Finding Berlin by Nicole Nickel

converted by Nicole Nickel and Lydia Busch

Finding Berlin

Herstellung: AZ Druck und Datentechnik GmbH, Berlin, Deutschland

hope to portray an image of Berlin that will freshen up

the perspective of visitors and residents alike.

it with us.

time. About their reflections, thoughts and life sharing

This book is a summary and an overview at the same

cultural richness of urban spaces.

they try to inspire people to find their way through the

With this unconventional and very personal coverage

Erstauflage, Juli 2013

anecdotes will find a one of a kind plattform. They

hedonism, authentic places and some intimate Berlin

and the unique features of Berlin: urban art, techno Alle Rechte am Werk liegen bei den Autoren.

converted by Nicole Nickel and Lydia Busch

cultural diversity. By photography the authors of the

site try to capture all parts of the cities development

Finding Berlin

is a visual magazine dedicated to Berlin and its

FindingBerlin.com

124

10 We Are Neukölln Schillerkiez Körnerpark Neukölln Neukölln‘s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens Kreuzberg 61 Sundowners Wochenmarkt Maybachufer „BiOriental“ Markthalle 9 Berlin Kreuzberg Recently in Görlitzer Park Der Kiez Eats Berlin Burger International Restaurant Feliu Eastside Gallery demolition delayed

A$AP Rocky at Festsaal Kreuzberg Creative match Kreuzberg x The Wye: Fashion Monster Tank Rave in Kreuzberg Karl Marx Straße: Neon Light by Night

Rock the Block Kreuzberg The People of Mayday Fête De La Musique 2012 Carnival of Cultures Bibliography

96 100 106 114

Event Life

76 80 84 90

Night Life

12 18 24 28 38 42 46 50 54 58 62 66 70

Kiez Life

Index

Kiez Life.

an exciting story.

little Metropolis to find fresh places with

picknick, we love strolling around our

rant or a secret hideout for a romantic

places in Berlin. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a restau-

and overwhelmingly creative spaces and

There are some fantastic, wildly unusual

We Are Neukölln by Nico · 15.04.2013 |

duced to a superficial discussion about “the hipster”.

because of the complex process which mostly gets re-

have to take the consequences; whose lives change

most of the time the debates exclude those who really

media, in politics, in rap-songs and on house-walls but

eventually start to ignore it. Gentrification is in the

leads to people getting annoyed by the topic, so they

talks about it all the time but nothing happens. That

is like climate change. Its so obvious that everybody

Gentrification

We Are Neuk枚lln by Nico 路 15.04.2013 |

| We Are Neuk枚lln by Nico 路 15.04.2013

We Are Neuk枚lln by Nico 路 15.04.2013 |

three years, rents are on the rise like they’ve never been before. People have started to move to the next cheap Kiez available — Neukölln. I’ve noticed that most of my friends have moved from either Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg to the north of Neukölln, most still staying within the inner circle of the S-Bahn Ring. But even more surprising is that even I have been hanging out there a fair lot lately. And I do honestly believe: if

for myself. I hadn’t lived long enough in Berlin (or long

enough in general) to relate to my older and wiser

friends about all the things that have been better or

worse in the past. People do like to tell their anec-

dotes, so you hear about the fantastic club scene that

used to exist in Berlin and about the great spirit that

has been worn down by tourists and whatnot. To me, it

all sounds a bit foreign.

have the changes been visible. New bars and burger shops and Spätis are now where used to be nothing. I can remember the nothing, because it’s not that long ago. Other people remember too: apparently some of these new “cool” spots have been welcomed with

lin. It’s been about four years now and sometimes I try

to remember how everything was back then, but hon-

estly, I used to live in Wedding and nothing changed

there. Moving to Kreuzberg put me right into the spot

of fluctuating restaurants and people. I moved from

where one of the NK entrances to the Tempelhof is,

have changed in comparison to when I moved to Ber-

Schillerkiez by Sara · 27.06.2012 |

Especially in the Schillerkiez around Boddinstraße,

But recently even I have started noticing how things

it weren’t for the Tempelhofer Park, it would not be so.

place to place within Kreuzberg three times in the past

about the development of a city is to see the changes

What I find especially interesting

pletely different but not yet radically transformed. Let’s return to where we are next year and see if we can spot the differences.

ism). Of course, gentrification is always an issue in

Berlin, especially now that new people — students

and artists — have to chose the more affordable areas

| Schillerkiez by Sara · 27.06.2012

are some shots of the status quo, this is what it looks

of how a neighborhood can change gradually. These

I find that the Schillerkiez could make a great example

a corner.

power to influence the general aesthetics of a street or

there, but we rarely take into account how that has the

point out this or that thing that used to be here or

When walking around our neighborhoods we often

in many perspectives: from a visual one, for starters.

the long run. But the whole subject stays interesting

it, not many people will profit from the changes in

to live their life in the city. However you twist an turn

like right now, on the edge of being something com-

warm greetings (read: graffiti-bombings and vandal-

Schillerkiez by Sara 路 27.06.2012 |

| Schillerkiez by Sara 路 27.06.2012

Schillerkiez by Sara 路 27.06.2012 |

Körnerpark Neukölln by Stefan · 14.06.2012 |

prettier greens in town.

imity to where we live, but truth be told: there are

places such as Görlitzer Park for it’s immediate prox-

peaceful and quiet. We tend to spend our time in

the Café and the water fountains render the space

and hides many interesting details. The Orangerie,

out in the summer, it’s also a gardening project

The Körnerpark is not just a beautiful place to hang

still dubious district.

fectly laid in an up and coming scene quarter of the

But the Körnerpark is something special indeed, per-

new. Tempelhof is big enough for everyone after all.

always seems like such an effort to discover something

dominating the “park scene” in terms of reputation it

for its broad choices in nice parks. With Tempelhof

Neukölln is not exactly famous

| Körnerpark Neukölln by Stefan · 14.06.2012

Körnerpark Neukölln by Stefan · 14.06.2012 |

that grew over decades, were smashed in a minute. Though they received a compensation, I am sure every allotment gardener shed bitter tears that their beautiful gardens should make place for a highway.

the Baltic sea, the cottage in Brandenburg, or, as in

my family, the summer house somewhere in the city’s

calmer areas, sometimes as small as an allotment

garden: The love for one’s own small retreat from the

idents collected newts and frogs, thus rescuing them from the excavators. But the diggers came anyway. In one part of the allotment gardens areas, of which

mitment and joy shape the lovely gardens and many a

Laubenpieper, as we call ourselves, make their dreams

a reality there.

2012. As of now, the demolishing is stopped for an uncertain time. While one part of the allotment garden area is rid of any green, thus resembling a moonscape with abandoned, even burnt down cottages scattered

ment gardens, covering an area of 125.000 square

meters. The ground was subject to make place for one

of the last sections of the city highway A100. In order

to conduct the planning approval, the properties were

but had to stop due to an court order in February

denounced demise charters for 314 Neukölln allot-

Neukölln’s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens by Matthias · 18.07.2012 |

“Stadtbär” (67 properties), tree felling commenced

However, back in November 2010, the city of Berlin

the biggest were “Treue Seele” (68 properties) and

Protest arose and ruled the headlines for weeks. Res-

city slicker) is born with. Sometimes decades of com-

frantic city is what every Berliner (and perhaps every

cleared soon. The residents had to move out. Dreams,

about his retreat in the countryside. Be it the house at

A Berliner’s soul is crazy

| Neukölln’s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens by Matthias · 18.07.2012

explored the gardens and the cottages one at a time.

more, leaving everything where it was, we carefully

sprawling hedges. Avoiding to break anything even

turn left or right to see what would lie beyond the

lead through the estate. Every once in a while, we’d

We followed the old, overgrown trails that still visibly

would it bear?

place? Which stories would it tell, which memories

Stefan and I were curious: What happened to the

left just a few weeks ago.

around, most of the properties still look like they were

walls were torn down. Debris lay around. Demolished furniture, splintered lavatories, soggy carpets, single shoes, sometimes even neatly put pairs of shoes, clothes, long overdue food, newspapers, books and once in a while a framed picture. Scattered around and smothered beneath a thick layer of dust lay the resident’s torn memories. A handwritten sign read: “Grandpa Egon’s ragfair – everything from A to Z”. More like a workshop, it was tucked away behind one of the cottages in the fashion of how those DIYers tend to add a little addition a time. The strangely and contortedly designed room was vacant. Sunbeams lit the narrow space and its dusty air. Shelves and nails on the wall, where once

walls were torn down. Debris lay around. Demolished

furniture, splintered lavatories, soggy carpets, single

shoes, sometimes even neatly put pairs of shoes,

clothes, long overdue food, newspapers, books and

once in a while a framed picture. Scattered around

and smothered beneath a thick layer of dust lay the

resident’s torn memories.

A handwritten sign read: “Grandpa Egon’s rag-

fair – everything from A to Z”. More like a workshop,

it was tucked away behind one of the cottages in the

fashion of how those DIYers tend to add a little addi-

tion a time. The strangely and contortedly designed

room was vacant. Sunbeams lit the narrow space and

its dusty air. Shelves and nails on the wall, where once

| Neukölln’s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens by Matthias · 18.07.2012

ken, the doors smashed. Sometimes even the wooden

The cottages were devastated. The windows were bro-

our way through the hedges and shrubs, we were astonished how nature has reclaimed the abandoned allotment gardens. All sorts of colourful flowers

purpose. If there was one emotion if any, sadness

would best describe the mood that emanated from

Grandpa Egon’s rag-fair.

tages, filling the floor with a big basket worth of fruits. Butterflies: Red Admirals, Adonis Blues, Brimstones and, of course, Peacocks. We saw Pale Tussocks and Eurasian Jays – not to mention the many singing birds we heard only chirping. We ate apples and pears from the trees. We found strawberries, blackberries, grapes, plums – but either they were simply not ripe yet or we were just stuffed from the fruits we already had.

red beer and liquor bottles, emptied bags of crisps,

tealights and all sorts of colourful party equipment

bore witness to subsequent visitors. We even found

condoms (don’t even try to picture the scene). In fact,

the area is quite popular today: We met curious visit-

ors, looters, rioting teenagers and people who came

to harvest flowers and fruits. Even the rave community

discovered the place and made itself at home in one

of the gardens.

trees lowering their branches through unroofed cot-

were present here, too. The inivetable graffiti, shatte-

Neukölln’s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens by Matthias · 18.07.2012 |

through the shattered windows. There were apple

As in most of the cottages, signs of subsequent guest

grew among the heavily sprawling grass, ivy invaded

But as we passed through the properties, making

the tools waited to be used, reminded of its long gone

Nico and other friends. In the end, as most remarked, we’re beneficiaries of this irrevocable situation. We can respect and empathise with the residents and – excuse these last solemn words – tell their stories with our pictures.

though we didn’t take anything with us, taking photos

seemed just as wrong. We entered people’s houses,

curious about what we’d find or whom we’d meet.

Apparently, homeless people slept on some of the

beds that were still intact. By the end of the day, I felt

Neukölln’s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens by Matthias · 18.07.2012 |

home to some of my best memories? Growing senti-

garden filled with cheerful, dancing people, which is

Yet I thought to myself: How would I react, if I saw my

of discovery, even not the looters and the party crowd.

I wouldn’t judge anyone who went there for the sake

right, though.

wrong when they’re long gone? It doesn’t quite feel

with it. Is trespassing other’s private spaces just as

found myself in discussion with Stefan, Sara, Marcus,

Though we didn’t demolish anything even further,

like an intruder who came too late to make his fortune

mental the more I thought about this peculiar notion, I

The mood was both strangely beautiful and sad.

| Neukölln’s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens by Matthias · 18.07.2012

Neukölln’s cleared and abandoned allotment gardens by Matthias · 18.07.2012 |

removed from the walls, and where once you had the sound of sirens and the gunshot pops you’re now bathing in the noise of children’s play and crying babies. Not that gunshots are a better alternative. I’m just saying.

ond the Kottbusser-Tor-Kreuzberg that I love. That is,

Kreuzberg 36, rough, dirty, charmingly different, never

welcoming. Well, and here I am in Kreuzberg 61: it’s

clean and tidy. Good looking people in expensive

clothes dominate the sidewalks on sunny afternoons.

the scenery.

Everyone is grown up here, the graffitis are being

years of living in Berlin, I’d never once made it bey-

Kreuzberg 61 by Sara · 13.04.2011 |

of stepping into dog shit. But it’s pretty boring too.

quick check. “This is Kreuzberg? Really?” In my three

Cafés, restaurants and tall, beautiful Altbauten make

I like it to an extent. It’s peaceful and I’m never scared

but I was quite surprised when I first visited it for a

So I found a WG in Kreuzberg,

| Kreuzberg 61 by Sara · 13.04.2011

in my opinion, is the problem we should tackle.

come the same small-minded town people. And that,

stay in Berlin), we’ll just add to the fact. We will be-

people from all over the world who come to live and

actively doing something/by discriminating against

start complaining about what is happening (without

heads and explodes into a catastrophe. But: if we

costs low and not create a bubble that rises over our

development. Yes, of course we should try to keep the

two parts of a district only prove that it’s natural

book, all of this and especially the contrasts between

for the last 20 years or something, will say. But in my

“UrBerliners”, that is, people who’ve been living here

of gentrification. “You destroyed our Kiez” is what the

the 1920s again. I can already hear the killer phrases

part of Prenzlauer Berg, where people dandy like it’s

In any case, Kreuzberg 61 seems to be a misplaced

Kreuzberg 61 by Sara 路 13.04.2011 |

atives all around the city.

every eight years or so, we might as well appreciate it.

where you prefer to be, we’ll probably be around, too.

kanal, the wasteland on Cuvrystraße — no matter

Görlitzer Park, Tempelhof, Admiralsbrücke, Landwehr-

around the city: Oberbaumbrücke, Modersohnbrücke,

in your hand. Now just choose any of the given spots

the sun being visible on the horizon and a cold drink

for a little bit of mediterranean flair is warm weather,

skyline, Berlin can be very appealing. All you need

once the sky is cloudless. When it reveals it’s meager

from here. But I’m sure there must be plenty of altern-

Besides, we only get to have summer for two weeks

Sundowners by Sara · 25.05.2012 |

Kreuzberg, so usually we only see the sun go down

to swim in. We beat the sticky heat by devouring it.

What we especially like are the beautiful sundowners

Of course we are absolutely devoted to our Kiez in

does not require a lush ocean or even a clean river

A lovely summer evening

| Sundowners by Sara 路 25.05.2012

Sundowners by Sara 路 25.05.2012 |

Fr 11:00 — 18:30 Uhr

is somewhat of an institution around the Kiez. Every

for a better price!

you might get away cheaper, and never stop dealing

for a walk, even when it’s cold. A pro-tip: go late and

Landwehrkanal, the market is a good excuse to go out

of the many Turkish specialities. Located right at the

It’s the “turkish market” or “Türkenmarkt” because

Nobody calls the market by its official name though.

stuff cheaper if you buy by the kilo, promise!

prices of tomatoes or apples in your ear. You get your

packed, and the Turkish vendors are always shouting

Wochenmarkt Maybachufer „BiOriental“ by Sara · 17.11.2011 |

12047 Berlin Neukölln

ment of textile and some other stuff. It’s perfect for

buying your weekly vegetables! The market is always

Maybachufer

bring the visitors a variety of fresh produce, an assort-

Tuesday and Friday, the little stands come to life to

Tu 11:00 — 18:30 Uhr

on Maybachufer in Kreuzberg (Neukölln? Whatever)

The little street market

Wochenmarkt Maybachufer „BiOriental“ by Sara · 17.11.2011 |

went to check out how far they’ve come last weekend and I can only recommend everyone snack around the

building. Last year, Marcus even shot a video of the

almost empty space.

project website.

of the market. Check out more details on the official

projects and events is to be build from the foundation

months, and a new location for community issues,

from the discount supermarkets in the upcoming

ond that, the market hall is to be completely freed

market space and create a new weekly market. Bey-

they would buy back the building, restore the former

Markthalle 9 Berlin Kreuzberg by Sara · 12.10.2011 |

city council has allowed this creative development. I

in it; nothing of the market spirit was left to find in the

But in 2009 a few people got together and decided

overwhelmingly inspiring and I am very happy that the

now. You could find a supermarket and a drug store

beautiful stands and arrangements– you’ll love it.

This movement, the idea and the whole project is

in Kreuzberg has been empty for a couple of years

The Markthalle 9

| Markthalle 9 Berlin Kreuzberg by Sara 路 12.10.2011

Markthalle 9 Berlin Kreuzberg by Sara 路 12.10.2011 |

wildly camping on mattresses.

BBQs and oh, over there? That’s just gypsy family

punks have gathered next to Italians playing football,

make shift flea market and people are buying. Some

couple of girls have spread out their inventory on a

their children opposite of a massive techno rave. A

Shakespeare in one corner. In the other, families with

Then there’s an improvised, free theatre acting out

(though a new thing and probably an art installation).

a park, right. With designated bottle deposit racks

I’ve ever encountered in the park.

less to Kreuzberg. Wouldn’t they think this world has

Recently in Görlitzer Park by Sara · 06.09.2011 |

now, but that must have been the most bizarre thing

who’s from abroad, never been to Berlin before, much

come to an end with all its bizarre craziness? There’s

I don’t want to strike up a controversy right here and

Görlitzer Park for the first time? Say, for someone

What is it like to step inside

| Recently in G枚rlitzer Park by Sara 路 06.09.2011

Recently in G枚rlitzer Park by Sara 路 06.09.2011 |

the great culinary cultures, the chefs favorite recipes and the exchange with the other guests. Beyond the evening dinners and workshops, there’ll also be a weekly Street Food Thursday with the Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg. Berlins best chefs will present their favorite recipes and tips, so don’t miss out!

The Kiez Eats is a weekly program hosted by diferent

cooks that invites interested people into a night of

superb food. With a bit of a workshop-feeling going

on and a good vibe to connect with other passionate

eaters, we were invited to spend an evening creating

(and certainly devouring) dumplings with diferent

feel like the whole world is in one room, what with all

how to connect foodies with their local creative chefs.

Der Kiez Eats by Sara · 08.04.2013 |

to meet new people and experience new tastes. It can

networking website have thought about a new idea on

fillings.

In a cozy but excited atmosphere we had the chance

wasn’t exciting enough, the makers of the culinary

As if the Kitchensurfing concept

| Der Kiez Eats by Sara 路 08.04.2013

Der Kiez Eats by Sara 路 08.04.2013 |

I’ve eaten at, BBI almost touches the throne with their exclusively super-tasty fresh and delicious ham-, cheese– and hallumiburgers.

child. My parents would never let us eat fast food ex-

cept for on special occasions. So while everyone had

a delish Christmas dinner, we ended up stuck with all

thank them from the bottom of my heart — for creat-

eight years old then.

gies out there, but it also had PERFECT beef patties and, oh, my heart aches for it’s almost the end of June and I’ll probably never taste anything like that, ever again.

it comes to culinary experiences, I can’t get around

trying any burger place that I find. My latest little

treasure (although not quite a secret — it’s just me

being late to the party as always) is the Berlin Burger

and Basil, and Mozarella, and, sorry for all the veg-

course, Berlin being the most generous of cities when

Berlin Burger International by Sara · 29.06.2012 |

your taste buds. It had STRAWBERRIES, and Pesto,

only those that were produced in half a minute. Of

International on Pannierstraße in Neukölln. While

June. And it was perfect. An orgasmic explosion for

But ever since I became addicted to burgers, and not

ing the Numburger. It was the burger of the month in

I feel especially obligated to thank them — I mean,

food like it was a five star meal. Don’t judge, I was

the other non-Christians at McD’s devouring plastic

I still hold Burgermeister up above any other place

was seeded deep inside of me back when I was a

An inner craving for burger

| Berlin Burger International by Sara · 29.06.2012

initely try ALL the burgers on the menu at ONCE.

maybe that’s just me. Anyway, go check it out and def-

enough for a hungry person to go on a rampage. Or

does so the wait is not nearly as long, but still long

They don’t attract as many passersby as Burgermeister

street-shop. Perfect for good weather and take out.

In typical Berlin style, the BBI is hardly more than a

different taste mixtures. The staff is friendly and welcome and the concept of the store is one that makes you feel right at home.

or a Mediterranean gourmet experience for a low-

budget, everything is available around Kreuzberg

and Neukölln. Feliu, a Catalonian restaurant that has

corner of Weichselstraße and Weserstraße in Neukölln, Gaston, another very affordable and comfortable

la carte that should convince everyone, from the pas-

sionate aficionado to the lazy traveler.

to see what’s on for the summer. Needless to say, this may just be my new favorite place for a delicious meal.

Pflügerstraße, have caught my attention before. Fi-

nally I’ve made it to Feliu and it was better than good.

The Mediterranean “Fusion” kitchen is quite simple,

The menu changes seasonally, and I’m very excited

with candles, located in a very quiet and dark part of

Restaurant Feliu by Sara · 29.05.2013 |

Berlin, something I’ve never heard of or tasted before.

very warm and inviting: big glass windows decorated

but very convincing. From Ceviche to a very special

tapas. It brings a fresh twist on Catalonian cuisine to

By night, the front of the restaurant looks already

place to be at night. But the Feliu is more than just

The owners of Feliu had their first Tapas bar at the

but affordable type of cozy restaurants with a menu á

been open for a while now, belongs to the mid-range

kind of traditional Paela, a guest can only dive into the

Whether it’s an exotic Arabic breakfast I’m craving

I love my hood for its abundance of delicacies.

| Restaurant Feliu by Sara 路 29.05.2013

for safety reasons at 11:30 after one piece of the Berlin Wall was removed and displaced. Most construction vehicles were withdrawn.

Berlin Wall, the building contractor and police deci-

ded to delay further construction. One piece of wall

was removed, protestors are afraid that demolition will

shot or otherwise found death during the city’s separation, caused a chorus of outrage. The protest is led by the local activist group “Mediaspree versenken”, a number of local clubs, representatives of all political parties and more than 30.000 signees of a petition addressed to mayor Klaus Wowereit, the building contractor and high-ranking politicians, including chan-

rebuilding of pre-war Brommy bridge endangered pre-

servation of the protected historical monument, pro-

test formed quickly over the internet and culminated in

several hundred activists gathering at the construction

site. Police formed a cordon to ensure safety of activ-

ists, construction and traffic. When activists crowded

the street, police blocked the road from both ends.

stretch of the death strip, where several fugitives were

tion project including luxury estates, a hotel and the

Eastside Gallery demolition delayed by Matthias · 01.03.2013 |

most frequented tourist spot and longest remaining

When news spread this week, that a local construc-

The demolition of Eastside Gallery, Berlin’s second

the building contractor agreed to delay construction

tion of parts of the longest remaining stretch of the

be continued later today or at night.

According to a police spokesperson, both police and

at Eastside Gallery earlier today to disturb the demoli-

After 300 demonstrators gathered

demolition of parts of Eastside Gallery to make room

Gauck.

relevance of the memorial and a further approach by the city’s senate and the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg’s district administration to outsell the riverside.

that it will continue unnoticed. Police cleared the road

block and left the scene at 12:15, few officers and

most of the activists remained on the site. A fence

uncertain why a building license was issued. The 300 activists who gathered at the site voiced their indig-

barbed wire like they used to do it formerly”, an elderly

lady lamented.

| Eastside Gallery demolition delayed by Matthias · 01.03.2013

spot, where artists painted the remnants of the Berlin

tense. Eastside Gallery is an internationally famous

preservation of the river Spree’s banks was still

The incident happened as the situation about the

each other over responsibility in this case, it remains

there’s a gap in the Wall, they’d better fill it with some

Wowereit to resignate from mayor’s office.

nation about all of these participants and demanded

While both the city and district cast the blame on

activists from trespassing the construction site. “Now

was placed where the piece was removed to prevent

a violation of the outstanding historical and cultural

After demolition stopped for now, activists are afraid

for luxury building projects is widely recognized as

Wall on a distance of more than one kilometer. The

cellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Joachim

Eastside Gallery demolition delayed by Matthias 路 01.03.2013 |

Night Life.

authentic picture of the city.

we hope to get closer to portraying an

With every little piece of the puzzle

make up most of our lives here in Berlin.

neighborhood. These little randoms

meet: it usually happens right in our

What we see, what we do and who we

of the line to the venue (Festsaal Kreuzberg) I tried to capture some of these looks.

the broad subjects that Berlin has to offer. In this

case, I’d like to make an exception. We’ve all been

quality.

we get the chance to experience a banger concert in

rap fan in Berlin likes to dress in a likewise fancy, yet

the audience. In contrast to the “vintage hipster”, the

would rather point out the interesting street styles of

But before boring you with shaky concert pictures I

experience to the usual raves.

make the room bounce! After all, it IS quite a different

hype wave for another couple of years on that level of

from FindingBerlin are true Hip Hop fans, so whenever

A$AP Rocky at Festsaal Kreuzberg by Marcus · 15.06.2012 |

Here’s to hoping that the A$AP Mob can ride the

Wassup. Along with all the techno in Berlin most of us

our hood we grab the motherfucker by the neck and

By the way, the concert was — albeit short — a blast.

he blew up last year with his monster tracks Pe$o and

waiting impatiently for the A$AP Rocky gig ever since

definitely different manner. While hanging out in front

might not be the most exciting thing to share across

Going to a concert

| A$AP Rocky at Festsaal Kreuzberg by Marcus 路 15.06.2012

A$AP Rocky at Festsaal Kreuzberg by Marcus 路 15.06.2012 |

spirit. Whether it’s fashion, art or a statement to a certain “to cool to have fun” Zeitgeist: this party was, in essence, everything you’d expect of the creepy, horrormovie kind Halloween. Freddie Krüger galore.

don’t have fun on Halloween are probably the same

ones who shrug and light up a cigarette when seeing

a pug puppy. If you’re THAT kind of person, I hate you

by principle. I just can’t believe there are people who

creative match kreuzberg x The Wye: Fashion Monster by Sara · 02.11.2012 |

installations consisting of wedding dresse s, a somber

floor, shrouded by weird symbols and decorations, art

Halloween if you know what I mean. Sitting on the

and dark version of Halloween, the Donnie Darko type

party last Wednesday. They reverted to the gloomy

who collaborated to throw an extraordinary Halloween

thought the creative heads of The Wye and The Offer,

Having fun on Halloween is kind of clichée, must have

neo-goth electronic non-dance music to undermine the

overdosing on a) sweets and b) booze, people who

can react cold to a pug puppy.

mist hanging about the loft — all backdropped by

at a Halloween party. What with all the costumes and

It’s really hard not to have fun

| creative match kreuzberg x The Wye: Fashion Monster by Sara 路 02.11.2012

creative match kreuzberg x The Wye: Fashion Monster by Sara 路 02.11.2012 |

Tank Rave in Kreuzberg by Sara · 01.06.2012 |

can’t get more friendly than that.

to “take over Kreuzberg in a friendly way”. I guess it

definitely standing out of the usual events, aiming

even more of these spontaneous raves. This one was

especially during the summer. I would say we need

Kreuzberg? Eclectic and eccentric music is our thing,

when a bass blasting tank was rolling down through

Remember that time

| Tank Rave in Kreuzberg by Sara 路 01.06.2012

Tank Rave in Kreuzberg by Sara 路 01.06.2012 |

| Tank Rave in Kreuzberg by Sara 路 01.06.2012

Tank Rave in Kreuzberg by Sara 路 01.06.2012 |

can just go out on the street, with no plans or intentions, and suddenly you’ll be caught up for hours in excitement and happiness. No clubs, no restaurants,

ics by daylight, this street knows how to be flashy as

soon as the sun goes down and the neon shop– and

headlights go on.

about discovering the street in its “natural” state.

ings that were enlightened, but were more passionate

“Late Light Shopping”. We found three or four build-

to be a Festival of Lights type of happening called the

going down to Karl-Marx-Straße: there was supposed

Fun times were had. We had an initial reason for

are on their cheap & trashy A-Game.

Karl Marx Straße: Neon Light by Night by Sara · 19.11.2012 |

Also: neon lights are awesome.

good portion of entertainment.

Str. U-Bahn station seems especially magnetic to

peculiar situations. The shops, flanking each footpath,

open mind are sometimes all that’s necessary for a

The patch between Rathaus Neukölln and Karl-Marx-

no cafés: basic interactions with other people and an

One of the greater things about Berlin is how you

Where Karl Marx Straße lacks in charm and aesthet-

Neon lights shine brine by night.

| Karl Marx Straße: Neon Light by Night by Sara · 19.11.2012

Karl Marx Straße: Neon Light by Night by Sara · 19.11.2012 |

Event Life.

things that happen here once more.

aspects we try to share the unique

tradition. Considering the many cultural

special events with a (more or less)

and sports: Every year Berlin is full of

Concerts, clubs, exhibitions, festivals

regular known names in the graffiti world, we all had our share of fun these two days. One should wish for more of these opportunities — Kreuzberg taking the chance and proving that it’s more than just another to-be-commercialized part of Berlin. Adrian Nabi, cooperator of Backjumps and “curator” of the Rock The Block festival, says that the Block is supposed to be open for all and everyone, no matter if they’re usually interested in art and galleries or not. It’s a Kiezfest for everyone in full Kreuzberg spirit. We’re looking forward to the next edition. Some of the outstanding works we tried to capture on photographs.

streets within their proximity. The Rock the Block exhibi-

tion/kiezfestival was brought to life by Backjumps, a

Kreuzberg located urban arts initiative and magazine,

in cooperation with the Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Betha-

nien. Backjumps, if you remember, have been hosting

a couple of exhibitions so far that we’ve visited and

have now transferred their gallery space into “reality”,

if you will. Instead of using proper artsy canvas they’ve

decided to go with the urban art spirit and display

their artists works on walls, buildings, on the streets

and among the passersby. Dozens of artists were part

of the block-rocking, providing art and venues for

From various exhibitions to crazy performances and

Adalbert-, Oranien– and Skalitzerstraße and the

Rock the Block Kreuzberg by Stefan · 04.10.2012 |

what was going on. Indeed, good times were had.

of Berlin: the BLOCK in Kreuzberg, comprising of

exhibitions and workshops and parties in and outside.

Our whole crew headed down to the block to see

were all in the name of one very remarkable part

The last two days

| Rock the Block Kreuzberg by Stefan 路 04.10.2012

Rock the Block Kreuzberg by Stefan 路 04.10.2012 |

a pretty awesome time. We’re already looking forward to the next Mayday which is kinda like a Summer version of New Year’s Eve: finally, people are out on the streets again. This is the Berlin we love.

responsible for the good time everybody has dan-

cing, eating and simply enjoying the kick off for a new

summer season. This year though, we didn’t spend a

lot of time at the MyFest. Instead, our flat on Skalitzer

Open Air rave to the next.

who were strolling around the Kreuzberg Kiez from one

Straße. From here we had the best view on the people

on our makeshift summer balcony right on Skalitzer

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always, people were drunk by 2 PM and everyone had

make the MyFest happen every year. They’re mostly

The People Of Mayday by Marcus · 02.05.2012 |

riots or disturbances. The music was top notch as

had already covered the extraordinary people who

Straße invited all of our friends over to hang around

Needless to say, we had an amazing time far off from

Kreuzberg unites for one big party. Last year we

Every 1st May

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| The People Of Mayday by Marcus 路 02.05.2012

The People Of Mayday by Marcus 路 02.05.2012 |

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| The People Of Mayday by Marcus 路 02.05.2012

The People Of Mayday by Marcus 路 02.05.2012 |

105

also not stop complaining about it in every post until it happens. I’m a grumpy person and I need sunlight for my pale skin).

even know what that word means. They will think:

“Summer, oh, that’s just another word for autumn,

right?”, because that’s damn straight what it feels like.

the Fête de La Musique festivities are free and for everyone to enjoy, but they are naturally of a different

melting off my bones. I would worship every second of

it if it happened again.

made it a ritual not to be too stressed out or eager to find the perfect place to rave. Sometimes it just happens, that’s cool. Yesterday was more like an interesting stroll through Kreuzberg, a major excuse to listen to some great music by Robot Koch and Jahcoozie at our favorite spot on Cuvry Straße by the Spree and to

time, Fête de La Musique, the annual midsummer fest-

ival that is celebrated all across the world, was taken

here with a little ironic twist. Rain and windy weather

made it quite difficult to enjoy the Open Airs, but then

again: we’re born to party. We’ve had worse than

this. Let’s not dwell on it (but yes, let’s dwell on it, I

107

ties can range from two hours to two days. So we’ve

October. I don’t mind as long as it does. In the mean-

Fête De La Musique 2012 by Sara · 22.06.2012 |

experience usually work days — the extend of the par-

Of course, summer will return — someday. Probably in

quality. Since it’s always on the 21st of June — in my

Like the Carnival of Cultures or the First of May,

waves. Even I have spent days in the city with my skin

But once upon a time, even Berlin encountered heat

will not stop until summer returns with full force. I will

Most children growing up in Berlin will probably never

Midsummer.

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| Fête De La Musique 2012 by Sara · 22.06.2012

the Schillerkiez available. Right? Right.

from here, not even if there’s a cute little apartment in

neighborhood and we will definitely not move away

It always comes down to the same thing: we love our

go down on Kreuzbergs best chicken at Hühnerhaus.

F锚te De La Musique 2012 by Sara 路 22.06.2012 |

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| F锚te De La Musique 2012 by Sara 路 22.06.2012

F锚te De La Musique 2012 by Sara 路 22.06.2012 |

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techno. But even more colorful, displaying all those wonderful nationalities and cultural heritages Berlin has to offer. From huge Brazilian communities to little Palestinian dance performances, the floats and wagons on the parade are an incredible sight. Peace, tolerance and loads of diversity are the key mottos of

better known as Karneval der Kulturen in German, so

far on FindingBerlin? One of the greatest and most

visited events in our city, a massive spectacle for famil-

ies and hedonists alike, the Carnival of Cultures offers

everything for everyone and is the second kick-off into

the summer after the First of May in Kreuzberg.

even more. They teach the good life.

a multicultural celebration taking place in Neukölln

Kreuzberg 61 with plenty of awesome food from all over the world (of course we ended up eating the habitual Köfte. I mean you can’t go wrong with Köfte.)

religiously as the First of May — seriously, has anyone

ever had a bad weather First of May?). Anyway, back

to KdK: think of it as an explosive Love Parade minus

Carnival of Cultures by Sara · 29.05.2012 |

115

time. It has been extended to a four day event around

usually blessed by good weather (although not as

and an additional parade for the children.

The Carnival has become more than a parade over-

well, established in 1996, every year at whitsun and

and Kreuzberg. And it’s a pretty old celebration as

happen in Berlin, I tend to appreciate these festivities

The “Karneval der Kulturen” is, as the name promises,

the festival — realizing how rare violent encounters

the excessive drugs plus more families and lesser

could we NOT have covered the Carnival of Cultures,

How in Gods name

were simply lazy and didn’t want to carry our cameras around. This year our crew, although often separated within the masses and literally drowning in drama,

and our taste in music still a bit vestigial. Nevermind

though, I love both options. Are we going back to Lon-

don this year?)

| Carnival of Cultures by Sara · 29.05.2012

the festivities too much to actually take pictures or we

Notting Hill Carnival, even though it’s not as large

116

Sunday Carnival parade, but we were either enjoying

val der Kulturen is somewhat more impressive than the

people are the summary of what you can find in Berlin.

and performances as well as the raves full of young

blue sky and the bright sun, the mind blasting music

beautiful people, cheering and laughing faces, the

to share our impressions with you. Colorful costumes,

was attached to their lenses and we are very proud

In the last years we’ve been avid visitors of the

(By the way, I changed my opinion again: our Karne-

Carnival of Cultures by Sara 路 29.05.2012 |

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| Carnival of Cultures by Sara 路 29.05.2012

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| Carnival of Cultures by Sara 路 29.05.2012

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| Carnival of Cultures by Sara 路 29.05.2012

Carnival of Cultures by Sara 路 29.05.2012 |

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http://www.findingberlin.com/fte-de-la-musique-2012/ http://www.findingberlin.com/carnival-of-cultures/

http://www.findingberlin.com/koernerpark-neukoelln/

http://www.findingberlin.com/neukoellns-cleared-and-abandonedallotment-garden-areas/

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