#288: Renter protest, hunger striker, start-up cash
The News Quiz is back June 5!
Dear 20% Berlin,
The other day I was complaining to co-writer Andrew about the vast quantity of furniture, matresses, building waste and other junk dumped in my neighbourhood. He told me about the Ordnungsamt App, which has been around for years but is unknown by most Berliners. It lets you photograph those stained mattresses and butchered Ikea kitchens your ex-neighbours jettisoned on your doorstep upon moving out — and send in a report to the Ordnungsamt who then inform the city’s waste department, BSR. Check the option “keep me updated” and you’ll get a notification once the garbage has been picked up.
When that happens, your inner older German man gets a micro-hit of satifisfaction: “Hey, I asked the state to do something to improve my neighbourhood and it actually did it.” Sometimes it takes three days, sometimes three weeks — but the rubbish eventually gets hauled away.
Of course, people could misuse the app: They could conceivably dump their own stuff on the street, then report it anonymously — rather than dutifully bringing it to their nearest recycling centre. I’m confident that you, dear 20% Berlin readers, aren’t like that.
Only gripe: no English version. But hey, it’s not that hard to navigate the German.
Ordnungsamt Online is available for Android and iOS. Enjoy.
Some news below.
Maurice
So that not all our homeware is from the “zum Verschenken” pile, please support us by upgrading to a voluntary paid subscription! Thanks!
AND: The 20 Percent Berlin New Quiz returns tomorrow (Wednesday, June 5) at Comedy Cafe Berlin! Two teams face off to find out who knows the most about German news in a hilarious panel show reminiscent of Have I Got News for You and QI — hosted by 20 Percent’s Andrew Bulkeley. Tickets €10 here (if you’re a Patreon contributor or a paid subscriber we’ll buy your first drink! Just let us know.)
Many thanks to our the kind sponsors of this issue, Mary Jane Berlin 2024, June 14.16. More from them below!
“Rent insanity” protest
Between 4,500 (say the police) and 12,000 (say the organisers) gathered at Potsdamer Platz for a march against rising rents on Saturday. Around 200 groups representing renters’ interests organised the march, says taz. Slogans included: “Drinking landlord tears” and “Tenants aren’t lemons”. The march passed Hafenplatz, where 700 low-income housing units stand to be demolished to make way for a development that includes a hotel, retail spaces and high-end flats. Organiser Kim Meyer said: “The referendum is not being implemented, new rental prices in Berlin and ancillary and heating costs have exploded.” By “referendum” Meyer was referring to the Expropriate Deutsches Wohnen & Co referendum that was approved by voters and requires the state to buy back flats belonging to large corporate landlords. The CDU-led city government is not keen on the project.
Hunger striker in and out of hospital
A man who has been participating in a climate hunger strike in Invalidenpark outside the federal economy ministry for 89 days was admitted to the nearby military hospital Monday night after suffering from a cardiovascular collapse. There, he receieved an infusion of electrolytes before returning to the camp to continue his protest. Meanwhile, two other hunger strikers have said they will stop drinking fluids this Wednesday. The protesters are demanding a statement from Chancellor Scholz (SPD) that underscores the severity of the climate crisis.
Start-up cash still flowing
According to the city’s assessment of start-up funding in 2023 (LinkedIn, in English), there’s been a drop in large funding deals — but cash is still flowing into smaller ventures. Well, not that small, as evidenced by the fresh injection of $114 million of seed financing raised by Cloover, a Berlin firm that provides one-stop software and subscription financing for renewable energy systems in the home. Their aim is to make switching to solar and heat pumps dead simple for home owners. More at Tech.eu
Germany-wide news
🚂 How politicians could improve European high-speed rail
⚽ Germany coach irked at survey about players’ ethnicity
🌊 Flooding in southern Germany causes chaos, two deaths
👮 Police officer killed in attack at anti-Islam protest
Some upcoming culture highlights from The Next Day Berlin:
Andy Warhol: ‘Velvet Rage and Beauty’
Opening Saturday: 08.06, 7 pm. Exhibition until 06.10.2024. Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Straße 50, Tiergarten
The Neue Nationalgalerie presents a comprehensive survey of Warhol’s quest for ideal beauty, a central theme throughout his career from the 1940s to the 1980s. Featuring over 300 works, including paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, Polaroids, films, and collages, the exhibition offers an expansive look into Warhol's artistic evolution.
Fetzenmarkt
Sat-Sun, 12 - 8 pm. MaHalla, Wilhelminenhofstraße 76, Oberschönweide. Tickets: €7.
The Fetzenmarkt is a bi-annual fashion-focused market in Berlin, held at MaHalla. It features designer items, workshops, performances and DJ sets.
Tibet Festival Berlin
Sat-Sun, 3 - 10 pm. Alte Münze, Molkenmarkt 2, Mitte. Tickets: €13.
This festival is for you if you’re interested in Tibetan culture. The event features dance, concerts, talks, workshops, food, and art.
A word from our sponsor, Expath
Let's Meet at the Iamexpat Fair
We'll be at the greatest fair for expats in Germany, organised by Iamexpat on June 8. Get your free tickets now and visit Expath at stand E8. We'll reveal a 🤫 super-secret discount code for your next German course with us.
Come and get the code and enjoy affordable German classes this summer!
Factoid
I don’t know about you, but around this time of year I usually get a panic attack about taxes: Isn’t the tax deadline sometime now-ish? I looked it up — and remembered that since the pandemic, the deadlines seem to have been permanently extended. The deadline for filing your 2023 income tax return (Einkommensteuererklärung) is officially August 31, but since that’s on a weekend, you have until September 2, 2024. If you hire a tax consultant to do your taxes, you have until June 2, 2025 to file your 2023 taxes. Phew. Now you have the whole summer to figure out how to use the ELSTER system, now available in English but still bloody confusing. Here’s a decent guide in English to declaring your taxes in Deutschland.
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"Sometimes it takes three days, sometimes three weeks " --- after almost three years, to me this is the gist of German bureaucracy 😁. May be unpopular opinion 🫢 - I am happy that it just works.
Every single time someone mentions anything related to expropriation, a puppy dies.