#374: Ringbahn blues, car-free Berlin, Red Bull
The first German woman in space is a Berliner!
Dear 20%,
We talk a lot about transport in this newsletter and in our podcast. Hopefully not too much. To me transport is one of the most charged issues in the city. The population continues to grow but our infrastructure is struggling to keep up. See the Ringbahn story below.
For years, citizen’s initiative Berlin Autofrei has been campaigning for a referendum that could radically limit car traffic within the S-Bahn ring (details in English here). In 2021, the group collected 50,000 signatures of support, many more than the 20,000, required to move the campaign to the next phase.
The Berlin city government (der Senat) is attempting to derail the campaign in court. It calls Berlin Autofrei’s proposals “disproportionate and incompatible with the general freedom of action”.
Proceedings begin at Berlin’s state constitutional court in Schöneberg Wednesday.
No matter how you stand on Berlin Autofrei’s radical vision, trying to thwart a citizen referendum on a key issue isn’t particularly democratic behaviour. I hope the judges agree.
More news below.
Maurice
Weed one year later
The city-state of Berlin has approved just five cannabis clubs a year after the country’s complex and quirky legalisation of marijuana on April 1, 2024, according to RBB24. 21 other clubs have applied for approval. Tokers can have up to 25 grams on them and smoke in public but can only legally purchase the bud in special clubs that aren’t allowed to turn a profit — and you can imagine the bureaucracy (and probably faxes) involved in opening one. Cops last year seized 6 tonnes of illegal weed, up from 1.6 tonnes in 2023, showing legalisation has done little to dampen the black ganja market.
New this month
The price of BVG’s Berlin-Ticket S, a discounted transport ticket available to recipients of social benefits, has gone up to €19 from €9 per month. The increase was part of Berlin’s package of budget cuts.
Slight change in the rules on Elterngeld (parental allowance): Now households earning €175,000/year or more cannot qualify for the benefit, down from the previous maximum earnings of €200,000.
Not Berlin or Germany news, but surely relevant to some readers: Non-UK, non-Irish citizens must now get Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter Britain. Brexit getting done or just a dumb idea?
Red bullsh*t
The taz newspaper has a long report on how Red Bull wants to expand production at a plant in southern Brandenburg and build its own aluminium can factory at the site in the town of Baruth. Unfortunately, it’s one of the driest areas in Brandenburg, one of the driest regions in Germany, and this winter was one of the most arid on record, thanks to climate change. The energy drink brand took over the Urstromquelle mineral water plant a few years ago — and already has access to more groundwater than the disputed Tesla factory further north. The can factory would suck up even more water. Locals residents and environmentalists are not amused.
Ringbahn blues
News that sounds like April 1 news but isn’t: Berlin is looking for a structural engineer specialized in bridges just days after cracks in an autobahn bridge interrupted service on the Ringbahn in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, according to Tagesspiegel (paywall). The position pays €5,000 a month and there’s plenty to do — at least 120 of the more-than 1,000 bridges in Berlin are crumbling and are in need of repair. More on the job here. The Ringbahn (S41 and S42) as well as the S46 remains interrupted between Halensee and Westend. Replacement bus service (Schienenersatzverkehr!) bridges the gap. The A100 Autobahn bridge over the Ringbahn was first closed to cars but efforts to support the bridge to prevent a collapse necissitated halting train traffic below. No timeline on its replacement has been released.
Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin
🪩CRUDE
Thursday, 03.04, 10 pm – 3 am. Säule, Am Wriezener Bahnhof 70.
The third CRUDE showcase brings psychedelic techno and acid trance to Säule. Don’t miss resident 🎧 DJ Kaytseng’s hypnotic set, which features spiraling textures, warped synths, and a pure mind trip.
🖼️ The Torment of Matter
Vernissage: Thursday, 03.04, from 6 pm. Kunstquartier Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2.
This group show explores how artistic vision and material constraints collide and transform each other, where paint, paper, and raw elements resist control and inspire new possibilities.
🌿Trance For Plants
Friday, 04.04, 6 – 11 pm. St. Thomas Kirche, Mariannenpl. 28. Tickets: €20.35 (online only)
🎧 Geo22 brings an evening of sonic nourishment for flora and fauna alike, with ambient trance, hyperpop by FREE JIMI, and a harp solo by 🎧 Teresa Raff. Expect healing frequencies inside a church.
🌸Kirschblütenfest – Gärten der Welt
Sat-Sun, 05-06.04, 12 – 5 pm. Gärten der Welt, Blumberger Damm 130, Berlin. Entry: €9 / €4 reduced, free under 6
Celebrate Hanami with cherry blossoms, Korean drums, Chinese crafts, Japanese food, and a cosplay contest. A springtime weekend in full bloom. PS: Schwedter Str. (north of Mauerpark) is a dreamy sight this week if you love strolling under blooming cherry blossoms.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
🤨AfD dissolves extremist youth branch
😬German military prepares for a potential war
🌳200,000 more workers needed to pull off the green transition
🌊Life on a remote German island
Factoid
Berliner Rabea Rogge became the first German woman in space on Monday. The 29-year-old electrical engineer was part of a crew of four on a SpaceX capsule that launched into orbit over the Earth’s poles. The first German man in space was East German army officer Sigmund Jähn, who joined a Soviet mission in 1978.
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The salaries in government jobs in Berlin continue to be a joke. Work for a private company that sells widgets and make six figures, or earn less than half fixing a key piece of infrastructure for Germany's capital.
I haven't work so hard to obtain a german passport only to be told I have to apply for a "visa in disguise" to visit the foggy island. Nah. I will pass until they come back to their senses. And why is the EU not reciprocating?