#296: Old U-Bahns, weed club woes, housing game
A pod about the Berghain queue
Dear 20 Percent,
Bad jokes about the line at Berghain are the bread and butter of every amateur expat stand-up routine. The über-club has been around for 20-odd years. You’d think there was nothing else to say about the place.
And yet I found Why Chris and Dan Didn’t Get Into Berghain?, a podcast by Search Engine about Americans rather informative and amusing. Host PJ Vogt displays no shortage of self-ridicule about New Yorkers flying here again and again just to try getting in and failing. The two-part pod is packed with tidbits about the origins of techno, why Germans embraced it, what might be going on inside bouncer Sven Marquardt’s head, and what German tax law has to do with the survival of techno. Give it listen.
News below!
Maurice
Unlike Sven, we welcome everyone here at 20%. And all of you are welcome to switch to a voluntary paid subscription — less per month than the price of a pils at Panorama Bar.
U-Bahn under strain
Due to worsening technical issues related to ageing U-Bahn trains, BVG says it is considering reducing timetables or shortening trains on the U1, U2, U3 and U4 lines, according to RBB24. Some trains have been in service for 60 years — and delivery of a new series of U-Bahns by manufacturer Stadler has been delayed til at least next year. Meanwhile, an U-Bahn repair shop is cut off from the network due to renovations on the U5 — causing maintenance bottlenecks. And the U-Bahn is under additional strain due to Euro 2024, at least on match days. But Berlin transport is coping better than other host cities. Here, all fans have been able to depart from the stadium by public transport within an hour after the match, says BVG.
Weed clubs kept waiting
Under the new cannabis legalisation law, non-profit associations can, in theory, begin growing plants legally from July 1. In theory. Berlin, it turns out, failed to prep for the start date. No central office to issue grow permits has been set by the Senat, so it’s passed the buck to the districts. Club operators must apply for permits at their local Bezirksamt but the authorities haven’t bothered to put together a form. “This is either tactics or dilettantism,” remarked Georg Wurth (paywall), head of the German Hemp Association (DHV), implying that the Berlin government, led by the conservative CDU, might be deliberately stalling. Or maybe it’s incompetence. Wurth points out in Tagesspiegel that most German states used the first half of the year to prepare. Meanwhile, Berlin’s justice department is struggling to cope with retroactive amnesty for 5,000 prior cannabis offenders.
Flat hunt game
Settle in Berlin has put out retro browser game Berlin Flat Quest. “You play the role of a newcomer in the German capital. Filled with hope, your goal is to find a place to live before you run out of savings.” Characters include David Bowie and Tech Evangelist. Play it and weep.
A message from our partner: We are running a 21-day beta test of our free financial literacy app DailyCents. Geared towards LGBTQ people, but all are welcome! How it works: you sign up and are prompted to do a learning activity or survey on personal finance every day. When you finish, you can access your chosen reward from a local Berlin business!
A selection of events this week from our friends at The Next Day Berlin:
🎭Range by Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot)
Thursday, 04.07, 8:15 pm. Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Str. 50. Free admission. No RSVP is required.
Nadya Tolokonnikova, founder of the feminist collective Pussy Riot, is bringing "Rage" to Neue Nationalgalerie. The performance is dedicated to all who lost their freedom and lives fighting against dictatorship. Love is stronger than death. It will be presented in front of the museum this Thursday. Don't miss this unique opportunity
🎹Danube Festival
Fri-Mon, 05-08.07, 10 am - 7 pm. Anomalie, Storkower Str. 123. Tickets: €25/€49.50.
Danube Festival brings together various events and labels from major cities around the world, such as Slapfunk, Yoyaku, Half Baked, Resolute, and O Mato, for a big party with over 55 hours of nonstop music and 60 artists spread across different floors at Anomalie.
🗾JapanMarkt
Sunday, 07.07, from noon. Festsaal Kreuzberg, Am Flutgraben 2, 12435 Berlin. Tickets: €9/€15.
Here, you’ll find Japanese culture, art, design, crafts, and food. The event features traditional and modern Japan through workshops like Shodo (calligraphy), Origami, printmaking, and live music.
Germany-wide news
🛫 Net immigration dropped in 2023
🚆 Deutschland-Ticket price hike in fall?
🚇 The undersea tunnel linking Germany and Denmark
🪙 What’s up with Saxony’s bitcoin billions (not much)?
Factoid
It feels like there are construction sites everywhere. But Berlin issued just 3,659 building permits for housing in Q1 of this year, 42.1% fewer than in the same period 2023, reports Tagesspiegel (paywall). And even though the authorities say the population is lower than was thought, Deutsche Bank Research expects a population of 4.5 million by 2040. Someone’s going to have to build a lot of housing.
💶That’s all for now, but please visit our sponsor!💶
Let's talk about pension and retirement in Germany
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Even the German government recommends topping the statutory insurance up with a private plan.
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