#265: Tesla expanding, Görli fence, Six-day races
Knifecrab on strikes
Hey 20 Percent!
The big news today is that we have no strike news. Feels weird — the next strike can’t be very far off.
The latest strikes have reminded me of my deep disappointment with Germany’s current government. I had high hopes for the traffic-light government of the Greens, the center-left SPD and the FDP.
For well over a decade I had hoped the FDP and Greens would team up at some point. My dream was that a Venn diagram of the environmentalist Greens and business-friendly FDP would overlap with environmental technologies and we could make some real progress. Neither party is afraid of governmental reform — even if I don’t always agree with them. Imagine if they were in power together, I thought.
While the Greens have made some headway — new Green-led laws surrounding climate-friendly heating technology are controversial because they are so drastic — the FDP has proved to be little more than the conservative CDU but with a taste for powdered drugs and expensive suits. Their top dog, Christian Lindner, heads the finance ministry and he seems to be pro-nothing and against spending any money at all.
Which brings me back to the strikes: Deutsche Bahn is a state-run company and one way to restore faith in governments is to shovel some cash to the people. So why isn’t chancellor Olaf Scholz wading into the labor negotiations with an open wallet? Especially since the SPD has traditionally been the main pro-union party. I don’t get it.
Anyway, have a good weekend!
Andrew
PS: If you’d like to support us, please use the button below to upgrade to a paid subscription and visit our sponsor at the bottom — local electronic music artist OST Fox, which fits with our first news item.
Berlin techno is intangible cultural heritage
UNESCO, the scientific and cultural wing of the United Nations, Wednesday added Berlin techno to its list of intangible cultural heritage items, according to Resident Advisor. The idea came from Berlin über-self promoter and founder of the Love Parade, Dr. Motte. It was just one of six German things added to the list — moutaineering in Saxony and a local fruit wine also made the cut. The 730-item global list of intangibles is a compilation of non-material things that deserve protection but it’s so expansive it feels almost pointless.
Schrödinger’s Görlitzer fence
Speaking of pointless: The reason nothing often gets done in Berlin is because it’s unclear who’s responsible — the city-state of Berlin or one of the 12 boroughs. And while denying responsibility is a popular sport among bureaucrats, claiming responsibility can also be a popular hobby. The city-state recently said it would take over the responsbility of building a fence (and instituting opening hours) on Görlitzer Park because Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is unwilling, setting the stage for what will most certainly be a legal battle, according to taz. The borough says Berlin has no jurisdiction to build the fence because the problems in Görlitzer Park are not Berlin-wide — by definition they only affect the borough, which would make them responsible. The result remains the same: Nothing happens and we residents get to live with no solution or help from bureaucrats for years.
Tesla’s sort of expansion
A recent non-binding vote opposing Tesla expansion plans in southeastern Berlin is proving to be not so pointless after all: The electric car maker has agreed to reduce the size of the expansion but the compromise with the community of Grünheide sounds a bit … petulant (which really is just a synonym for “Elon Musk”), according to newswire dpa. Tesla now only needs to bulldoze about 50 hectares of forest, down from 100, because it will eliminate planned service- and employee-related facilities. A new daycare center, for example. Musk visited the factory Wednesday after leftist terrorists set a power pole ablaze in the area last week, cutting power to the Tesla plant as well as other businesses for several days. The expansion will thankfully move much of Tesla’s logistics from local roads to rails. The visit’s timing — a Wednesday — meant Musk couldn’t get rejected from Berghain again.
Knifecrab
Factoid
The first European six-day bicycle race was on this day in Berlin in 1909 at a velodrome (bike track) at the Berlin zoo. The race was initially a marathon that lasted six days but it eventually evolved into a collection of events held over six days including traditional bike races and the above Steher races, where cyclists speed behind motorcycles which serve as wind breaks. The sport is dying out — this year the Berlin six-day was just two.
An event suggestion:
Charity auction for Ukraine
BER4UA, a collective of Berliners and allies with a mission to aid those affected by the war, will host its second fundraiser in Berlin to demonstate solidarity with Ukraine. The auction will feature works from leading and upcoming Ukrainian artists with drawings, paintings, and sculptures. This being Berlin, expect a DJ set and fashion show as well.
When? 6.30pm March 19, 2024, Villa Grisebach, Fasanenstraße 25. More info and to RSVP!
🎧 🎧 🎧 Visit our sponsor! 🎧 🎧 🎧
Music Radar: A new EP: Tiefe by local Artist, OST Fox, was recently released. Obsessed with the music scene in Berlin during the 90's such as the Love Parade, old Berlin techno radio shows from the late 90's, to the early 2000's releases on Ellen Alien's BPitch label....Tiefe EP gives a nod to this incredible time of music. The EP contains 4 original tracks and is a follow up to his single Die Ringbahn. Released on all music platforms; here is a link to Spotify.
OST Fox <3