#205: Criminal cop, rider strike, cannabis
Develop Tempelhofer Feld?
Dear readers,
As Berlin grows and attracts more people and capital, the pressure to fill up empty space with housing has become evermore intense.
In a 2014 referendum, Berliners voted to make the former Tempelhof airport a park, free of residential and commercial development. But the new CDU-SPD city government is raring to open up the edges of the park to construction.
It’s working on the parameters of an international design competition for a Tempelhof masterplan, according to Tagesspiegel (paywall), expected to be announced later this year. The administration could then hold another referendum based on the winning concept in two or three years.
Housing scarcity will remain a problem so many Berliners could be tempted to vote in favour of developing Tempelhof, at least partially.
If such a referendum does win, expect serious backlash. For many Berliners, Tempelhof has a become not just an enormous free leisure space at the heart of a rapidly changing city, it’s become a sacred cow, one of the last symbols of resistance against a total sell-out of their beloved home.
More news below!
Maurice
Here at 20 Percent we’re no sell-outs — but newsletter sponsorships help keep this thing afloat. Run a business and interested in reaching 7,500 internationals? Read on.
Cannabis compromise
Germany's “traffic light” coalition headed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has agreed (for a change) on a no-drama plan on the legalisation of cannabis. The drug won’t be sold commercially and will only be available to members of cannabis clubs, similar to Spain. Alternatively, people can keep up to three cannabis plants for their own use. There’s nothing in the plan for tourists, so the Görli/Mauerpark dealer scene isn’t going anywhere. The actual legislation could pass by the end of the year, with implementation sometime in 2024.
Fire at recycling centre
Odd smoky smell in the air? This morning (Friday), a fire was discovered at a recycling facility in the northeastern neighbourhood of Hellersdorf. A hundred cubic metres of construction waste was burning, reports RBB. The fire department said it sent 100 firefighters to the scene and had extinguished the blaze by around 11am, but a giant smoke cloud was heading towards central areas!
Cop robs driver
A 48-year-old policeman has been arrested for robbing €57,000 in cash and a couple of phones from a driver on the A100 autobahn, according to a Polizei press release. While off-duty, at 11.15pm on July 19, the officer and an unknown accomplice stopped the man’s vehicle, handcuffed him, threw him in the back of the cop car — giving the impression that he was on-duty. After “confiscating” the money and phones, he even handed the man a hand-written protocol. Something’s definitely missing from this story, like who the “victim” of the robbery was, why he was carrying so much cash and why the officer stopped his car in the first place. Cops too are curious and are looking at the provenance of the Geld.
Gig workers shafted
Around 30 Berlin delivery riders working for Lieferando staged a strike on Thursday. Food-workers union NGG is pushing for a starting wage of €15/hour plus an extra month’s “Christmas money”. Lieferando said it already pays €14 but RBB revealed that riders only earn €12 plus bonuses if they ride late shifts — and these bonuses are not contractually guaranteed. In the meantime, a separate investigation found that many Uber and Bolt drivers are working in precarious conditions in Berlin: some via dodgy companies that pay cash in hand but don’t cover drivers’ taxes or social security contributions on wages. Drivers often get fired when they fall sick or ask for a vacation. In the words of Axel Osmenda, a state inspector, the business model of platforms like Uber is often “organised illegal work”.
Factoid
On August 25, 1923 the very last horse-drawn buses (Pferdeomnibusse) made their way through Berlin. The buses were used for nearly 100 years and by the end were only used as night buses. Germany’s first regular bus line began service in 1825 and operated between the Brandenburg Gate and Charlottenburg (a separate town at the time).
While I certainly don't want to see Tempelhof get filled with luxury condos, I also don't understand the appeal of sitting on the ground in an empty airfield! It's bloody hot and uncomfortable! Couldn't they at least make it more ecologically friendly? Maybe create a water detention pond, plant some trees and proper grass that would actually absorb rainwater?
And why are Germans so allergic to covered picnic tables in public parks?!?!? You can play ping pong all day, but dog-forbid if you want to sit comfortably at a table for a picnic.
I want the Pferdeomnibus back in effect!