Berlin Logs August 2015 by Berlin Logs

WHY BIKES RULE BERLIN ?

TODAY I FELL IN LOVE WITH A GUITAR

Despite having great public transport bikes still can make you superior. Page 08

Berlin Guitars is the world’s largest dealer of Alhambra guitars. Page 16

Berlin Logs LOCAL ENGLISH MAGAZINE

€2 10 YOUNG EURO CLASSIC FESTIVAL From 6 to 23 August, youth orchestras from across the world will perform at the Young Euro Classic festival

18 AN EXPAT SUCCESS STORY The Ave is the brainchild of Rayan Mark Simpson, a former US army man who has set up shop in Berlin

ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE Perhaps Berlin’s most efficient and effective recycling system.

Vol: 01 Issue: 03 | Berlinlogs.com | August 2015.

Berlin Logs

AUGUST CONTENTS

What’s New: ISTAF & Middle Earth at the Waldbühne

Why I’m Done Working In Start Ups After Three Years

United By Youth - Young Euro Classic Returns

Social Gardens As Drivers Of Social Change

An Exploration of Gay Germany at Homosexuality_ies

Five Things To Know About The Holocaust Memorial

Interview With Isabel Lewis, Performance Artist

Wedding Slam: Poetry Contents At Panke

Does It Even Matter: An Expat Success Story

Berlin’s Unsung Indie Scene Where Are All The Bands?

Berlin Fashion Week Spring/ Summer 2016 - In Depth

Warning To Trespassers: Do Not Enter Spreepark

Team

A Word

Managing Editor:

We’ve come over all fashionable for this edition of Berlin Logs. Maybe it’s because we’re well past midsummer now and Berlin is slowly starting to take on the haze of the end of the season and our minds are starting to think about what comes next. For a lot of us, the end of summer that means hanging up our sunglasses, slicing off our festival wristbands and bracing ourselves for the cold. To soften the blow, we’ve got an interview with one of the city’s American-influenced designers who’s setting up shop out west, and we’ve got our woman on the ground bringing you the highlights from Berlin Fashion Week.

Sarah Coughlan Senior Editor:

Linda O’Grady Editors:

Eileen Carelock Sasha Prince Art Editor:

Hazel Rowland Office Manager:

Karmijn Simons Berlin Logs. Habsburger Str 10, 10781. Berlin + 49 (0)30 982 942 02 info@berlinlogs.com www.berlinlogs.com

Summer is drawing in, sure, but we’re not done just yet. Before the tourists disappear for another year and the city gets back to normal, there’s plenty of art, culture and music to indulge in. We’ve paired that with an up close and personal look at Germany’s relationship with homosexuality and the city’s ongoing love affair with techno. So here’s to one last month of Freiluftkinos, open airs and nights that go on forever.

The Berlin Logs Team

Berlin Logs

Is Berlin Losing The Battle With Racism? By Niklas Kossow

hen I first moved to Berlin I ended up living in a rather particular location – a flat right above a Chinese Imbiss on Warschauer Straße. My house was right on that common pilgrimage between the terminus of the U1 and the East Side gallery, an all-time tourist favourite. Coming from London, I didn’t mind the noise so much, the view onto the U1 flying past our windows was nice and most times I actually quite liked feeling the buzz of the area. Of course, most of the passing folk were tourists who had little understanding that some people – even on Warschauer Straße – had to get up in the morning. I felt like a prude when one night I leaned out the window and shouted at some Brits to “pleeeeease, fuck off” and to set off their fireworks in front of someone else’s window. Yet, I knew I couldn’t really complain. I was new to the city myself and often enough had also been a tourist (even though I can’t remember there being many fireworks at my hand). Quickly I noticed, however, that not everybody in Berlin shared this rather relaxed attitude towards visitors. In fact, it seems to be a common sport among Berliners to complain about the crowds of tourists driving up prices, jamming everyone’s favourite club/bar/street and in general being obnoxious. Depending on whether the person you talk to has been to the city all their life, ten, five or two years, you often hear various degrees of remembering the “good old times when there were fewer tourists here.” For a good few years now, stickers claiming “Berlin Doesn’t Love You” can be seen everywhere and there are discussion groups “against hipsters” all over the show. A couple of times I even saw a T-Shirt with the friendly greeting: “Welcome to Berlin, now go home!” Charming. I was often asked how I could possibly live in a tourist hotspot like Warschauer. Some of my friends were confused when I replied that I found the question just a little racist. Indeed, I keep on asking myself who people think they are to judge tourists for coming to the city we all love and enjoy. Yes, tourism changes a city. But so does migration. Berlin became what it is today (or what it was 5 or 10 years ago), because it is an open city, a place for those who want to innovate and create something new. And now some of the people that came here ten years ago complain about those that come to visit? I will never understand this attitude and I can’t help but being annoyed by it. We are all tourists. I seriously doubt that anyone of those who want to keep Berlin clear of the travelers coming to experience the vibe of the city never travels themselves. Do they think that the beach towns in Spain, the yoga retreats in India and the other capitals of the world did not change because of their visits? How can they now complain about those who come and change their beloved home town? And even the people who were born and raised in Berlin can hardly claim to never have set foot in another place, and yet some of them judge those who dare taking a cheap flight to one of Berlin’s unfortunate airports (a story for another time, me’thinks). Unfortunately, the answer to “how can they possibly think that?” seems to be the same in this case as it is in other situations in which racist attitudes prevail. People are afraid of change and of the other. Berlin is their home and they don’t want it to become like Amsterdam, Paris, London, Barcelona or any other city in which you can feel the impact of tourism. Many things in Berlin are changing; tourists are an easy target to blame for

those changes. But it’s not their fault. Each one of them is just intrigued by the city, just as you were when you first came here. Give them a chance to discover Berlin. Hating tourists is easy, but it is also dangerous. In the end it only means hating yet another group of visitors to our city, which is supposed to be a place open for everyone and not just for those cool enough, or local enough, to pass muster with the self-appointed Berliner-judges. In the end we have to face it – blaming specific groups of people, most of them foreigners, has never been a good idea, and it’s high time we address this attitude for what it is: nascent racism.

Berlin Logs

WHAT’S NEW A NEW LOOK AT EAST AND WEST For the photographer Rudi Meisel, the lifestyles of those living in East and West Germany in the 1970s and 80s were not as different as might be imagined. Meisel was one of the few West German photographers permitted to travel to the GDR and document everyday life there. Compatriots 1977-1987 Two Germanys will assemble 80 of Meisel’s photographs of both West and East Germany, juxtaposing both sides for the first time. ‘Compatriots 1977-1987 Two Germanys’ opens at C/O Berlin on 22 August and runs until 1 November. Tickets: 8€/4€.

LONG NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS Night owls no longer have an excuse for missing out on the vast collection of museums that Berlin has to offer. For one night only, museums, collections, archives, memorials and exhibition houses will open their doors until well past midnight. For more seasoned visitors, the night presents the rare opportunity to see their favourite cultural hotspots in a quite literal different light. ‘Long Night of the Museums’ will take place across Berlin on 29 August. Visit their website for further details.

ISTAF ISTAF returns to Berlin for its annual sporting extravaganza at the start of September. Bringing together some of the world’s top athletes for a one day event at the Olympicstadion (better known as home to Hertha BSC). Now, while we pride ourselves in bringing you only cool and alternative events, ISTAF gets a shout this month because it’s a worldclass sporting event with tickets for 9€, which embodies a kind of Berlin asceticism we approve of. Join the 50,000 expected visitors to see the world’s best in Berlin. ISTAF is held on 6 September and tickets are available online at www.istaf.de, starting from 9€.

BERLIN ATONAL For those that like their music melodious and their nights out predictable, Berlin Atonal is probably not ideal. But for Berliners with an ear for the adventurous, this five day celebration of experimental music is not to be missed. Housed inside Kraftwerk Mitte, a former power station turned performance space with incredible acoustics, Berlin Atonal is set to bring together artists like Ryo Murakami, Shed and ENA together for five nights of incredible experimental music. Berlin Atonal runs from 19-23 August at Kraftwerk Mitte - Köpernickerstraße 70. Tickets start at 21.40€, book online at www.berlin-atonal.com

PROJECT SPACE FESTIVAL

MIDDLE EARTH COMES TO WALDBÜHNE

The art scene kicks things up a gear this August via Project Space Festival. This month, 30 artists will host events in 30 different project spaces and given the opportunity to realise their artistic vision inside 24 hours. The specifics of the event are going to be unveiled on a daily basis, so the only way to keep yourself up to date is to pay a visit to the website, which reveals each event the day before.

As if we still haven’t reached peak-Hobbit, Middle Earth is coming to Berlin! Courtesy of more than 100 artists, performers and die-hard fans of Lord of the Rings can enjoy the Waldbühne as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

Project Space Festival has events every day in August; you can keep up to date with the daily project space at: projectspacefestival-berlin.com

Expect films, concerts, plays and other performances during this one day spectacular - a tribute to Tolkien’s timeless classics. What? Geek is chic now, OK? Middle Earth Berlin is at the Waldbühne: Glockenturmstraße 1 on 23 August from 2.30pm.

Berlin Logs

LET’S JAM!

THE MUSIC’S IN FULL SWING By Laura Bithell

ocated on the border of Lichtenberg and Friedrichshain, Nöldnerplatz seems like a quiet suburban area. With its traditional market square, green spaces, and small parade of shops and cafés, it’s forgivable to mistake it for a small German town – despite popular tourist areas like Warschauer Strasse and the East Side Gallery being only a few U-Bahn stations away. Yet in true Berlin style, Nöldnerplatz has its own hidden gems for those looking to party when the sun goes down. Every last Thursday of the month, local musicians come together for a night of music and improvisation at BLO Ateliers. The event is called Let’s Jam! and it’s operated by nearby café owner Kosta Zervas. The night usually takes the format of a live band, followed by a jamming session, and then finishes with resident DJ, DJ Chucky. Any keen musician can join the jam for a small fee and all styles of music are welcome. Last week, I was blown away by the boho garbed, musical talent of ‘spaghetti swing’ band Jakkle. Outfitted in marvellous hats and facial hair, the band was reminiscent of those quirky jazz cats from the Disney classic The Aristocats, and befittingly so, their fun and brassy style had everybody dancing. A hard act to follow, but when the jamming session got going there wasn’t disappointment. From rap to bluesy saxophone, the combination of different styles and instruments synergized as if they’d been playing together for years. By day, Kosta and his wife run the charming Nadia and Kosta Café, just a few steps away from Nöldnerplatz Station. Always popular with young families, students, and tourists, it has a friendly atmosphere. As a regular customer at the café, I spotted the colourful Let’s Jam! poster in the window, and naturally I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. Tucked away down a mysterious, leafy alleyway is BLO Ateliers. As I ventured down the path with a couple of friends to the faint sound of music, I was excited to see what Let’s Jam! had in store for us. We arrived at 9pm to a warm welcome from Kosta and a room that was already buzzing. With the stage in the middle, plenty of room to dance, and a convenient address next to the café and U-Bahn, Kosta describes BLO as the “perfect location.” Street food is also available

outside, which combined with the secluded site and lively music, gives the event a festival-like vibe. What struck me most while inside BLO Ateliers was the people of all ages I recognised from around the area. Having lived in Nöldnerplatz for just a few months, it was lovely to see so many familiar faces. It’s rare in a big city like Berlin to find somewhere with such a sense of community. When I asked Kosta about his inspiration for the event, he told me, “I like to connect people,” explaining that after running the café for three years and having met so many exciting young musicians in Berlin, he wanted to organise an event which brought everyone together. Let’s Jam! started as a monthly Saturday session at the café with only friends, family, and customers making music together. Whilst this made for a cosy, relaxed atmosphere, word got around and demand grew for an expansion to include everybody. Now Let’s Jam! is in full swing and will be moving to a Friday night starting in September. Many jamming events run in the city, and Kosta explains they all tend to run on different schedules to support each other and that each one has its own special quality. For Let’s Jam!, it’s the sheer variety of music. Each month the night focuses on a different genre, with past bands ranging from well-known styles like funk and reggae, to the rather specific musicianship of “electro-live percussion trance”. Dancing this month will be open to the rhythms of rockabilly. Something not often found in Berlin is Let’s Jam!’s unique format, which has been carefully structured to vary the atmosphere throughout the night. In what Kosta describes as a wave-like effect, the jamming session is arranged in sets and interspersed with music from the DJ, whom then plays into the early hours. This keeps everyone on their toes, the energy levels up, and the audience hungry for more. Blending styles and transcending convention, Let’s Jam! is one of the most exciting music-filled nights in Berlin, easily vying with the more established jams held throughout the city. The session gifts a different musical appreciation and a night well spent, so there’s absolutely no reason to not pour a drink and get down to BLO Ateliers for the next session on June 25th!

Berlin Logs

When Things Go Wrong

COPING IN BERLIN By Conor Kilkelly

A pickpocket By Hieronymus Bosch 1475-1480.

s cities go, Berlin’s a good ’un. There’s very little to argue about in that regard. It’s a city where being penniless is common—perhaps because here, unlike New York or London, it’s not debilitating. Groups such as Free Your Stuff Berlin alert the most jaded of Facebook scrollers to the purely altruistic qualities of so many here. Those fortunate enough to stumble into a windfall or steady work after many mishaps and missed opportunities don’t seem to lose sight of where they’ve come from. I’ve seen a MacBook passed on free of charge with the words “some kind soul gave this to me when I needed it most, so now I wish to do the same.” Another spoke of their misjudged gift

for a loved one, now up for grabs. When a commenter suggested they could possibly return it, the gifter agreed it was possible, but demurred, stating that “the air is different here.” But behind these beautiful gestures hides an ugly fact—there are a lot of people in this city in real need. When things go wrong and you’re far afield, there are no well-trodden paths to follow. Expatriate friends are at a loss when something out of the ordinary strikes, only able to offer tidbits of hearsay or simple condolences instead of real help. Those of us privileged enough to know Berliners will quickly realise that they, on the other hand, are well-

“

Berlin Logs

Making my way quickly toward another local supermarket that I knew from experience took most types of recyclables, I began convincing myself all would be well once more. Alas, it was not to be.

equipped to keep their shit together—but won’t be of much help when yours suddenly hits the fan. Being pickpocketed is never good, everyone knows that. However, I now know it varies in degrees of terrible. When a young thief distracted my already inebriated senses with an impromptu dance number, I assumed it was some kind of new fad the gangs were doing to pass the time amid the barflies and potential customers strolling through Revalerstraße. The police informed me the next day that this technique was a well-known ploy of those who seek to rid passers-by of the nuisance that is their wallet. They then told me there was little hope in retrieving my belongings, and that it was superbly idiotic to have attached my only set of keys to it with a makeshift keyring attachment. Hence my knowledge of degrees of awful. After a minor meltdown in the brutal morning heat, I went about setting off home. Thankfully, my roommate had texted me saying she would be back in the house to let me in. With no ticket, no phone credit, and just under five euro to my name, I decided to forego purchasing in a ticket in favour of a lukewarm bottle of water. When I finally made it to my door, I noticed it had taken a considerable bit more time than expected to return. Desperate for my bed after a long night, I rang the buzzer, already picturing the knowing look on my Turkish flatmate’s face as I recounted my stupidity. I waited, slowly realising my luck was still circling ‘round the drain. She wasn’t home. Don’t panic, I thought, all I have to do is buy phone credit and Aldi, my provider, is just around the corner. I reached into my pocket and pulled out every cent I could muster, a cool four euro and ninety cent. Just ten cent short of the lowest denomination of call credit they sold. After another short meltdown, this time in the sunny afternoon, I began thinking straight. The bottle! I could recycle the water bottle! Twenty five cents will put me back in the black. Making my way quickly toward another local supermarket that I knew from experience took most types of recyclables, I began convincing myself all would be well once more. Alas, it was not to be. In all my wisdom, I had chosen one of the few nonrecyclable bottles available on the market. I decided to pace, with all the glee of a funeral procession, toward Aldi, scanning for stray beer bottles as I went. Arriving emptyhanded, I decided all I could do was feign ignorance and hope that the cashier would take pity. As I approached the till, it instantly dawned on me that I had had an encounter with this particular shop assistant just days beforehand, in which, I, an impoverished busker, paid for seven euros worth of

groceries in ten and twenty cent coins. For shame, I know, but it’s honestly all I had. She had chastised me for holding up the queue, explaining how she couldn’t take my word it was all there, and, as such, had to go through the arduous task of counting it all out. Hopelessly embarrassed, I had left that day in such a rush that I forgot my change, which ironically enough, had been ten cents. Today, looking intentionally gobsmacked that I was somehow short, I proceeded to make elaborate gestures of looking for that missing, albeit fictitious, coin in my never-previously-so-deep pockets. She did not take the bait and refused me the credit. I was all set to indulge myself in mental meltdown number three when a kind voice spoke up from the queue. An elderly man behind me said he’d front me the ten cents, and refused my sincere thank-you, stating it was no big deal and unworthy of the slightest nugget of gratitude. After many missed calls and excessive buzzing of doorbells, my housemate finally rose from her slumber to grin apologetically at my comic dismay before returning to her siesta. As I fretted over how much money it would cost to replace my front door key—a much-hyped peril of German bureaucracy—I began to understand that although my wallet had been empty when it was stolen, the thief had still managed to cost me quite a bit of money and grief; banks charge by the card, apparently. After a week or two of penny-pinching, I finally built up enough cash to accompany my friends to one of the many summer street festivals. As my friend was a newcomer to Berlin, I took it upon myself to show him the East Side Gallery. There, alongside the Spree, I met a homeless man who wondered whether I’d spare him some change. Explaining I truly couldn’t, he said he’d settle for company. I lent him my ear, and he regaled me with stories of prison, Jamaica, and everything else. My friend and I were in no rush, and ended up spending quite some time with the middle-aged man as he politely chatted to passers-by. Then, suddenly, several people came over to us. He told me they were drug dealers, and when he did, I could not help but see flashes of those pick-pocketers from weeks before. They dressed the same, looked as if they could easily be cousins, but the atmosphere was different. They weren’t peddling anything, or eyeing up easy targets. They introduced themselves, and said how they knew the man now sitting next to me. Before they left, one gave the man his burrito. He refused at first, but the youngster insisted he have it. After all, everyone needs a little help now and again.

Art & Culture

Photo - Kai Bienert : Young Euro Classic

UNITED BY YOUTH YOUNG EURO CLASSIC FESTIVAL By Hazel Rowland

From 6 to 23 August, youth orchestras from across the world will perform at the Young Euro Classic festival. General Director Gabriele Minz explains to Berlin Logs what makes this festival special.

outh orchestras might not be able to match the experience of professional orchestras, but they are certainly not lacking in status. The most renowned orchestras – the likes of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra – are frequently invited to perform at the world’s most prestigious concert venues and classical music festivals. Young Euro Classic is dedicated to showcasing the world’s top youth orchestras and it is this, according to General Director Gabriele Minz, which gives the festival its unique atmosphere.

Young Euro Classic is now in its 16th year. How has it developed over time? The most noticeable change is that the level of musical quality has increased significantly. Youth orchestras have developed considerably over the past 15 years. It is now considered an essential part of music education to have participated in a youth orchestra – the more renowned, the better! Young Euro Classic provides such validation for the orchestras. An invitation to perform here is a mark of distinction. Thus, the international attention

Art & Culture and number of applications from orchestras have increased accordingly over the years. This year, our programme focuses particularly on the great European tradition of orchestral playing. During these politically difficult times, it is important to emphasize that orchestral music is a cultural treasure that must be maintained and passed on to the younger generation, players and audiences alike. How is Young Euro Classic different from other festivals? To my knowledge there is no other comparable youth orchestra festival in the world. Young Euro Classic is marked by a great openness to other traditions. The orchestras present a major repertoire work, but they then also add pieces from their home countries, which are rarely heard here in Germany – and often prove to be real discoveries! How often does one hear a program of all-Czech music, or music from the nations bordering the Baltic Sea? The orchestras occasionally present original, folkloric music from their homeland. For example, the presentation of Chinese or Turkish traditional music is always a hit and resonates with the audience. These musical “flavours”, which can be quite exotic, give the Young Euro Classic program its special colour. What do you think youth orchestras can bring to a performance that professional orchestras cannot? Youth orchestras bring a very special enthusiasm to their playing. What they may lack in experience, they make up for in sheer verve and joyfulness. Like any young creature, they might sometimes lose their sense of proportion or simply run with the music for the sake of it. But experienced conductors know how to channel this, and their energy and joy are transmitted to the audience.

prejudice by providing direct encounters between different countries and cultures. Audiences sometimes fail to realise that Young Euro Classic has a great tradition of founding such bi- or multi-national orchestras, often in response to current political events. That background is immediately obvious when you consider the South-Eastern European orchestra who performed in 2010, the TurkishArmenian orchestra in 2012, or this year’s “Peace Orchestra” uniting Ukrainian, Russian, Armenian and German musicians. All these came into being from the festival’s own initiatives. Young Euro Classic organises the rehearsal period, and then presents the results of this “crash-course in musical diplomacy” in concert. Why is it important to have bi- and multi-national youth orchestras? We notice in our ticket sales and audience reactions that the bi- and multi-national projects are very popular, and the media interest is consistently high. We believe that this reflects the wish that life could be like an orchestra. It is perceived as a model for society, people sharing one goal and doing their bit for the optimal result. People are also curious to hear the outcome of such experiments. And they are rarely disappointed! How important is new music to the festival? New music plays an essential role at Young Euro Classic. From the very beginning, we have encouraged all the orchestras to include a world premiere or

How is this festival important for the development of young musicians?

Some of the youth orchestras bring together players from various different countries. Does coming from different cultures means that the instrumentalists play differently? Of course there are certain traditions in music education that can be heard. Sometimes there are even different instruments that are used – think of German and French clarinets. But mainly it is the style of teaching and playing that differs. A Russian string player sounds completely different from a Scandinavian one, and a Scandinavian differs in sound from her German colleagues. The challenge of the international youth orchestras is to blend all these individual traditions into one sound, without stifling the individual’s voice. Bi- and international youth orchestras are examples of musical diplomacz and understanding. They act as a counterbalance to

Gabriele Minz - General Director Young Euro Classic.

Our motto is “tomorrow’s musicians today.” Young musicians need support for their talent, in order to grow as musicians and as well as personalities. Young Euro Classic offers a platform for personal and professional growth. Some of the orchestras performing here have never stood on a stage like the Konzerthaus, and it can be an awe-inspiring, transformational experience for them.

Art & Culture

German premiere in their concerts. In this manner, the festival has presented about 200 world premieres and German premieres, with nine more coming up this August. Young Euro Classic also commissions pieces from young composers. This year, the young composer Sinem Altan, a resident of Berlin with Turkish roots, has been asked to write a piece which the National Youth Philharmonic of Turkey will premiere on August 16. We believe that young musicians have a more natural approach to new music. They have fewer preconceived notions and come to it as a matter of course, guided by their curiosity. Today’s music education is also designed to accommodate new music, so the young players regard it with greater ease and confidence. Are there any particular performances that you are looking forward to? As every year, it is very hard to pinpoint a specific concert, as I am intensely curious about so many of them! However, a project very close to my heart is the “Peace Orchestra” performing at our final concert. Here, young musicians from the Ukraine, Russia, Germany and Armenia have been invited to live and work together for one intensive week, and finally to perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under the baton of Enoch zu Guttenberg. This is an initiative of musical diplomacy, which is quintessential to Young Euro Classic. It is incredibly important to create spaces and forums where people can communicate directly and realize goals together, treading where official diplomacy may be unable to go. And what could be more symbolic than Beethoven’s Ninth?

Michael Sanderling with the Jerusalem Weima Youth Orchestra

This year’s programme describes Young Euro Classic’s ‘legendary festival atmosphere.’ What is it about the festival that gives it this special atmosphere? It is the feeling of direct, genuine contact between the audience and the young musicians that creates a special feeling. As for the rest, you simply have to have stood in the Gendarmenmarkt on a balmy summer night when the audience leaves the hall, occasionally accompanied by the strains of a Spanish brass band or a South African ensemble of musicians who simply won’t stop playing to understand what makes this festival unique! In bringing together musicians from around the world, Young Euro Classic involves itself with larger political issues. Are there risks in giving the festival a larger political message? Why should the festival have aims other than to showcase the world’s best youth orchestras? Youth orchestras do not exist in an apolitical void. They are part of society and they need to play a part in civil society. If you consider the historical development of orchestral music after the French Revolution, suddenly music was not for the select, noble few, but was written for a much broader range of citizens. Orchestral music has a lot to say to society. Its continued existence depends on social and thus political issues and decisions. As a festival, Young Euro Classic is not primarily political, but it does pay close attention to world events. It tries to take a stand and make a point where it is necessary.

‘Young Euro Classic’ takes place at the Konzerthaus Berlin from 6 to 23 August. Tickets: 16-25€

Art & Culture

AN EXPLORATION OF

GAY GERMANY By Paul Tobin

“I was deeply saddened by the result...I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.” - Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, speaking about the results of the Irish Equality Referendum which gave equal marriage rights to same sex couples in the Republic of Ireland, 2015.

he passage above is just one of many quotes that can be heard in Homosexuality_ies, an exhibition about LGBTQ culture, jointly organized by the Deutsches Historisches Museum and the Schwules Museum Berlin. Cardinal Parolin’s quote is not the longest or most bigoted of the selection. But being only a few weeks old, it is the most recent, driving home the necessity for this exposition of gay culture in light of its repression throughout history. Society has always required the “Other” in order to preserve its own image of power and reputation. Non-conformist genders, sexual identity and sexuality have traditionally been the easiest way to create this Other. For thousands of years, those who did not fit into the binary conception of sexuality, the union of man and woman, were discriminated against, ridiculed and even imprisoned for being different. Homosexuality_ies explores through objects, images and descriptions this repression and criminalisation, while simultaneously showcasing the cultural achievements and grassroots organisations of the LGBTQ community. The exhibition is split into two parts. One deals with the development and history of gay and trans culture, the other explores gender roles and identities through contemporary artists. The co-operation of the two museums has created a thematic, diverse and inclusive exhibition of LGBTQ history in Germany and worldwide. The thematic format adopted breathes life into misunderstood subject, contrasting gay pride movements, AIDS awareness campaigns and positive representations of homosexuality in the media against political repression, social alienation and criminalisation around the world. The range of material is vast for the size of the exhibition. Subjective, personal stories sit

Art & Culture

alongside mementos of symbolic civil rights victories. The smallest object – a baby’s rattle or a salt shaker, mementos from people’s coming out experiences, are contrasted with ceiling high maps which highlight worldwide intolerance and injustice against homosexuals. This wide scope creates a narrative of LGBTQ history and culture that stretches from the individual to the world stage. In one section of the exhibition, there are booths for visitors to sit where disheartening quotes such as that from Cardinal Perolin are played on repeat. The wall opposite is filled with the portraiture work of Zanele Muholi. The thirty-or-so monochrome portraits depict black, lesbian South African women. These portraits hint at the stories behind their subjects, who originate from a country where corrective rape, mutilation and murder are common punishments inflicted on members of the LGBTQ community. The coupling of Muholi’s work and homophobic quotes establish the link between rhetoric and active discrimination it spurs against this Other. Works by other artists like Monica Bonvicini, Andy Warhol, Nicole Eisenman and other artists are also included. The final section deals with the relatively new area of Gender Studies, a discipline attempting to explore and understand gender, sexuality and sexual preference. Its gradual development is laid out, from the “discovery” of Homosexuality in the late 1800s and its diagnosis as a disease in the 1920s, to the realisation

and acceptance of its genetic and social makeup in the 1960s. Homosexuality_ies ends with this on a hopeful note, by showing the ongoing process of understanding and acceptance while pointing towards the positive future developments in the field. A common thread running throughout the exhibition is the presence of related marginalized groups within Germany – ADEFRA for instance, who have been campaigning for black German women’s rights since the 1960s. Domestic violence, racism and anti-Semitism are also featured. The common image of white male homosexuality is challenged here, with many sub-groups of the LGBTQ community represented. Homosexuality_ies highlights and celebrates a community which has been marginalized in science, criminalized in society and ignored in academia. In light of the recent successes in Ireland and the United States, coupled with the debate over gay marriage in Germany today, this exhibition is both important and enlightening. By contrasting the grass roots rights organisations to traditional institutional attitudes to homosexuality, a complex picture emerges of a still evolving community and culture. ‘Homosexuality_ies’ runs from 26 June to 1 December at the Deutsches Historisches Museum and the Schwules Museum. Admission: 8€/4€.

Y P O C N A WE C THING ANY

e rs t r . u a h c a rs hf. W e B U on rs t r . d v e r u a e sch n端b pw a r ge ge e o t h k s e y r rs t r . d Di op e c u a @ n i h o l er rs c inf o pw a 243 B 8 20 h 0 8 s 1 9 y 8 5 p 54 . co tr. 3 www n 030 a u e rs o h f c e l s r Te Wa

Art & Culture

INTERVIEW WITH ISABEL LEWIS

ENGAGE YOUR SENSES By Sasha Prince

ow do we understand ourselves in relation to our world? To help answer this question, performance artist Isabel Lewis is presenting Occasions at Berlin’s international dance festival, Tanz im August. Occasions employs dance, scent, culinary treats, text, music, conversation and uniquely designed scenery to immerse its audience. Samples from pop tunes, hypnotically looped music, and texts from Lewis’s favorite literary works are heard. Meanwhile, Lewis releases scents prepared by Norwegian Smell Researcher Sissel Tolaas according to the vibe of the moment. With the addition of something small to eat and drink, Occasions truly engages all five senses. The result is an affair that lounges between philosophical discussion, performance and soirée. Each performance becomes its own individual creation as Lewis uses her intuition to guide the show. Energy begets energy, and attending an Occasion should be a practice in soulful rejuvenation. What made you decide to incorporate smell into Occasions? We are always using our sense of smell. It is more keen even than our sense of sight. But as a culture we have not developed that much language around it. There is even a lack of vocabulary for articulating our experiences of smell. It has been extremely fascinating to work with Sissel. I began integrating scent from the beginning. I think of them

as a major part of the architecture of the space. I release the scents according to the vibe. There are three different smells that are released during Occasions and I think to myself, ‘which smell do I DJ now.’ How do you balance being totally focused whilst remaining open to the atmosphere during each performance? That is the most difficult task I have created for myself: to be open to the present moment while maintaining the director’s mind so it doesn’t become just a party. I compose live inside a social situation that I have generated but don’t have total control over. Years of experience of working live and being fascinated with what is happening live as with the material has helped me prepare. There are practical things like being well rested before a performance. I also have a 50-page document of preparation for the shows. I review this document before each show and spend time in the performance space to feel at home in it in order to open this home to others. Are you nervous before these performances? It is more like an animal tension. I am relaxed but hyperaware of the surroundings. The direct feedback from the audience members helps keep me focused. It is intense. Afterwards I feel an exhaustion, but also a satisfaction. Why are you aiming to do with Occasions? What inspired you to create them? I am curious about how we can live an integrated, good life in the 21st century. How can I be a healthy participant in a complex network of agents world-wide? In what ways can I generate wellbeing, and experiences of integration as opposed to the segregation of activities? The format of Occasions integrates different interests and puts me into contact with people in a beautiful way. There is a feeling of generosity and relaxation, a certain calm. We currently give the visual dominance over the other senses. But we haven’t always separated the mind and body and given the visual such priority. I think we are ready for something else. That is my challenge in this work: to engage the entire bodily apparatus. What is your goal for the audience? I don’t have a goal for them. That is the danger of interactive theater. I don’t want them to be boxed in to some preconceived notion. I want to address the guests as individuals. The space is generous, relaxing but also engaging. I hope for the space to be intellectually stimulating as well as bodily stimulating in a way that doesn’t usually happen in our culture today. I want to provide the opportunity for everyone to have an experience for themselves. What kind of locations have you chosen for Occasions? After working so many years in the theater, where the restrictions and limitations of the theater were so familiar to me, it was important to me that this work could be

PHOTO by Dominic Packulat

Art & Culture

adaptable. It could happen in a tiny bar, a music venue, a garden, or a museum. I have also been invited to perform Occasions, and then that has determined the type of location. For example, I did one in a 17th-century merchant’s home outside of London. I’ve also performed it at the top of a department store, in a small bar in Barcelona, and a friend’s kitchen here in Berlin. You were living in New York, what made you decide to come to Berlin? I was tired of New York after almost ten years. I was working in the dance context there. I felt like there wasn’t room to keep growing. I wanted my work to come into contact with more kinds of people. I had stopped in Berlin on many occasions. As I got to know the city I wanted to come here. Moving to Berlin gave me the chance to develop the work. I don’t think I would have generated something quite like this had I stayed in New York. Is the slowing down due to you leaving New York, being an expat, or is it specific to Berlin? In being an expat you’re in a situation where you don’t speak the language so everything slows down. It takes longer to get things done. There is a kind of slowing down that happens whenever you move to another country, especially if you don’t speak the language. But it is also escaping the hustle of trying to pay the rent in New York. I was working the whole day and completely filling my schedule, leaving the apartment at 7am and coming home after midnight. I was dedicated to making my living only through artistic projects and I was having an amazing time. But the kind of thinking that brought forth Occasions needed time and a slower rhythm of life. I think that there is something particular about Berlin helped contribute to the development of Occasions. The buzz of consumerism is quieter, my eating habits, spending habits, everything got simpler when I got here. Everything got leaner. There was less going on. I was still in a big city, but slower. It was refreshing. Do you feel there is a difference between American and European audiences? It is difficult to compare, but I do feel that there is more openness and generosity here. I sense that people give more of a direct opinion here as well. In New York I felt that opinions were always clouded by politeness. What are your hopes for the future? I hope that as a culture we can become more humble and develop a better understanding of ourselves and the network that we are a part of. Opening up, becoming receptive, being intuitive, these are different types of knowledge that can be overwhelmed by visual influences. Take care of our surroundings, as a people we can be better if we are more aware of them. There is no separation between humans and the environment. Isabel Lewis will present ‘Occasions’ as part of Tanz im August on 26, 29 August, and 4 September at HAU1 Berlin. Doors open at 19:00 and audience members are welcome to arrive at any time during the performance. Admission is free.

Art & Culture

Today I Fell in Love With a Guitar By Sasha Prince

n this electronic world it can seem hard to find music that isn’t a product of the daily grind. As our lives roll through the busy streets, electricity fueled late nights, blue screen tinted days, and marketing driven music, it is easy to forget that there is a different authenticity that exists underneath. Despite its fascinating history and layers of art and social unrest, it is possible be buried by the weighty commercialism of life in Berlin. So, what can be done? Get back to the roots with music. Why is music important to us? In this case, because it can help each one of us to reconnect with something that lurks, hidden and repressed in all of our beings; something that helps balance the crescendoing furor of promotionalism that roars through the days. Nestled in a souterraine off of Nollendorfplatz is a store called Berlin Guitars. Owned by American Leonard Lott, it boasts a beautiful collection of guitars. Leonard moved to Europe in the late 1960s. He rubbed elbows with the likes of David Bowie, Jim Morrison and the Beatles. His love of music is palpable, but even more than that, his realness and devotion to the art establishes the atmosphere of the store. Berlin Guitars specializes in boutique guitars for any style of music as well as repairs and even hand makes custom ordered electric guitars. Berlin Guitars is the world’s largest dealer of Alhambra guitars. When speaking of these treasures, Leonard’s eyes light up and you feel the magic of their potential music. Made in Spain, Alhambra guitars are one of the best guitars in the world. The top price for an Alhambra guitar is about 3000 euros, but for 1000 euros the guitar you would get would be fantastic. Anyone can find a guitar to fill their dreams at Berlin Guitars. He carries brands such as the high quality and affordably priced Thai Veellah, as well as Cort, Faith, Silvertone, Beaumont, JN and more. He also carries used guitars of all varieties. As a young girl and her parents enter the store he turns his attention to them. She wants to learn how to play guitar, and no, she has not done so before. At fourteen years old, her unbridled dreams swirling in her head, she knows what she wants. The family doesn’t want to spend too much. Leonard selects a Veelah and strums a chord progression for her. The family’s faces shine. As Leonard plays, the basement store is filled with notes springing from his fingers. Leaping through the store, the notes soar between the hundreds of guitars that line the shop. The tone is perfect. Then, mercilessly,

Art & Culture he selects another guitar. He begins to strum and the sound is equally delicious but different. Darker somehow, the girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face glows brighter. He plays about five guitars for the family; each one reasonably priced, producing glorious and distinct sounds. In the back of the shop are a father and son. They are making an educated study of the more pricey guitars. With a clear goal, they are sampling the guitars and quietly discussing the merits of each one. The phone is ringing; another customer approaches with a repair. Leonard changes the strings with the fluid motions of a professional. He checks the tuning of the freshly strung guitar, finding the electric tuner unnecessary for his experienced ear. The store is bustling. Berlin Guitars hosts 20 concerts a year. The performers are all singer-songwriters performing Americana music. They come from all over the word, handpicked by Leonard from 800 to 1000 requests. Sold

out well in advance, the concerts are a chance to have a drink, enjoy the music, and forget about the bustle of the modern world. They are the opportunity for us to benefit from the ambience of Leonardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love of music. For all those guitar players in Berlin, you are lucky; you have an excuse to go to Berlin Guitars and soak up the mood. If you are not a guitar player, but would like to be, Berlin Guitars also offers private lessons. Leonard has a host of teachers prepared to take on students of all kinds. You too can indulge those dreams of being a rock star. So today I fell in love with a guitar, or maybe with many of them. Adorning the walls of Berlin Guitars, each one is unique; the curves and the mother of pearl, the stings and the colors. The beauty of these guitars is unmatched.

Berlin Guitars is located at MotzstraĂ&#x;e 9, 10777 Berlin. Phone: 030 23630637 Web: Berlin-guitars.com

Berlin Logs

An Expat Success Story

MAKING IT By Sarah Coughlan

PHOTOS: DIEM LOOKBOOK

rom its chic premises in the Forum shopping centre in west Steglitz, you’d be forgiven for thinking that The Ave is another identi-kit ‘curated’ shopping experience, the kind that would thrive in London (if only you could afford the retail space), but is something of an anomaly in Berlin. The truth however, is something much more interesting. The Ave is the brainchild of Rayan Mark Simpson, a former army man from the US who set up shop in Berlin after moving here to study in 2011, and threads together fashion, culture and the expat struggle. A keen observer of the fashion business, Simpson was in touch with several fashion startups in New York before he decided to start a small designer T-shirt

business, The Ave. He began the business from his apartment in Berlin by selling online at The-Ave.de. Having served in the US army for four years between 2002 and 2006, and spending a good chunk of that time based in Ansbach, Germany on the Katterbach base, Simpson had already got the flavor of Germany long before The Ave. During that time Simpson had served in Iraq and Kosovo, but when we caught up with him he was keen to steer the conversation onto his real passion: his clothes. The idea for The Ave came to Berlin by way of Brooklyn. Simpson’s friend Mike is the owner of the DIEM (DOES IT EVEN MATTER) brand and Simpson visited the store in New York in 2012. He saw the

Berlin Logs

opportunity to bring the distinctly US-feel of DIEM clothes to the European market. He had been enjoying success with his designer T-shirts and was starting to wonder if there was room to expand. He asked Mike for the exclusive rights to sell the line in Europe. He then opened his first store in Ansbach and his second in Berlin on 24th July this year. He also relaunched his website The-Ave.de this year to meet the latest fashion trends. For Simpson the idea was straightforward: couple DIEM-branded goods with this own designer T-shirts and sell them to German consumers.

“

I grew up with the founder in Brooklyn Flatbush, and when l saw what he was doing l asked if it would be OK if I try and bring DIEM to Germany because l saw there was a big hip hop culture here in Berlin. I felt sure that people here would relate to the brand. What started from an apartment in Spandau selling T-shirts online, is slowly morphing into an international business. “We only had ten T-shirts when we started business. Now l’m the exclusive wholesale distributor for Germany, working on absolute rights for all Europe.” Of course, fashion in Berlin is anything but homogenous, the scene is exciting, multicultural, and unwieldy. Berlin, just like its people, is diverse; naturally there’s room for hip hop influenced clothing too. So the burning question we had at Berlin Logs is: “are Berliners different to Americans when it comes to fashion?”

“

Yes and no, the problem here is that everyone wants what Americans are wearing but styles change like the seasons. Meaning it takes one to two years for a brand that’s popular today in America to come to Germany. So the fashion sense is not different, just the timing of the fashion trend is a little off. While not entirely convinced that Berliners are lining up simply to deck themselves out in US fashions, there’s no arguing with success, and Simpson has had success by the bucketload. Not that it has all come easily. In the early days Simpson reports that he struggled with the normal ups and downs of business life and the difficulty of reaching his target audience. His other problem is more typically Berlinish – the problem of working with people in a city that’s constantly in transit. But as his store in Steglitz enjoyed its grand opening in July, Simpson can look back with satisfaction: an expat that conquered the unconquerable. An expat that made it in Berlin.

Berlin Logs

Why Bikes Rule The Road in Berliner Summer By Liam McGuckin With sporadic periods of searing heat and an ongoing battle as the light fights its way further into every evening, we have finally hit the long awaited summer. So as we allow ourselves to venture further than the local Späti, it is now the time to explore this wonderful and dynamic city. But while commuting through Berlin under the banner of blue skies, here are some of the reasons we should be choosing our two-wheeled friends over any other mode of transport. If we take it from our own self-interests then any which way you view it cycling is the healthy option. While actively avoiding the gym because of the heat and making umpteen excuses for dodging yoga class, we should at least make our mode of transport something that is physically engaging. Obviously this can be achieved by jogging through the city, but if you are like me this will cap you to a distance just shy of 2km. The humble bike, however, will allow us to reach many of the parks, lakes and pools that would otherwise be regarded as a pilgrimage by foot. So with the wind in your hair, a light burning sensation in your thighs and a veneer of sweat across your brow, cycle around Berlin and feel good about the only exercise you are getting these days. When cycling to either the local market or the nearest bar it is hard to quibble about the practicality of the bicycle. Despite having great public transport links here in Berlin, short distances are generally covered both more quickly and for free on your two-wheeled steed. Almost all journeys will see you come into contact with the city’s cycle lanes, which trace neatly alongside most roads. Here you’ll find added safety and acts of camaraderie between cyclists. And with almost no elevation anywhere in the city the only thing you must look out for are the cobblestone roads. They not only slow your pace significantly, but the vibrations sent coursing through the wheels are enough to shake the dandruff from your head.

“

Commuting through Berlin, here are some of the reasons we should be choosing our two-wheeled friends over any other mode of transport.

Now the more frequently you find yourself on your trusted bicycle the more likely you are to discover little problems with it. Undoubtedly, you can’t avoid those cobblestone roads forever. The vibrations help to aid the loosening of screws and nuts, and parks smattered with broken glass are enough to send you limping away with a flat tire. So see this as an opportunity to maintain and fix your bike. Provided the problem doesn’t involve the bicycle gears, most things are extremely simple to adjust and tighten with a mere spanner and Allen key. I recently decided to strip my old and tired bike back to its very bones. I wanted to give it a fresh coat of paint, new grease and some minor adjustments; a task I somewhat underestimated. I spent far too many of our precious summer weeks staring at bike parts that were strewn across my apartment like disused toys. Yet after completion I knew the bike’s most intricate workings. Its slack chain, its off kilter front wheel, just some of the small idiosyncrasies that I’d be living with as I had no clue how to fix them. However it has been a valuable lesson, one that has given me the confidence to face any future problem that may arise with the bike. Yet there is a reason that is perhaps far more important than practicality or learning to maintain something you own. It is as important as our own health, and that is the health of our environment. So as European Union continues to push towards targets set for 2020, German leaders flounder over the closure of brown coal plants, and the Australian PM (Tony Abbot) on the other side of the planet seems to remain completely unaware of the significance of climate change altogether, we ourselves can do something. Even if it seems somewhat inconsequential, small steps like opting to ride your bicycle, opposed to taking the car or public transport, are steps in the right direction. So maximise journeys spent on the back of your bicycle and enjoy the green lush city we live in.

Berlin Logs

Introducing

HERDING CATS By Karmijn Simons

Herding Cats is a new regular feature for the print issue of Berlin Logs - a comic strip detailing the peculiarly Berlin trials, tribulations and mishaps that we all, at some point, fall foul of. Fittingly for its first outing, Herding Cats looks at the horror of Burgeramt appointments - everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first step towards calling Berlin home... Eventually. If you have an idea that you think would work for Herding Cats, email us at info@berlinlogs.com.

Fashion & Style

BERLIN FASHION WEEK S/S 2016 By Holly Amber

With this summer still in full swing it’s hard to look ahead to next year, however Berlin Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 16 collections have already hit catwalks and fashion fairs in more than 50 locations across Berlin. Last month the city was taken over by international designers for five jam-packed days of style. Visitors, contending with the temperamental and indecisive clammy weather, strutted the Straßen from one end of Berlin to the other in hope of either being papped or making that style defining purchase. Both new and old faces of the fashion world vied for the attention of buyers, sellers, marketers and fashionistas while exhibiting their new summer collections. Returning to Berlin this summer after it’s brief discontinuation, Bread and Butter fashion fair was back home in Templehof airport. The fair travelled from Cologne, to Berlin, to Barcelona and back again to Berlin, but boy are we glad it’s back. The fair showcased the best of urban- and street-wear for SS16 from over 300 international designers. With Berlin’s street style becoming more relaxed – the desired effect being to ensure studied styles look effortless and spontaneous – Fashion Week designers infiltrated Berlin to spice things up by introducing experimental pieces to add to our wardrobes, as well as inspiring the audiences to be more eco-friendly with their clothes. Aside from the better known designers of the moment; Austrian-French fashion designer Marina Hoermanseder with her belted and strapped leather skirts and bags in all tones of the spring colour chart and Berlin’s own Ewa Herzog with her sophisticated

and elegant occasion gowns and Bobby Kolade, who showed more block coloured pop pieces in his SS16 collection than ever before, more under-the-radar breakthrough talent was found outside the excusive Mercedes-Benz area at Brandenburger Tor in various showrooms and runways across Berlin. Berlin Logs investigates those unacknowledged highlights and what’s hot next season.

PREMIUM Fashion Leading international fashion trade fair PREMIUM ran throughout the week holding over 1500 high fashion collections in STATION-Berlin’s various halls. Womenswear, menswear, denim, accessories and shoes were just a few categories along the fashion spectrum that were exhibited in the bi-annual show. Global trends from premium brands around the world were brought to Berlin to be praised, critiqued and mental noted by buyers, retailers and press. By not opening the trade show to the general public, the fashion elite had over 23,000sq/m of exhibition space to leisurely trawl through before placing their orders, weighing up the competition and keeping up to date with each new season. PREMIUM’s motto of quantity over quality echoed right through the station with brands like Drykorn showcasing suede and leather textures and hues in grey and beige in their collection. Creating a monochrome haven, the Dissonance Area became a hipster’s paradise as guests walked through the showroom of 25 in-trend designers. Matt and Nat’s bags revamped the satchel and clutch classics in

midnight black soft leathers. With oversized sunnies creating dodgy facial tan lines this summer, it’s essential to keep your face tone even. JACKS beauty department showed fashion week visitors the importance of a good brush. With an extensive range of multi-purpose brushes, the Berlin-based brand displayed their products to makeup applying novices outside the PREMIUM café. It’s hard to resist a sale when each individually hand marbled piece keeps catching your eye.

Green is the new black Continuing the theme from January, The Ethical Fashion Show and Green Showroom presented progressive streetwear, an urban zeitgeist with a clear focus on design and sustainability. The show brought together top players from the eco-fair fashion world in Berlin’s Postbahnhof. How many of us actually know where our clothes originate? Chances are you don’t know. Talks by Stefan Siegel, founder of Not Just A Label and WellMade, aimed to communicate and inspire the ideas of green fashion to young people to think critically about the costs of fast fashion. The main problem with fast fashion seemed to be changing the value of an item. The story of a garment starts on the catwalk, then is seen on celebrities or

at parties and then coveted by the masses, perhaps unaware of its value. This isn’t helped by the luxury brands spending more money on marketing campaigns than on the promotion of fair fashion. Although, interestingly the recession worked in favour of ethical fashion, seeking value for money seemed to rid the fashion industry of its ugly parts. Those forward thinking smaller fashion companies with an aim to collaborate with more established designers, retailers and buyers end up creating a kind of mutualism. This in turn has the effect of establishing a more refined customer group and improving the relationship with the supplier. Unfortunately, ‘sustainable’ has become something of an ugly word when used in the context of fashion. Vegan fashion very often evokes visions of home tie-dye and shrink-in-the-wash frumpy knitted cardigans. Admittedly there was some of the latter in the showroom (which is perhaps why the trend hasn’t fully caught on yet) however; July’s Fashion Week exhibited some standout vegan dedicated talent in their eco fashion tradeshows. Chilean fashion brand Zurita showcased locally handweaved garments in which the heritage value of the production process is recognized as a luxury. The brand challenges the ongoing argument that it is just too expensive to produce slow fashion by individually

Fashion & Style

spinning each piece to create zero energy emissions. Their naturally dyed pastel colors and emphasis on experimenting with different natural fabrics such as wool, linen and silk, which is produced with fewer pesticides, make the garments elegant and chic. Amazona Secrets also garnered attention with their organic Brazilian jewellery that originates from natural raw materials such as quinoa leaves, seeds, stones and chilies all dried and painted in gold. The delicate oneoff pieces add class to evening attire. G&A Organic Underwear were also out in force – a brand that aims to make you feel guilt free from the inside out. The brand aims to make customers aware of the dangers of the world’s insecticide use on cotton crops. The exposure can be detrimental to those exposed to the chemicals; therefore G&A, along with the other green fashion exhibitors, aim to help working conditions inside and outside the factories. Fashion really can come at a cost, but with support from Berlin Fashion Week and help from designers like these three this can change.

Trends on the Rise 1. Seventies revival! Ruling the runway, the palazzo pants are this season’s hottest new look. Ignore their bad reputation; the wide-leg shaping and floor-length style is surprisingly very flattering. Release your inner boho and team them with a simple cami and open toe shoe. Great affordable patterned or plain versions can be found in Zara high street stores. 2. Denim, Denim and more Denim please. Denim never

completely goes out of fashion; it just hibernates now and then. In that morning panic simply layer with on trend colours; burnt orange for A/W or a subtle lilac for S/S. Dutch denim brand Mud Jeans promote the circle of life concept in their store. Return your tatty frayed Mud Jeans to them and receive a shiny new recycled pair in return. Is that the word ‘Upcycling’ we can hear again? 3. As sandal weather is still upon us, the mule is a signature shoe you will want to slip in to this season. Making their youthful comeback, mules, along with bulky sandals, complete an outfit. Please, though, invest in a pumice scrub and pedicure to get your feet mule-ready. For that perfect pair check out Italian brand Janet and Janet, a Berlin Fashion Week exhibitor, who sells stylish day and night open-footwear. If you’re feeling slightly more daring get yourself the animal print ones from the new SS16 collection. 4. The striped shirt is a wardrobe must have. A staple that is not going anywhere any time soon. It’s versatility of style make it a classic piece all year round. Berlin based fashion store Amorph showed off their SS16 shirt collection at Fashion Week; the light blue and white piece being a particular highlight. 5. Architectural jewellery – think minimalistic, geometric shapes sculptured into wearable charms. This may all sound slightly too mechanical for something that is supposed to be dainty body décor, but the sustainable pieces make for unique additions to a simple outfit. Statement accessories are the way forward this season.

Fashion & Style

INSPIRED BY ME LOVING YOU Chitchat with always different Johny Dar By Holly Amber Always one step ahead, USA born Johny Dar (known previously for his all over body painting and floor-length wigs on the catwalk) continued his fascination of the female form and returned to the runway for his second Berlin Summer Fashion Week S/S collection. Launching his first fashion label in 1999, Johny Wonder, Dar creates timeless pieces that flatter the womanly figure. Intricately hand printing every piece in the collection, as well as composing and mixing his accompanying music, his shows are a fusion of his seemingly endless talents. I managed to briefly catch this one-man band after his show on the Friday, to see what he had to say about his new collection and hear his thoughts on authentic Berlin street fashion, before he jetted off to his Beijing exhibition. Where did the inspiration for your SS16 ‘inspired by me loving you’ collection come from? The desire was to show the different layers of the female body; the parts that are usually expressed in the media but are not usually accepted in society. The sensual parts. Mainly, I truly wanted to give that power back to the woman, to adorn her own sexuality and not be judged for doing so. I wanted to change the audience’s perception of themselves and their relationship to the world around them. What are your favourite materials to work with? I use futuristic leather ‘armour’ pieces and luxurious silk and satin dresses. I like to use fabrics that express the woman’s personality; whether that is the soft side of her or the more edgy side. All sides of a woman are beautiful. Describe typical Berlin fashion… I don’t fit into Berlin fashion. Well I don’t fit in anywhere. Fashion in Berlin is a tough one because it really presents the German practically. Keeping it practical doesn’t allow for creativity. Of course, international influences in Berlin have played a part in Berlin’s fashion industry but I still find their [Berliners] style quite repetitive. It kills inspiration. It had an edge some time ago but I am not inspired by it anymore. They need to experiment more. Why did you come to Berlin to work? Because it is not defined, the big players haven’t settled in yet. There is still room to make your mark here. Dar felt like his creativity wasn’t being pushed hard enough solely focusing on fashion so he now exhibits artwork and installations in his gallery on Friedrichstraße to entwine his arts and nurture both passions. His unique creations express the body’s movements with a seductive sense of glamour. With plans to do both AW collections and menswear in the near future, he is one to watch.

Startup

FIVE STARTUPS IN THREE YEARS:

WHY I’M DONE WORKING FOR BERLIN STARTUPS By Hayley Pearce

here’s nothing new about the information that Berlin startups are home to low pay and long hours. This is the kind of thing you know about from day one; it’s in the contract. Actually, I have made a comfortable income working for startups – as well as a very pitiful €500 a month at one point. Three and a half years ago, I moved from the UK to Berlin for my first internship with a startup. I’ve spent my time in Berlin hopping from one thing to the next, working in marketing, social media and copywriting positions. Three and a half years and five startups later, here’s what I’ve learnt.

Your job is rarely secure When you work in a startup, you’ll want to get used to the idea that finances, funding and profits are thin on the ground. I worked at that first startup for six months, I completed the six-month internship period and I was let go.

I half expected this, as I’d seen a round of redundancies of full-time employees. None of them saw it coming, and they were upset. At two more startups, I have also witnessed and been subject to large-scale cuts. It’s a very real part of working for a startup. “We’re all disposable in the eyes of the company,” says Dan*, an employee at one of the ventures of a major startup incubator. “We are treated like trash.” It’s not like that at all startups, but it’s very common. Don’t take your job for granted. If you like it and want to keep hold of it, show you’re keen and work hard. Complacency isn’t really an option. But…

Don’t pour too much into it Sometimes, there’s nothing that can be done to avoid being laid off. You can spend 11-hour

Startup

“

We’re all disposable in the eyes of the company, says Dan, an employee at one of the ventures of a major startup incubator. We are treated like trash.

days in the office working for a startup. There is always something to be done, always pressure to stay late when a deadline is approaching. It’s often stressful too, when the company’s focus, goals or projects change. Devote too much time and emotion into it, and you’re setting yourself up for a fall.

him.”

I worked at the second startup for over a year, at which point there was a mass firing of 26 people. It happened again with another startup I worked for. It was important for me to realise that it’s just a job. A means to make money, a way to meet new people and gain experience. Nothing more.

Between startup jobs, I had a spell of travelling for three months, one period of interning for a magazine and a few periods of full time freelancing. This confirmed to me that startups were not my thing.

“I dedicated hours of my life, missed friends’ birthdays and cut my holiday short for this job,” says Tash*, who was let go at the same time as me. “And what for?” Live and breathe the startup world if that’s your bag, but take your holidays and enjoy them. Leave the office at 6pm some days. Live your life.

You’ll be scared to complain Owing to poor job security and communication in startups, when something is going wrong it can be really hard to speak out about it. One startup I worked at was rife with sexism. Winks, unwelcome, suggestive comments and condescension were common and there was nothing you could do about it. The issue was raised once, and ignored. For fear of being branded a troublemaker, no one else dared complain. “It felt like a boys’ club sometimes,” says my ex-colleague, Katelyn*. “Yes, we were able to have a big impact in your day-to-day work, but when it came to reporting lewd comments from a team leader, you could forget about it. They said they would sort it out, but it carried on. They should have fired

Be brave, bold and find new ways to tackle an issue, even if that means finding a new job.

You have to know what you want

“Startups are more agile and can react to market changes more quickly than big companies,” says Nick, who works for a mobile advertising startup. “It’s easier to have your idea heard, progress within the company and diversify your skills due to fluid job roles. Having said that, you should only join one if you believe in the idea. There’s not so much financial stability, and the working hours are longer than a 9 to 6 deal. You’ve got to be forceful and know what you want from a career, or you can end up specialising in nothing.” Be honest with yourself about what you really want. If that’s living in Berlin and working in a comfortable but uninspiring job, or high pressure job in something you care about, all power to you. It’s impossible to find the perfect startup, but maybe it’s impossible to find the perfect job unless you carve it out for yourself. For me, I got bored of menial tasks, a lack of direction, low pay and lack of opportunity, lack of a voice, an uninspiring work environment, and poor communication. Today you’ll find me working behind a bar, writing in a cafe and enjoying the Berlin summer. *indicate that names have been changed to protect identities.

Social

SOCIAL GARDENS AS DRIVERS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE By Diana Calvino

ocial change can start right in your garden, or in your fridge. This is the idea underpinning the event “Social Gardens as Drivers for Social Change”, which took place in Prinzessinengarten, Kreuzberg, on Wednesday 24th June. Edie Mukiibi, (10,000 Gardens in Africa, Slow Food International) was coming to Berlin from Uganda, and this seemed like a good opportunity to gather associations and activists with different projects concerning food and give them the chance to present themselves. Julia Bar-Tal and Rasha Qass Yousef (The 15th Garden), Svenja Nette (Prinzessinengarten), Paula Gioia (Nyéléni, la Via Campesina), Alina Seifert and Johanna Kube (Über den Tellerrand) also took part in this event. Steffen Kühne (Rosa-LuxemburgStiftung) was the moderator. This meeting made clear how our freedom is deeply connected to food. Because, easy as it can be, without food we can’t survive. This means, at a political level, that starvation is a weapon which can lead people to submission; and economically, that the food market is a coveted one. We are talking mainly about Africa and the Middle East, but first of all history can provide us with many examples of regular attacks on local agriculture during various wars in different places, whether to make the population submit, or to take over the local markets, or both: Julia underlines that the same approach was adopted in Iraq, where the local agriculture was destroyed (the US bombed the seed banks) and where patenting and GMO were forced onto farmers. This is now being adopted in Syria and Afghanistan, taking over local markets; secondly, our rich western food system is based on a substantial difference between people who can afford “better food” and people who are bound to buy junk food thus supporting farmers’ exploitation in a dangerous spiral: everything is somehow connected, as the same companies which are grabbing land are exploiting farmers and the aim of all the projects who met that day was to fight against this system. A fight that starts with food sovereignty, a concept regarding a sustainable, long-term process in order to put ownership of food systems into the hands

of the communities. This means that communities should be able to manage the food system without being dependent on external sources for seeds and to tailor it according to their own social, cultural and political situation and, obviously, to their needs. This is what 10000 Gardens and the 15th Garden are trying to do, in Africa and Syria respectively, obviously in different circumstances and ways. The aim of 10,000 Gardens in Africa, a project launched in 2010 and widespread throughout the continent, is to declare food independence from corporations – as Africa is now very dependent on corporations for food but can widely feed itself – to protect biodiversity and to establish a meeting point which Africa lacked for so long, creating connections in order to exchange knowledge, ideas and revive agricultural traditions. Furthermore, it is a way to realize that people have the power to change things if they get organized. A similar project is running in Syria; it is named the 15th Garden, as it takes its inspiration from the Syrian revolution on the 15th March, 2011. The aims are connecting people, fighting starvation, and especially fighting starvation as a weapon used by regimes to terrorize people. The NGOs help out with food baskets, but unfortunately this leads to people being dependent on this help, which can be cut by the regime, while the gardening projects, even if they are sometimes attacked by the regime, are a way to produce and share food within the community, guaranteeing a certain amount of food, even if it’s not enough yet; defending food

“

Social change can start right in your garden, or in your fridge. This is the idea underpinning the event, Social Gardens as Drivers for Social Change.

Social

sovereignty at times of war is one of the greatest mechanisms of defence to keep a society sovereign also on a political level. Furthermore, it is a way to is organize life at all levels, from medical care to schooling and a network connected to the outside world as, for example, this project is also supported by schools in Greece who produce seeds for Syria. Now let’s come back to Berlin. Of course there is no war here, but as I said before there are the same mechanisms of industrial food, poverty and farmer’s exploitation. Julia herself is a farmer, and explains that even here in northern Europe, this is a job where both salaries and work conditions are really challenging. Fewer and fewer people want to become farmers, even if there is a countermovement of people moving to the country to live in a more alternative way. For these people, and for everyone interested in sustainable agriculture, La Via Campesina (part of the Nyéléni movement) is supporting Agro-ecological schools, which didn’t exist before in Europe. So, on one hand, it would be useful to grow our own food (or some of it) to loosen the chains of dependence on big companies and therefore to help fight the same fight conducted by 10,000 Gardens in Africa and the 15th Garden. The urban gardens are multicultural places where people can share experiences, knowledge, help each other and understand what is beneath the food we eat everyday.

On the other hand, as simple consumers, we can first of all start to pay more attention to what we buy. (Where does our food come from? When and where does it grow? Who are our producers?) and secondly, we can help farmers, for example, through the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture or in German Solidarische Landwirtschaft), where a group of consumers make deals directly with the farmer, in order to grant a certain stability to the latter; this could be done by buying products from this farmer at a certain price for a whole year, or in other ways so as to meet both the needs of the producer and the consumer, and to build a network of farmers to support and protect them, as this is our last chance for food sovereignty. As a conscious consumer I always try to pay attention to what I buy, to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, and to keep an eye on the companies I am buying from, as I know that making conscious choices is important in trying to avoid exploitation of both farmers and the environment. But what was new for me in this meeting, something I’d never thought about, is how food is so essential to everybody’s freedom, also for my freedom here in Berlin, and how there can’t be democracy or freedom when companies or regimes can threaten you with starvation; how this could happen everywhere and is actually already happening. How talking about political freedom is meaningless if our liberty can be so easily destroyed by our powerless dependence. And how sometimes home economics can be a political means even more effective than a vote.

Berlin Logs

WISDOM IS ALWAYS

SIMPLE AND SO IS A GREAT

DESIGN We make awesome websites www.naxaf.com 030 982 942 02 info@naxaf.com

Berlin Logs

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL:

Five Facts You Should Know

By Alice Higgins

f all the memorials in Berlin, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is the most renown. Situated right in the centre of town, it is clearly visible from the glass dome of the Reichstag and just a stone’s throw away from Brandenburger Tor. These neighbouring and famous historical sights make for the perfect tourist route. And the worst kept secret in Berlin.

IS THE NUMBER OF CONCRETE STONES SYMBOLIC? In total there are 2711 concrete slabs, known as ‘stelae’ but there is absolutely no significance behind this number at all. It was simply a question of how many stelae could fit in the allotted area. Despite what you may have heard, there is no correlation between the number of tomb-like stones and the 6 million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

DOES SOMEBODY HAVE TO CLEAN AND RID THE MEMORIAL OF GRAFFITI? Unlike the rest of Berlin, this memorial is graffiti free and will remain that way. A hot topic of debate, each stele has been protected with anti-graffiti spray. This resistant chemical coating was produced by a company named Degussa, who once owned ‘Degesch’. It soon emerged however, that this subsidiary had been directly involved in the production of Zyklon B, a chemical used for poisoning in gas chambers. Excluding every company once associated with Nazi Germany was deemed impossible and hence the partnership with Degussa continued, despite extreme controversy.

ARE ANY TWO SLABS IDENTICAL?

The 4.7 acre space is certainly large enough to comfortably host the grid like arrangement of imposing stelae. An undulating concrete maze awaits you and your interpretation.

Every stone stands at a varied angle and slightly askew. Each rectangular block is unique. Their measurements are equal however. Each one is 2.38m long and 0.95m wide. These claustrophobic and sobering grey maze walls soon surround you as you follow a narrow path way of choice. Especially eerie in the dark, you are welcome to interact with this memorial when and where you please.

WHO DESIGNED THE MEMORIAL?

WHY IS THE MEMORIAL JUST FOR JEWS?

The fate of the memorial’s design stems from a competition in 1994. However, unsatisfied with the first winning draft, Chancellor Helmut Kohl took matters into his own hands and called for a second competition.

This is one question which has often been raised and used as criticism against the memorial. As a result, other memorials have since been erected in Berlin. These too are also solely dedicated to one group of victims. Not long ago in fact, the memorial to Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism was opened around the corner from the Jewish memorial in 2012.

It was in this round that the American Peter Eisenman was selected. After much collaboration and a downscaling, a memorial design was settled upon alongside the ‘Place of Information.’ The memorial finally opened on the 12th May 2005, 60 years after the end of World War 2.

For more information, visit the ‘Place of Information’ which is underground in the southeast corner of the memorial and free of charge. Time your visit wisely to avoid queuing for hours as it is well worth it.

Night Life

Wedding Slam Poetry Contests at PANKE By Guido Mori

here’s a pair of really common mantras you’ll keep running into if you live in Berlin: the post-gentrification “Everything was better before” refrain, followed closely by the complaint that “there’s just no way to meet Germans and learn some language in this town when the bars are only full of tourists.” As to the former, we all know that when in the beginning our planet Earth was just a pile of molten lava, everyone was fine. And then regarding the latter, we’ve got a solution for you: the Wedding Poetry Slam. For those of you who don’t already know, a poetry slam is defined as “a competition at which poets read or recite original work”— thanks, Wikipedia. The Wedding Slam is held every Thursday at the PANKE, a space for creative people located right next to the Wedding S-Bahn. Situated among the remains of a former industrial complex which now includes ateliers, restaurants and a gym—if this place had legs, it would be a walking stereotype. Don’t be fooled by the English-sounding name. This weekly gettogether is done entirely in German. If you want to stretch your Deutschkenntnisse to the max, or if you’re looking to cleanse your ears of the screaming of the masses escaped from the former commonwealth—this is the place for you. However, if you’re just looking for a drink—go to a Späti instead, because it’s cheaper that way. These guys offer not only the stage for the poetry, but also maintain two MCs who share the job of opening the games and judging the public’s reactions (winner are decreed by acclaim), as well as setting up each contestant group. Anyone can join and go on stage, provided they have written what they want to read aloud. I say read, because it’s not only poetry but also prose which find a place here. And it’s good. The night I went, many of the competitors had already had some books published in the German market, so it’s not always a case of Absolute Beginners vs. the World. At the same time, no one shall be cast away. Everyone has the same opportunity, and the audience is quite friendly. Winner takes all: prizes (usually of liquid and drinkable variety) and glory. Be warned: if you’re in the audience, be ready for a stern language improvement; and if you’re going on stage, be sure to have a degree in German studies or at least six month of experience

Night Life in a German warehouse, provided that the common language there isn’t Turkish. It’s the globalization, and we’re right in the middle of it. The PANKE, which opened four years ago, has been partnered with the Poetry Slam for a little over a year, and also hosts a variety of programs, as well as an art exhibition. The venue includes a bar, a DJ set, a bistro with food, and a garden. Additionally, Wedding Slam has a number exciting events planned for the summer in different locations. In the past these have included creative competitions such as a Berlin vs. Hamburg verbal duel. You can keep in the know about their upcoming calendar by following Wedding Slam on Facebook. If you’re up for a change of scene and you really want to understand what words like Freundschaftsbezeigungen mean, take yourself down to Gerichtstraße 23, Hof (courtyard) #5. It’s also a nice opportunity to get better acquainted with Wedding, an often under-appreciated Berlin neighborhood.

Night Life

LIVE MUSIC FIVE CUTTING-EDGE VENUES IN BERLIN By Berlin Disaster

1. Sameheads | Neukölln Tucked away off Karl-Marx-Straße in Neukölln, Sameheads is decorated and furnished in a way that is guaranteed to make you look twice. Home to a fashion shop by day, it hosts unforgettable events at night. Their program ranges from documentary screenings to live music and parties celebrating unconventional electronic music. Be on the lookout for the Andras & Oscar concert happening there in September! We also have to mention that Sameheads scores bonus points for its amazingly quirky and retro-futuristic website. website: www.sameheads.com

2. Chesters Club | Kreuzberg Chesters is where some of the first Janus parties took place—the last one was hosted at Berghain, mind you—which is definitely proof of the daring and uncompromising quality of their programming choices. Their sound system was made to celebrate bass and to put it back on its pedestal, which makes it the perfect place to enjoy both future-oriented trap music and tightly-calibrated hiphop. Past events include Night Slugs parties and The Sound of Tomorrow by the oh-so-cool creative minds behind Soulection. website: www.chesters-live.de

3. Privatclub | Kreuzberg Located in a former post office on Skalitzer Straße, Privatclub looks more polished than many of its Kreuzkölln counterparts. However, do not be fooled by appearances, because this place will serve you the hottest acts in town. Make this place a must-visit if guitars rock your world, and expect a blend of everything indie. Concerts are held almost daily, and they have soul and 90s hip hop parties on weekends. website: www.privatclub-berlin.de

4. loophole | Neukölln Loophole is dedicated to celebrating the weird and wonderful. They were the ones to host the closing party of sex-positive collective COVEN BERLIN’s “I’D RATHER BE A GODDESS THAN A CYBORG” festival, which is a good indicator of their curation policy. Live music is played every Thursday, with acts ranging from quirky pop to the strangest experimental sounds. Give loophole a try if you’re down for a true underground experience, and get ready to have your mind blown.

Night Life

MOMENT IN A SONG: BERLIN’S UNSUNG INDIE SCENE By Eileen Carelock I came to Berlin for electronic music, and I haven’t been disappointed. Let me say that first. However, I also appreciate not everybody is into techno, and it can be a bit of a culture shock if you’re used to a more in-your-face local indie scene. Berlin doesn’t have much of a hey-it’s-Friday-night-let’sgo-see-a-band culture, not like there is, say, in the States—when I was living in Seattle it seemed like if you yourself weren’t in a band (whether presently, formerly, or longingly), you were one or two degrees removed from someone who was. Well, if everyone in Seattle is in a band, then everyone in Berlin is a DJ. I’m only half-joking. Come the weekend, when a profusion of club nights, open-airs, festivals, raves, and parties routinely replaces the circadian rhythms of party-goers with four-on-thefloor bass drum hits … it can make the live band circuit feel a bit like a foreign import, like something brought in by sensitive guitar-toting expats to console themselves during those long, bleak techno winters— or so my non-techno-loving friends would have me believe. When it comes to live shows, a lot of people think about the more prominent concert venues. This means touring bands: bigger names and higher prices. It’s a pre-planned affair. I’ll admit it, I belong to this demographic, whereas number of local indie shows I’ve been to: zero. Chalk it up to too many other options. Meanwhile little local stuff is surely unfolding all over the city on the regular. It’s just a matter of paying attention, not always my strong suit. More than once I’ve noted a band somewhere in passing, paused outside to appreciate—that’s not half bad—and kept on walking because I had Klubnacht on the brain.

5. Acud Macht Neu | Mitte Acud Macht Neu is the place to go when you want to forget about the Berlin weather and enjoy sunny music from Latin America and other dreamingly exotic regions. They place the emphasis on celebrating all cultures and their open-mindedness is a refreshing blessing. The space also includes a theater, a gallery, two cinemas and a club, all of which provide high-quality events. Pay these obstinate culturedefenders a visit if you haven’t already!

There’s actually a group that rehearses in my building sometimes. Quiet guitar strumming and a forlorn-butfolky vocal harmony fills the shared courtyard. Wistful German syllables float in through opened windows to pluck a tender heartstring before dissolving abruptly in a cutoff to discuss phrasing. Meanwhile I’m standing in my kitchen with a jar of Nutella in one hand and a spoon in the other, inexplicably compelled to wonder, what am I really doing with my life—well played, Neighbor Band, inspiring me to existential quandary … It gets me to thinking about the indie scene here in Berlin, about that unexpected and magical connection that can suddenly crystallize between you and a moment in a song you’ve never heard before. It gets me to thinking about paying a little more attention.

Food

BURGER BREAKDOWN FINDING THE BEST BURGERS IN BERLIN By Alice Higgins Burgers are always a good idea. They signal the start of summer and the start of the BBQ season. But there is nothing worse than catching whiff of a burger when it doesn’t belong to you. The smell plays havoc with your nostrils and you are left with two choices: Follow your nose, find the source, make friends and eat happily after; or hunt

down your nearest burger joint. It is not difficult to find a burger restaurant in Berlin. But it is damn hard trying to choose one. The selection of patty and buns on offer is simply overwhelming. Especially, when each venue claims to hold the prestigious title of ‘best burger in berlin.’

Food

How do you know who to trust?

Shiso

Find your perfect burger match by following this handy burger breakdown guide.

At Shicho it’s all about the chips, plus the fries and n1othing but the pommes. Are you nodding vigorously? Try out Shiso. Not only will you be greeted with a delectable burger (plus the green shiso leaf and optional Korean extras) but an array of potato side orders.

Schiller Burger Whether you call it a bun, bap or Brotchen, does the dough seal the deal for you? If it’s the bread that makes you go weak in the knees, head over to Schiller Burger. Get your mitts around a freshly baked sesame topped bun straight from the Schiller bakery itself. Not to be enjoyed without their famous sweet potato chips of course with a well rounded menu leaving even the veggie and vegans spoilt for choice. You have three venues to choose from which are all as cosy as the next. Take out or shotgun your table quick! Find them on: Herrfurthstraße, Karlmarx Allee, Schoenleinestrasse.

The Bird Are you all about the beef? Get yourself down to The Bird for some seriously premium Black Angus Beef. Undeniably a top notch burger joint, expect everything you normally would from a US steakhouse and that’s what you’ll get, including the price. Book ahead or be sure to arrive between 18-20.00 for their Angry Hour special. Go cheesy, go saucy or just go extra meaty but make sure you go! The Bird is at: Falkplatz 5, Prenzlauerberg, Kottbusser Damm 95 Kreuzberg.

Burgeramt Looking for the top topping? Find everything and anything but limp lettuce in your burger at Burgeramt. Pages upon pages of burgers await you in Friedrichshain. Whittle down your preferences between the exceptional peanut sauce or superb home-made guacamole. As with all Amt’s in German, expect to queue. Short for time? Pop into the second door and you can perch on a bar stall or take the feast home. Head over to Krossener Strasse at Boxhagner Platz for the Amt.

The sweet potatoes are delicious, the two twisted potatoes are spiral spectacles but the homemade chips are the very best! Not only that, but their burgers are cheaper than chips with the standard hamburger at just 4.20EUR. Shiso is only found at Auguststrasse 29C, Mitte.

Berlin Burger International Hangry? Is that painful mixture of hunger and anger eating you up inside minute by minute? Berlin Burger International (BBI) has the remedy. Put up with the queue (no pain, no game) and be rewarded with an absolute monster of a burger. They are only available in one size. And that’s XXL. Chomp your chosen glorious combinations of burgers. Pannierstrasse is the home of BBI.

“

Follow your nose, find the source, make friends and eat happily after; or hunt down your nearest burger joint.

Tips

WARNING

Don’t Enter Spreepark By Jacob Houvener

Spreepark, the abandoned amusement park in Plänterwald, was once an exciting and spooky place to explore for those who take the idea of trespassing lightly. However, increased popularity of the location has led to tougher security and anyone brave enough to venture inside is risking life and limb, as I found out to my cost. I first caught glimpses of the park, which has been abandoned for 13 years now, in the excellent 2011 action film Hanna. The climax of the movie plays out in Spreepark, and the action set against the crumbling roller coasters and other relics makes for an amazing scene. When I learned from a friend who frequented the park in her youth that the place actually existed and was not just some set, I had to go and explore it for myself. We took the train to Plänterwald and walked through the protected forest until we got to the perimeter of the old park. A cheap wire fence enclosed the border, and walking the circumference, it was easy to find a damaged section to climb over. Inside, among the overgrowth, it was eerily still. We followed an old railroad track that was in the process of being taken over by nature, and the denseness of the woods provided us with ample cover. The attractions stood like ghosts of their former selves and as we approached the main clearing we saw the giant, rusted Ferris wheel, turning with the breeze and emitting a mournful screech. Strewn across the grass were broken up dinosaur carcasses, slowly on their way to becoming fossils. Others appeared, and with some hesitation we approached them. They told us to be cautious: One guard was patrolling on foot, another by car, and that we should avoid the main roads. We continued on with this information in mind but it was no use, the man walking the area soon discovered us. He was stern, but not to be feared, and he firmly told us to leave out the main entrance. A little embarrassed, we made out way out and got to view more of the park as we walked towards the main gate. Stacked beside the gate was a pair of logs, which we climbed up and used to back over the fence into civilization. It’s been three years since that enjoyable afternoon exploring the area, and in that time a lot has changed. My most recent excursion to the park went rather differently. The fence is no longer dilapidated cheap wire; it’s been upgraded to a stronger metal frame with small prongs along the top. Climbing it took a lot more effort and the sharp points threatened to puncture the

Tips

palms of my hands, but I made it over in one piece. As my crew and I stealthily made our way through the jungle-like vegetation, two guys passing by on the other side of the fence called out to get our attention so they could tell us that there were four guards patrolling on foot, three in cars, three guard dogs on the loose, and that it would be best to avoid the main roads. I had not anticipated that security would have stepped up as much as it had and I started questioning my decision. We stayed in the thicket, keeping cover as we remained near the road. My exposed arms and legs were getting scratched in the wild grasses. I tapped into my animal instincts and kept all senses alert, waiting for the sign of another creature’s presence. We crossed the road and passed into some trees bordering the other side when I heard the sound of a car approaching. We lay down low in the tall grass next to the body of a dead mole, but it was no use. We had been spotted. The car pulled up to the side of the road and two security personnel stepped out, ordering us to our feet. We reluctantly got up, leaving the deceased mole to decompose alone, and I felt like a failure as we approached the car. One of the guards, a rough looking, tobacco stained man, did all the talking. He asked if we knew we had been trespassing. How could we not have known? It was obvious – there are signs posted all around the outside of the fence, a fact that he brought to our attention. He asked for our identification so that his silent colleague could document us, or he’d have to call the police. Not wanting to get the authorities involved, we forked them over to her. He said that since I gave them a foreign ID that they wouldn’t do

anything, but normally people are sent a bill for 15€. He seemed sympathetic, and he told us that it’s really a dangerous place to be exploring. He mentioned that there are some open manholes in which one could fall 30m and at night all the guards go home and leave the dogs to roam the area. Anyone sneaking in at this time would likely be a chew toy for the dogs. At one point my roommate, stepping closer to the car to get his ID back, got the attention of a Rottweiler, who, unknowingly to us had been in the back of the car the whole time. The aggressive dog growled and barked at us until the man yelled at him to stand down. After we were all recorded, we were told not to enter again or charges would be pressed. The man got in his car with the terrifying hound, and his coworker, still silent and composed, escorted us out the front gate then spoke saying only, “Tschüss.” I have trouble seeing the need to guard the place so heavily, there is hardly anything left in the park, and much of the equipment has been scrapped or sold. The biggest danger comes not from the park and the unmaintained rides left there to rot, but from the things put in place to keep people out. Perhaps the reason behind it is that there are future plans in store for Spreepark. A new amusement park, however, is out of the question. The security man made that clear to us while we made small talk with him. It’s still possible that they will start opening the park for tours or other small events, and they may get the Ferris wheel up and running again, but as for now nothing else seems on the horizon. I’m sad to say it, but the glory days of exploring Spreepark are over, and I strongly advice against anybody entering.

DIEM

DOES IT EVEN MATTER From Brooklyn to Berlin

W LIN O N ER B IN

Forum Steglitz Schloßstraße 1, 12163 Berlin. Online Store: www.The-Ave.de