliners, many of whom are deeply sceptical of any change.
What I like about the proposal is that it shows some ambition. Something Berlin could use a little more of.
More news below.
Maurice
🎧 Did I mention that a new episode of our podcast just dropped? 🎧
50,000 without electricity this morning. Arson suspected
Electricity was down for 50,000 people in south-eastern Berlin on Tuesday morning. S-Bahns, trams, traffic lights and households were all affected. Police suspect a politically motivated arson attack since two high-voltage pylons caught fire around 3:30am. Parts of Altglienicke, Grünau, Adlershof, Spindlersfeld, Alt-Johannisthal and Oberschöneweide were impacted. Last year, leftwing activists sabotaged an electricity pylon in Grünheide, shutting down the Tesla factory. Could there be a link between today’s attack and the new plan to build a Tesla development centre in Köpenick?
Schools getting less bad
My son started first grade yesterday, so I’m happy to read that Berlin jumped to 11th out of 16 German states in a yearly educational ranking. That’s up from 12th place in 2024 and a miserable 15th in 2023. Saxony topped the ranking while Bremen came last. Econonmic think tank IW looks at 98 indicators. Berlin did particularly well when it came to attracting younger teachers, and had a good teacher-student ratio. It’s not all rosy, though. Berlin kids perform below the national average on basic skills such as maths and German. And Berlin’s school dropout rate (7.8%) is higher than the national average (7.1%).
The 20% Comedy Night — Sept. 11
Just two more days until our first comedy night at Die Göre, the Berlin comedy club that sounds like a Scandinavian death metal band. Vincent Pfäfflin, Sofia May, Abi Mohanty and 20%’s Andrew Bukeley (aka Drew Portnoy) will be performing with MCing from Dan Stern. Get tix here!
Siren test
If you hear a piercing, oscillating air-raid siren for one minute at 11am this Thursday, don’t panic, it’s just a test, part of “national warning day”. Another one-minute 130-140 decibel sound at 11:45am will mark the end of the test. Berlin hasn’t tested its sirens for 30 years but wants to improve its civil defence infrastracture because of, er, geopolitical developments. Get a preview of the hideous noise here.
Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin
🎨 This week is special for art lovers, as Berlin Art Week runs until Sunday. A lot is happening, and we've put together a guide with our favorite picks - you can read it here.
📖 Literaturefestival
Wed-Sat, 10–20.09. Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Tickets: €12-€150.
The festival features voices from around the world for readings and discussions, including notable names like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Isabel Allende, Édouard Louis, Herta Müller, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Samanta Schwebli, and Samantha Harvey.
🍄🟫 Berlin SlowFood EcoMarkt
Saturday, 13.09, 10 am – 6 pm. AEG Industriepark, Wilhelminenhofstr., Oberschöneweide, 12459 Berlin.
Regional vegetables, fine foods, crafts and street food by the Spree. Plus talks, workshops, live music and a fungi session on "nature's pharmacy."
🪩 18 Years Renate – 7 Floors – 65 Hours
Fri-Mon, 12–15.09, 5 pm - 10 am. Renate, Alt-Stralau 70, 10245 Berlin. Ticket: €10.85–38.05
Let's celebrate 18 years of Renate with a marathon that feels like a warm-up for its farewell. Highlights: Tigerhead, STEYA, Under Black Helmet, Laura Sì, MIMI404, Ponybarker, Katya Kóv, Amy Dabbs, femceln1ght crew and the 365femaledjs collective.
Sponsored
Prazzle invites you to celebrate Berlin Art Week at the opening of Artists of Our Time on September 11, 2025, 17:00–22:00 at BBA Gallery, Berlin. Marking the launch of our debut art book Culture Kaleidoscope: 100 Artists of Our Time, the evening brings collectors, curators, and art lovers, featuring a dynamic fusion of art, culture, and innovation. Enjoy live music by Trio Yamirah Solar Explorers and a DJ set from London's Juba.
RSVP here: https://luma.com/7dwcezuc
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
👨🦲 Merz: No false nostalgia about alliance with US
🖥️ We’ve got Europe’s fastest computer
✂️ Germany cutting foreign aid budget
🥟 The strategic ravioli reserve
Factoid
Just 3% of Berlin’s garbage collectors are women — 24 in total. City sanitation agency BSR would like to change that. On Saturday, women can try out the profession at a Schuppertag (trial day). If you’re interested, just show up at the BSR location at Forckenbeckstraße 2 in Wilmersdorf between 9am and 2pm. Monthly salaries can reach €3694.60, according to Tagesspiegel.
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Can someone please explain to me the allure of Tempelhofer Feld? I sincerely do not understand it. This isn't New York's Central Park. It's just an empty airfield in the middle of the city. There's no benches. There's no picnic tables. There's no trees!
Several years ago, during my one (and only) visit, I was sitting on the ground with friends thinking, "Why am I sitting out here in the dirt and hot sun? Why are all of these other people just sitting out here in the dirt? Why is that man over there taking a piss in the middle of the field? How is this fun???"
5000 Apartments for Rich assholes in exchange of destroying the one big green area in Berlin? We already voted no to that, stop trying to make this bullshit Happen