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Berlin Christmas Markets

It’s this time of the year, that not only christmas markets are popping up here and there and everyhwere, but also aticles and blog posts about christmas markets. Why? Because it’s this time of the year…:)

In case you’re not aware of the german tradition of christmas markets, here’s a short intoduction: about a month before christmas, you can see these ensembles of booths beeing installed and combined with christmas trees, special light installations – sometimes even rides like roundabouts and ferris wheels are added. The booths will probably offer everything and anything from Glühwein (punch) to diy-socks, from candy to curry wurst. Depending on the *theme* of the market (if there is any) the range of goods offered may vary.

In smaller town you’ll find these arrangements probaly on some central square, probably on some market square, probaly near city hall. And since Berlin is a collection of small towns you’ll find lots of these markets – probably on some market square around the corner, down the street.

Coming up: a list of Berlins Christmas Markets

RIP Kadir Nurman – inventor of the Döner Kebab

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There are things, that you probably think of that they would always have been. The Disco Ball is such a thing – and also Curry Wurst and Döner Kebab. And actually surprisingly quite many things were invented in Berlin – at least all the three things mentioned before are a.f.a.I.k. Berlin inventions.

Sometimes it’s not easy to find out who actually originally invented those things – but with the Döner Kebab Berlin style we can at least track the path of origin down to two people. One of them, turkish born Berliner Kadir Nurman, died already a month ago – on October 24th.

Since then I have this little note on my desk that I wanted to write something about Kadir Nurman, the Döner Kebab and Berlin fast food in general – but never found the time. Now, one month later, I at least leave this little blog entry: Rest in Peace, Kadir Nurman.

Read on about at Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadir_Nurman

And more about the Döner Kebab over here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Döner_kebab

S-Bahn disrupt between Nordbahnhof and Anhalter Bahnhof

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There’s just another big gap in the north-south connection: after work was completed and U6 is back in operation, now the S-Bahn is disrupted between Nordbahnhof and Anhalter Bahnhof.

The construction work on the north-south connection will be split in two mayor phases: first from November 22nd until December 9th – and then again in 2014 the connection will be closed.

Here’s further information about the first construction phase – in german only:
www.s-bahn-berlin.de/aktuell/2013/199_norsued-sperrung.htm

But on the above information page there’s also a link to a map showing how to get around the S-Bahn-gap. Direct link to the PDF over here:
www.s-bahn-berlin.de/aktuell/2013/pdf/nordsued-sperrung_131122.pdf

everyday life in East Germany – new permanent exhibition

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Since last Friday (November 15th) Berlin has a new permanent exhibition, addressing everyday life in East Germany before 1990. How was life in communist Germany? What did people read, write, what movies did they watch? Over 600 square meters of exhibition space offer an insight into work culture, weekend activities, leisure etc. of back then east german life:

“The exhibition, spread over 600 square meters, presents original objects, documents, films and audio recordings that explore the gap between ideals and reality in the GDR.” (from the museum website)

www.hdg.de/fileadmin/static/english/berlin/museum-in-der-kulturbrauerei/

public transport: U6 is back

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Finally, after 16 months the disruption of U-Bahn line U6 is over. No more “Pendelverkehr”, no more walking between Friedrichstrasse and Französische Strasse. Just jump on that train and non-stop travel across the city.

The disruption was necessary to make work on the new U-Bahn station Unter den Linden possible, where good old U6 and brand new U55 will meet. In the near future you’ll be able to switch between both lines under ground.

The U55 was – and still is a hot discussed mayor project. Originally planned in the 90ies it was named “chancellor subway” because it was pushed by chancellor Helmut Kohl himself. It never really became clear why that subway line was so important. It was often questioned, why millions and millions of Euros should be burnt to build a subway line, that serves almost an identical route as the S-Bahn does, connecting the central train station Hauptbahnhof with Friedrichstrasse and Alexanderplatz. The is various theories – also some conspiracy theories (I even made up my own). But that’s a different story.

Video of the exhibition “Vienna Berlin – The Art of Two Cities”

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The the exhibition “Vienna Berlin – The Art of Two Cities” is on display from 24.10.2013–27.01.2014 at Berlinische Galerie in Alte Jakobstraße 124-128 – a cooperation of Berlinische Galerie and the austrian Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.

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Wien Berlin from form-art.tv workshop on Vimeo.

Cable theft costs Berlin S-Bahn Millions of Euros

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If I got that right, media reports say that the Berlin S-Bahn – or actually its mother Deutsche Bahn AG lost over 17 Million Euro by cable theft – last year alone.

17 Million Euro of loss – through stolen cables? Wait a minute – let’s try to understand what that actually could mean: 17 Million Euro per year equals approximately 1.4 Million Euros per Month– or 46575,34 Euro per Day. And if you divide that through the price of copper (currenty 7.170,75 USD or 5438,98 Euro per ton) you would find out, that that sum equals 8,5 tons of copper per day – or 3215 tons of copper per year.

Now that is of course a made up calculation, lacking any connection to reality. I suggest Deutsche Bahn does not only relate to the market price of copper when publishing such numbers, but also to other costs emerging from cable theft.

Anyways. Now Deutsche Bahn and Berlin S-Bahn decided to try to prevent cable theft through various measures: under cover investigators, video drones, and marjing cables with “artifical DNA” are only three that were mentioned.

via Radio 1 / RBB (german)
www.rbb-online.de/wirtschaft/beitrag/2013/10/bahn-kaempft-gegen-metalldiebstahl.html

new Tourist Tax to support Free Art Scene

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It’s quite a Berlin style story – in many ways: Berlin tourists are one part of that story, the financial situation of the city and the financial support for cultural institution (“the free art scene”) is the other detail of it, Berlins mayor Klaus Wowereit plays a major role – and (very typical for Berlin) lots of money that just isn’t there. Yet.

Already long time ago first media reports popped up, that in the *near future* a bed tax would be estabished to wash extra money to Berlins empty pockets. An ongoing debate broke loose, how the new tax would come to life – who would be in charge to actually make tourists pay it, how much visitors would have to pay – and what the money would be used for.

As far as I know the so called CityTax is still about to be established soooon (originally planned for January 2013) and currently it is planned to charge an extra 5% on every ‘bed’. And recently Klaus Wowereit also found an answer for what the wells of extra money should be used and promissed the “free art scene” financial support. Well. We’ll see what that means. And of course we hope, it means something good :)