#340: New Year's Eve plan, Anti-A100 arson, sluggish start for Online-Anmeldung
We have a podcast
Dear 20 Percent,
Do more with less.
With its budget slashed by a head-spinning 18%, Berlin’s transport department is resorting to the ultimate cost-saver: cutting out the humans. By 2027, buses like the one above will be shuttling folks around in the inner city, says the city-state’s transport minister Ute Bonde (CDU).
The autonomous vehicles make sense on paper for a number of reasons: BVG is struggling to hire drivers; they’re electric (meaning I won’t be inhaling diesel fumes cycling behind them); and they’re cute. Too bad they’re tiny — I can’t imagine them operating on the super-busy M41 route on Sonnenallee.
The same kind of vehicles will start running in central Hamburg by the middle of next year. Berlin prefers to wait and see if something works elsewhere rather than taking the lead. I guess that makes sense if you’re broke.
By the way, Andrew and I have just launched the first episode of the 20% Berlin podcast. Give it a listen. Be gentle. We’re new to this.
Maurice
sponsored
Get into the spirit of the season with Agavera!
At Agavera, we believe quality speaks for itself. As Black Friday fever sets in, we're staying true to our values—offering authentic, small-batch Agave spirits, Scandinavian ciders, and other crafted goods at fair rates. These aren't products meant to be slashed in price—they're literally handcrafted goods, created with passion and care. Whether it's a bottle of artisanal Mezcal or a PetNat cider, you're investing in real stories, rich flavors, and a celebration of tradition. Skip the frenzy and choose thoughtful, authentic gifts that truly stand out.
Quick delivery and pick-up options available. Cheers to crafty booze!
Automated discount by ordering here
Cement trucks ablaze
Arsonists set fire to 17 cement trucks at cement companies in Marzahn and Hohenschönhausen early Monday morning. In a blog post published Monday titled Switch off Betonindustrie! activists claimed responsibility for the arson attack — noting that the two companies supplied cement to the A100 construction site where the ring-Autobahn is being extended through Neukölln and Treptow, with plans to eventually build the highway through Friedrichshain to Storkower Straße. Besides their involvement in the A100, the activists accuse the companies, Cemex and HeidelbergerMaterials, of neo-colonialism, exploitation and the destruction of nature around the world.
Police plan for New Year’s Eve
While my co-author Andrew hates NYE fireworks, I’m generally ok with them — but even I agree that things have gotten out of hand here. Berlin is shying away from a ban — instead it’s just prohibiting pyrotechnics from three “hotspots”: Alexanderplatz, Sonnenallee, and the Steinmetzkiez in Schöneberg. The police and fire department say they’ve been prepping from months: 3,000 cops and 1,500 firefighters will be on the streets. First responders will have police protection to prevent the wanton violence we saw against them a couple of years ago, as Berlin youth let out its pent-up anger following the pandemic. The police say they’re doing prevention work too: posters, flyers, as well as visits to youth clubs and sport facilities.
Slow start for online Anmeldung
Just 7.3% of apartment registrations happened online in Berlin since the service was launched in October — 5,550 out of 75,000 cases. Baby steps. And not really surprising. Online Anmeldung only works for moves within Germany and is a pain in the ass because it requires an electronic ID (German or EU) in combination with a PIN. I received such an ID and PIN years ago, but back then there was nothing I could do with it. At some point it got lost in a flood of German paperwork. To reactivate the card I need to return to the Bürgeramt in person.
Upcoming events, selected by The Next Day Berlin!
🎹 PROBLEMS + The Tarts
Friday, 06.12. DJ set from 9 pm; Concerts at 10 pm. Madame Claude, Lübbener Str. 19, 10997 Berlin. Tickets: donation-based.
PROBLEMS is Darren Keen's project pushing pop music boundaries with robotic vocals, intricate arpeggiators, and retro Casio tones. Darren seems like the kind of person I'd love to have as a friend. 🎧 Enter the Annals
💃🏽 The BB Show
Thursday, 05.12, 9 pm - 2 am. SO36, Oranienstrasse 190, 10999 Berlin. Tickets: €22.60.
Welcome to The BB Show, an evening of Drag and Burlesque! For the seventh year, BLEACH and BABYCHINO share the stage for one night only, joined by a long line-up of guests. As Peaches said, “A must-see naked queen!”
🔊 The Mine
Saturday, 07.12, 11 pm - 7 am. Panke, Gerichtstrasse 23, 13347 Berlin. Tickets: €11.30/€19.75.
"The Mine" is a dubstep and bass music event series from Brighton celebrated for deep, immersive soundscapes and heavy basslines. Featuring artists like 🎧 Goth-Trad (live), Danny Scrilla, 🎧 Amy Kisnorbo, SGT Pokes, and others.
📽️ No Other Land
Sat-Sun, 07-08.12, 6 pm; Thursday, 19.12, 8 pm. Sínema Transtopia, Lindower Str. 20/22/Haus C, 13347 Berlin. Tickets: €9. Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Norway, Palestine 2024, 93 Min., Arabic, Hebrew with English subtitles.
The doc “No Other Land” follows Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval as they unite to expose the truth about Masafer Yatta, a village facing eviction. A powerful look at life under occupation and unexpected alliances. The film won the audience award at these year’s Berlinale film festival.
sponsored
Serious about learning German? SmarterGerman is holding its annual Black Friday sale with MASSIVE DISCOUNTS of 50% and beyond on its state-of-the-art online German courses. Former students have left hundreds of positive reviews of SmarterGerman — conceived and operated by veteran Berlin teacher Michael Schmitz. What are you waiting for? Sign up by December 8!
Germany-wide news
🏭 Strikes at VW factories across Germany
⚽ 79 injured in football fan violence in Jena
🥨 CDU wants immigrants to assimilate
😱 AfD campaigning to leave EU, Euro and Paris climate agreement
Factoid
I don’t know about you, but I keep seeing dead rats on the streets these days. And live ones. According to official figures, 2.2 million of said critters call Berlin home. How the hell do they count them? At any rate, according to tabloid BZ, 380,000 sparrows, 20,000 crayfish, 10,000 crows, 6,000 mallards, 5,000 foxes, 5,000 wild boars, 2,000 wild rabbits, 2,000 hedgehogs, 1,000 raccoons, 500 gulls and 150 beavers live within the city limits.
🪶🪶🪶Visit our sponsor! 🪶🪶🪶
Feather: Insurance that fits your life
Life as an expat comes with its own set of challenges—but insurance shouldn't be one of them.
That's where Feather comes in. Our customizable policies are designed to grow with you, so your coverage is as unique as your lifestyle:
Adjust your coverage: Whether it's adding kids to your policy or figuring out how much coverage you need for household contents insurance, Feather ensures your insurance evolves with your lifestyle.
Made for expats: From health insurance, to liability, to pension insurance, Feather has 14 different policies built to ensure you're covered—no matter where life takes you or what surprises come your way.
100% digital, 100% English: Manage it all seamlessly online or in our app with expert support just a message away (in English, of course!).
Insurance isn't one-size-fits-all, and Feather ensures it doesn't have to be. Because no matter where life takes you, your safety net should always be the right fit.
Find your perfect policy with Feather
I wonder why didn't they provide the number of deer, squirrels and marten. From Tegeler Forst encounters I would say deer are slightly more common than raccoons, squirrels a bit more common than foxes and marten is the hardest one to meet. Mallards however are about as common as pigeons if you're close to water so just 6000 seems a low estimate. That number would probably fit swans.
I've seen a bunch of foxes – well 3 or 4 in 5 years – but how have I missed 5000 wild boars?? Where are they?? Aren't they loud rather then stealthy?