#322: Birth certificate BS, shops shut Thurs, unemployment down
Berlin's very old men's club
Dear 20 Percent,
This is a safe space to occasionally whine or express one’s bafflement about Germany. As much as I love Berlin, which I have called home for two decades, most days there’s some little irksome thing.
When I got out of bed this morning I realised I was cold and hoped that October 1st (today) would be the day they turned on the heating in the building. I asked my landlord. He emailed the Hausverwaltung and received an answer:
“The heating in each building is switched on when the external temperature falls below a certain level.”
Helpful as ever.
Ya’ll got heat yet?
Maurice
Mother denied birth certificate — because of her name
The registry office of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is refusing to issue a Berlin mother a birth certificate for her daughter because of her “double” Vietnamese surname. The child is now six months old. Ha Thanh Le Nguyen told rbb24 that the authorities believe that there are no double names in Vietnamese. In Germany, double surnames are only allowed if they’re allowed in the “home country”, therefore, it is not possible to put her surname - Le Nguyen - on the baby's birth certificate. She can’t receive Kindergeld (child benefit) and can’t apply for daycare until the certificate is issued. Ha Thanh Le Nguyen became a German citizen in 2007 and her surname is printed on her ID card. “I honestly think it's racist that there’s such a hassle over my last name,” she said. The Bezirksamt countered: “The processing is based exclusively on the applicable legal requirements. It concerns the examination of a name in an individual case and not discrimination.”
No shopping Thursday
Thursday, October 3 is Tag der deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity). Thirty-three years after reunification of East and West Germany, we’re still not a particularly unified nation and I’m sure the celebrations will be muted — but hey, it’s a day off. Which mean stores will be closed — except for those listed on our handy “What's open when nothing's open” page.
Unemployment down, sort of
While the German economy is expected to shrink by 0.1% this year, the local job market is holding its own. The number of officially unemployed Berliners fell by around 3,500 last month to 206,382 people, a drop of 0.1 percentage points to 9.8%, according to the Federal Employment Agency. However, the improvement was mostly due to the normal post-summer upturn — and a year ago the jobless rate was 9.3%.
Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin:
🎹KOKOKO!
Thursday, 03.10, 8:30 pm. Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19-21, Kreuzberg. Tickets: €22.
KOKOKO! mixes experimental electronica with Congolese music, fast rhythms, and distorted synth sounds. Their new album 🎧 “BUTU” explores the vibrant nightlife of Kinshasa, Congo.
🪕Kiezsalon
Fri-Sat, 04-05.10, 8 pm. Musikbrauerei, Greifswalder Str. 23A, Prenzlauer Berg. Tickets: €10.65 per day.
The Kiezsalon returns to Musikbrauerei with a packed lineup: Berlin debuts from Svitlana Nianio, Atsuko Hatano, Muireann Bradley, Henry Earnest, and Conor, celebrating his new self-titled EP. Also, Art in the Bunkers showcases Helena Hamilton's “Ireland3000” installation.
🎨Andy Warhol: Velvet Rage and Beauty
Last chance to see: Until 06.10. Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Str. 50, Tiergarten
This exhibition is special in so many ways, exploring Andy Warhol’s fascination with the human body, from his early drawings to films, torso paintings, and collaborations with Basquiat.
🤖Dystopian Date: Her
Friday, 04.10: Panel 8:15 pm; film 9:15 pm. Filmrauschpalast Moabit, Lehrter Str. 35, Berlin. Tickets: €10/12.
Join a thought-provoking evening at the cinema to watch the romantic sci-fi classic HER. Before the film, Monika Jiang will lead a panel discussion with innovators and scholars about companionship, dating, and love in the age of AI.
🎃Schöneberg Pumpkin Festival
Saturday, 05.10, 11 am - 8 pm; Sunday, 10 am - 8 pm. Akazienstr. and Belziger Str. in Schöneberg. Free admission.
Imagine over 10,000 pumpkins in 20 varieties, turned into delicious pumpkin soups, macaroons, cakes, lasagnas, and frittatas by local chefs! Plus, vendors from across Germany will offer everyday products and unique gifts at this festive event.
💡Handpicked Berlin: Career, tech, startup, and Berlin news, plus timeless inspiration. Mondays in your inbox.💡
Germany-wide news
🚨Police raid homes of pro-Palestinian activists
👨🦲Will Scholz’s coalition fall apart?
Factoid
The Montagsklub, one of Berlin’s oldest members clubs, celebrates its 275th anniversary this month. The meetup was founded in October 1749 by Swiss clergyman Johann Georg Schulthess, who was chilling in Berlin for a couple of years, and brought the idea of an association for “free, lively conversation” from his homeland. In the beginning, Montagsklub had 24 members. Now there are 30! Over the centuries, those have included politicians, scientists, lawyers and artists. To this day, women are excluded from joining.
Achtung, Achtung! Feel like getting serious about learning German? SmarterGerman, an online language school created by veteran German teacher Michael Schmitz, is there to help. Sign up today for a free trial lesson.
The way German bureaucracies and landlords will respond very matter-of-factly to your inquiries, without any shred of empathy or understanding, is one of my least favorite things about the culture.