#440: CDU grift, hospital explosion, Tik Tok jobs, Berlin's priciest home, podcast

Where to volunteer

Nov 11, 2025

Dear 20 Percent,

Christmas is weeks away, it’s getting cold, and I see more and more people sleeping rough, so I thought it would be good to start caring about the homeless a little early this year. The ritual deployment of holiday kitsch/guilt to drum up interest for the poor grosses me out.

The city’s social affairs department predicted in the summer that the number of unhoused could grow by 60% by 2029.

Will German leaders get around to finally tackling the mammoth issues of wealth inquality, housing scarcity and drug addiction any time soon? Probably not but in the meantime, we normals can get involved and help where help is needed — by donating time and/or money.

A few orgs that help the homeless/poor in Berlin:

Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe (English info) delivers warms meals and other supplies three days a week and relies on volunteers.

Berliner Kältehilfe (German info) lists dozens of charity efforts for the homeless — from a 24/7 women’s emergency shelter in Kreuzberg to places offering free medical care for uninsured people.

Berliner Stadtmission (German info) is a charity affiliated with the Lutheran church that operates homeless support facilities across the city — they’re always looking for volunteers.

Give Something Back to Berlin (English info) isn’t focused on homeslessness, but offers many ways to volunteer on projects that align with their goal of creating “an open and welcoming society by connecting migrants, refugees, and local people.”

🧠 This Wednesday night I’ll be hosting the first 20% Berlin News Quiz at Electric Social near Alexanderplatz — if you’ve been reading this newsletter regularly, you’ll nail it. Info and free sign-up here. I’m excited to see you there!

Oh yeah, Andrew and I recorded a new episode of our podcast! Sorry, it’s a little late. ~~Technical issues~~ Andrew went to Tresor.

Maurice

🪶 Thanks to today’s sponsor, Feather — Germany’s English-speaking, online insurance platform. More from them below.

Explosion, fire at hospitals

Strange coincidence? An explosion outside Vivantes Klinik Neukölln in Buckow on Monday night damaged windows and the entrance to the radiation therapy department. Meanwhile, a fire was reported at Charité hospital in Mitte. Police are investigating both crimes on charges of “illegal pyrotechnics” and “damage to property” — but have been yet unable to confirm a link between the two incidents.

A little CDU corruption scandal

The allegations have been out there since last week: Former city culture boss Joe Chialo (CDU) handed out €3.4 million in state funding to various “projects tackling antisemitism” favoured by members of his party, sidestepping normal procedures. A parliamentary inquiry has been launched, with suspicions of embezzlement and misuse of public funds. A document released by the culture department upon request of the Green Party confirms that certain projects received funding despite major doubts about their appropriateness. Some funding recipients had close ties to CDU politicians, raising concerns about nepotism and favoritism. Last year, debate erupted when Chialo attempted but failed to limit funding to artists willing to state their opposition to antisemitism in line with the controversial IHRA definition of the term.

Tik Tok lay-off deal

About 150 workers at Tik Tok’s Berlin “Trust and Safety” office are being laid off and will receive a minimum of €17,000 each severance pay, under a deal reached between Tik Tok and the company’s works council. Parents are to receive an additional €3,000 per child; people with severe disabilities €5,000. That’s far below what union Verdi’s original demand of at least three years’ salary. Another detail of the deal: For employees whose residence permits are tied to their employment contracts, the notice period has been extended — giving them more time to find new work. Tik Tik workers went on strike in the summer to protest the job cuts,

🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺

⚖️ Trial begins over deadly Magdeburg Xmas market attack

👩🏻 Wagenknecht steps down as BSW leader

🤖 Germany’s AI data centre boom

✈️ Egypt says its time for Nefertiti to go home

Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin

🍴 Working Moms Networking Lunch
Thursday, 13.11, 11:30 am – 1 pm. Sfera Café, Schudomastraße, 42-44 12055, Berlin, 12055 Berlin. Ticket: €25 A cozy lunch for working moms who want to connect without giving up their evenings. Good conversations, natural collaborations, and a little time just for you - with food and coffee included.

🪩 Gaza Fundraiser Festival
Saturday, 15.11, 2 pm – 8 am. ZK/U, Siemensstr. 27, 10551 Berlin. Tickets: €23
An 18-hour benefit gathering with live acts and DJs from Berlin’s underground - including Rafiki, Ingwa, DJ KILLING, and Europa (1). Expect raw, genre-blurring sets, post-punk and house energy, and all profits donated to Hope in Gaza.

♬ Annika Kahrs. OFF SCORE
Opening: Thursday, 13.11, 7 pm. Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstr. 50-51, 10557 Berlin. Free entry. Exhibition on view until 03.05.2026. Tickets: €8-€16.
Video, sound, and performance merge in Annika Kahrs’ most extensive exhibition yet. She explores how music shapes culture and emotion - from church echoes to orchestral parades - turning the museum into a space that listens back.

🔊 Klimaton Arctic – Generative Sound from Arctic Data
Friday, 14.11, 5 pm – 7 pm. Group Global 3000, Leuschnerdamm 19, 10999 Berlin. Free entry
Adnan and Nina Softić turn Arctic climate data into generative sound. It’s a live performance and tactile sound object translating environmental change into an audible, physical experience.

Factoid

Back to housing: This 30-room, 8-bathroom villa on Schwanenwerder, an island next to Stadtbad Wannsee, has been put on the market (paywall) at an asking price of €80 million, making it the most expensive residential property in the city and country. It was built in 2009 by the founders of Magix Software, an early Berlin tech start-up that’s been on a financial rollercoaster ride over the last two decades but still has Kreuzberg offices.

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