Dear 20 Percent,
Train travel with small kids takes planning. Food, entertainment, a change of clothing etc.
You get to the station on time. You find your train.
Then they tell you that HALF OF THE TRAIN IS MISSING. Because half of the train has technical problems. Your seat reservation is invalid. But you can request a refund.
You look forward to two hours sitting on the floor of the ICE to Hamburg with the rugrats crawling over you.
That’s what very nearly happened to my partner and our kids this morning.
I waved goodbye helplessly from the platform as they squatted in a corridor packed with seatless passengers.
Deutsche Bahn ,you really do suck sometimes.
But then somehow they did get seats — in the special kids cabin! Thanks to a train conductor with empathy. Maybe you don’t totally suck, DB. Maybe more like 90%.
More news below.
Maurice
Neo-Nazi threatened mass shooting
A known rightwing extremist who was being treated at a mental health facility in Kreuzberg has been arrested for threatening to commit a mass shooting. Dan E. has been moved to a psychiatric hospital elsewhere in Berlin. The Bavarian man allegedly said he wanted to commit “suicide by cop” i.e. shoot a lot of people then die a “martyr” at the hands of the police. Dan E. was a member of various neo-Nazi groups, and took inspiration from extreme rightwing terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011. WTF.
Steglitz landmark occupied
On Saturday, activists occupied the Bierpinsel (“beer brush”) in Steglitz to protest things like property speculation, city housing policy and state budget cuts, according to RBB. The 1970s building has stood empty for many years and should be turned into a community space, the occupiers said. By late Saturday, police had removed all 15 people from the structure. The brutalist gem was nicknamed Bierpinsel because it’s shaped like a brush and once housed a bar.
Rats everywhere
We call our local playground “the rat playground”. If you go there early you’ll see area rodents enjoying a breakfast of last night’s kebab scraps from the bin. In June, Neukölln sounded the alarm about rats taking over Hermannplatz. But actually they’re everywhere in the city, according to the Berlin administration’s answer to a parliamentary question by the Greens. The rat population is estimated to be in the millions. The district councils receive thousands of complaints per year. Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf council reported that the “main cause of the high rat population is the constant contamination of facilities with food scraps/pigeon feed left behind by citizens.” Please don’t feed the animals!
from our partner
💰Choosing the right bank account can save you a lot of money and unnecessary hassle. In this guide from Smart Living in Germany, you’ll find some of the best bank accounts available in Germany right now – from free accounts with well-designed banking apps and English-speaking support to banks that offer cashback or welcome bonuses up to €200 for new customers. Worth a read if you’re wondering how your bank compares.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
🪧 Backlash against Merz’s racist “cityscape” remark
🚫 Merz rejects cooperation with AfD
✈️ Germany to order 15 F-35 fighter jets
Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin
🪩 Daniel Avery
Friday, 24.10, 8 - 11 pm. ZENNER, Alt-Treptow 15-17, 12435 Berlin. Tickets: €27.30
Atmospheric techno architect, merging melancholy with forward-looking club energy. His new album “Tremor” will be released on 31 October. Be the first to hear it.
🪩 DEEP MEDi BERLIN
Friday, 24.10, 11:59 pm – 6 am. Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19–21, 10963 Berlin. Tickets: €22.50
The iconic dubstep label takes over Gretchen with Sir Spyro, Killa P, Commodo, and Soraya on the Lion’s Den system - heavy bass, dubplates, and deep 140 vibes.
🤖 Sensing Quantum Symposium
Saturday, 25.10, 10 am – 6 pm. silent green, Gerichtstr. 35, 13347 Berlin. Tickets: €15–22
A day of panels on quantum technologies with scientists, artists, and philosophers. Topics include computing, AI, and communications. Speakers include Penrose, Neven, Heaney, and Prouvost.
💰 Fundraiser for Sudan, Congo and Palestine
Sunday, 26.10, 12 – 8 pm. Frames Café, Anzengruberstr. 21, 12043 Berlin. Donation-based.
Day of music, food, and solidarity with DJ sets, live acts, vintage finds, henna, and art. All proceeds support relief efforts in Congo, Sudan, and Palestine
Factoid
Germany’s “Youth Word of the Year” 2025 is two words: “das crazy”, meaning “that crazy”. Germans aged 11-20 voted for “das crazy” online. To me “das crazy” feels quite unimaginative. Second place “goonen” means gooning. Third place “checkst du” is also rather generic. Young people words were so much better in the olden days. Like 2008’s “Gammelfleischparty” (rotten meat party or a party full of people over thirty). Or 2010’s second place, “Arschfax” (arse fax), when the label of your underwear hangs out the back.
📰 📰 📰 The Berlin News Quiz 📰 📰 📰
20% Berlin writer Maurice Frank hosts a fun evening at the fabulous Electric Social Arcade Bar and Restaurant, centrally located a stone’s throw from Alexanderplatz. Test your knowledge of Berlin and German news over drinks and food while you get to know other members of the 20% Berlin community.
🏆 Prizes will be awarded to the top teams!
🆓 Best of all: It’s free! Just don’t forget to RSVP
👆 Reserve your seat!
🔗 🔗 🔗 Links we like 🔗 🔗 🔗
🎙️The 20% Berlin Podcast on Spotify
Latest Deutsche Bahn mishap for me and my partner: one train canceled the morning of (after Flix was canceled the night before). A 7 hour train ride that ended up taking 9, and no seat reservations.
Can I also get an explanation of what this “Boah Bahn” campaign is about?
P.S. I saw some of your podcast while volunteering at Podfest this weekend. Great stuff!