Radio Spaetkauf Berlin

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"Saving Culture" is Season 2 of Radio Spaetkauf's Collaboration with the EAB - Europäische Akademie Berlin. In Episode four, "The Culture and The Continent" we explore black culture in Europe. Host Daniel Stern and guests look at the evolving needs and roles of artists, cultural leaders, curators, policymakers and individuals.

GUESTS:

Kate Cheka @katecheka
Day Eve Komet LinkTree
Eiliyas Black Communion

Additional Links:

Mixtape Menage
The Devil Lives in Berlin
Kate's website
K-Drama School

Notes: Recorded live at CCB Studios. Thank you to Manuel, Carolin, Kati and the rest if the team at EAB. Edited and mastered by Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher Additional Editing - Daniel SternEngineering: PodFest Berlin Co-Produced by Europäische Akademie Berlin's Europe Behind The Headlines series, with kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV): Link

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"Saving Culture" is Season 2 of Radio Spaetkauf's Collaboration with the EAB - Europäische Akademie Berlin. In Episode three "What is a Museum? And Why?" we explore how cultural institutions and individuals can or should adapt their behaviors and principles. Host Daniel Stern and guests look at the evolving needs and roles of artists, policymakers and audiences.

GUESTS:

Michael Soltau, The Synthesizer Museum Berlin
Dr. Wenke Wegner, wenkewegner.de
Lilja-Ruben Vow, Berlins Weg In Die Moderne
Aram Batholl, arambartholl.com

Additional Links:

Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation
Esperanto Museum
Dig Where You Stand
HKW
Mareice Kaiser

Notes: Recorded live at CCB Studios. Thank you to Manuel, Carolin, Lucas, Kati and the rest if the team at EAB. Edited and mastered by Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher Event Support - Charlie PiteEngineering: PodFest Berlin Co-Produced by Europäische Akademie Berlin's Europe Behind The Headlines series, with kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV): Link

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For the first time, Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district has fined a landlord for charging exploitative rent—190% above the legal limit set by the local rental index, or Mietspiegel, which applies in areas with particularly strained housing markets. The tenant now has the opportunity to sue for a refund of €22,264.08 in overpaid rent.

Berlin is set to become significantly greener over the next 15 years, with a plan to plant hundreds of thousands of new trees across the city. This ambitious initiative stems from a draft law jointly developed by the CDU and SPD coalition parties in collaboration with the citizens' initiative BaumEntscheid.

Nettelbeckplatz in Berlin-Mitte has officially been renamed Martha-Ndumbe-Platz, honoring a Berlin-born woman of Cameroonian and German descent who was deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1944 and died there in early 1945. The renaming replaces Joachim Nettelbeck, a former slave ship officer and colonial advocate.

Berlin's population is growing faster than anticipated, with projections now suggesting the city could surpass four million residents by 2036. While Berlin has seen steady growth in recent decades, it still hasn't reached its historical peak of around 4.4 million, recorded just before or during World War II. Interestingly, the city has the lowest birth rate in Germany, meaning this growth is driven almost entirely by immigration. By 2040, an estimated 109,000 new residents are expected to arrive, reshaping the city's demographic landscape.

Listen to Konrad's podcast Megan's Megacan here: https://megansmegacan.com/

Join Izzy Choksey's Political Walking Tour to learn about Berlin as a colonial city: https://www.theleftberlin.com/events/political-walking-tour-berlin-as-a-colonial-city/

Subscribe here to Dan's new podcast: CERTAIN FUTURES https://certain-futures.podigee.io/

Support Radio Spaetkauf with a Steady membership or one time donation: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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"Saving Culture" is Season 2 of Radio Spaetkauf's Collaboration with the EAB - Europäische Akademie Berlin. In Episode two: "Everything is Culture" we discuss club culture, sports, comics, and video games are part of our cultural world. We reflect on the challenges of preserving diverse cultural spaces, the importance of inclusivity, practical ways to get involved and how expanding our definition of culture also means expanding our understanding of how we support cultural creators, spaces and communities. Host Daniel Stern is joined by a fantastic panel exploring the support and protection culture in all its forms, ensuring it remains accessible and vibrant for everyone.

GUESTS:

MATTHIAS OBORSKI Exhibition Director Computerspielemuseum Berlin
HENNA RÄSÄNEN aka HX Comic Artist and Illustrator Portfolio Link
KATHARIN AHREND ClubcomissionBerlin e.V.
DEESHYRA THOMAS Alba Berlin / “Let’s get Down”

➤ RSVP for our next LIVE TAPING on SEPT 13: Link for free tickets: https://www.eab-berlin.eu/

Notes: Recorded live at CCB Studios. Thank you to Manuel, Carolin, Lucas and the rest if the team at EAB. Edited and mastered by Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher Support - Trevor Silverstein. Engineering: PodFest Berlin Co-Produced by Europäische Akademie Berlin's Europe Behind The Headlines series, with kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV): Link

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"Saving Culture" is Season 2 of Radio Spaetkauf's Collaboration with the EAB - Europäische Akademie Berlin. In Episode one "Can We Support Subculture?" we look at the needs of independent artists, underground scenes, and freelance creatives. We examine the role of institutions, the state and individuals in ensuring that they survive and thrive and create without constraint. Host Daniel Stern is joined by a fantastic panel exploring the preservation of cultural diversity amidst funding cuts and other challenges.

GUESTS:

Bianca Creutz - Project Leader at Prognos
Pedro Ferreira - Multimedia Artist, Designer & Teacher
Manuela Kay - Journalist & Publisher: L-MAG, Siegessäule
Erikah Vabaliukas - Cofounder of Panke

Our conversation covers a wide number of topics. Bianca sheds light on the precarious financial situation of solo entrepreneurs in the cultural sector. Read her report on the cultural sector here: LINK. Erikah explains how and why Panke became a haven for experimental and fringe creativity. Pedro discusses the transformation of DIY by digital media and the role of guest curators in bridging the gap between mainstream institutions and subculture artists. Manuela explores the complexities of cultural visibility, particularly in the LGBTQ+ movement. She raises important questions about the balance between mainstream acceptance and maintaining the authenticity of subcultures.

➤ RSVP for our next LIVE TAPING on JULY 24: Link for free tickets: https://www.eab-berlin.eu/everythingisculture-rsxeab/

Notes: Recorded live at CCB Studios. Thank you to Manuel, Carolin, Lucas and the rest if the team at EAB. Edited and mastered by Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher Engineering: PodFest Berlin Co-Produced by Europäische Akademie Berlin's Europe Behind The Headlines series, with kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV): Link

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Recorded Sunday July 6th, 2025, live at Mobile Kino’s Lakeside Film Festival. Hosts Izzy, Dan and Joel discuss recent Berlin headlines, watching movies in the wilderness and interview Valentina Zalevska of the Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin.

HEADLINES:

Construction of a fence around Görlitzer Park moves forward, but faces opposition including local initiatives like “Görli zaunfrei”
Neukölln has banned the temporary rental of furnished apartments in its Milieuschutzgebiete; neighborhoods protected from gentrification.
The new years eve party at the Brandenburg Gate has been cancelled for 2025.
The deportation of three EU citizens and one American following a pro-Palestinian protest at Berlin’s Free University has been halted by the Berlin Administrative Court .

INTERVIEW:

Valentina Zalevska, talks about founding the Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin and the state of the Ukrainian film industry during an invasion. We also chat about the amazing film U Are The Universe.

Izzy concludes the episode with updates on how Berlin is doing in meeting its ambitious climate targets (not great).

LINKS: Joel's Website: www.joeldullroy.com The 2025 Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin: Oct 22-26 www.uffberlin.de Izzy's July 20 Tour: Eventbrite Link Dan’s new podcast CERTAIN FUTURES: https://certain-futures.podigee.io

On Instagram: Radio Spaetkauf Daniel Stern UFFB Please Support Radio Spaetkauf: www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate Theme Music by Ducks! Technical Assistance: PodFest Berlin

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Berlin is losing its publicly-funded Nextbike system. What does it say about the city’s deflating civic status? Also we meet the artistic director of the Doxumentale film festival to hear why they’ve added an X to their name. And the founder of Give Something Back to Berlin will tell us about how beauty parlours are places of feminist empowerment.

Nextbike has lost its €1.5M annual public funding to run a discounted shared bicycle system across Berlin. The CDU-led city-state government says it is too broke to fund the scheme, which ran since 2017, and reached 4 million journeys last year. Joel explains what’s behind its demise.

Days before the start of Berlin’s Dokumentale documentary and non-fiction festival, the organizers received a legal threat over their name. Instead of fighting, they’ve changed their name to DoXumentale. We meet the festival’s artistic director Anna Ramskloger-Witt, who explains why the new name is better. She tells us about program, including a nature film about gay animals, a profile of a Berlin undertaker and more. DoXumentale runs until June 28. Find a screening or watch online at https://www.dokumentale.de/

What goes on behind the doors of beauty salons? NGO founder Annamaria Olsson decided to take a microphone to meet women in these safe spaces, and found a world of womens’ empowerment. Beauty salons give women jobs and help them overcome domestic violence. Annamaria has travelled to Morocco, Georgia, Bosnia and Kosovo to record audio for her project. The result is “Stories from the Beauty Parlor”. Listen now here: https://www.beautyparlorstories.org/

Radio Spaetkauf co-founder Joel Dullroy is briefly back in Berlin, after one of his trips around the world filming mini-documentaries. If you want to see some of his videos, go to: http://www.joeldullroy.com

Thanks to Vanta for support! http://www.vanta.com/RadioSpaetkauf

Thank you to our listeners, if you would like to make a donation or support us through a steady membership: www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

Live show recording and engineering: podfestberlin.com

This episode was produced by Daniel Stern and Joel Dullroy. Find Dan at: https://www.instagram.com/danielandstern/ or https://www.sterndaniel.com/

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Recorded April 3, 2025 live at Another Country Bookstore with hosts Izzy and Dan, plus special guest host Antonia Bär. Headlines include the troubling escalations of neo-Nazi marches in Berlin, cracks in the A100, a local CDU "scandal", plus a Berliner in space and more. Interviews with Ester of 100% Tempelhofer Feld and Jolene, from Architects for Tempelhofer Feld, and Sebastian Thauer, local show promoter who recently co-founded the Cake Walk music festival.

Thanks to Vanta for support! GUEST LINKS

Architects for Tempelhofer Feld https://architects4thf.com/ https://www.instagram.com/architects4thf/ Open Letter: https://forms.gle/CsKnCtd2vr6KqtwKA Mailing List: https://forms.gle/kbDDrbk7sTmKAwNc9
THF 100 https://www.thf100.de/ https://www.instagram.com/thf100
Cakewalk Festivalhttps://www.instagram.com/tangiblematerial https://www.instagram.com/cakewalkfest https://malzfabrik.de
Antonia Bär Shows: It's That Time of the Month: https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/its-that-time-of-the-month-35/ Improvised Stand-Up: https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/the-improvised-stand-up-show-13/

★ Thanks to Vanta for their support, learn more at:Vanta.com/RadioSpaetkauf

➡ Vinyl Kickstarter, NOW LIVE!: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/radiospaetkauf

Technical Support: podfestberlin.com for technical support.

Editing: Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher https://www.recordedvoices.com

Thank you to our listeners, if you would like to make a donation or support us through a steady membership: www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

More Radio Spaetkauf: www.radiospaetkauf.com

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Recorded live March 6, 2025 at Another Country Bookstore. Hosts Izzy and Dan with special guest co-hosts Pip Roper of the "History Flakes" podcast, and comedian Toby Arsalan. They chat spring weather in Berlin and its impact on relationships, Germany's new electronic health records, Berlin labor strikes, local Football and various tree removals. Plus the annoucement of a Kickstarter campaign for a vinyl release of our mini-series "How to F#€K Up an Airport," Berlin's housing crisis, and more.

Interviews with Fabian Flues, a member of the Burger*innenInitiative A100, and Joanna Kusiak, a sociologist at Cambridge University and author of "Radically Legal: Berlin Constitutes the Future."

Joanna Kusiak: Read the book open source: PDF LINK or listen on Audible: https://www.audible.de/pd/Radically-Legal-Hoerbuch/B0D8WSZ8QF

Pip Roper: Live History Flakes Podcast Recording 29th March at Comedy Cafe Berlin https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/history-flakes-live-2/

Toby Arsalan: tobyarsalan.com or on insta at @tobyarsalan

Fabian Flues: Bürger*innenInitiative A100 https://bi-a100.de/

Thanks to Vanta for their support, Learn more at: www.Vanta.com/RadioSpaetkauf

Radio Spaetkauf: www.radiospaetkauf.com

Vinyl Kickstarter, LAUNCHING SOON !: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/radiospaetkauf

Additional thanks to podfestberlin.com for technical support. And to our home for the recording, Another Country Bookstore http://www.anothercountry.de/ and of course to you the listeners, if you would like to make a donation or support us through a steady membership: www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

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Recorded live at Podigee on November 12, 2024 with hosts Joel, Izzy, and Dan. They discuss proposed funding cuts to Berlin's cultural institutions, jaywalking, shopping Sundays and the closing of Berlin clubs. The show features two guests: first is co-author of "Beer Hiking Berlin" Dan Cole, followed by Moritz Ahlert of the project "Kiosk of Solidarity".

This episode of Radio Spaetkauf explores the impact of a proposed 10% funding cut to cultural institutions, as well as a reflection on the 35th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall. Plus chats on the city's evolving beer scene, the sustainability of nightclubs, the transformation of public spaces, and the importance of inclusive design in fostering community engagement. Links: GUESTS: Moritz Ahlert: @kiosk.of.solidarity, https://transformingsolidarities.net/de/ Dan Cole: @hiking_and_drinking, https://helvetiq.com/de/beer-hiking-berlin

Radio Spaetkaufhttps://www.radiospaetkauf.com @radiospaetkauf Daniel Stern: https://www.sterndaniel.com/ @danielandstern Next Standup Gig: Nov 23rd at The Wall Berlin

Venue: https://www.podigee.com/

⭑ DONATIONS / SUPPORT: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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In this episode of "Radio Spaetkauf," recorded in collaboration with the Europäische Akademie Berlin, we focus on the future of urban living; asking the question, "What is the city of tomorrow?". Host Daniel Stern is joined by architect Max Schwitalla and author Aiki Mira. The conversation begins with Max sharing how skateboarding background influenced his urban design approach, and with Mira reading a passage from their award-winning novel “Neurobiest" describing Berlin of the future topped by green rooftop communities. From there we discuss visions for the future: inclusive, polycentric urban design, mobility hubs, and discarding anthropocentricism to leave space for nature. The exploration of "The City of Tommorow" brings us to innovations (both real and imagined), micro-utopias, and proposals for infrastructure which is reusable, queer and adaptable.

Recorded Oct 17, 2024 at Podigee's Offices in Berlin

Guest Links:

Aiki Mira https://aikimira.webnode.page/ Aiki's Podcast: Das War Morgen Insta: @aiki_mira

Event at Otherland Books: otherland-berlin.de

Max Schwitalla https://studioschwitalla.com/

Radio Spaetkauf https://www.radiospaetkauf.com @radiospaetkauf

Europäische Akademie Berlin https://www.eab-berlin.eu @europaeische_akademie_berlin

Daniel Stern https://www.sterndaniel.com/ @danielandstern

Venue: https://www.podigee.com/

• DONATIONS / SUPPORT: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Recorded September 10th at PodFest Berlin 2024. Released previously on the Megan's Megacan feed. Apologies for the delayed release via our feed. "Recording live with Radio Spätkauf at Podfest Berlin 2024, Megan handed out free cans so that the audience wouldn't have to get through the news sober — which, frankly, should be part of every media subscription service these days. Then Konrad gets weirdly pedantic about crime stats, Izzy explains why Germany is always losing the energy transition race, and Joel finds some good news about Berlin's U-Bahn seat covers. And there's more fascism in Germany obviously. BUT we have passing minstrels! Hey nonny nonny!" - Shownotes and Podcast Edit by Konrad.

About Megan's Megacan: It's a German news podcast in English, because the German news is hard enough without it being all in German. Also involves canned cocktails. Not massive cans.

https://www.instagram.com/radiospaetkauf/

Support Radio Spaetkauf: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Public space in Berlin is used for private profit. Does that rob or enrich the citizens? From business-run toilets to footpath vehicles and food sales in parks, we share our space with commerce. Can we also use private spaces like empty malls as public property? Radio Spaetkauf partners with the Europäische Akademie Berlin to invite an intelligent panel of activists and politicians to discuss the good and bad uses of public space for commercial gain.

Sophie Menzel is a big fan of public toilets. She raises awareness of the need for more and better toilets in Berlin through the group Buschfunk Bündnis e.V., with the slogan "Fair peeing for all!" Sophie says the current privately-run toilet system isn't good enough, and is especially failing people without penises. She wants to see more "missoirs" - feminized pissoirs (urninals). More at: https://buschfunk-buendnis.com/

Tuba Bozkurt is the Green party's member for Gesundbrunnen in the Berlin parliament. She is the Green Faction's spokesperson for industry, digital economy and anti-discrimination. Tuba says some commerce should be allowed in public space, but it has to be fair and accessible for all. https://tubabozkurt.de/

Tamara Lüdke represents Lichtenberg at Berlin's Abgeordnetenhaus as a member of the SPD and is the party's spokeswoman on the topics of animal welfare, consumer protection, club culture, drug policy and development policy. Tamara says the city wants to do more to keep footpaths clear of obstacles, and is considering new ways to make toilets in private businesses open to the public. https://www.tamara-luedke.de/

Roland Stimpel is the voice of pedestrians in Berlin. Through the association FUSS (Fachverband Fußverkehr Deutschland FUSS e.V.) he advocates for better footpaths, less vehicles, stricter control of shared scooters and bikes, and safer street crossings. He says the solutions already exist, but need to be better enforced through stricter fines for infringement. More at: https://www.fuss-ev.de/

Hosted Daniel Stern: https://www.sterndaniel.com/ Hosted by Joel Dullroy: http://www.joeldullroy.com/ Editing & Mastering: Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher: www.recordedvoices.com

Hosted at House of Color, a vibrant community initiative with passion for sports, music and cultural expression, currently at a pop-up space in Gneisenaustr. https://www.hoco.world

Co-Produced by Europäische Akademie Berlin's Europe Behind The Headlines series, with kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV): https://www.eab-berlin.eu/europe-behind-the-headlines-2024/

Support Radio Spaetkauf: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

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Recorded live, August 4, 2024 at the House of Color. Dan and Izzy are joined by special guest cohosts Drew Portnoy (aka Andrew Buckley) and Eman Khallouf. Headlines include updates from Görli, DIY bike lanes, fresh comedy at BER airport, the Cold War Museum and a medical miracle at the Charité. Interview with Greg Onwuegbuzie of Deschoolonize. Plus Joel returns with an update.

Deschoolonize: deschoolonize.com

20% Berlin: www.20percent.berlin

Support Radio Spaetkauf: radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

PodFest Berlin Sept 8-15 at House of Color: PodFestBerlin.com

Drew on insta: drewportnoyhaha

Eman on insta: emosh007

Dan: https://www.sterndaniel.com

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Recorded live in Grunewald, Dan is joined by guests Josefine Köhn-Haskins, Ryan Balmer, Júlia Mota Albuquerque and a handful of chirping birds to explore the significance of urban art in public spaces. In partnership with the Europäische Akademie Berlin.

Support Radio Spaetkauf: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

Guests and Links: Josefine Köhn-Haskins, Journalist: Berlin Street Art Map Ryan Balmer, Tour Guide: https://www.instagram.com/berlin_reguided Júlia Mota Albuquerque, Muralist: https://landofjulia.com/

Editing & Mastering: Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher recordedvoices.com Written, Produced and Engineered by Daniel Stern: sterndaniel.com With kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV) under the project “Europe Behind the Headlines”

Join us live Aug 4 at House of Color: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/radio-spatkauf-tickets-967843655427

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Zombies in the GDR. Deutschrap. Heavenly lakes. Joy despite cancer. Days before her death, Maisie and I talked for one last time. In a hospital room in London, she shared her favourite memories from her years in Berlin - and revealed a few untold surprises.

It's not all tears, because Maisie could be so funny. Her depth of knowledge about architecture, German history, music and culture is astounding. This is just a sample of her best moments from more than a decade of co-hosting Radio Spaetkauf.

Make time for this. Take a walk. Listen until the end. Be prepared to laugh and cry. And maybe Maisie will convince you to change your life.

I'm Joel Dullroy, and here I join with long-time co-hosts Andrew Mason, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern to remember Maisie Hitchcock.

Thanks to our fellow Radio Spaetkauf collaborators Izzy Choksey, Matilde Keizer, Anne-Marie Harrison and Sebastian Filip. Thanks to Radio Spaetkauf listeners for sending in your favourite memories of Maisie.

More About Maisie

Maisie Hitchcock was the co-founder and co-host of Radio Spaetkauf. Hers was the first voice ever heard on the podcast, announcing it into existence in late 2011. She was also a writer, tour guide and gave classes on architecture and design. Maisie moved to Berlin in the early 2000s, drawn by an appreciation for the overlooked art and architecture of the GDR.

Maisie Hitchcock died from the effects of ovarian cancer on August 9, 2023, three years after her diagnosis. Her only initial symptoms were slight stomach bloating. She wanted others to know the signs of ovarian cancer, for which there is little research. She asked people to donate to charities funding research and awareness, including Ovarian Cancer Research (UK), Eierstockktrebs Stiftung (Germany), and Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (US).

Maisie Hitchock Obituary Radio Spaetkauf Archive How To F#€k Up An Airport Rent Freeze All Episodes and Series Maisie on Megan's Megacan Maisie on RBB TV (use a VPN in Germany)

Music

Tom Evans - Particle Sound Various Tracks

Ducks! Various Tracks Radio Spaetkauf Theme - Time Taken

Everett Darling Springtime Won't Wait Crocus & Greenbreir

Skiing Deadliest Tide Hiddensee Holly Portal

Robyn Hitchcock Various tracks Plesiosaurs In The Desert Celestial Transgression

Benjamin Michael Requiem

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RSxEAB: "Sharing Urban Space". Radio Spaetkauf host Daniel Stern dives into a discussion of public spaces informed by three insightful guests. Johnny Whitlam (Whitlam's Berlin Tours) shares his passion for Berlin's history and hidden stories. Martin Aarts, the former head of spatial planning in Rotterdam emphasizes child-friendly cities and nature's role in urban design. Lea Fink (Strassenverlauf) offers a philosophical angle, stressing the need for accessible spaces that encourage learning and reflection.

In this episode we explore the balance between historical preservation and contemporary needs, the transformation of places like Tempelhof and Potsdamer Platz. We discuss our personal and community connections to places like Alexanderplatz, the banks of the Landwehrkanal and the Comenius-Garten. We look at the dichotomy of planned spaces vs. the people-driven "organic" use of open areas. The is challenges of creating inclusive, community supported environments are acknowledged but common preconceptions are also cconfronted. We also tackle the impact of cars and tourism on city life, and the need for spaces that prioritize bicycles and pedestrians.

• Episode made in partnership with the Europäische Akademie Berlin: https://www.eab-berlin.eu/en • Please support Radio Spaetkauf with an ongoing or one time donation: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

NEXT LIVE SHOW JUNE 27: https://www.podfestberlin.com/event-details/radio-spaetkauf-x-eab-june-27 Connect to our guests: • Lea Fink: https://strassenverlauf.de/ • Martin Aarts: https://www.ravb.nl/profiel/martin-aarts/ • Jonny Whitlam: https://www.whitlams-berlin-tours.com/ Recorded in front of a live audience at the House of Color: https://www.hoco.world/ Engineer: Grace at PodFest Berlin https://www.podfestberlin.com/ Editing & Mastering: Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher https://www.recordedvoices.com/ Written and Produced by Daniel Stern: https://www.sterndaniel.com/ With kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV) under the project "Europe Behind the Headlines"

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Recorded March 24, 2024 On this episode of Radio Spätkauf, Izzy, Dan and Matilde take on the month's news from Berlin in English. We touch on the recent UNESCO recognition of Berlin's techno scene, the legalization of weed, controversies surrounding stone statues at the Humboldt Forum, and the pressing issue of affordable housing. Joeran Mandik turns up to tell us about his quest to find Berlin's own Tree of Enlightenment. Izzy dissects Berlin's governing coalition's policies on housing, transportation, bikes and a Maglev train proposal. We consider the three duos vying to lead the SPD.

Juliana Pranke the head of public services for the ZLB tells us about the Amerika Gedenkbibliothek's PopUp, plus other updates on the libraries in Berlin. Philipp Kreicarek, the creator of the app KnowDrugs tells us about his project helps people to be safe while using psychoactive substances. Please support the show: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/ Links: ZLB Petition: https://www.zlb.de/unterschreiben/KnowDrugs: https://knowdrugs.app/Dan's show: Info + Tickets Matilde's insta: @matikeizer Arab Film Festival Berlin: https://alfilm.berlin/

Radio Spaetkauf Website

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This episode of Radio Spätkauf was recorded live February 25th 2024 in Berlin at Noisy Rooms. Hosts Mathilde, Dan and Izzy joined by guest host Pip Roper. Headlines: BVG’s brand new CEO Henrik Falk’plan to clean U8 UBahn stations. Berlinale got off to a contentious start but ended with satisfying wins. Tegel is now welcoming school students to its halls. Tesla faces a setbackin Grunheide. More public transportation strikes are on the way. A leaked government housing report undermines CDU and SPD plans to open up tempelhof to developers.

•Michael Efler from Bürgerbergheren Klimaschutz explains the importance of Berlin’s deal to buy back its district heating system.

•Hanf Museum co-director and cannabis advocate Steffen Geyer guides us through Germany's new marijuana laws.

• Drag artist and returning guest Pansy on “Chez Pansy”, a new Queer Cabaret and supper club currently in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign. Learn more and support Pansy’s project at tinyurl.com/chezpansy ---

If you want to contribute on a monthly basis please subscribe to our Steady.One time donations on our website: Support Radio Spaetkauf

Writing production and hosting by: Izzy Choksey, Daniel Stern (www.sterndaniel.com/) and Matilde Keizer

With support from Sebastian Filip and Radio Spaetkauf Host Emeritus Joel Dullroy

Pip is at: https://linktr.ee/turtle.logicThis Episode Edited by Alex Griffiths www.instagram.com/alexgriffiths_music/

Technical Support: www.podfestberlin.com Theme Music by Ducks! https://linktr.ee/ducksmakemusic

Find more Radio Spaetkauf and contact us at www.radiospaetkauf.com

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28th January 2024 recorded live at Zimmer48, with Izzy and Dan plus two guest hosts: Maria Debinska, a research fellow at the Institute for Cultural Inquiry in Berlin and Megan Whittington of German news in English podcast Megan’s Megacan.

Support Radio Spaetkauf: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

A bahn-strike started last Wednesday, running six days until the morning of January 29th included the S-Bahn. The rail worker’s union, the GDL, is advocating for a shorter 35-hour work week with full pay, a wage increase of €555 per month immediately as well as a €3,000 one off inflation compensation. Deutsche Bahn has offered only a 4.8% raise for 2024, 5% in 2025 and 2.7% in 2026.

Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner and education secretary Katharina Günther-Wünsch revealed they were in a romantic relationship. An anti-semitism clause proposed by CDU politician Joe Chialo was deemed a violation of artists’ constitutional rights. Agricultural sector protestors brought the city centre of Berlin to a standstill. Emergency vehicles were blocked and streets took hours to clear. The protests were organised in opposition to the proposed end of tax exemptions for diesel used in agricultural vehicles.

A meteorite listed as 2024 BX1 crashed near Berlin last Sunday night and has not yet been found. According to Thomas Becker of Westhavelland Star Park, it may have crashed in an area east of Nennhausen. If you come across a suspicious looking rock, don't touch it.

Members of the AfD and some CDU were present at a secret meeting last November in a villa outside Potsdam along with extreme right activists including Martin Sellner of the Identitarian Movement. Plans to ‘re-migrate’ both foreigners and Germans from a foreign country were discussed. In response over a million people across Germany took to the streets, demonstrating against right wing extremism.

Berlin politicians left in protest when AfD state Chair Kristin Brinker rose to speak at a recent Assembly session. Green party leader Bettina Jarasch commented that it would be wrong to ‘listen to AfD denials’, and Berlin CDU parliamentary group leader Dirk Strettner said “I don’t listen to right wing radical relativising and lying.”

January 27th was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and commemorations were held across the city, including in Reinickendorf where the BVV has five AfD members who were automatically invited to the ceremony, so a local alliance against the far right organised an alternative vigil on another memorial site.

Jonny Tiernan of Ex Berliner Magazine joins us to discuss changes in the print edition and invite us to take part in their research into the sex lives of Berliners. Survey LINK: https://form.typeform.com/to/WwKxHa02

Thanks to Yvonne at Zimmer48 and to Sebastian for the pic and Joel on his travels. Next Live Show: Feb 25th

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Radio Spaetkauf Presents: "Housing First and Fun With Social Workers" - RSxEAB #1 • This pilot episode examines homelessness, housing first, and sleeping rough. • Recorded Dec 6th 2023 in Berlin at Salon Am Moritzplatz, Released Dec 19th 2023 A Special Edition of Radio Spätkauf created through a partnership with Europäische Akademie Berlin. This episode is a pilot for the “RSx” series in which we seek presciptions for the problems of our city and the world which revolves around it. An attempt, in our way, to look forward to the future with hope. With hosts Matilda Kaiser and Daniel Stern, plus guests Debora Ruppert, Karen Holzinger of Berliner Stadtmission, and Kathrin Schultz of Queerhome*.

Dan and Matilde catch up and remind us of the Kältebus number: 030 690 333 690 and review some previous Radio Spaetkauf stories that overlap with today’s topic of homelessness; Zweckentfremdungsverbot, co-working spaces, commercial real estate regulations and the battles of the cities last remaining squats, with an update on Liebig14. How does the housing crisis affect the search for a home? The topic of Homelessness is introduced by Dan who struggles to find the right vocabulary and correct language with which to describe the issue.

The first guest, Debora Ruppert is an artist who captures the lives of marginalized people, including the homeless, through photography. her most recent exhibition “Home Street Home” was on display in the Bundestag. She emphasizes the importance of speaking with people who are experiencing homelessness rather than merely speaking about them. That dialogue and relationships help individuals out of their situation.   

To learn more about “Housing First” we are joined by Karin Holzinger, who in 1991 began her work with Berliner Stadtmission and later became their head of homelessness services. Karin also co-invented the Kältebus, and is a co-founder of Kumpfide, an organization twhich offers support to non-abstinent alcoholics. She clears up some common misconceptions about homelessness, “When you walk through the streets, you see people, and you think, oh, he or she might be homeless, because maybe the person is not dressed very well, he or she looks drunk or [seems to have] psychological problems, so you think, ah, this is homelessness. Some of these people are not homeless and on the other hand, about I would say about 90% of the people who are homeless you would never recognize as being homeless because they look like you and me…” Karin explains the vocabulary in German for homeless people: Obdachlos and Wohnungslos, plus attempts to teach Dan the meaning of “Bürgerlich” and tells us the value of a “Housing First” program, as well as some of the limitations. What does it mean to help people survive vs. changing their living situation?

Next, Radio Spaetkauf is joined by Katrin Schulz of Queerhome Berlin to explain some of the challenges faced specifically by LQBTQI+ plus people in finding homes and shelter. She describes her work; “We say we are in the middle. We are not a government organization. We are not a church or Christian organization. We are not an only queer organization. We are in the middle because the organizations who work with homeless people have no knowledge about LGBTIQ and the queer organizations normally have no knowledge about homelessness…we are in the middle and try to give information to the one side and to the other side.” She affirms that helping people get off the streets is not just about bringing services to them but also about informing the general public about the reality of homelessness and dispelling misconceptions about who is homeless and why they have ended up without a home. She also underlines the importance of recognizing that many people who do find a place to live or a shelter are forced to put up with terrible conditions. Queerhome is a relatively new organization and looking for growth in its network and resources.

Matilde laments the lack of help for people living at Moritzplatz station and the missed opportunity at Habersaathstraße, where an empty building was used briefly for housing.

The show ends with a mix of hopeful wishes, pragmatic realities, practical advice and rueful observations.   More information on our guests and their organizations:

Karen Holzinger, Berliner Stadtmission: https://www.berliner-stadtmission.de/ https://www.facebook.com/BerlinerStadtmission https://www.instagram.com/berliner_stadtmission/

Kathrin Schultz, Sonntags Club and Queerhome*: https://kathrin-schultz.de/ https://sonntags-club.de/ https://www.instagram.com/sonntags.club/ https://queerhome.de/ https://www.facebook.com/queerhomeberlin  https://www.neuechance.berlin/

Debora Ruppert, artist, Home Street Home: https://www.deboraruppert.com/ https://www.instagram.com/debora_ruppert/ https://www.instagram.com/homestreethome_ausstellung/  

This episode was made in conjunction with the Europäische Akademie Berlin aka “EAB”: https://www.eab-berlin.eu/en and recorded at Salon Am Moritzplatz : https://www.salonammoritzplatz.de/

Radio Spaetkauf information and episodes cab be found at: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/ and you can find us on these socials: 

https://www.instagram.com/radiospaetkauf/ https://www.facebook.com/radio.spaetkauf Today’s hosts were Daniel Stern and Matilde Keizer.

https://www.sterndaniel.com/ https://www.instagram.com/matikeizer/ Thank you for subscribing, following, and supporting the show.

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“I don’t think fear is the right word. I am afraid of the future,” Tim Wechselmann-Cassim of Letzte Generation told us about what he feels when drivers try to run their cars into activists during a street-takeover action. “The worst thing that can happen is that they are going to run me over [...] I wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t already committed to that.”

Who defines what “radical” is? Who gets labeled “radical” and what implications does this have? In this episode of Sticking Point, Anne-Marie and Izzy dive into this question and share some of their personal viewpoints on the kinds of direct actions taken by Letzte Generation and why they think the media making comparisons to terrorist groups is pretty freakin dangerous.

Journalist Paul Hockenos picks up with what happened in the climate movement after FFF and XR stopped attracting the numbers onto the streets that they had in 2018 and 2019. Wechselmann-Cassim takes us further into the motivations of Letzte Generation activists and Tadzio Müller of Ende Gelände argues that there are also specific reasons why the climate movement has not turned violent. Jérémie Gagné from the More in Common thinktank and Regine Richter of Urgewald join us again to help contextualize the impact of these activist groups on German society.

About Sticking Point:

Izzy Choksey and Anne-Marie Harrison take a journey through Germany’s climate movement in this Radio Spaetkauf series. Sticking Point meets the people inside Germany’s climate movement: from the tactics of the anti-nuclear campaigns, to activists clambering onto coal excavators, striking students and people gluing their hands to roads. We find out what motivates activists and why they are willing to use increasingly radical means to force change.

Credits:

Producing: Izzy Choksey and Anne-Marie Harrison Script: Izzy Choksey and Anne-Marie Harrison Editing: Sebastian Filip

Technical Support: Daniel Stern Art Work: Daniel Stern Additional Support: Joel Dullroy Music: Tom Evans

Listen:

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Support:

Help us keep making podcasts and mini-series! Donate now.

Shownotes:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/29/could-covid-lockdown-have-helped-save-the-planet

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/21/climate-diplomacy-is-hopeless-says-author-of-how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline-andreas-malm?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/27/german-police-call-for-tougher-response-to-growing-climate-protests-letzte-generation

https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/258757/umfrage/umfrage-zum-tempolimit-auf-autobahnen/

https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/dobrindt-klima-raf-100.html

https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/Verfassungsschutz-haelt-Bezeichnung-Klima-RAF-fuer-falsch,pejril102.html

https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2023-04/amtsgericht-berlin-tiergarten-haftstrafe-klimaaktivistin-letzte-generation

https://www.merkur.de/deutschland/haft-monatelang-rekordstrafe-klima-kleber-aktivisten-letzte-generation-gefaengnis-strafe-92217695.htmlv

https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/berlin/rbb-demonstranten-blockieren-an-27-stellen-im-berliner-stadtgebiet-strassen-102.html

https://www.mdr.de/brisant/radfahrerin-berlin-tot-102.html

https://www.hdg.de/lemo/kapitel/geteiltes-deutschland-krisenmanagement/linksterrorismus-rote-armee-fraktion.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/24/german-police-stage-nationwide-raids-against-climate-activists

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/weil-scholz-sie-vollig-bekloppt-nannte-letzte-generation-beschmiert-spd-parteizentrale-in-berlin-9865331.html

https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/letzte-generation-umfrage-kriminelle-vereinigung-100.html

https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/klimaprotest-letztegeneration-straftaten-100.html

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The previously lost audio has been found - we apologize for the delay! Listen to our live show at Podfest Berlin, recorded on October 15th at Noisy Rooms. We cover invading hornets, sex scams while fishing, and threats to ice skating season. Plus, we talk to Tim Wechselmann-Cassim of Letzte Generation and Rachel Stewart from the new podcast Don’t Drink the Milk.

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“He saw the remains of his father dug up again.” That was the traumatic experience of one man in a village which was forcibly relocated due to coal mining. It was told to us by Christopher Laumanns, who helped found the group Alle Dörfer Bleiben to fight on behalf of villages threatened by fossil fuel extraction. In Episode 2 of Sticking Point, Izzy and Anne-Marie hear the stories of pain and anger that inspire Germany’s climate movement activists.

Tadzio Müller discusses how place-based movements can break through ideology and make things more real, something that Ende Gelände was very effective in doing. While a lot of this work took place on the interpersonal level, activists like Annemarie Botzky from Extinction Rebellion and Clara Duvigneau from Fridays for Future were able to raise public consciousness and force politicians to agree to goals.

But then, the corona pandemic hit. What do climate activists do when they’re not allowed to bring people together on the streets? Botzky and Duvigneau describe how their respective groups have handled the change in momentum. Journalist Paul Hockenos and Jérémie Gagné from the More in Common thinktank help to contextualize their impact.

About Sticking Point:

Credits:

Editing: Anne-Marie Harrison
Producing: Izzy Choksey and Anne-Marie Harrison
Script: Izzy Choksey and Anne-Marie Harrison
Technical Support: Daniel Stern
Art Work: Daniel Stern
Additional Support: Joel Dullroy
Music: Tom Evans

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Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts

Support:

Help us keep making podcasts and mini-series! Donate now.

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Will Berliners survive the apocalypse? Should we even try? Ben Knight filmed his quest to deal with climate crisis angst. His film "We're All Going To Die" screened at Lakeside Film Festival. Ben joins us for a live recording in the rain. Find a screening here: https://wereallgoingtodiefilm.com/

Berlin's new conservative government passed its first 100 days. They made lots of threats against bicycles, and cancelled 3 of 19 planned bike lanes. Budgets for local councils were cut, threatening services for schools, parks and Christmas markets. How much damage is the CDU-SPD doing, or is their bark worse than their bite?

Germany's media have started calling Columbiabad a "problem pool" after a scuffle broke out between young men. The pool shut down for a week and the city started demanding visitors show their ID to get in. Was it a racist overreaction? Neo-nazis at other pools don't get national media attention.

Want to install a solar panel on your balcony? The city is offering €500 funding for renters to generate their own power. You need permission from your Hausverwaltung, and can apply here: https://www.ibb-business-team.de/steckersolargeraete
And here's where you can buy a Balkonkraftwerk once your funding is approved: www.sonnenrepublik.de

Want to join in NABU's annual bug count? Sign up here: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/aktionen-und-projekte/insektensommer/index.html

This episode is presented by Dan Stern, Joel Dullroy and Ben Knight.

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In this miniseries, Izzy Choksey and Anne-Marie Harrison take a journey through the main waves of Germany's climate movement. We meet the people behind the headlines: from the tactics of the anti-nuclear movement, and activists clambering onto coal excavators in the early 00s, to striking school children and folks gluing their hands onto roads. We find out what motivates activists and why they are willing to turn to increasingly radical means to force change.

Episode #1: From Nein Danke Nuclear to Coal Isn’t Sexy

Climate activists today are redefining civil disobedience, but how did we get to young Germans gluing their hands to busy autobahns and throwing soup at art? To understand that, Izzy and Anne-Marie take us back to Germany’s famously effective anti-nuclear movement. Regine Richter of Urgewald, a fossil fuel divestment organization, traces the anti-nuclear movement from the 1970s and climate journalist Paul Hockenos historicizes the climate movement’s modern-day tactics.

By 2014, climate activists took the fight directly to the coal mines. This is how the group Ende Gelände made the movement sexy, says German climate activist Tadzio Müller, by stopping “insane, apocalyptic machines” from pillaging the earth—even if only for a day. Being harassed and humiliated by cops during these occupations is what made Christopher Laumanns forge ahead, growing Ende Gelände and getting the attention of the German press. A new era of climate activism in Germany had dawned.

Credits:

Listen:

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Cyclists, get ready to ring your bells. The new city government wants to shrink bike lanes, and is turning car-free zones into roads. We hear about the new war on bikes under the CDU transport senator Manja Schreiner.

What hope is there for the referendum that sought to expropriate apartments from big private landlords? We get an update about Deutsche Wohnen und Co Enteignen from our friend Wouter Bernhard.

Do you work for a tech company in Berlin? Do you sometimes wonder if your startup boss is giving you all your rights? Do you know what to do if you think you’re being screwed? To tell us how tech workers can fight for their rights is Yonatan Miller from Berlin Tech Workers Coalition.

Berlin’s former top football Hertha have officially failed and fallen out of the top league. Our sports expert Jöran Mandik tells us about this epic sporting tragedy, and the incredible rise of Berlin's other team FC Union.

This episode is hosted by Matilde Kaiser, Izzy Choksey, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Research by Sebastian Filip. Edited by Trevor Silverstein. Thanks to our listeners who support us with a monthly donation via Steady! Please consider contributing here.

Check out athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf now! Try AG1 completely risk-free with a 90-day money-back guarantee, and get a free year’s supply of Vitamin D3+K2 for immune support & 5 convenient travel packs with your first AG1 order! For health information about AG1 and what we have to offer visit: https://athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf

We stress the importance of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Keep out of reach of children. Not suitable for children and adolescents under 18 years, pregnant or nursing women. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake.

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Berlin is about to get conservative. The Christian Democrats have taken control of our once lefty, greeny, progressive and mismanaged city. The new CDU mayor is Kai Wegner, and he’s already off to a bad start. Berlin's parliament took an unprecedented three rounds of voting to elect him, despite his coalition having a majority. That means some within his own ranks aren't happy with him in power, and could cause trouble by refusing to pass legislation.

Was the New Election Justified?

How did the CDU come to power? They won 28.2% of the vote in the February 2023 re-election. They invited the SPD (which won 18.4% of votes) to join in a coalition. Together the CDU and SPD have 46.6% of votes and 82 of 159 seats in parliament. But the previous coalition of SPD, Greens (18.4%) and die Linke (12.2%) together had 49% of votes and taken 90 seats. Put simply, the old R2G (or G2R) coalition could have continued, and would have represented more voters.

Why did the 2023 election happen at all? Joel read the court decision which overturned the previous 2021 'marathon' election and found few facts to support the claim that it was terminally flawed. You can read the verdict for yourself here: https://gesetze.berlin.de/bsbe/document/KVRE008452215

Joel's take: The 2021 election shouldn't have been re-run, and the 2023 coalition isn't democratically supported.

How Berlin is Becoming a Psychedelics Hotspot

Several major medical trials are underway at Berlin's Charite hospital using psilocybin and MDMA to treating depression and PTSD. And plenty of Berliners are conducting their own experiments with micro-dosing. Our guest is Anne Philippi, host of The New Health Club podcast, which dives into the emerging field of psychedelic therapy. Listen to her show on Apple Podcasts here.

Try Athletic Greens!

Check out athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf now, try AG1 completely risk-free with a 90-day money-back guarantee, and get a free year's supply of Vitamin D3+K2 for immune support & 5 convenient travel packs with your first AG1 order! For health information about AG1 and what we have to offer, visit: athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf Reference is made to the importance of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Keep out of reach of children. Not suitable for children and adolescents under 18 years, pregnant or nursing women. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake.

Episode Credits

This episode was recorded live at Selina Mitte: https://www.selina.com/germany/berlin-mitte/

Hosts: Joel Dullroy, Izzy Choksey, Dan Stern. Producers: Anne-Marie Harrison, Sebastian Filip.

Thanks to our listeners who support us with a monthly donation via Steady! Please consider contributing here.

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Jöran and Matilde outline the underground market which is making it difficult for psychotherapists to treat patients under public health insurance. But, there’s a work-around to getting psychotherapy covered! Find out what this magic word is on this episode, and read all about it in the current cover story for ExBerliner Magazine.

Want to share your story? Write to us here at hallo@radiospaetkauf.com or leave a voice message here.

Terminology:

Bedarfsplanung: formal coverage plan made to ensure sufficient health service coverage across Germany, according to the need in each region.

Gesetzliche Krankenkassen: Statutory health insurance funds, Germany’s publicly-mandated privately-run insurers, covering around 90% of residents. They fund some mental healthcare costs for members.

Kassensitze: An insurance-funded therapy license for therapists.

Kostenerstattungsverfahren: cost reimbursement procedure.

Sprechstunden: Trial sessions.

Types of Therapy:

Psychoanalysis: The original Freudian analysis.

Tiefenpsychologische fundierte Psychotherapie: Classic talk therapy, finding out where patterns and issues come from.

Verhaltenstherapie: Cognitive behavioural therapy, working on changing your behaviour.

Systemische Therapie: A combination of talk therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.

EMDR: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, especially for PTSD.

Show Notes:

Jöran tried Berlin Institute for Psychotherapie and Psychoanalyse (BIPP): https://bipp-berlin.de/

Others went straight to a Hausarzt (a general doctor). But you can get an initial assessment appointment by calling: 116 117.

Credits:

Get Help Berlin is created, written, and presented by Matilde Keizer and Jöran Mandik. Production, writing and editing by Anne-Marie Harrison. Voiceovers by Dan Stern. Music is by Ducks! and Tom Evans. Artwork is by Molly Rose Dyson. This is a production of Radio Spaetkauf, Berlin’s news podcast.

Please support us with a one-off or monthly donation! https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Recorded Live on Sunday, March 27, 2023.

Support from AG1 - link for our listeners here: https://athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf

Guest host Drew Portnoy of 20% Berlin takes us through some political tidbits, his terrifying adventures in Frankfurt, and his thoughts on who shouldn’t be allowed topless in Berlin pools.

We talk with Jonny Tiernan, the new editor in chief of ExBerliner, about changes at the Berlin English language institution.

Stories include King Charles III’s visit to Berlin, what scientists are doing with our pee, the transportation strike, and some fond Corona lockdown memories. Learn about Berlin’s efforts to #freethenipple, baby eels in our waterways, and an update one the Berlin judge involved in last year’s coup attempt. Plus, Dan shares what he really thinks about Berlin landlords.

Jonny Tiernan on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jonnytiernan/

Thank you to everyone who listens. We appreciate the audience and the community. Become a monthly supporter or make a one time donation at www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/. Thank you.

This episode was produced by Anne-Marie Harrison and Daniel Stern. Editing by Sebastian Filip. Script by Anne-Marie Harrison. Hosts: Matilde Keizer, Anne-Marie Harrison, Daniel Stern, and guest host Drew Portnoy. Additional contributions by Jöran Mandik and as always the support of Joel Dullroy.

Assistance from https://www.podfestberlin.com/

Recorded live at Noisy Rooms.

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Recorded Live at the Babylon Berlin Cinema in Mitte on Sunday, January 22, 2023.

A brand new year brings Berlin fresh cringe from mayor Franziska Giffey and a reignition of the annual fireworks debate. We look at how racism and feminism might play a role in that conversation. Berlin vs. Hamburg? 25 percent of Germans found Hamburg the “most likable” German city, but which city-state do Radio Spaetkauf hosts prefer? The answer may shock you! (It probably won’t).

This episode was sponsored by Athletic Greens. Visit http://www.athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf and get a free year’s supply of Vitamin D3+K2 for immune support, 5 convenient Travel Packs and a starter kit with your first AG1 order!

Fresh scandals and new posters leading up to the election redo, who stands to gain and do any deserve us? We chat with Nathaniel Flakin, author of “Revolutionary Berlin” about the election and some of the Berlin actors in the recent coup attempt. His book is published by Pluto Books and his tours can be found at https://revolutionaryberlin.wordpress.com/

Our second guest Yevhenii Surniaieva, is a board member of IWEK e.V. (fb page link), one of the associations that founded the Alliance of Ukrainian Organizations. He gives us some perspective on the new Ukrainian experience of Berlin and Ukraine as well as suggestions on how to help those displaced and suffering because of the Russian invasion. Links here: https://www.medhelpukraine2022.org/ https://plastde.org/spendenaufruf/ https://ukr-dim.de/help/

Berlin will, at long last, send Nigeria ten artifacts know as “Benin Bronzes”. Hopefully the return of these stolen artworks signals a better reckoning with Germany’s colonial past.

The online portal queer.de has been sued for “disparaging the memory of the deceased” because of an article they wrote describing the now-deceased Joseph Ratzinger, AKA Pope Benedict the 16th, as being queerphobic. However, the head of the journalist union says there is no violation of the press codex and no obvious insult against the former pope.

In transportation news, it was recently made public that the BVG fired their security company Pütz in November after an assault on a passenger was “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” according to BVG sources.It’s hard to believe, but there’s actually some good economic news to kick off this year. Berlin’s economic output rose by about 2.5 percent last year, above the average for the rest of the country.Berlin Fashion Week kicked off with Mayor Giffey’s embarrassing hype line of “Hey, where are all the Berliners?!” and was later trolled by activists “The Yes Men” who infiltrated the Adidas RealityWear show with models in fake blood “literally wearing the toil of workers on [their] sleeves.”

Thank you to everyone who listens. We appreciate the audience and the community. Your financial support will help keep this project viable. Become a monthly supporter or make a one time donation at https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/ thank you.

Join Izzy February 4th on a walking tour of Berlin covering social movements. Political Walking Tour – Social Movements in Berlin – The Left Berlin Dan has a new weekly stand up show called “Slingshot” at Two Fellas in Pankow. Info and reservations at sterndaniel.com Matilde is a frequent performer at Comedy Cafe Berlin, catch her there!

This episode was produced by Anne-Marie Harrison and Daniel Stern. Editing and additional research by Sebastian Filip. Writing by Anne-Marie, Matilde Keizer and Izzy Choksey. Hosts: Matilde Keizer, Izzy Choksey and Daniel Stern.Additional contributions by Joran Mandik and as always the support of Joel Dullroy.

Assistance from https://www.podfestberlin.com/ and technical help from https://mobilekino.berlin/

Recorded live at Babylon Cinema in Mitte - a wonderful place to see thoughtfully curated film: https://babylonberlin.eu/ thank you to their wonderful staff!

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In our second installment of the Brews and News winter tour we recorded at the Vagabund Brewery in Wedding from Kesselhaus. 1,500 fish died after the giant fish tank in the Radisson Blu exploded out into the street next to Alexanderplatz. We talk through an interesting transport proposal from Green Senator Bettina Jarasch to let bicycles park in car spaces, and another by the Berlin government to ease up immigration laws that could have huge consequences for listeners wanting to become Germans. And we share our best Christmas tips and tricks for those spending the holidays in Berlin. Happy first day of Hanukkah one and all.

We check in with pal of the show Ryan Plocher, active with the GEW union, who came on to let us know about the most recent teacher’s strike in Berlin.Twitter: @gew_bund

And Yvonne von Langsdorff came on to tell us about how she (and her neighbors) hatched a plan to snatch back the sale of her house from an investor - by buying it but not owning it themselves. InstagramWebsite Community room

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Its official! Berliners will have to return to the voting booths. Berlin’s constitutional court ruled on Wednesday, that the Senate and Bezirks elections will have to be redone completely. Parties now have 2 months to get their ducks in a row and mount a sort of Sprint-Campaign before the re-election on February 12. Here to tell us all about the ramifications of this decision is friend of the show, frequent Radio Spaetkauf guest and co-host of the wonderful podcast Megan’s Megacan, Konrad Werner.

https://twitter.com/megansmegacan

https://anchor.fm/megans-megacan

Climate activists are keeping busy in Berlin and celebrated a big success this week. Letzte Generation have joined forces with Ende Gelände and Extinction Rebellion to block off traffic to BER and the Klimaneustart 2030 initiative managed to collect around 262,000 signatures—way more than the 170,000 required to get a referendum going! Will we get to vote for decisive climate action on February 12 as well?

https://klimaneustart.berlin/

https://letztegeneration.de/

We speak to Lea Beckmann, a lawyer and anti-discrimination expert for the Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, to understand how Berlin law enforcement and Germany’s judicial system are failing people with disabilities in cases of gendered harassment and violence.

https://twitter.com/lea_beckmann_

https://www.frauen-gegen-gewalt.de/en/

https://www.weibernetz.de/welcome.html

https://bodys.evh-bochum.de/ueber-bodys.html

And we discuss how Berlin is reacting to the criticism of the football World Cup in Qatar and what the Berlin Senate is doing about skyrocketing raccoon populations…

This episode was sponsored by Athletic Greens. Visit http://www.athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf and get a free year's supply of Vitamin D3+K2 for immune support, 5 convenient Travel Packs and a starter kit with your first AG1 order!

This episode was recorded live at Two Fellas Brewery in Pankow, so you might hear a little extra background noise. https://twofellas.beer/

Stop by one of our Brews and Berlin News Winter Tour locations. Our next show will be on Dec 18 at Vagabund Brauerei in Wedding. Register for tickets here: https://www.podfestberlin.com/tickets

Hosts: Izzy Choksey, Jöran Mandik, Matilde Keizer and Daniel Stern

Producer: Anne-Marie Harrison

If you like what we do and want us to keep making the show, please support us by subscribing or donating: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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One year ago Berliners voted overwhelmingly in support of the Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen referendum to buy back corporate-owned apartments and communalize them. What's happened since? Friend of the show and host of the DW Enteignen podcast “Von Menschen und Mieten” Wouter Bernhardt gives us an update with some exciting news. More here: https://www.darumenteignen.de/en/

Temperatures are falling and fears about heating are on the rise. What if Berliners took control of their district heating system? Michael Efler from BürgerBegehren Klimaschutz e.V. tells us about plans to communalize Berlin’s energy network. They’ve got 14,148 signatures so far. Sign the petition here: https://weact.campact.de/petitions/fernwarme-zuruck-in-berliner-hand-fur-eine-klimafreundliche-und-soziale-warmeversorgung

Lucy Alice Thomas tells us about Loom’s Turnt Up Musik Kamp for FLINTA youth aged 16-27 taking place October 24-29. Learn about Turnt Up here: http://atemberlin.com/

Check out the great work Loom is doing here: https://www.loomverein.org

Hosts: Izzy Choksey, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern

Producers: Anne-Marie Harrison and Sebastian Filip

If you like what we do and want us to keep making the show, please support us by subscribing or donating: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Maisie Hitchcock returns as special co-host for an outdoor episode recorded at Floating Berlin.

The €9 public transport ticket is dead, but what if Berliners make their own cheap ticket scheme? We meet Mario from 9EuroFonds, a collective ticket insurance system. So far they've raised over €10,000 to pay members' transport fines. More at https://9eurofonds.de

Some Berliners are freaking out about the low-heat winter ahead, due to the gas supply crisis. But what should the city really be doing to phase out fossil fuel use entirely? Klimaneustart wants Berlin to become climate neutral by 2030. That's 15 years earlier than the city's current plan. Organizer Jess tells us about the challenges of trying to trigger a referendum. Sign up at https://klimaneustart.berlin

Hosts: Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy, Matilde Keizer, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Producer: Sebastian Filip.

If you like what we do and want us to keep making the show, please support us by subscribing or donating: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Maisie Hitchcock returns as special co-host for an outdoor episode recorded at Floating Berlin.

Hosts: Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy, Matilde Keizer, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Producer: Sebastian Filip.

If you like what we do and want us to keep making the show, please support us by subscribing or donating: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Synopsis: A weekend of escapism turns into a confrontation with reality for a group of Berliners, who leave the city to find the countryside is a scary place.

Location: A camp ground in the forest next to a lake.

Cast: 500 film fans plus Joel, Dan and Michele Guido: https://www.training.comedycafeberlin.com/instructors/michele-guido/

Special Guest: Director Alexandra Semkina. Insta: https://www.instagram.com/sashkasemkina/ / FB: https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.semkina.3 / Film school: https://www.metfilmschool.de

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Synopsis: A weekend of escapism turns into a confrontation with reality for a group of Berliners, who leave the city to find the countryside is a scary place.

Location: A camp ground in the forest next to a lake.

Cast: 500 film fans plus Joel, Dan and Michele Guido: https://www.training.comedycafeberlin.com/instructors/michele-guido/

Special Guest: Director Alexandra Semkina. Insta: https://www.instagram.com/sashkasemkina/ / FB: https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.semkina.3 / Film school: https://www.metfilmschool.de

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It’s pride month in Berlin but a virus outbreak is highlighting how policy makers keep failing the LGBTQi community and shows we learnt nothing from the last pandemic. People are being stigmatized and shamed, the vaccine program is slow - sound familiar? This time it’s monkeypox. We talked to queer activist Pansy about how it is affecting the gay community.

Pansy is hosting an actual DRAG RACE on Tuesday, July 26th in Hasenheide. Find more infos via Pansy’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pansypresents/

Meanwhile a new database has been launched to make it easier for all queer people to find the sexual health services right for them. Our new editor Anne-Marie Harrison went out to interview founder Anna Wim about her platform Fluide BLN http://fluidebln.de/

Also: You might not know it if you don’t drive a car, but the past few weeks Berlin’s roads have become the site of an incredible youth-led protest movement. Hundreds of young people of the Letzte Generation movement have been putting their bodies and clean criminal records on the line by blocking traffic, in some cases glueing their hands to the road, to draw attention to the dire threats of climate change. This has enraged drivers, who have physically attacked the protesters, with police often standing by and doing nothing to stop the assaults. We’ve met one of these incredible activists. https://letztegeneration.de/

And: Berlin schools are in bad shape, there aren’t enough teachers and the ones we do have are overworked. Now international teachers in Berlin are being left out of a scheme to offer better pay and pensions. We talked to Ryan Plocher, a US teacher and active GEW union member, who is helping to plan strikes to try to get better conditions in Berlin schools. https://www.gew-berlin.de/ueber-uns/about-us

We’ve recorded this episode live at the wonderful Podfest Berlin, organized by our very own Dan Stern. It was a blast! If you missed it - all recorded podcasts will be published before long. To find out more, head over to https://www.podfestberlin.com/

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Jöran has just started looking for a therapist and can’t believe how impossible it seems. Matilde is in therapy and still gets anxiety recalling her search.

On this episode they swap stories and explain the basics about Germany’s mental health system. They talk to several people who’ve done it all before. And they explain the first steps to take.

Want to share your story? Write to us here at hallo@radiospaetkauf.com or leave a voice message here.

Show Notes:

Georg switched health insurers to get timely access to care (he’s now with BKK-VBU). He also frequently called the Berliner Krisendienst: http://www.berliner-krisendienst.de

Jöran tried Berlin Institute for Psychotehrapy and Psychoanalyse (BIPP): https://bipp-berlin.de/

Others went straight to a Hausarzt (a general doctor). But you can get an initial assessment appointment by calling: 116 117.

Credits:

Get Help Berlin is created, written, produced and presented by Matilde Keizer and Jöran Mandik. Additional production and writing by Joel Dullroy and Anne-Marie Harrison. Music is by Ducks! and Tom Evans. Artwork is by Molly Rose Dyson. This is a production of Radio Spaetkauf, Berlin’s news podcast.

Please support us with a one-off or monthly donation! https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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This episode was recorded in the dying summer light of the floating university in Berlin; a location that is neither a university nor floating. Luckily, we had Jöran on site to explain the history of this fascinating location.

As everything gets more expensive, could Berlin make life more affordable by offering a basic income of over €1000 a month? This episode features the organisers of an attempt to start an experiment to do just that. Also, you’ve heard of community gardens. What about a community food forest? We meet a group trying to plant an edible biosphere on Tempelhofer Feld.

Energy prices are starting to bite and inflation is starting to eat into everyone’s weekly budgets. To combat this the federal government brought in the 9 euro monthly public transport ticket at the beginning of the month. It will run till the end of August. Who’s against it and who’s for it? And why should we all be getting on regional trains to an island in the north of Germany called Sylt. Also on the topic of shortages and price hikes, Mathilde reveals her deep knowledge of beer glass in a welcomed presentation on the current bottle crisis faced by Berlin’s breweries.

We welcome Laura Brämswig from the Grundeinkommen Volksentscheidung campaign to come and talk to us about why we should all sign the petition for another Volksentschiedung giving Berlin the chance to test out a Grundeinkommen.

Freya Grote and Liz Eve from the Feld Food Forest collective joined us to explain more about their project to create a food forest on the Tempelhof Airfield.

More Links:

Podfest Berlin: Home | PodFest Berlin
Social Movements of Berlin (tour guided by Izzy Choksey): https://www.theleftberlin.com/events/political-walking-tour-social-movements-in-berlin/
Too Many Cooks (hosted by Mathilde Keizer): Too Many Cooks - A Comedy Cooking Show - Comedy Café Berlin (comedycafeberlin.com)
Donate to Radio Spaetkauf! https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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What’s left of revolutionary Berlin? On our outdoor May Day special, we ask author Nathaniel Flakin whether there's still enough activists to keep Berlin interesting. On a weekend when Berlin's mayor Franziska Giffey gott egged, activists squatted an empty hostel and thousands of people joined big marches, Nathaniel says May Day isn't dead yet. Ask your bookshop to stock his new book Revolutionary Berlin - A Walking Guide. As Russia's war rages in Ukraine, Berlin's Green Party wants the city to prepare our U-Bahn stations to use as bomb shelters. But some tunnel experts say the stations aren't deep enough, while old WWII bunkers are now art galleries.

Get ready for a summer of train travel with the €9 nationwide Monatskarte, valid on all local and regional trains. Izzy says the three summer months are usually known as 'car season'. She hopes the experimental period will deliver data to convince politicians to permanently reduce public transport ticket prices.

This episode was recorded outdoors in the Tempelhof community garden in the afternoon of May 1, 2022. Hosts: Izzy Choksey, Matilde Keizer, Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy.

Support us with a donation! Go to: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Berlin has welcomed 30,000 new residents as Ukrainian refugees fill the city. We meet Mimi, a volunteer from Wir Packens An. They send boxes to refugees - not just from Ukraine, but those forgotten in other parts of Europe too. You can help by volunteering to fill boxes for a day: www.wir-packens-an.info

How is the war affecting Berlin, a city that runs mostly on Russian fossil fuels? Our energy bills are going up, we're getting cheaper public transport, and may soon live under an iron dome missile shield.

As coronavirus rules disappear, are Berliners ready to give up their masks? So far many are opting to keep covered up in shops.

Right to the City for All, the English speaking arm of the DW Enteignen campaign for an update on what has happened since the referendum. www.dwenteignen.de Email: right2thecity@dwenteignen.de

We meet Paul Hanford, who has written a book on the clubbing culture in Berlin since the 90s. We ask what it means when one of the world's richest men is now hanging out in Berlin's basement bars. His book here: https://velocitypress.uk/product/coming-to-berlin-book/

Support us with a donation! Go to: https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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The BVG has reinvented the concept of time. Ticket checkers emerge from undercover. Tempelhof art show boycott explained. A huge art exhibition inside Tempelhof airport has gained millions in public funding. But Berlin artists say it’s suspicious. The so-called Kunsthalle Berlin is sponsored by big property investors, won public money without an open process, and doesn’t include Berlin artists. We talk to Zoe Claire Miller about the controversy behind the exhibition.

Dog owners in Berlin are terrified of a possible poisoner after at least one dog died in suspicious circumstances. Jöran is among the worried. There’s not one but two apps for people to report possible poisonings - Dogorama and GiftkoderRadar.

A climate change protest group called Letzte Generation has been causing traffic chaos in recent weeks by occupying autobahns. Some glued their hands to the asphalt. Angry drivers and BSR rubbish collectors attacked the protesters, then police arrived and charged them with crimes. They’re campaigning for food security, pointing out the risk to humans of climate change.

The BVG has altered the concept of time. Instead of displaying ‘mins’ to the next train on digital signs, it’s using the prime symbol: ′ (not an apostrophe). The BVG said it needed to make space for a wheelchair symbol. But does everyone recognize the prime as a sign of the time? Also, BVG ticket inspectors will no longer work undercover, but will wear blue vests to be clearly identified. It’s the end of an era for Berliners trained to spot suspiciously dressed passengers with large pouches.

How reliable is your COVID-19 test? Possibly zero percent, according to a website to compare Schnelltests. Matilde and Dan spent the past weeks analysing their analysers: www.schnelltesttest.de

Gym members who were charged during the pandemic could get some of their money back. A group lawsuit is suing fitness centres for failing to offer refunds. Join in at: https://www.fitnessstudio-erstattung.de

This episode was presented by Izzy Choksey, Matilde Keizer, Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern.

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Would premium class service encourage more rich people to take public transport? Housing activists score a temporary victory trying to squat an empty building. Why do the moving sidewalks at BER airport not move?

New Year’s Eve is effectively cancelled with limits of 200 people for indoor events and a ban on dancing in clubs. Much like last year, fireworks have been restricted but not banned outright. Sales are highly restricted and around 50 areas have been declared fireworks free. Jöran would prefer an outright ban as he now has a dog who will be terrified by the noise.

Berlin’s new double-decker buses have gone into service. They have wifi and USB ports, which the BVG says helps reduce vandalism because "The youth are so busy with their phones, that they hardly get any other ideas." Unfortunately the new buses are diesel powered, an anachronistic choice.

A recent study published by the World Economic Forum, the Boston Consulting Group and Switzerland’s University of St Gallen suggests the implementation of a “first class” option for Berlin’s public transportation system. According to their models wealthy Berliners currently commuting from low density outlying areas via car would switch to public transportation by €10 bookable seats featuring such luxuries as comfortable seats and reliable internet. We have our doubts.

The SPD’s Fraziska Giffey has become Berlin’s first elected woman mayor, but not the first woman to run the city. Louise Schroeder ran the city from 1947 to 48, though she was appointed rather than elected. And East Berlin also had a woman leader, Ingrid Pankraz, for a few days in 1990. These women have been ignored by most media covering Giffey’s election.

More than half of BER airport’s travelators (aka moving sidewalks) are out of action. The reason? Most of the travelators and escalators were installed in 2011 and sat unused for almost a decade. The hardware deteriorated, making them unusable. Now they have to be replaced.

Thank you to everyone who listens. We appreciate the audience and the community. If you would like to help keep this project viable we appreciate financial support. Become a monthly supporter or make a one time donation at radiospaetkauf.com.

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Confusion in the club queues as new 2G+ rules start. Does the plus mean mask, test or both? The short answer is always check ahead. We're back to the bad old days of finding vaccine appointments by word of mouth. The website wirhelfenberlin.de can help you find an available vaccination center.

Christmas markets are open for now. Izzy recommends the Nollendorfplatz Christmas Avenue LGBTIQ* Weihnachtsmarkt, with performances at 19:30 each night.

We meet Berlin's most prolific Twitter curator, James Jackson. He explains his annoyance at Germany's obsession with homeopathy and plant-based medicine. Follow him here: https://twitter.com/derJamesJackson

How do you steal an entire apartment block in Berlin? You can fake paperwork, like a group of fraudsters did, or you can use the courts to kill off the government’s Vorkaufsrecht, or right of first purchase, as some greedy investors have just done. Both cases show how Germany's property market is thoroughly corrupted.

Berlin's new Red-Green-Red coalition has presented some of their planned policies for the next five years. They plan to reduce Berlin's fossil fuel use - but not fast enough, says Izzy. The new federal government plans to legalize marijuana. Will it take away income from people who can’t get working permits?

This episode presented by Izzy Choksey, Matilde Keizer, Joran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Thanks to all our supporters! You can donate to keep us going here: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

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BER turned to chaos over the October holidays, with huge queues and many missed flights. Airlines advised travellers to come four hours early. The airport is only handling half the pre-pandemic passenger numbers. Who saw this coming?

Should we use Gorillas or boycott? We meet three members of the Gorillas Riders Collective, who are suing the 10-minute-delivery company, and being sued, as they fight for on-time pay, non-faulty bikes, lighter loads and real contracts. They say users should think before ordering butter in bad weather, and at least give a tip. Gorillas is supposedly worth almost €3 billion, but they aren’t spending that money on maintaining bikes.

Swapping is the new shopping. Hundreds of Berliners have joined a movement to trade their clothes instead of buying unsustainably produced fashion. They get together for meet-ups to exchange their items. Founder of Berlin Clothing swap Jenna Stein joins us.

How does it feel to win the battle, but maybe lose the war? Wouter from Deutsche Wohnen und Co Enteignung tells us what the housing activists plan to do to force politicians to respect the referendum result.

Berlin is on track to get a red-green-red coalition after local SPD branches rebelled against Franziska Giffey’s attempts to partner with conservative parties. Was it a tactical ploy, or a sign of weak leadership?

This episode was presented by Izzy Choksey, Matilde Keizer, Joran Mandik and Joel Dullroy. It was recorded live at Podfest Berlin, an event supported by Patreon and organized by our own Dan Stern.

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Berliner voters want more left-green politics and a radical state take-over of property - but the new mayor may ignore those demands.

At Sunday's city-state elections, a majority (54.3%) voted for the R2G parties, showing the citizens want the current coalition to continue. Another majority (56.7%) voted 'yes' in the Deutsche Wohnung & Co. Enteignen referendum, instructing the city to forcibly buy houses from big corporate property investors.

However it will be up to the SPD to decide if those things happen. The SPD won the most votes (21.4%) and can pick who to team up with - and they don't like Die Linke, and have clashed with the Greens.

The referendum result is non-binding, and the SPD's lead candidate (and likely mayor) Franziska Giffey is opposed to it (although many members support it).

Will Giffey's SPD really ignore the wishes of a majority of Berliners? Join us for this quick take on Berlin's 2021 election results.

With Izzy Choksey, Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern.

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The Berlin election results could deliver a shock result: instead of the current green-left coalition, we could end up with conservatives who want to build on Tempelhof, expand highways and stop rental reforms. We’ll terrify you with the worst-case scenario.

Instead of finishing the A100 autobahn, let's turn it into a giant urban farm. That's the latest mad idea from Paper Planes e.V., the dream team behind the Radbahn project. We talk to Perttu Ratilainen about how we could grow veggies on the highway. More at: https://www.morgenfarm.berlin

Not vaccinated yet? Now you can't eat at many restaurants or go to events. The 3G rule has been tightened to 2G - only immunized people can enter many places. Tests are fast becoming obsolete.

The Humboldt Forum is about to open a new exhibition of artefacts stolen by German explorers and colonialists. We meet Virgil Taylor from the Coalition of Cultural Workers Against the Humboldt Forum (CCWAH). He explains what's wrong with the reconstructed city palace, outside and in. More at: https://ccwah.info

The Berlin Podfest is on October 23-25, organized by our own Daniel Stern. Attend, participate or just listen: https://www.sterndaniel.com/podfestberlin

This episode was hosted by Matilde Keizer, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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Berlin is weeks away from its state election and a referendum on housing. We analyse the campaign posters with Konrad Werner, columnist for Exberliner, and host of the weekly German news show Megan’s Megacan: https://anchor.fm/megans-megacan

The AFD has moved from anti-migrant to anti-Green issues, declaring "Your car would vote for us". The CDU are trying to convince Berliners they'd do a better job than the R2G coalition. The SPD is sticking with mayoral candidate Franziska Giffey, despite more plagiarism problems. She's also effectively ruled out a new coalition with Die Linke and possibly the Greens, meaning a return to a conservative coalition in Berlin. And there's lots of small parties with interesting ideas and terrible graphic design. Izzy's volunteering to campaign for Klimaliste, who have a detailed plan on how to mitigate climate change, and say the Greens aren't doing enough.

What happens if you paint the city streets with DIY safety markings and bike lanes? We meet a group who are being prosecuted for taking traffic control into their own hands. Jon from the group Vineta Kiezblock tells us how his group painted road safety marks. The Ordnungsamt painted them black. Follow here: https://twitter.com/VKiezblock

No more free coronavirus tests. Germany has decided to stop paying for your tests as of October 11. Expect a lot of empty shops and second-hand lab coats for sale online. The end of the tests means the end of income for some small shops.

The BVG is rolling out its new station announcement audio to more U-Bahn lines. The five-tone marimba alert is very tropical, but not very Berlin.

Mail from Maisie! She's in Brighton, or "Kotti Am See". She misses affordable bio food, rubbish recycling and Brandenburg lakes. But at least it's multicultural, and free of scooters on sidewalks.

Guest host Izzy Choksey from the podcast @Sistrionics joins Joel and Dan for a live recording in front of a small safe audience at the Comedy Cafe Berlin.

Dan's got a show coming up on August 28 at CCB. Come! Tickets here: https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/toby-dan-3/

Thanks to all our supporters! You can donate to keep us going here: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

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What does Deutschrap have to do with the boom in bling-decorated iced tea? Maisie Hitchcock delves into her considerable knowledge of the genre to explain.

Want a hot investment tip? Get into chili farming. Berlin's chili expert Neil Numb tells us how the city's hot sauce boom needs more suppliers. Start growing on your balcony. Visit this weekend's Berlin Chilli Fest at the new Reviere Südost: http://www.berlinchilifest.com

Gorillas riders are holding rolling strikes at depots around the city. They're protesting the summary firing of a worker who came late to a shift. Riders have formed a workers' council, but say management are pressuring staff not to join. The billion-euro startup boss says "Gorillas are about cycling, not politics." Seems he's wrong about that. Should you shop from them? Dan says riders are just the most visible part of exploitation in your supply chain.

Tiny igloo-shaped cars are the latest shared mobility object to appear in Berlin. The Swiss company Enuu says their electric cars don't take up as much road space. But they're frequently parked on the footpath, and some drivers drive them in bike lanes illegally.

Urban Jungle is being retired. Urban Jungle is the name of the design on most BVG seats - that mess of red, blue, black and white squiggles. It was introduced in the 90s to hide graffiti tags. But the BVG's new boss isn't a fan and has ordered it to be phased out, replaced by a black and grey pattern. Get to a BVG shop and buy any remaining Urban Jungle merchandise.

Today’s episode of Radio Spaetkauf was made with support from Wander. Wander offers immersive audio experiences in locations all over the city. Visit places you always wanted to go and others you didn’t even know existed. Guides such as Daniel Ryan Spaulding will help you discover hidden corners of the city. Listen now for free at https://www.getwander.app/
Find them on Insta at https://www.instagram.com/getwander.app/
Apple Podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/wander/id1545586440?l=en
And Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/6JLLnFuFwYLEtWYXsp3veI?si=FGr5XzAqS6aN8gCXWKzHUw&nd=1

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Everything is reopening. We’re shooting up on vaccines, and shoving sticks up our noses in strange places - and loving it. And best of all - Maisie is back!

Coronavirus testing centers are popping up faster than bubble tea shops. There are more than 1000 stations in the strangest locations - converted restaurants, bikes, basements. Is this creative capitalism, or a state-funded stimulus? The government is paying €12 per test. Some of that money is going amiss. Joel witnessed some test centers sending results without actually performing the tests, and others using incorrect personal data.

Our guest Nik Kaestner, a spokesman for Volksentscheid Berlin Autofrei presents their goal of removing cars from within Berlin’s S-bahn Ring. This would create the world’s largest car-free zone. The idea has gained a great deal of support from cyclists and pedestrians. Nik says even the 1.3 million car owners will be happy when they see the improvement. The initiative’s website’s English language version is here: http://volksentscheid-berlin-autofrei.de/index.php?lang=en

It's time to ban schokoküsse, the chocolate marshmallows with a racist former name. Their continued existence allows racists to use them as a vehicle to attack Black people. A man attacked in the chocolate aisle in Aldi on Grenzallee in Neukölln by a white man, who used a box of chocolate kisses as a pretext for racial abuse. Changing the name (only in 2005) wasn't enough: choco kisses have to go.

Berlin voters are being asked by the SPD to elect a mayor who has resigned as a federal government minister over a PhD plagiarism scandal: Franziska Giffey. She has quit the federal cabinet in anticipation of losing her degree. But she's still the SPD's mayoral candidate for the upcoming election.

Local sports: Berlin's two football teams had very different Bundesliga season campaigns. Hertha played a terrible season, narrowly escaped dropping out of the Bundesliga, and fired some staff over racist comments. Union Berlin, however, had a fantastic year, finishing 7th overall.

Today's episode of Radio Spaetkauf was made with financial support from Wander. If you are looking to discover and explore the great places in Berlin check out Wander. Wander offers immersive audio experiences in locations all over the city. Visit places you always wanted to go and others you didn't even know existed. Wander suggests their audio experiences at Teufeslberg or the Neukölln Wochenmarkt on Maybachufer. Listen now for free at https://www.getwander.app/

Cohost Daniel Stern has a show live online Friday night via Comedy Cafe Berlin. Tickets and info at https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/night-show-berlin-live-from-ccb/

Thank you again to https://www.getwander.app/ for their support. On Insta at https://www.instagram.com/getwander.app/ Apple Podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/wander/id1545586440?l=en
And Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/6JLLnFuFwYLEtWYXsp3veI?si=FGr5XzAqS6aN8gCXWKzHUw&nd=1

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The Berlin Mietendeckel experiment is finished. The city’s revolutionary attempt to freeze rental prices for five years, and reduce overpriced leases, has been killed off by Germany’s highest court.

The decision has unleashed a political storm. Everyone is angry - but who will voters punish? The R2G parties who tried to regulate rents? Or their opponents, the CDU and FDP who successfully derailed the project? We make the case for why each side is to blame.

There’s a big bill to pay, as hundreds of thousands of Berliners now face back-payments, higher rents and permanent shadow contracts. We’ll run the numbers on the potential local economic crisis that could follow.

What hope is there left for affordable housing? And what can the rest of the world learn from Berlin’s short-lived rental revolution? The experiment is over. Now it’s time to analyze the results

The Challengers

The CDU and FDP took the Mietendeckel law to the constitutional court, where it was struck down. They perpetuated a false narrative - "build, don't cap" - which claimed, incorrectly, that the Mietendeckel prevented new development (constructions from 2014 were specifically excluded from the law). The CDU was responsible for weakening federal rental regulations in the first place, enabling prices to skyrocket.

And then there's political donations - or as Joel calls it, legalized corruption. Almost 80% of the CDU's publicly-declared donations come from the real estate sector.

Joel interviews Berlin FDP leader Sebastian Czaja and challenges him on his false claim that the Mietendeckel prevented building, and on the FDP's donations from real estate companies. Czaja says his party takes donations from all parts of society.

The Supporters

Are the parties who created the Mietendeckel culpable of incompetence? The governing coalition of the SPD, Die Linke and Die Grünen - or R2G - took a huge political and financial gamble, and lost.

The R2G promised renters a revolution, but delivered a regression. Many tenants must now make large back payments for which they have not saved. They went against the advice of many legal experts who warned their law was unconstitutional.

We speak to two of the Mietendeckel's creators. Kilian Wegner is a law professor and SPD member who co-authored a policy paper which laid the groundwork for the Mietendeckel. He says the R2G was right in taking a chance on an uncertain law, due to out-of-control property prices.

Another lawyer, Professor Franz Mayer, wrote an expert opinion which argued Berlin had the constitutional right to create the Mietendeckel. He says there was a chance of success, and believes the court should have helped tenants by negating backpayments.

The Big Bill

How much will the Mietendeckel fiasco cost? We interview real estate researcher Christoph Trautvetter. He estimates the backpayments will cost renters between €100 to €300 million. Ongoing rent increases will cost around €500 million annually - that's half a billion euros flowing from tenants to landlords, money not going into the local economy.

Daniel Halmer from Conny.Legal, formerly Wenigermieter, says tenants may be able to reduce backpayments and shaddow rents by using the Mietpreisebremse - the existing rental regulation that limits rent increases to 10% of local prices.

Time to Sieze Property?

An even more radical concept is now gaining support - the referendum initiative known as Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen, who want to seize properties from big corporate landlords.

We speak to Wouter Bernhardt from the movement's podcast Von Menschen und Mieten. He says expropriation would be a permanent solution to rising rental prices.

The End of the Experiment?

The Mietendeckel experiment ran too short to answer many questions, and the data was disrupted by the parallel pandemic. But we did learn a few things. If you want a minor reform, demand a revolution. If you get your revolution, prepare for reprisal. Tenants globally now know rent control is no longer excluded from the political discourse.

Rent Freeze is produced and presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Artwork by Jim Avignon. Music by Tom Evans and Ducks!

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Berlin's revolutionary rent freeze law has been declared invalid by Germany's highest court. Reduced rents will have to be repaid. Joel, Dan and Jöran give an instant take. Who will voters blame - the CDU/FDP for killing it, or the SPD/Linke/Greens for trying it? Is a federal rent cap likely?

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Berlin finally has an overnight curfew - but not really: we can go out alone from 9pm to 5am. We need a negative test to go shopping - but not really: grocery and household shopping is exempt. We ask - what's the point of making rules with so many holes? Matilde says Germany's leaders are like bad parents scared of disciplining their children.

Berlin vaccine centers are throwing away unused doses. People are being turned away due to paperwork. Hotlines are failing. Staff can be fired for being flexible. Joel asks - isn't it better to vaccinate the wrong people than nobody? Matilde found a doctor giving left-over vaccines to anyone who shows up. Why can't the rest of Germany be so practical and sensible?

A terrifying concrete building with a horrible history is threatened with destruction: the Mäuserbunker in Lichterfelde. Two architects want to save it. Turns out it's a fantastic example of form and functionality. Berlin has several amazing examples of Brutalism. Felix Torkar and Gunnar Klack tell us why we should love concrete.
Join their campaign here: www.mäusebunker.de
Get their Berlin Brutalist Map here: https://bit.ly/3sKas0P

People of colour are reporting violent and humiliating experiences while having tickets checked on public transport. Journalist Anne-Marie Harrison has been following the campaign @BVGWeilWirUnsFürchten which details stories of abuse by ticket controllers. Black Womxn Matter are petitioning the city government to reform the BVG's handling reports of discrimination and violence. The BVG responded, saying it checks all complaints and deals with ticket controller issues through labour law.
Links: Stoppt Diskriminierung und Gewalt durch Kontrolleure Petition - https://bit.ly/3fvfGtA

Thanks to our co-host Matilde Keizer! You can hear her German-language podcasts here:
MUGPU (matilde und georg Produzieren Unterhaltung) https://www.buzzsprout.com/854239
Schamlos: https://play.acast.com/s/schamlos

Radio Spaetkauf is produced by Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik, Daniel Stern and Maisie Hitchcock. This episode was made with support from RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

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There’s a lot of bad news around about Germany’s slow vaccination rate, and Berlin’s system in particular. The vaccination centers are processing far fewer people than they potentially could and Berlin has doses sitting around that are going unused. One solution may be in sight: Doctors may be allowed to administer vaccinations in their clinics.

State and federal leaders have agreed to extend the current lockdown until March 28th, with a very complicated multi-step plan for reopening. Each step has two weeks in between, and if things don’t improve we don’t move on. The second step arrives on Monday March 8th - flower shops, garden supply stores will be allowed to open. And German residents will be entitled to one free rapid coronavirus test per week - also Aldi wills tart selling them.

Berlin streets are full of yellow and purple posters in multiple languages demanding a real estate revolution. The campaign Deutsche Wohnen und Co Enteignen has entered the next phase of its attempt to trigger a referendum, and they’re out collecting signatures to make it happen. To delve deeper into the Enteignungs campaign, we’ve invited on an expert - fellow podcaster Wouter Bernhardt who has just launched a new podcast about the initiative called “Von Menschen und Mieten”. For more info or to get involved go to https://www.dwenteignen.de/

We also speak about a recent incident of racist police violence at Kottbusser Tor, where a well known busker had his leg broken. Help out, find a detailed report and get updated on the aftermath here.

And we take a good hard look at a new anti-semitism project by the police. We have mixed feelings but it turns out the Berlin police has an anti-semitism hotline you can call.

Thank you to our returning co-host Gilda Sahebi.

Radio Spaetkauf is produced by Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik, Daniel Stern and Maisie Hitchcock. This episode was made with support from RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

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Who stole the snow from a Berlin park? A local newspaper has been investigating one of the winter's cruelest possible crimes. Parents at Parkaue think a disgruntled local might have cleared a popular toboggan hill of snow. We read the Berliner Zeitung's in-depth investigation.

Should we have gone walking on the ice? After ten days of minus temperatures, half of the city went out onto the canals. But no Berlin authority is willing to say if the ice is safe. The police spent days flying helicopters over frozen lakes telling people to move on. Several people fell through the ice. One man died trying to swim under the ice layer.

Hairdressers will reopen on March 1 under the latest pandemic lockdown measures. Schools will start returning from February 22, starting with youngest students. Schools are planning to give students self-administered virus tests. There's no word yet on when small shops, gyms, bars or restaurants might open. Mayor Michael Müller says he hopes normalcy might return after Easter (April 4).

BER needs a financial injection of €3.5 billion - enough for an entire new airport. The Tagesspiegel reported on a leaked document from the airport's supervisory committee warning of a huge hole in the budget. In other airport news, Flughafen Schönefeld, rebranded as BER Terminal 5, is due to close on Feburary 23 due to the dramatic drop in air traffic. We talk about our favourite Schönefeld memories.

In sports news, Berlin’s newest Bundesliga team, FC Union Berlin, has officially overtaken Hertha Berlin in terms of fan numbers. Union is also ahead of Hertha on the league table (9th vs 15th).

The latest issue of Lola Mag is out now, with an article by Joel. You can get a copy by picking one up in a park. Follow Lola to find out where: https://www.instagram.com/LOLAmagberlin/ Or you can order one on their website: https://lolamag.de

Radio Spaetkauf is produced by Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik, Daniel Stern and Maisie Hitchcock. This episode was made with support from RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

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Jöran sits down with Eli Wenzel-Fisher, a caretaker at a Berlin retirement home to talk about vaccinations arriving at the residence and getting vaccinated himself.

Getting vaxxed - how does it work? What is it like? And what is the atmosphere like at the home? We get Eli’s detailed report.

Thanks to our recent sponsors! We’re using your donations to buy new audio equipment for our future live shows. You can become a supporter here. http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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With the new medical mask rule in force, will the Querdenkers now start wearing banned fabric masks? What about people who can't afford the expensive masks? Should prices be regulated to stop profiteering?

Already some bars, cafes, restaurants and other cultural spaces have closed down during the pandemic. Our friends at Lola Mag are starting to document these closed culture spaces. Know of a shuttered spot? Send details to hello@lolamag.de

Stoners beware. A Vice documentary says a lot of Berlin weed is laced with addictive and dangerous synthetic cannabinoids. Where's our organic weed already? Watch the video here.

BER workers are suffering from electric shocks from baggage scanning machines. More than 60 cases have been recorded. The workers' union wants the new terminal closed until the problem is fixed.

What's it like to be a teacher in a Berlin school these days? We meet Ryan Plocher, a US emigrant who teaches in Neukölln, and is active in the GEW trade union. He says teachers think schools should be closed until they're made safe, explains why so many schools are in terrible condition, and tells how expensive fireproof Nazi curtains made him get active in the union. Contact Ryan here: Ryan.Plocher@gew-berlin.de

Dan invites Radio Spaetkauf listeners to watch a free live show Saturday the 30th. He will be streaming from an empty comedy club; joined by comedians from Berlin and around the world. “Whoopsie Doopsie Doo is a comedy show streaming live on youtube, facebook and twitch. Goofy shenanigans, preposterous games, total mishegaas and friendly banter.” Dan assures us of a good show; his mom watches all the live streams and says they are great. Sign up here.

Thanks to guest co-host Carmen Chraim! You can find her podcast People of Carmen here:

Radio Spaetkauf is produced by Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik, Daniel Stern and Maisie Hitchcock. This episode was made with support from RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

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Jöran ushered in the new year with jelly donuts, Joel an ice cold swim and Dan watched the ZDF livestream. All were pleased with their experiences. Hospital on the water Urban Krankenhaus gets positive reviews from the team, though recent expansions ignore the buildings aesthetic and surroundings.

How was Berlin's NYE with fireworks sales banned? : 862 fire crew call-outs, 43 in 'verbotszonen', and 211 fires; 10 victims in ER, 2 hands partially amputated, one Brandenburg man killed by self-made rocket; one Neukölln supermarket destroyed by stored fireworks. Those numbers are about half of last year's.

How many fewer fireworks were fired? The Frankfurter Allee air quality station measured one third as much particle pollution. The rubbish collection company BSR said 130 meters of fireworks trash was collected, also about one third the volume of last year. If it was like this every year, we'd have nothing to complain about.

Christmas is long gone, but the trees are yet to be picked up. 350.000 of them per year according to the BSR. This year, they will begin their tree-pick-up rounds on January 7. They ask to remove all decorations from the tree when putting them out on the street. Even if you have a little baby tree. Don’t put them in the bio-bin - they can’t be used for biogas-production. The collected trees will be shredded and burnt for the production of heating energy.

The lockdown is set to continue. With about 30% of intensive hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and a boost in testing numbers expected after the holidays. Kitkat Club continues to attract huge crowds with its €25 test. And the 'queerdenkers' keep protesting, dancing in a conga line on Alexanderplatz singing about how we need a little virus. Maisie tweeted: "It’s funny how Holocaust denial is illegal here but Corona denial isn’t. Why aren’t they banned outright? Because they don’t use hate speech?"

Public transport tickets have gone up to €3 for a single journey; in Paris it's €1.90. New S-Bahn trains are on the tracks, with flat windscreen windows, giving them a futuristic vibe. To see them take the S47 between Spindlersfeld and Hermannstraße. Initially there are only ten of the new vehicles on this route. More will be added in 2022. The new trains have air conditioning, a new door signal, faster acceleration and deceleration. But no USB chargers, as was once promised.

You’re going to be seeing a lot more shared electric mopeds on the streets: The company Emmy plans to put 800 more of its red scooters. Joel questions why he only needs a class B European driver's license to use one, and how much is the fish?

Much of Berlin has already seen and mocked the “Psychometric WG” . Do they deserve less ridicule or should they be condemned for an embrace of villainous cyborgishness? At €800-€1000, their rent is definitely over the Mietendeckel limits (which also apply within WGs). If you want to report them or any other suspected overcharging landlord to the city government for investigation, here’s the link. Click link under "Online-Abwicklung": https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/330040/standort/123904/

2021 is an election year, which Radio Spaetkauf is excited to report on. But who should we run for office this year? Give Juri another shot despite only garnering 66 votes last time, or run a new candidate? Perhaps Carmen, our recent guest host? Should we really campaign or would that only degrade the democratic process?

Maisie says thanks for the messages, they have been wonderful.

If you, your business, or organization is interested in starting your own podcast get in touch with the Radio Spaetkauf team. We’ll make sure you have a unique concept that will keep your audience engaged and help you expand your following. hallo@radiospaetkauf.com

Thanks to all our donors! Support Radio Spaetkauf with a one time or ongoing donation at radiospaetkauf.com/donate. Grab a gift for the Radio Spaetkauf fan in your life at our new merch page, totes, mugs and T-shirts printed in Berlin.

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Why can't Germany finally ban fireworks? The failure to prohibit the use of rockets on NYE shows the pandemic response still isn't being led by science, we say. Many shops are closed, and alcohol outdoors is banned. Berlin is preparing for vaccinations, but unless you're over 80 you probably won't get one for quite a while.

We're joined by guest co-host Gilda Sahebi, a journalist and doctor. Gilda is part of Neue Deutsche Medienmacher, a network that promotes greater diversity in Germany's very white media industry. Follow Gilda's here: https://twitter.com/gildasahebi

Gilda's network helped write a handbook for Berlin's city government that discourages the use of racist and exclusionary language. For example, city officials have been told to not use the term "Ausländer", but rather "Einwohnende ohne deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft". Dan says making such phrases cumbersome should encourage us to question whether we even need to say them at all.

The BVG has a new voice. An actor with a gender neutral tone will read station announcements. Will the BVG also please finally hire a native English expert to check their translations? This new platform announcement is both bad and dangerous: "Please keep distance to each other." Please don't!

Keep your messages of support coming for Maisie.

This episode was hosted by Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy, Daniel Stern and Gilda Sahebi.

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We're joined by guest co-host Carmen Chraim. Listen to her podcast People of Carmen.

Joel shares his experience of having coronavirus: it's hard to get tested, and contact tracing is no forensic investigation. Luckily more private testing clinics have opened, including at BER and Kitkat Club.

With Christmas markets cancelled, the whole city has become a distributed glühwein markt. Joel and Jöran went on a tour of Neukölln's weihnachts windows. Can we expand the variety of hot drinks on offer please?

But glühwein is unlikey to save the hospitality sector. A survey by Bars of Berlin found 75% of their members expect to go out of business by 2021. Restaurants are operating on about 40% of their usual trade.

The U5 extension is finished, connecting Hauptbahnhof to Alexanderplatz. It was only 20% over budget and 3 years late. But Friedrichstraße U6 station has closed - Berlin has a ghost station once again. Do we need an U-Bahn extension to BER?

And at BER... Schönefeld airport is closing. The building now called Terminal 5 will shut its doors March for at least a year due to low traffic. Suddenly Berlin has three abandoned airports.

The bill for the police operation to clear the Liebig 34 squat is in: it cost almost €1 million: that's more than the owner paid to buy the building. The residents wanted to stay and pay rent, as they had been. The landlord wanted them out. The city sided with the owner.

Thanks for the lovely messages for Maisie - she really appreciates them.

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Rent Freeze #3: Don't Spend It

This month residents of Berlin should experience the biggest collective rent reduction in history. About 340,000 residents - one in six - may be eligible for a rent cut under the Mietendeckel, Berlin’s radical new housing policy. But landlords are doing their best to stop it.

On November 23 landlords must reduce rents to regulation levels or face fines of €500,000. Tenants can check if they're paying too much at this website: http://www.mietendeckel.berlin.de
And they can cheating landlords to the city government here: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/330040/

Anyone who gets a rent reduction should save the money, as they might have to pay it back. The Mietendeckel is being challenged in Germany's constitutional court, with a ruling expected in mid-2021. Jöran Mandik explains the court process - and the judges' red robes.

Furnished flats are not exempt from the Mietendeckel. But some companies are offering a buy-and-lease-back service model to help landlords get around the law. Tenants are told they have no choice but to rent both the flat and the furniture together. Other tricks include renting expensive basements, parking spaces and coworking desks inside their flat.

Double contracts have become standard: residents are offered two prices - a lower one that matches the rent freeze legislation, and a higher one they'll have ot pay if the law is later ruled unconstitutional. Such double contracts are most likely legal and enforceable, says rental expert Daniel Halmer from Conny.de (formerly Wenigermiete). But they could still be challenged using the Mietpriesbremse law, an older regulation which limits rent prices under some conditions.

What's the effect of the rent freeze so far? If you already have an apartment, the rent freeze appears to be working as expected. If you’re looking for an apartment, things are tougher due to landlords restricting supply. A study by the ZIA found average rental prices have sunk by 5.7% in the first half of 2020. But availability has also fallen by about 50%, as property owners withhold empty flats from the market. For new flats built after 2014 - which are exempt from the Mietendeckel - prices are up 7.5%, and availability has increased by 18%, according to real estate portal ImmobilienScout24.

Swedish property management company Heimstaden Bostat isn't deterred by the rent freeze. The company is trying to purchase about 130 buildings with almost 4000 apartments at a cost of €830 million. Heimstaden told us they had factored the rental regulations into their financial planning.

Researcher Christoph Trautwetter recently produced a report called 'Who Owns Berlin' for the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. He debunks the myth that warned the Mietendeckel would scare investors away. "There is an excess of capital looking to invest under any condition, and ready to accept the Mietendeckel as a condition to invest in Berlin," Trautwetter said. You can read his report here: https://www.rosalux.de/publikation/id/43284

Next up on this series - who is to blame for Berlin's lack of new properties? We'll also hear from small-time landlords who face financial ruin under the rent freeze.

Rent Freeze is produced and presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Music by Tom Evans. Artwork by Jim Avignon. Produced in partnership with RadioEins, Berlin's public broadcaster.

Support us with a donation! https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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First some difficult news: Maisie is in hospital being treated for a rare type of cancer. She is trying to stay positive and says: "Hello to everyone. I'm working on coming back ASAP!" You can send her a personal message via: hallo@radiospaetkauf.com

We're back in partial lockdown, with all hospitality and cultural venues closed. More than 70 such businesses are trying to sue to stay open, with little hope. They can apply for 75% of their usual monthly income. Will they be scared to ask for money, after the legal recriminations for those who took the last coronavirus support package? Here's where you find out more about about Überbrückungshilfe Unternehmen: https://bit.ly/3lfadHk

Where have people been catching COVID-19? Berlin's health department has released statistics: 55% at home, 15% in hospitals and care homes, 4% in 'free time', 3.5% at work, 2.5% at school - and only 2.1% in restaurants.

Tegel Airport has finally closed. Dan interviews Ben, a flight attendant who was on one of the last flights out of the hexagonal terminal.

This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy, Daniel Stern and Jöran Mandik.

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Every Berliner knows the new airport is about to open. But few know about the disasters that could happen next. We’re here to explain. Masie, Joel and Jöran take part in a test of the new terminal and find it functional, if a bit dull.

We meet the only hero in the BER saga – Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, the airport’s fourth CEO, and the one who finally finished the job. He’s a bureaucratic nerd who visited the building site on weekends to check on progress. And he has a penchant for prose when talking about his airport: “In the evenings, when the sun disappears behind the horizon, or when airplanes with their landing lights are touching down at Schönefeld… I don’t want to call it romantic, but there are special moments.”

But just as BER was turning the corner, COVID-19 has slashed air traffic by 70% and put a huge hole in an already shaky budget. Critics say the pandemic is masking a passenger capacity crunch. Can the airport really handle all of Berlin’s travellers? We’ll only know after the crisis.

How will BER pay the bills? We talk to business professor Hans Georg Gemünden from the Techniches Universität, who says the airport company has used accounting tricks to hide serious financial problems, and predicts it will go bankrupt in several years.

Should BER open at all? Environmental activists from Am Boden Blieben (Stay On The Ground) will blockade the airport to protest unnecessary air travel. They propose a frequent flyer tax to discourage jetsetting.

Radio Spaetkauf urges you to support any of the many charities rescuing people from drowning in the Mediterranean. We all deserve a good and safe life, no matter where we are born. European governments are acting immorally, but some people are trying to save lives. Donate to:
Sea-Watch: http://www.sea-watch-org
Mare Liberum: https://mare-liberum.org/
Alarm Phone: https://alarmphone.org/
Sea Eye: https://sea-eye.org/
Or any other Mediterranean rescue organization.

How To Fuck Up An Airport is presented by Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins.
Producer: Joel Dullroy
Presenters: Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern
Music: Ducks!
Artwork: Jim Avignon

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

Support us with a monthly donation!

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A right-wing campaign of neighbourhood terror has been carrying on for years on the streets of Neukölln. For a long time, the police just seemed incompetent. Now there are accusations that some police may have had connections to suspected right-wing attackers. We talk to the Mobile Counsel Against Right-wing Extremism Berlin: www.mbr-berlin.de/

The next coronavirus wave is upon us. The city is well prepared, with lots of available hospital beds. But politicians aren't taking chances, introducing more mask laws and shutting businesses at 11pm. But are we going back to morality over science?

An update on pop-up bike lanes: the Berlin city government has won an appeal against the AfD's anti-bike lane court case. The pop-up bike paths are safe for now. There's also a new initiative to ban cars from the city - Autofreiberlin: http://autofreiberlin.de

One of Berlin's last real squats, Liebig34, was evicted in a massive police operation. The owner, the Padovicz family and company, owns hundreds of properties. They bought the building for €600,000, and have already collected €580,000 in rent from the residents, who wanted to stay and pay a reasonable rent.

Berlin has a new official logo - a simple black, red and white rectangular box, with san-serif Bauhaus-era font and a bear with no flicking tongue. The cost? €1.26 million euros. A lot of money, but some of us think it's an improvement on the old Be Berlin graphic mess.

Dan recommends listening to the podcast People of Carmen by comedian Carmen Chraim: https://apple.co/35vqMbc

Also, check out Trevor Silverstein's podcast The Boss: https://apple.co/2ZOtC9v

Does your business need a podcast? Hire us to help you produce it! Contact us: hello@radiospaetkauf.com

Thanks to all our donors! Support us here: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

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The AfD has won a court battle to remove pop-up bike lanes. How can cyclists fight back? We meet Dirk von Schneidemesser from Changing Cities who says we can convince drivers to give up cars if we have better, safer bike paths. Become a supporting member of Changing Cities here: https://changing-cities.org

Football used to be banned for women in Germany. But for ten years the NGO Discover Football has been making soccer more female-friendly and empowering women. We talk to Johanna Small about their yearly football festival. More here: http://www.discoverfootball.de/

Maisie credits Exberliner for their detailed coverage of the Julian Assange show trial. Assange is a journalist threatened with a life in jail for exposing government crimes. Yet the media has abandoned him, focusing on his personality and now-dropped allegations. We should all be concerned about his fate. Follow Exberliner's court reporting: https://www.exberliner.com/features/julian-assange-trial-2020

Do you have a dinosaur limb lying around in your garden? Better return it to Spreepark at Plänterwald. They are restoring the dinosaurs. The ferris wheel will soon be removed and repaired.

Clubs are reopening with temperature checks, distanced dancing and lots of sanitizer. Grießmühle has a new location, this one with working toilets, they say. Book your visit in advance here: https://griessmuehle.de

This episode was hosted by Daniel Stern, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy. Thanks to Trevor Silberstein of The Boss podcast for tech support. Listen to his show here: https://apple.co/2ZOtC9v

Support us with a donation here: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Maisie mingles mit medical misbelievers and miscellaneous misinformed masses. Brace yourself - winter markets may be cancelled. Plus Berlin’s building and housing senator has been forced to resign… what does this mean for the rent freeze?

Berlin’s population has fallen for the first time in almost two decades. There are 3.7 million residents registered here. But 7000 moved away since the start of the year. The reason is because of fewer foreigners coming here - only 1000 moved here since the start of the year. Meanwhile 8000 Germans moved away.

Köpenick is the new “Hasenhain”. That’s Joel’s clever new portmanteau. Police have been shutting down illegal parties in the woods around Köpenick, in Berlin’s east. The latest had 150 people. It was discovered by a police helicopter scoping out the woods.

Friedrichstraße has begun an experiment in car-free living. It has already met with typical resistance but also some success. Will it be given enough time to see the positive effects that bike and pedestrian friendly streets can have on a neighborhood? Plus we discuss the possibility that coronavirus regulations may affect this year’s winter markets.

The recent demonstration against mask regulations and other restrictions related to the pandemic drew a reported 38,000 people including Reichsflag waving “nationalists”, Qanon aligned conspiracy devotees and a menagerie of other groups connected by Querdenken 711. A group of protestors bum-rushed the Reichstag overwhelming the few police stationed in front of it. Maisie tells us what she saw during and after the demonstration. The immediate result of the demonstration is new rules requiring the use of masks during protests of over 100 people. The next Anti-Corona-Rules demo will not take place in Berlin but will instead be moved to Konstanz at the southern border of Germany.

Numbers in August have been higher than in July with Tuesday seeing 81 new cases. The reproduction number rising 1.14, means that one of the three Corona traffic lights is now yellow. But Berlin hospitalization numbers remain low with 32 people currently being treated, 12 of which are in intensive care.

A few new pandemic related regulations have been put in place: Private gatherings of up to 50 people will have to have a hygiene concept and collect attendee names. Restaurants have to follow slightly stricter rules too, with the requirement for customer data collection now including those at outdoor seating. A new nationwide rule allows authorities to charge fines of up to €50 for not wearing masks.

The BVG has reported that 80,000 people have been reprimanded for not wearing masks since July. 470 people have been fined. 223 people claimed they had an exemption from the law. A study by Technisches Univesität has found that wearing a simple fabric mask on public transport can reduce infection risk by up to 50%. They said U-Bahn windows should be open to maximize airflow.

Mohrenstraße will finally be renamed Anton-Wilhelm Amo Straße. After years of petitions and renewed protests since the murder of George Floyd the Mitte Bezirks parliament has finally voted to go ahead with the name change. Anton Wilhelm Amo was an 18th century African born German philosopher.

An update on the corona-zuschuss, the money paid to freelancers and small businesses at the start of the lockdown in April. After a few technical hiccups, the system worked quickly to dispense €1.8 billion euros to over 200,000 recipients. All they had to do was put in a bank number and tax number and click a few boxes. Since then, around 2200 cases of fraud have been opened. An additional 10% of recipients also paid the money back after getting it. In a sign of economic recovery Berlin’s unemployment rate has decreased for the first time since the lockdown; albeit by only 1002 people.

Berlin’s government has seen a few shake ups in recent weeks including the resignation of Katrin Lompscher, and announcements by Health Minister Dilke Kalayci and Education senator Sandra Scheeres that they will not be seeking reelection. Mayor Michael Müller is seeking a seat in the Bundestag but SPD rival Kevin Kuhnert stands in his way.

In other news, Berlin is getting a new museum. The Exilmuseum - dedicated to people who have fled their countries of origin. It’s going to be built behind Anhalter Bahnhof. The old facade of the train station will remain as is. Behind it, a big curved building will be constructed for the museum.

This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Daniel Stern and Jöran Mandik.

Thank you to our supporters and listeners. Donations help keep the show going and can be made at http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/.

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Are you faking your details on restaurant sign-in sheets? Now the police are requisitioning venue contact lists for non-health-related investigations.

About 20,000 corona deniers marched through Berlin on Saturday, showing that covidiots aren't only found in the US. At the same time, police brutally cracked down on a left-wing demo in Neukölln.

Hasenheide parties have become international news. Maisie was at a small gathering in the park and witnessed the policing strategy of banning bass frequencies. Concerned citizens are cleaning up the dirty park each Monday. If you've been to a party, perhaps you should lend a hand.

Berlin's city districts should open controlled party zones in public spaces. And the government should pay 50% rent of all struggling nightclubs. Those are the recommendations from an unlikely source - Berlin's CDU party. Will it win them any votes?

This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock and Jöran Mandik. No live show this month due to weather and tear gas.

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Why does the German media still use racist cliches, and focus on race in stories about coronavirus outbreaks? We meet Gilda Sahebi, journalist for Taz and Neue Deutsche Medienmacher*innen. She tries to help educate newsrooms about persistent casual racism. Follow Gilda at https://twitter.com/GildaSahebi

Can you film racist incidents and put them online? Only if you blur the faces, warns Joe von Hutch, a writer and lawyer. Joe says white allies should put their bodies on the line to protect people of colour at demonstrations. He's also publisher of Daddy Mag: www.daddy.land

The mask law has been toughened - it now carries a €50 fine. More people are now observing it, although police aren't widely issuing fines. The lesson for lawmakers - don't pass a law without a punishment attached.

With clubs still closed, regular parties are happening in the parks, with little police intervention. Joel wonders if we're entering a period of fatalism - corona realism?

Bumper car, dodgem car, or autoscooter? We're recording in an old rink once used for fairground vehicles. It's part of the Haus der Statistik, a huge abandoned building coming back to life as a creative community space. More at https://hausderstatistik.org

Some other podcasts we recommend:
Secret Place Berlin: https://open.spotify.com/show/3I1iO7xciEjb2Pme5vtTe7
Friends and Girls: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/friends-and-girls/id1445078782
The Low Season: http://thelowseason.podbean.com

Thanks to all our supporters! You can donate to keep us going here: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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This mini episode features Daniel Stern interviewing artist Aram Barthall about his recent installation “Unlock Life” which utilizes remnants of the recent bike share boom.
Find out more about at Aram Bartholl at https://arambartholl.com and see the exhibit until the 16th of August at https://www.kunstraumkreuzberg.de.
Additionally: We are happy to announce that we will return to live recording with an audience on Saturday July 4th at 3pm - detailed announcement coming soon.
Thanks to our recent sponsors! We’re using your donations to buy new audio equipment for our future live shows. You can become a supporter here: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Almost everything is open again, but the crisis isn't over. 30% of Berlin workers are now jobless or on Kurzarbeit suspension. Many cafes, shops and big businesses have closed. Maisie tells us about job hunting following her return to Berlin.

Corona rule confusion continues. Masks must be worn in supermarkets but not gyms. Customers mask up in shops but not staff, but in restaurants it's the other way around. And now a court has invalidated some of the fines handed out for non-distancing.

The BVG's sporadic automatic door opening policy is also confusing. Joel's annoyed about touching dirty buttons unnecessarily. Do some drivers forget sometimes, or are they on a door-opening strike?

Amid anti-racism rallies in Berlin, a new law has been passed. It's now easier for victims of racial profiling to lodge complaints. Officials can’t discriminate you for any reason - including poor German language skills.

With concerts still banned, there's only one way to enjoy live music. Dan attended an individual performance by violinist Diana Tischenko, organized by 1:1 CONCERTS. Find out more at http://1to1concerts.de

Thanks to our recent sponsors! We're using your donations to buy new audio equipment for our future live shows.

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Berlin starts counting the cost of the shutdown. Business tax revenues have plummeted by 90%. Who’s going to pay the bill? Are we going back to the dark days of “saving till it squeals”?

This week’ status: Mask compliance is at about 90%. Public transport use is at 50%. Restaurants are open, but only until 10pm: they’re demanding an extra hour of trading. 400 people are in hospital with the virus.

After Berlin's successful project of converting roads to temporary Spielstraßen, play streets, Dan and Maisie come up with other ways we can replace cars: dining streets, gym streets, coworking streets.

Construction of the Wippe is about to begin. The monument to reunification will be a giant moving platform in front of the Stadtschloss. Opponents are using the coronavirus crisis as a new reason to try to scrap it.

What’s a fair punishment for a driver who kills a cyclist? License lost forever, or just three months? We discuss a recent sentencing.

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Berlin is days away from the great restart.Restaurants, pools, hotels and kitas will soon open again under new rules. But there’s no return in sight for the things some people liked about Berlin the most - drinking, smoking, partying and then recovering in cinemas. What will Berlin look like after this involuntary rehab?

The Club Commission is requesting that clubs and bars be allowed to operate open air areas until midnight, with guests wearing masks. Clubs want to use public spaces, such as parks and squares. No luck so far.

Pools are due to reopen from May 25, but it's unclear how they'll cap numbers. Are we heading for a world of online registrations, timed tickets and digital queues? Where will that leave people without internet access and skills?

The mask requirements are being expanded to more public spaces, but still without penalties. Compliance has been patchy, and seems to be decreasing. How is your rage factor at seeing unmasked rebels?

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Berlin is emerging from its lockdown hibernation. Shops are open again, but some of us have lost the will to consume. Restaurants are still closed. They're bearing the cost of the government's strategy of transmitting a message of abnormality. Joel says restaurateurs should be compensated for lost profits, not just costs.

Simple masks will be obligatory on public transport from Monday. But the BVG says it can’t enforce the rule and is worried about vigilantism. Maisie gives a review of your face-covering options.

Trying to evade the lockdown? Jöran’s got some advice for you: "People who are circumventing the rules, trying to make everything normal - you're missing out on the chance of a lifetime to experience quarantine. You'll look back and say - 'I didn't really live through that."

This episode was presented by Daniel Stern, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy.

Support us with a donation! http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Berlin police ask snitches not to block the emergency hotline 110 with coronavirus kontaktverbot reports. They'd prefer to use drones to control people. New fines are in place: it could cost you €10 if you leave the house without a reason (or a creative response).

The Financial Times reports on illegal 'raves' in Berlin costing €100 a head. We can't prove they didn't happen, but the story smells like a fabrication to us. Let us know if you went to one of these top-secret warehouse raves.

E-scooters have almost disappeared from Berlin's streets. Only one company with 700 e-scooters remains active: at the peak, there were five companies with 15,000 scooters. Many shared bike companies are also withdrawing. One is just rebranding - Lidl Bike will revert to the name Call-A-Bike.

The €5000 Soforthilfe coronavirus grants have gone out to freelancers, but some are worried they could be prosecuted for wrongly receiving the cash. The rules changed half-way through the process. Recipients will soon get an e-mail asking them to review their eligibility, and could be asked to pay the money back.

This episode was presented by Daniel Stern, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy.

Help us pay our server costs! We now accept one-time donations: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/

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Put that picnic blanket away, and don’t dare drink a beer in the park. Berlin's signature freedoms are being restricted. How far is too far? Should you cancel your gym membership, or keep paying to help businesses survive? And Tegel Airport may soon fall victim to the virus crisis.

Berlin police are busy patrolling parks and shutting down candlelit dinners in 'spreadeasies.' We debate the morality of flouting the rules for a bit of fun.

Are you tech-savvy and want to help build community solutions for the crisis? Dan interviews Victoria Boeck from Hack The Crisis. You can sign up or suggest a solution here: https://hackthecrisis.citylab-berlin.org/

Berlin freelancers and small business owners suffering financially can now apply for various grants and loans.
Here's where you apply for the Corona Zuschuss: https://www.ibb.de/de/wirtschaftsfoerderung/themen/coronahilfe/corona-liquiditaets-engpaesse.html
Here's how you apply for ALG 2 (Hartz IV): https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/en/unemployment-benefitii
Schreiben und Lernen have posted a helpful podcast in English about help for freelancers: https://soundcloud.com/literaturszene

This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy, Daniel Stern and Maisie Hitchcock.

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This mini episode of Radio Spaetkauf features an interview with Chad Matheny aka Emperor X of Neukölln music venue Donau115.
A few Berlin news updates with Daniel Stern: Berlin is quiet as new restrictions limit gatherings and movement. Districts are offering financial support to residents who are helping their neighbors. Schools and daycares remain closed but some workers are entitled to childcare.
Connect to Donau115 at http://donau115.de
Find Chad’s music at http://emperorx.net
More Radio Spaetkauf is available at http://www.radiospaetkauf.com

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How are we going to survive this month of Sundays? Berlin freelancers are being promised €5000 cash, but who can get it and how? Rent payments could be delayed so we can stay in our flats and keep our shops. And… what good changes have come from our time under lockdown?

Keen to maintain their distance from one another, Radio Spaetkauf's Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik, Daniel Stern- in Berlin- and Maisie Hitchcock - in the UK- linked up remotely using the wonders of modern technology.

The lockdown has expanded: restaurants and cafes can no longer open their doors, but supermarkets can, even on Sundays. Although they don't actually seem to want to. More radically, Spätkaufs have finally received legal permission to open on Sundays!

Sick of staying indoors? You might have to get used to it. Gatherings of more than 2 people are now forbidden, as is going out in more than twos, unless you're a family.
But Berlin's Mayor Michael Müller doesn't want to bring in a total lockdown. His coalition partners the Greens and Die Linke are also wary of restricting everyone to their apartments. The Berlin CDU is calling for a 21 day total lockdown.

Morality over science? Reports about so-called corona parties are getting old folks worked up into a moral panic. But are young people really to blame? Joel makes a case for defending the young, who have sacrificed their liberty and opportunities during the crisis, in order to protect the old.

Self-employed or freelance and wondering how you're going to survive? Help is at hand: the German government has announced a plan for an aid package for the self-employed and other small companies in the Corona crisis. We talk about some of the options on the table, as well as extending tax deadlines, options for KSK members , and applying for good old-fashioned Hartz IV.

No earnings, means that both tenants and landlords with mortgages will be struggling. Luckily there's the rent delay law, and a proposed mortgage holiday for landlords. And we also talk help for those who aren't lucky enough to have a roof over their heads.

Good news! Last show's guest, Ben Maclean is negative! He's still in quarantine though...

Some recommendations for home entertainment: Dj sets at https://www.unitedwestream.berlin/
For eclectic sets from international Berlin-based DJs & former members of the Scrufix collective, follow https://www.twitch.tv/bad_dubs

The Sameheads pub quiz: March 30th - on the Sameheads website http://www.sameheads.com/heads-radio and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/2670422609736940/?active_tab=discussion

One venue that is streaming performances is Donau 115, a little experimental jazz bar on Donaustraße in Neukölln. http://donau115.de

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"The time for partying is over," Berlin's health senator Dilek Kalayci said, announcing the shut down of the city. Berlin's government has enacted the widest restriction of liberties since the war as it struggles to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.
Hosts Daniel Stern, Joel Dullroy and Jöran Mandik record an unscheduled episode in an empty room.

Our correspondent in Maisie Hitchcock joins us via Skype to tell us about pre-lockdown England.

Noah Telson from the Comedy Cafe Berlin tells us about shutting down his business for a month.

What's life like in quarantine in Berlin? We talk via Skype with comedian Ben Maclean.

Worried about your health? Call the Berlin Corona Hotline: 030 90 28 28 28. Don't go out seeking a test.

Like the show? Support us with a donation! https://steadyhq.com/en/radiospaetkauf

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Berlin's rent freeze has begun, but nobody seems to know what's going on. Landlords and tenants alike are confused about what to do next. Rents are now capped at the rate paid in June 2019 - all increases since then are invalid. New contracts can't exceed about €9.80 a square meter - half as much as many advertised prices. And landlords face fines of half a million euros for cheating.

On this episode we go inside Berlin's parliament to hear the moment the rent freeze law was passed. Supporters and opponents gave fiery speeches in a rowdy session, which ended with politicians voting to suspend the free market for rental property for five years.

We hear what landlords think about the new law. Some are devising ways to cheat - by renting to ignorant foreigners: "Those who screw their landlords are old Germans." Despite the threat of huge fines, some don't think the city has the resources to prosecute them.

And what should tenants do if they hope for a rent decrease? Lawyer Daniel Halmer from Wenigermieter.de says they should start adding three magic words to their rent transfers: "Zahlung unter Vorbehalt." It means paid with reservations, and gives tenants the right to to try to claim back overpayments at a later date.

Rent Freeze is produced and presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Artwork by Jim Avignon. Music by Tom Evans and Ducks!. Recorded by Stephan Lindner. Rent Freeze is a production of Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins.

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Berlin’s favourite free coworking space also has books. We meet Juliana Pranke from the ZLB, Berlin's central library. She tells us the secrets of the Bibliothek: You can borrow art to hang on your wall, digitize vinyl and stream films online. Why don't you have a library card already?!

The revolutionary Mietendeckel has started. It applies to all tenants, even subletters in WGs. Find out more on our spin-off podcast Rent Freeze. The next episode is landing soon.

Berlin Mayor Michael Müller says he'll quit before the next election. Joel reviews his political flops: the Tempelhofer Feld building plan, the Olympic Games bid and his opposition to the rent freeze.

It's Berlinale time, but there's another important film festival coming up: Berlin Feminist Film Week. We meet founder Karin Fornander, who says we should stop giving the Academy Awards attention: it's decided by a jury of mostly old white men.

In the wake of the terrible Hanau racist attack, Dan Stern gives an emotional acknowledgement that our show doesn't do enough to reflect racial diversity, and that most Berlin expats live in a mostly white bubble. We pledge to try to expand our racial inclusivity.

Thanks to Tom Evans for sound engineering, and Comedy Cafe Berlin for hosting our show. Presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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What happens when an entire city of 3.5 million residents stops paying rent increases for the next five years? Welcome to Rent Freeze, a podcast about Berlin’s rental revolution.

Berlin is about to introduce the Mietendeckel, a law that will freeze rents for five years, cap new rental contracts at a maximum price, and allow some tenants to claim a rent reduction. Supporters say it will be the best thing to happen to the city since the fall of the Wall

But investors and landlords are outraged. They say the reforms will scare off businesses, leave houses unbuilt and in disrepair, and feed a grey market for off-the-books rental as desperate Berliners try to find a flat.

On this episode we explain the basics of the law, and talk to Daniel Halmer of Wenigermiete.de about why the existing rent controls haven't worked.

Produced and presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern.

Rent Freeze is a production of Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins.
More at www.radiospaetkauf.com

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Some of Berlin's most infamous nightclubs are closing as investors cash in on their properties. Grießmühle is almost gone, and KitKatClub may be forced out by the summer. What's different about this round of club closures? And what could the city do to save its culture?

In Berlin's monocultural housing estates, some kids never meet people of other religions. Shalom Rollberg changes that by offering after-school activities, taught by Jewish volunteers. We meet founder Yonatan Weizman. He says the program should be expanded from Muslim to German neighbourhoods to fully tackle antisemitism. You can help out here: https://shalom-rollberg.de

Konrad Werner joins us to talk about racist street names in Berlin. Konrad is the co-host of Megan's Megacan, a weekly show about German news: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/megans-megacan/id1406002313

Anyone else annoyed by bad English grammar on advertising? Companies spend thousands on billboard ads that seem to be computer translated. We critique the latest offensive example from a website offering AI-based flatmate matching. Hopefully their code is better than their copy.

Berlin's rent freeze is coming, and so is our new spin-off series about this radical new housing policy. The first episode of Rent Freeze will appear in your podcast feed shortly!

Thanks to Tom Evans for sound engineering, and Comedy Cafe Berlin for hosting our show.
Hosts: Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Support us with a donation! https://steadyhq.com/en/radiospaetkauf

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Maisie, Dan and Joel meet at Gendarmenmarkt Christmas market to catch up on the news.
Berlin's advertising boards are full of complaints by companies against the city government. Airbnb is demanding that bureaucracy more efficiently approve its hosts' applications. Do they expect citizens to care?
The revolutionary rent freeze law has been passed, meaning our rents can't be increased for the next five years. Investors continue to buy up property. The SPD's new leftish national leadership wants to copy Berlin's law in other German cities.
Pedestrian deaths are up a lot this year: 23 people have died so far after being hit by cars - a 60% increase. The local Green party has made it one of its policies to phase cars out of the inner city. Friedrichstrasse will go car-free for three months next summer.
Berlin finally starting to control the fireworks madness on New Year's Eve. Want some peace and quiet this Silvester? Go to Alexanderplatz, which is one of only two places where fireworks have been officially banned.
Want a Christmas tree but don’t want to kill a living entity? You can rent a living tree for €20, and get €10 back if you return it in good condition.
See you next year for our live recording on January 26 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin!

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On this month’s Radio Spätkauf: Segregation in Berlin’s public schools, an artist and curator reinvents the Berlin‘s S-Bahn‘s disused spaces. And what is the Night of Solidarity & why should we take part in it?

Courtney O'Connell has been working with children, youth, and their families in emergency shelters and temporary accommodations for people seeking asylum in Berlin since 2015. She talks to us about how Berlin‘s public school’s two-tier eduction system is proving a big stumbling block to integration.

In September, the Berlin Senate launched new guidelines for tackling the city’s increasing homelessness problem, which included plans to hold a census of the city‘s destitute. „Die Nacht der Solidarität“ will take place on 29th January 2020. Sophia Berndt, a student at Alice Salomon university and volunteer working with the homeless, told us more about it.

If you want to volunteer, register here: https://www.berlin.de/nacht-der-solidaritaet/

As Berlin’s urban fabric changes and affordable spaces for making and showing art in become ever rarer, artists are coming up with inventive solutions to the problem. One such artist (and curator) is Natalia Irina Roman, who has repurposed the buildings and spaces along Berlin’s S-Bahn lines for her project ‚Along the Lines.‘

You can find out more about Natalia‘s projects here: https://m.facebook.com/SiteSpecificIdeas/

This episode was presented by Daniel Stern, Trevor Silverstein and Maisie Hitchcock.

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Have you ever wished you could rest your rear on a comfy spot, but there isn’t a seat anywhere in sight? Or do you sometimes want to perch on a bench in a picturesque location, but the overflowing dustbin next to it is a bit off putting? Well now help is at hand. We speak to two creatives who are behind a pretty unusual Guerilla urbanism project: Benching Berlin. The two anonymous founders build public benches out of waste wood, then place them around town (chained up, so the authorities don't take them away). https://www.instagram.com/benchingberlin/?hl=en

On our last episode we gave you an update on the proposed rent freeze - the idea of a five year rent cap in Berlin, that was first floated in June this year. Now finally the coalition parties of Berlin's government have come to an agreement! We tell you what they've decided.

Bees are an essential part of our ecosystem. And they're threatened by extinction. We speak to Christian Vogel of the Neukölln Beekeeper Association to help us help the bees and to give everyone a head start for the next bee season. http://www.berliner-imkerverein-neukoelln.de

What do you know about pinball? Not a lot? We don't either. But it turns out there's a scene for it in Berlin - and a big rivalry too! Ryan Rosell is telling us about it.

This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

Want a Radio Spaetkauf mug? Become a subscriber! We’ll be giving them to listeners who donate monthly. Go here: steadyhq.com/de/radiospaetkauf

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Bicycle riders working for Deliveroo have gone from being precariously employed to unemployed. We meet some of the former Deliveroo riders who have started their own food delivery company. Christoph and Stefano founded Kolyma2, and are ready to take your order: www.kolyma2.de

The rent freeze is coming. More details keep leaking out from the city government office that is preparing this radical policy. Rents are to be capped at prices ranging from around €4m2 to €9m2, depending on the building age. New rental contracts can't be above those rates, and some tenants can apply to have their rent lowered. Read more about this revolutionary concept at http://lolamag.de/feature/current-affairs/berlins-five-year-rent-freeze-explained/

Some Berlin bicycle riders behave as if the road rules don’t apply to them. Others don’t know the road rules at all. For our new Berlin Basics segment, we talk to Nikolas Linck from the Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad Club, the German Bicycle Club. Your flashing bike light is both illegal and dangerous, he tells Joel. Join up to the ADFC here (you also get free insurance): https://www.adfc.de/

Berlin was flooded by over 9000 stand-up electric scooters this summer as the German government legalized their use. But there are other types of small mobility devices that remain banned, such as electric skateboards and monowheels, both which don't have a handle. We meet Lars and Frank, founders of the Electric Empire Association for Small Electric Vehicles. They're planning a demo for the forgotten non-scooter-scooter riders on September 21. Are you one of them? Head along here: https://electricempire.de/elektrokleinstfahrzeug-demo-am-21-09-2019-trailer/

This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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We're out in the woods for Mobile Kino's annual camping trip. The Lakeside Film Festival is in its sixth year, and this was the biggest so far. We interview founders Joshua and Fernando about their recent scare with Facebook's business-killing algorithm.

How will Berlin's five-year rent cap affect you? If you got a rent increase notice before June 18, you may have to pay it. But the rental experts at Wenigermiete.de say at least 50% of rent increase notices have technical errors that make them invalid. Check with them first before you sign anything - it could save you cash for years to come.

What could happen to Berlin under a strict rent cap? Investors may flee - or be incentivised to build new flats, which are exempt from the rent cap. Landlords may stop maintaining their buildings - but renters can undertake the maintenance themselves and deduct the costs from their rent. Joel says the biggest thing to fear under a rent cap is ourselves. Tenants will be tempted to sublease at higher rates. Berlin's renters will need to stick together and resist overcharging our housemates.

There's a state election on in Brandenburg. The Alternative für Deutschland, or AfD, is leading in the polls at 21%, and also have the most posters up on the countryside roads. We discuss their empty slogans, which appeal to the grievances of East Germans who feel left behind the rest of the country, without offering any real policies to boost the local economy.

Caroline Clifford guest hosts, and tells us about how much she loves camping. Caroline is the host of We Are Not Gemused, an open mic night at Sameheads.

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Berlin now has 750 millionaire residents - twice as many as in 2016, according to the Finanzamt. The majority live in the city's west. More live in Kreuzberg than Prenzlauer Berg. Strangely, the Finanzamt defines a millionaire as someone with over €500,000 in income and assets - a hang-over from the Deutschmark days, as DMs are worth half as much as Euros.

The former German royal family wants its castles back. The remaining Hohenzollerns are relatives of the Nazi-supporting Kaiser Wilhelm II, who abdicated in 1918. His descendants are trying to claim compensation from the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, including artworks from museums, and Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam, where they want to live rent-free.

Berlin has introduced a rent freeze. All rents will be capped at their current level for five years, backdated to mid June. Landlords who breach the cap face huge fines. The city is now also talking about introducing rent controls for commercial properties to protect shopkeepers.

Electric scooters have been here only a few weeks, and already we’ve had at least 20 registered accidents. One man lost a few teeth in a crash. A woman was stopped in a park in Prenzlauer Berg rolling along with her dog on a lead. Several have been caught extremely drunk. Drivers are not allowed on the sidewalk, can't take passengers, and can't leave the scooter blocking a footpath. The public transport network says you'll need a bicycle ticket if you bring an e-scooter on a bus or train. They've been banned from Tempelhofer Feld.

Join us for our next live recording! It takes place on stage at the Lakeside Film Festival, a weekend of outdoor movies and music by a lake in the woods. Find out more at www.lakesidefilmfestival.com

This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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Berlin now has two top level football teams after FC Union jumped up to the Bundesliga by winning a play-off match. FC Union started back in the DDR. Their die-hard fans actually helped rebuild the stadium in Köpenick with their own hands. Maybe they could help finish BER?

Enjoying the heat? Spare a thought for horses pulling tourist carriages in the city center. New rules now apply - carriage operators have to stop if air temperature in the shade reaches 30 degrees Celsius.

There’s been another attempt to crack down on the food sellers in Thai Park. Police and Ordnungsamt officers raided the park on a recent Saturday. But a district official revealed it was all for show. Arne Herz from the CDU said: “We don’t want to ruin the market, we just want to show the residents that we’re doing something.”

Get ready for a rent increase letter. Berlin’s landlords association has advised its members to try to increase rents by as much as possible before June 17. That’s because the city government is working on a new law that would freeze everybody’s rent for the next five years. Landlords are terrified, and are racing to squeeze out one last rent rise first. Residents are being advised not to agree to any rent increase without consulting a renter’s association first.

Want to hear our full-length hour-long live recordings? Then subscribe to our other podcast channel, which you can find here: https://apple.co/2vd5hdy

This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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Are you recycling, or ‘wish-cycling’? We talk to Thomas Klöckner, spokesman for BSR, Berlin’s waste processing company. It turns out we're all doing a pretty good job. But bulky waste is a problem. The solution for old mattresses? Talk to your neighbours and book a bulk collection for €50. Here's where you do it: https://www.bsr.de/sperrmuellabfuhr-20237.php

Should we drive cars out of the city - and make sure they never return? Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain Green politician Florian Schmidt has proposed banning private vehicles inside the Ringbahn. Cars are being squeezed out of certain streets with 'parklets' - public seats occupying parking spots. Joel says "driving is violence" and "a bicycle is always right."
Agree? The local initiative Autofrei Wrangelkiez will blockade Oberbaumbrücke on June 15. More info here: http://autofreierwrangelkiez.de/termine/

Shared transport keeps expanding. The city will get 2000 more shared cars, Uber has launched its red electric Jump bikes which go quite fast, and stand-up electric scooters will soon be on the streets. Those who want a bike to treat as their own can rent one from Swapfiets or Vanmoof from as little as €17.50 a month, repairs included. Who needs a car anyway?

The Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignung campaign has passed its first signature collection hurdle, and has centrist parties very worried. The FDP wants to change the constitution to prevent it from succeeding. The CDU wants to pay subsidies to cover rent increases - basically rewarding greedy landlords with taxpayer money. The SPD wants to tinker with laws to make existing rent caps actually work. The lesson here? You have to demand an extreme change to get a moderate one.

This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Production help from Joshua of Mobile Kino.

Want a Radio Spaetkauf mug? Become a subscriber! We'll be giving them to listeners who donate monthly. Go here: steadyhq.com/de/radiospaetkauf

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Are you one of four million EU citizens living in Germany? Now's your chance to vote in the European Parliament elections. We decipher the street posters. Maisie explains why photos of chin-scratching men win more votes. Konrad Werner joins us. Listen to his podcast Meghan's Megacan: https://apple.co/2AtuB27

We speak with Joanna Bronowicka from Democracy in Europe (Diem25), who want to reform Brussels and create a 'green new deal' for Europe: https://bit.ly/2PzNx5y

Why are people lying down on Berlin’s streets and blocking traffic? Extinction Rebellion's Robbie Morrison tells us about the movement of people willing to get arrested to force climate change action: https://extinctionrebellion.de

Berlin has over 300 football clubs playing in ten leagues. We talk to Ben Ferry, Andy West and Andy Sager of Bloody Hell Magazine. They follow local games, which are far more exciting than major league matches: more red cards, pitch invasions, streakers and decent food. Want to join other Radio Spaetkauf listeners at a local match? Come along to SV Lichtenberg 47 club, 13:30 on 04.05.2019: https://bit.ly/2vrbin1

Head along to Mobile Kino on May 9 for Blaues Licht, a doco about Rocco and His Brothers, who carry out art stunts in U-Bahn tunnels: https://bit.ly/2DEUHRd

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RS presents a pilot of a podcast series created by Joel Dullroy and his colleagues at DW. Well, Actually questions common assumptions and reveals surprising perspectives through exceptional stories.
Unfortunately this podcast series did not make it past the pilot stage. But we thought the story of Lukas and his struggle with the church, state and his mother was too good to waste.
Well Actually was produced by Elizabeth Schumacher, Mara Bierbach, Cristina Burack and Joel Dullroy at DW in Bonn.

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Why does the BVG allow its U-Bahn stations to be used as heroin hotspots? Several stations seem to have been abandoned to drug dealers and addicts. Schönleinstraße is the centre of the problem. The BVG says it sends security guards there regularly, but we've rarely seen them. What's to be done?

Forget Brexit, things are getting interesting in Berlin! The conflict between renters and landlords is getting serious. A campaign to seize corporate-owned apartments starts on April 6. Signatures will be collected for the Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignung campaign. Supporters say it would cost €18 billion, and could be funded by rental payments alone. Opponents say would cost double. The mayor Michael Müller is against it, saying it would be a "fatal signal to businesses" - which, of course, is the whole point of the campaign. Find out more at https://www.dwenteignen.de

Lawyer Daniel Hamler from Wenigermiete joins us to talk about how he's helping Berliners cut their rent by hundreds of euros a month. His website helps you check if your rent is above the legally allowed amount, and helps you challenge it to claim a reduction. In one case, a student WG had their rent cut by €700 a month. Check it out at www.wenigermiete.de.

What's wrong with Harz IV, Germany's welfare system? It spends more money trying to punish job-seekers than it collects in fines. Helena Steinhaus from Sanktionsfrei tells us about a citizen-run experiment to compensate people who have their welfare payments cut. It seeks to replicate the effect of a minimum basic income. Sakntionsfrei needs more crowdfunding to help cover their costs. Chip in at www.sanktionsfrei.de

The European Parliament elections are coming up on May 23. To participate you need to be an EU citizen and register to vote in Berlin. Download this form: https://bit.ly/2R65Y59
And post it to one of these addresses: https://bit.ly/2RW1orl

Mobile Kino tonight presents Odorama a cult cinema classic from legendary culture master John Waters. Guests will get a scratch-and-sniff to smell along with the movie. Get along to Grießmühle tonight! https://bit.ly/2WBYwh9

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Berlin is a noisy city, and it's getting louder. Stats show police cars activated their lights and sirens 158,000 times last year - or more than 400 times a day. That's a 5% increase on the previous year.

The famous open-air karaoke sessions in Mauerpark can go ahead again after the Pankow authorities reversed their plan to close the event down. Authorities were refusing to issue the regular permits due to nearby construction work. After a public outcry, the authorities backed down. Apparently it wasn’t so hard to move a few fences around after all. Expect the singing to resume sometime around Easter.

The BVG says more than 41,000 square meters of its U-Bahn carriage walls were graffitied last year - 20% more than the previous year. They plan to stick yellow heart stickers on top of graffiti to annoy the vandals.

Our next live show is Sunday October 31 at Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Come along! More info here: https://bit.ly/2HKPN83

This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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What do Berlin’s criminal gangs have to do with the German hip-hop industry? One high profile rapper is living in fear of retribution from a Berlin mafia boss. Our guest Konrad Werner tells us about a recent court case involving rapper Bushido, who has switched gang allegiances. Listen to his own podcast Meghan's Megacan: https://apple.co/2AtuB27

Why did BVG workers go on strike? Berlin U-Bahn drivers earn around 500 euros less per month than drivers in other German states. And here in Berlin, the S-Bahn drivers earn almost 40 percent more than U-Bahn drivers - that’s over 900 euros a month extra. If you think it’s fair enough, don’t complain the next time the BVG is on strike.

Berlin city collects a lot of data, but doesn't give much back. For example, They don't release detailed stats on traffic accidents, which could help planners identify problem spots. Victoria Dykes from the Technologie Stiftung Berlin wants the city to release data and allow others to use it creatively. More at https://bit.ly/2NrRMPy

Haus der Statistik is a giant ruin sitting at the start of Karl Marx Allee near Alexanderplatz. Soon it will be transformed into a public space with art studios, low-cost living and city government offices. We talk to Clemens Weise from the citizen's initiative helping to plan the new building. More at https://hausderstatistik.org

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Are you one of the 34% of Berliners who enjoy the fireworks free-for-all on New Years Eve? Or one of the 62% who are sick of it? Local Green party politician Georg Kössler says it's time Berlin regulated the mayhem. He tells us how city's political system has failed to tackle this annual problem.

Guest Konrad Werner drops in to tell us what's coming up in German politics in 2019. Three state elections will test Angela Merkel's ability to stay in power. Listen to his podcast Meghan's Megacan for more: https://apple.co/2AtuB27

What's it like to live for almost a year with none of your possessions involuntarily? Tim and Brooke Howard moved to Berlin many months ago, and are still waiting for a shipping company to deliver their goods. They've discovered minimalism and curtain-free nudity. Tim is a producer for the podcast Reply All, and is scouting for story ideas. Got a tech problem? Send it his way! https://www.gimletmedia.com/reply-all

Berlin-based shows are currently flooding Netflix and Co. Joel, Maisie and Dan give shallow summaries of Dogs of Berlin, Babylon Berlin and Beat.

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Coliving is booming in Berlin. There are 15 buildings renting serviced rooms with 'community, flexibility and diversity.' But are they just overpriced dormitories? Maisie Hitchcock went to find out.
Can we solve the housing crisis by seizing property from private owners? One group is promoting revolution via referendum. We hear from Thomas McGath from Deutsche Wohnung Enteignen. It wants the government to forcibly purchase over 110,000 flats currently owned by large property corporations.
At the same time, residents in Karl Marx Allee are campaigning to save their flats, which are about to be purchased by Deutsche Wohnung, Germany's biggest property investment company. The city is considering a plan to use the right of first purchase to prevent the deal.
Are you being tricked into watching far-right propaganda? A Berlin computer researcher says yes. Ray Serrato has analysed videos from the Chemnitz hate marches and thinks Youtube is click-baiting everyone.
Dan hosts a Berlin news quiz. Do you know the name of the city's mayor? Can you guess which U-Bahn stop has the most expensive rents? Which company has a logo featuring three phalluses?
Thanks for listening in 2018!

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Billboards have gone up encouraging people to voluntarily leave Germany. The Interior Ministry - run by the CSU's Horst Seehofer - is offering to pay up to twelve months living expenses back where you came from. The multi-lingual ads have been attacked with paintballs and 'refugees welcome' tags. Dan's take: freedom of movement is good, especially if paid for by the German state, but only if it goes in both directions.
It's Christmas market season. Festive lights have gone up along Unter den Linden, paid for by Lidl. But the city's heritage protection department says they are too multi-coloured. Are only white lights allowed now in Berlin?
Berlin will get a new public holiday in 2019 - May 8, also International Women's Day. It means seven of ten public holidays will occur in the first half of the year.
Come to our next live recording on Sunday December 16. Check our website for location details.

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Pedestrians in Berlin have had enough of being overrun by both cars and bikes. They're campaigning for better sidewalks and street crossings. We talk to a pedestrian activist who is hopping mad about being walked over: Roland Stimpel from FUSS, the Organization for Pedestrian Protection.
Is Mauerpark a beloved cultural hotspot or a noisy nuisance? Authorities are threatening to seize and destroy instruments if buskers don't pipe down. We meet Karla from Save Mauerpark, who says only a handful of complainants are trying to limit the freedom of thousands of Berliners.
Diesel vehicles could soon be banned from several main streets in Berlin. An environmental protection group sued the city because of the high levels of pollution that breach European Union regulations. A court found Berlin must take drastic action to lower particle emissions. But Angela Merkel's coalition is taking the side of the auto industry and trying to avoid diesel bans.
The BVG's public taxi app Berlkönig is now operating 24/7 and expanding to 300 vans, but is anyone using it? Meanwhile, the BVG is abandoning part of the 248 bus line because it is sick of illegally parked cars blocking the route.
Freelancers' minimum health insurance payments should drop from over €300 to around €160 a month. That's thanks to years of activism by the VGSD, a freelancer's lobby group. But compulsory pension payments could eventually come into force. Joel recommends talking to the people at SmartDE to get a better deal.
German doorbell names could breach Europe's new data privacy laws. Landlords are being warned they could be sued for publishing their tenants' names on the front door, and some are replacing names with numbers. Could this improve packet delivery, at least?
This show was recorded at Prachtwerk Neukölln on Sunday October 28 by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Apologies for the poor audio quality!

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We record live at Floating University, a temporary structure built over a hidden resevior near Hasenheide. Dan describes it as "Burning Man meets Waterworld."

Gang war breaks out on the streets of Berlin. A crime boss has been shot dead at Tempelhof Park on a Sunday afternoon. Have police stirred up a hornet’s nest as they crack down on criminal clans?

Have you tried the new BVG weekend shuttle service Berlkönig? The public taxi vans will pick you up and drop you off almost anywhere for as little as €4.

Berlin's garden colonies are under threat as investors try to replace flowers with flats. We interview garden owner Trevor Sears from the campaign Da Wächst Was (Something's Growing Here). He tells us why Kleingarten are important for the city, and how you can get one.

What should you do if an architect visits your apartment building asking to take photos? It's usually the first sign your owner wants to sell or renovate. Green Party representative Georg Kössler tells us five things you can do to halt a rent increase. The Greens have launched a campaign Rette Deinen Kiez (Save Your Neighbourhood).

Joel presents some ideas of his own about how to stop runaway property prices. Berlin could increase the property sales tax from 6%, tax second homes and rental profits vigorously, ban companies from buying residential property, restrict foreign investors.

This episode was recorded on Thursday September 13, 2018. Hosts Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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TV series Babylon Berlin is searching for 3000 extras, but bearded men need not apply. You must be over 1.86 meters tall and be prepared to get a 1920s haircut. Maisie is thrilled about the mass make-over of Berlin blokes. Sign up at Agentur Filmgesichter.
The Berlin Wall is being rebuilt to create a totalitarian theme park in Mitte. The art project Dau will submit visitors to mild oppression and screen lengthy films. It will run from from October 12 til November 9, when the "Wall" will be demolished. Couldn't they use it to patch up the East Side Gallery?
Algae is blooming in Berlin lakes post-heatwave. But don't worry, it's still safe to swim. The Berlin health authorities have tested the water and found no deadly blue-green algae. Meanwhile, Alternativ für Deutschland leader Alexander Gauland is now pushing a new and rather bleak right-wing position, acknowledging the reality of climate change but saying humans can't do anything about it. Is this the start of 'climate change realism' - to borrow from Mark Fisher's capitalist realism?
Wondering why Berlin doesn't have any electric scooters yet? The stand-up scooters are appearing in cities worldwide as investors rush to find the next trend after shared bikes. But in Germany motorized scooters are classified as road vehicles, restricting their use.
This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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Our annual outdoor recording at the Mobile Kino Lakeside Film Festival at Klingemühle in Brandenburg. Now in its fifth year, the event many improvements - a new name, a new stage, more guests and more fun all round.
Like playing card games while camping? Our guest Julia Weiss tells us what it's like to work for a card game company. Julia is the lead writer for Cards Against Humanity, as well as a cast member on the podcast The Improvised Star Trek. "If our goal is to live in a post-capitalist space future, watch Star Trek," Julia says. Caroline's review of Star Trek: "A lot of ambient music and three-dimensional board games."
Berlins's garden plots are being targeted by property speculators. Investors are snapping up Kleingarten hoping the city will allow them to build apartments. One such investor is an alleged crime gang from Neukölln. Police recently seized 77 of their properties worth €9.2M, including garden plots. It's alleged the real estate was bought with the proceeds of a spectacular bank robbery.
Temperatures hit 38.5°C in Berlin on August 9, just short of the record high. The city's street cleaning service plans to spray the roads with water to cool things down - though some think it might make the city more humid and uncomfortable.
Hosted by Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik and Caroline Clifford.

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Berlin’s scorching summer is breaking records. Earlier this week the city experienced its hottest night ever, with a minimum of 25°C.
The city’s trees are suffering, and residents are being asked to go out and water them. U-Bahns are getting noisier, as there's no moisture to lubricate between the metal wheels and tracks. The drains are stinking, so the water authority is putting “drain deodorant” down the pipes. The pools are all at capacity. But Berlin has only 48 public drinking fountains to help citizens rehydrate.
A Berlin man who tried to become a police officer had his application rejected because he failed a drug test. A blood sample showed he had THC in his system. Undeterred, he took the matter to court, unsurprisingly rejected his case.
The S-Bahn is trialling automatic doors to improve punctuality. All doors will pop open at stations between Ostkreuz and Hauptbahnhof from 6am to 8am. Instead of 24 people pushing 24 buttons, one person pushes one button. Why haven’t they ever done this before?
This month the new home sharing regulations come into effect in Berlin. You’re now allowed to rent out up to 49% of your flat online, but first you have to get a registration number from the Bürgeramt and display it on the various rental portals.
Just a week to go until the Mobile Kino Summer Camp - the Lakeside Film Festival in the woods. It’s three nights of movies and music under the stars out in Brandenburg. We’ll be there recording a live episode of Radio Spaetkauf.

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A Berlin man who has been in a coma for four months has been identified because someone recognized a photograph of his house keys. The 74-year was found unconscious in a Wilmersdorf park after apparently having an accident while jogging in March, carrying only his keys. A police operation to test all the locks in the area failed. Publishing a photo of his keys worked. It seems Berliners prefer to memorize the grooves of their keys rather than look their neighbours in the eye.
The first of Berlin's many bike sharing company has gone bust. O-bike has filed for bankruptcy in its home country Singapore. In some cities, the bikes have been sold to a collection company and are being taken from the streets. But it’s not clear what will happen to the 700 bikes left in Berlin. One bicycle activist has created a website called Librebike.info calling for people to liberate the left-behind bicycles by hacking the locks.
The S-Bahn wants to improve punctuality by introducing express trains that skip a couple of stops on the Ring. Stations to be skipped are Halensee and Hohenzollerndamm in the south-west. A trial could start later this month. And a ticket checker has to pay €900 to a passenger in compensation for ripping up his partially invalid ticket.
This episode of Radio Spaetkauf was brought to you by Radio Eins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

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Are you paying too much rent? Probably: 70% of Berlin landlords are illegally overcharging, says lawyer Daniel Halmer of WenigerMiete.de. He’s offering a no-win no-fee service to fight your landlord for a rent reduction. He’s helped people save up to €600 a month. Tricks landlords use include overstating apartment size by up to 30%. Everybody who has rented an apartment in the last three years could win a rent decrease.

Berlin could soon get public electric grills – thanks to a very unexpected source of money – East Germany’s stolen millions hidden in Swiss bank accounts. The DDR leaders stashed state money abroad as the socialist state collapsed. Now it’s coming back. The Mitte district wants to use it to put coin-operated grills in Monbijou Park. Maisie thinks it could be used for better purposes.

The Breitscheitplatz Christmas Market truck attack in 2016 might have been prevented if Berlin police weren’t so obsessed with trying to evict anarchist squatters. A Berlin parliamentary inquiry has heard that police monitoring the alleged truck attacker, Anis Amri, were called of his case in June 2016. They were instead reassigned to focus on left-wing squatters in Rigaer Straße in Friedrichshain, who were illegally evicted from their squat. Amri allegedly went on to join a terrorist cell, undetected. Former justice minister Frank Henkel’s ideologial war against hippies had serious consequences.

This episode was recorded live ahead of the Mobile Kino open air screening at Insel der Jugend. Hosts are Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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A video of black people being kicked out of KFC at Alexanderplatz raises question. Is it illegal to call police racist? Can police delete videos from your phone? We've got the answers. Support group Reachout says the incident was clearly racist. The police say they were following KFC's request. KFC is standing by their actions. Want to get fit while cleaning the city? Try plogging, a Swedish sport that combines jogging with trash collection. A meetup group is plogging through the Grunewald forest on June 9. Why have so many kids started using the latest shared bike company Ofo? Is it because their system accidentally allows anonymous endless free rides? Perhaps they can all join in the ADFC cycle demo on June 3 through the center of the city. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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What will it take to get Berliners to pickup trash - the offer of a free beer, perhaps? The Big Görlitzer Clean Up happens on July 7. Organizer Lubomila Jordanova from the group Plan A tells us how they plan to incentivise volunteer cleaners. Empty flats in Neukölln? They do exist. Unfortunately they're being kept empty on purpose. Activists squatted several buildings to protest, but were promptly evicted. In some cases, flats are left unrented by speculators who prefer to wait for prices to rise rather than rent to problematic tenants. This case involved a publicly-owned building left empty because of slow bureacracy. Dan's search for a kindergarten for his child is going badly. It's not all his fault - Berlin has a shortage of kita spots. Thousands of people protested againt the kita crisis. Dan tells us the rumours he's heard on the playground - parents offering to help kitas cheat the system to earn more from government, for example. This episode was recorded live at the Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday May 27. Hosts: Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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Sick of cars parking in bike lanes? Write own parking tickets during Falschparker Aktionswoche, which starts on May 28. Illegal parkers are fined just €20 in Berlin if caught, while the EU average is €100. You can use an app called Wegeheld to report drivers to the authorities, if you don’t mind being called a Spießer. Trees in Berlin parks are being wrapped in white webs by an invasion of oak processionary moth caterpillars. Watch out for their bristles - they contain a toxin which irritates the skin and causes respiratory problems. The trees should recover in a few weeks, though. Karneval der Kulturen is on again this weekend all around Kreuzberg 61, but it might be the last year it’s held there due to rising security costs. If you don’t like crowds, try the Berlin Mural Festival, held on walls across the city. Our next live show is on 6pm, Sunday May 27. We’re back at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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A special live recording of the fourth and (maybe) last episode. Take a tour of all four of Berlin’s under-construction, out-of-use, falling-apart and over-capacity airports. Each has had a part to play in the story of how Berlin fucked up an airport. At BER, we hear the airport company's side of the story: damn high regulations got in the way, they say. Tempelhof is closed, Tegel is operating precariously, and only socialist-built Schönefeld is muddling through. The end is in sight - October 2020. But even now Berlin is planning to double BER's floorplan and build a new government terminal. BER critic Dieter Faulenbach da Costa tells us the building is rotten to the core and should be scrapped. "I am convinced this airport can never open. They should pray for a miracle." We are joined on stage by Martin Delius, the former Pirate Pary politician who led the Berlin parliamentary investigation into BER. Who was responsible for BER? All Berliners, he says. We ignored warning signs and re-elected incompetent politicians. This episode was recorded live on stage at Prachtwerk Neukölln on Sunday April 29, with audio support from Craig Schüftan from Ducks! How To Fuck Up An Airport is presented by Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins. Producer: Joel Dullroy Presenters: Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern Music: Ducks! Artwork: Jim Avignon

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Chris Dercon has resigned from the Volksbuehne Theater, just six months into the job, and following a lot of fuss over his appointment. It seems he had failed to secure enough sponsorship money to pay the bills. Joel says he wasn't given a fair chance. Konrad says he was always wrong for the job. The AFD tried to shut down Berghain, complaining about the strange hours, sex and drugs, bad music and exclusive door policy. The AFD representative Sybille Schmidt used to run a punk club. The party later backed down from the proposal. The U-Bahn network has a special alarm system in the case of a flash flood in the tunnels. It could have to be activated if a skyscraper being built on Alexanderplatz breaks the water table and floods 17 stations on the U2, U5 and U8 lines. Züruck schwimmen, bitte. It's garden season, but if you want a kleingarten plot on the edge of town you'll have to wait three years. There are already 12,000 people on a waiting list for one of 70,000 gardens. Come to our live recording of the next episode of How To F#€k Up an Airport. It's on Sunday April 29, 6pm, at Prachtwerk in Neukölln. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Konrad Werner, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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Two men who killed a goat in the Hasenheide petting zoo have been sentenced to 10 months in jail. Their lawyer said they were hungry, and argued for leniency as they only took one leg. Also, all meat eaters are animal killers, he said. Another Berlin ban has been overturned by a court. Horses and carriages will be allowed back in front of the Brandenburger Tor, despite the city government's attempt to forbid them. The city's prohibitions on AirBnB, Uber and beer bikes have all been watered down through legal action. Spreepark at Plänterwald is now open for tours. But high levels of arsenic contamination have been found at the formerly abandoned theme park. Still want to jump the fence? As Berlin's unemployment rate falls to half of its 2005 level, Mayor Michael Müller has proposed introducing a "solidarity basic income." Unlike a real basic income, it would oblige recipients to do municipal or social work. Would creative projects like podcasts count? If you want to protest against rising rents, join the Mietenwahnsinn (Rental Madness) demo on April 14 at 2pm, starting at Potsdamer Platz. This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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How much do Berlin’s bottle collectors earn? Our guest Wouter Bernhardt has done the math - it's a measly €150 a month. He thinks it amounts to a form of socially accepted poverty. Wouter is host of the Berlinology podcast. Listen to the full episode of 'The Bottle Collector' here: http://viertausendhertz.de/bln02/ The Berlin Senate has changed the AirBnB law to allow people to rent out their flats as holiday apartments for up to 60 days per year. Starting on May 1, you can obtain a registration number from the Bürgeramt, which must be displayed online. But you still risk getting evicted by your landlord for using your flat for commercial purposes. We talk to Jana Burbach and Niko Schulz-Dornburg, the writers of a new TV series about flat sharing in Berlin. The show is called Just Push Abuba, and it's the first English-language show produced by ZDF. Watch it online at: https://www.zdf.de/serien/just-push-abuba In February, Berlin passed a milestone: the Berlin wall has now been down for longer than it was up (28 years). At the same time, an opinion poll found that Die Linke became the most popular party in Berlin for the first time since 1990. The city's R2G coalition parties (Die Linke, SPD and Die Grünen) would get 57% of the vote. Are they doing a good job? Joel thinks so. Our guest Konrad Werner thinks they could do better. Some Berliners want to dramatically reduce advertising in the city. Berlin Werbefrei is an initiative collecting signatures to trigger a referendum. They propose eliminating ads on public buildings. It would reduce the Berlin's revenue by €31 million annually, or 0.1% of the state budget. Find out more at https://berlin-werbefrei.de

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Bike thefts are down 11% in Berlin. Just over 30,000 bikes were reported stolen in the past year, 4000 less than the year before. Has the flood of shared bikes helped? There’s been a cherry tree massacre at the Garten der Welt in Marzahn. Seventeen cherry trees were chopped down on Sunday. The kirchbäume were the garden's biggest drawcard each spring during the cherry blossom season. The gardens have been targeted by protests over a plan to have sheep and cattle graze on nearby paddocks. Don’t be confused if soon see U3 trains running on the U1 line. The BVG is extending the U3 all the way to Warschauer Straße to increase service frequency. In the past 10 years, passenger numbers have increased by 17%, but there are about 5% less carriages. The Berlin Feminist Film Week is on now with a programme of movies made by women, transgender and queer film-makers. It runs until Wednesday March 14. This episode is brought to you by RadioEins, and presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Joel Dullroy.

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Film director Karim Ainouz tells us what life was really like for refugees living in Tempelhof airport. His documentary "Zentralflughafen THF" was filmed in the camp, which recently closed. Could public transport in Germany soon be free? The federal government suggested this as a way of reducing air pollution from diesel cars. What would Berlin be like if dirty cars are banned? Should car manufacturers be made to pay for cheating and lying? Maisie says Berlin's U-Bahns are filling up with more passengers. That might be because the BVG has cut costs and failed to order enough trains. They're now allowing graffiti-tagged carriages to stay on the tracks. This episode was recorded live at the Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday February 25, 2018. Hosts: Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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BER has been built twice - the first time incorrectly, the second time incompletely. We hear from Marco, an engineer who worked on site. Employees were busy stealing copper instead of fixing the fire system. Some managers got rich taking bribes. Informers had their coffee poisoned. Joel and Jöran drive out to the unfinished BER terminal to inspect the too-short escalators that end with stairs. They were just one of 150,000 mistakes discovered in an audit after the 2012 cancellation. Cables were stuffed together in overloaded enclosures - a fire risk. The sprinkler pipes too small to carry the required water. More than 600 fire walls had to be reconstructed. And the builders forgot to install lightning rods. Even when it's fixed, BER will need another overhaul: "As soon as they open it they have to modernize it," Marco says. "The technology is old standards. New airports are already building in a different way. This is going to be from the beginning an old airport." But finally, heads are starting to roll... the wrong heads. The BER supervisory board fires the only people who know what's going on, creating new chaos. Then they fire the CEO Rainer Schwarz, but bungle the paperwork. Will any politician ever take responsibility? How To F#€k Up An Airport is presented by Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins. Producer: Joel Dullroy Presenters: Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern Music: Ducks! Artwork: Jim Avignon

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Days away from the planned 2012 opening party, nothing seemed amiss at BER. What was really going on? On this episode, we look at how the airport managers and politicians were messing with the plans, even as construction was underway. They demanded a 70% increase in terminal space to add hundreds of extra shops, and requested special double story boarding gates for the supersized Airbus A380, even though no airline requested it. Instead of a working fire safety system, they planned to hire up to 800 people to act as human fire alarms. Despite multiple warnings, the airport board pushed ahead with opening party plans right up until May 8, 2012, when the first major delay was announced. We meet the man who put a stop to it all - Stephan Loge, the administrator of the Brandenburg building department. Also on this episode, Joel and Jöran visit the Schönefeld S-Bahn station in search of the empty train that runs nightly to the unfinished airport to keep air moving through the tunnels. How To F#€k Up An Airport is presented by Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins. Producer: Joel Dullroy Presenters: Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern Music: Ducks! Artwork: Jim Avignon

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Every Berliner knows the new airport is late. Few know exactly why. We're here to explain. BER is the international airport code for Berlin Brandenburg Airport, nickname Willy Brandt. It has also become a signifier of failure, incompetence, corruption and Berlin's general inability to get its act together. If you've flown to Berlin Schönefeld Airport in the last few years, you'll have seen BER as your plane taxied along the runway. But despite outward appearances, BER is far from finished. It has been under construction for 11 years, blown through six opening dates, three general managers and two state leaders. Costs have ballooned from around €1 billion to at least €5.4 billion. In this series, you’ll learn why the escalators are too short, why the lights are always on, and why the rooms seemed to be numbered by bingo. We'll interview insiders and disgruntled workers, chase ghost trains running to the terminal, and go inside the unfinished airport. On this episode we'll go way back to before any plans had been drawn, before even the Berlin wall had come down, to discover the foundational flaws that continue to haunt the unfinished airport. How To F#€k Up An Airport is presented by Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins. Producer: Joel Dullroy Presenters: Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern Music: Ducks! Artwork: Jim Avignon

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Germans throw out one truck's worth of good food each minute. SirPlus is a supermarket that sells groceries that are past their best-before date but are still edible. Founder Raphael Fellmer joins us with a basket of typical products from his shelves. You can visit the shop at Wilmersdorfer Staße 59. Or you can order a home delivery box at: http://www.sirplus.de Konrad Werner explains why Germans are terrified of fresh elections. The country still doesn't have a governing coalition and might need to go back to the polls. Joel suggests a policy to add to coalition negations: abolishing the racist term "Schwarzer Peter" (Black Peter) to refer to a trouble-maker. The term has often been used referring to the FDP, which walked out of coalition negotiations. Listen to Konrad's podcast here: http://bit.ly/2zsamzo You might have heard of Berlin's top league football team Hertha BSC. But the city is also home to numerous neighbourhood clubs across seven different football leagues. Bloody Hell Magazine is an English-language blog that celebrates local football teams. Writers Ben, Dave and Alex join us to share their passion. Read more at: http://bloodyhellmagazine.com Iconic Berlin illustrator and musician Jim Avignon joins us to perform live and talk about his new art book, Business As Unusual. He tells us how he managed to rediscover his love for Berlin despite how much it has changed during his 30 years here. Find his book here: http://bit.ly/2hW0jLC This is our last live recording for 2017. Stay tuned for our upcoming spin-off podcast focusing exclusively on the debacle at Berlin Brandenburg Airport BER. Recorded at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday November 26. Your hosts: Jöran Mandik, Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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The number of public bikes in Berlin increased to 6200 this week when Chinese company Mobike placed 700 of their orange and silver bicycles on the streets. They’re not to be confused with O-Bike, a Singaporean company which introduced 500 yellow-framed bikes just a few weeks earlier. In other cities, Mobike gives users credits for reporting broken bikes, and takes away credits for poor parking and “abandoning the bike when intercepted by police.” The Berlin transport department says another three bike sharing companies have expressed interest in operating here. Radio Spaetkauf co-host Jöran Mandik discovered a watery graveyard of Lidl Bikes in the Landwehrkanal near Admiralsbrücke where some hater has been throwing them. Police in Berlin recovered over 100 stolen items formerly belonging to John Lennon. A man has been arrested for allegedly selling the objects, worth an estimated €3 million, via an online auction website. They items were stolen from Yoko Ono by her former chauffeur, and passed on to a fence in Berlin. The auction website's former managers says it didn't know the items were stolen. This Sunday is our very last live show of the year. Jim Avignon, an iconic Berlin illustrator and musician, is our special musical guest. The whole team will be on stage at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Doors open at 3.30pm, show starts at 4pm, entry is free.

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Dodgy Berlin real estate deals have been discovered in the Paradise Papers. According to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, a company called Phoenix Spree based on the Isle of Jersey has been buying Berlin property, forcing out tenants, putting up the rent, then sending the profits to offshore accounts where they pay little tax. Wondering why rents are going up and where that extra money is going? Now you know. Another trick highlighted in the Paradise Papers are so-called share deals. Investors avoid Berlin's 6% property sales tax by buying shares in companies that own property, instead of the property directly. This trick robs the city of €100 million euros annually, according to the Berlin finance department. The Sony Center was sold for €1.1 billion in October under such a share deal. None of these tricks are illegal. They’re simply immoral. The Berlin Police Academy in Spandau is in the headlines. An anonymous letter published in the Tagesspiegel alleged Arabic gang members were being accepted as recruits. A police union spokesman claimed gangs were grooming some of their members to get into the police academy, by holding them back from committing crimes to keep their records clean. Berlin’s chief of police, Klaus Kandt, says there's no such infiltration going on. The anonymous claims were fueled by racism toward people from immigrant communities, he said. Hasenheide, Kottbusser Damm, Karl Marx Straße will get bike lanes in spring 2018. They will be up to 2 meters wide, painted bright green, and separated from cars by posts in some places. Berlin getting another bike sharing company. O-Bike will soon place 500 of its yellow bicycles across the city. The city now has 5500 public bikes, and will have at least 9000 by the end of 2018. O-Bike will charge €1 for 30 minutes, €20 a month, or €80 a year - which could be an alternative to buying a bike. Check out the temporary sculpture Monument in front of the Brandenburger Tor. It features three upturned busses, replicating a scene from Aleppo in Syria, where civilians hid behind busses to protect themselves from gunfire during the ongoing civil war. The sculpture will be parked in Berlin until November 26. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Maisie Hitchcock, and brought to you by Radio Eins.

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Almost 200 cyclists blocked traffic on Oranienstraße in a protest after a cyclist was doored and seriously injured. O-Straße is the third most dangerous street for cyclists in Berlin. What would happen if we painted our own bike lane? Over 34,000 bicycles worth almost €20 million are stolen annually in Berlin, only 3.5 percent are recovered. Air Berlin's turbulent descent into insolvency has reached its end. At 10.45pm on October 27 the final Air Berlin flight AB6210 from Munich will touch down at Tegel Airport, and the airline will cease to exist.Lufthansa won the bidding war to take over the majority of the bankrupt airline. It will purchase 81 aircraft and take on around 3000 employees and integrate them into its Eurowings brand. Lufthansa will soon carry over 90% of domestic German air traffic. Don't be surprised if ticket prices start going up. Time to take a train? The low-cost rail company Locomore has recently re-launched, offering tickets to Frankfurt and Stuttgart for €9.90. Berlin authorities have cracked down on homeless people camping in Tiergarten, where the murder of a 60 year old woman sparked politicians to claim the park had become lawless. Evictions have taken place in other locations. A homeless camp of around 70 people was cleared out from behind the Berghain nightclub. The Neukölln district council chartered buses to take homeless people back to Romania and Bulgaria. The number of homeless people staying in shelters has risen from almost 8000 in 2013 to over 30,000 in 2016, and an estimated 2000 are sleeping rough on the streets. Rising rents are forcing more Berliners out of their homes. Come along to our next live recording at 6pm, Sunday November 5 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. This episode of Radio Spaetkauf is brought to you by Radio Eins, Berlin's public broadcaster.

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Storm Xavier lashed Berlin with winds of 120 kilometres an hour on October 5. Public transport and flights were cancelled for most of the day, and regional train lines were cut for several days. Five people died from falling trees and car accidents, and 18 flamingos at the Berlin Zoo didn’t make it through the storm. How do storms get their names? You can pay €260.61 to name a storm. The money goes to climate research at the Institut für Meteorologie at Berlin’s Freie Universität. Sign up for one at http://www.met.fu-berlin.de/wetterpate. Only weeks after Berliners voted to keep Tegel Airport open, Lufthansa has announced it will soon begin operating Boeing 747s at Tegel. Three 747 services will run daily between Tegel and Frankfurt due to high passenger demand following the Air Berlin insolvency. The airline will have to pay a €515 euro penalty per flight to land the noisy jets, none of which goes to the long-suffering residents of Pankow. Following the German national elections, the Friedrichstadt Palast director Berndt Schmidt said supporters of the Alternative für Deutschland party should hand back their tickets. He later said AFD voters were welcome, but might feel uncomfortable in his multi-cultural, multi-sexual, multi-religious theatre. The AFD reacted by calling for Friedrichstadt Palast to lose 12% of its public funding. On Saturday October 7 the theatre was evacuated due to a bomb threat. Among the 1700 audience members were ten AFD supporters who were given tickets by their party.

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Comedian and journalist Drew Portnoy tells us about his return to Berlin after several years away. The city has grown by the equivalent of two Bonns in that time and is feeling much fuller. Berlin-based refugee rescue charity Jugend Rettet is in trouble. The organization's boat has been impounded by Italian authorities. Jugend Rettet says they are being bullied out of the Mediterranean. Are you a freelancer in Germany? Our guest Henrietta Mehlis from the SMart freelancers cooperative has some tips. Don't confuse your tax identification number from your tax number - they're different. And don't trust cheap health insurance. She is running a free info session as part of European Freelancers Week at 5pm, 11.09.17, at Betahaus. More info at www.smart-de.org. Berlin is sending 28 representatives to the Bundestag after last week's elections. Here's the breakdown by party: CDU 6; Die Linke 6; SPD 5; Die Grünen 4; AFD 4; FDP 3. The Greens barely held on to Hans-Christian Ströbele's seat after infighting. The CDU's failed mayoral candidate Frank Henkel also failed to win a parliamentary seat. Berlin also voted 56.1% "yes" in the referendum on whether to keep Tegel Airport open. The R2G coalition now has to decide how to react - ignore the non-binding result, or try to please Tegel fans and face huge legal challenges from businesses, residents and environmental activists. Die Linke released a study finding 30% of all flights to Berlin could easily be replaced by train journeys. The offstage drama at the Volksbühne continues. Squatters occupied the theatre demanding that new director Chris Dercon be replaced by a collective directorship. They were evicted after rejecting a compromise to hold their art-action in the Grüne Salon. Dan names and shames a Berlin startup, Your Superfoods, which is begging for volunteers to pack boxes instead of paying for staff. This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and recorded at the Comedy Cafe Berlin.

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Tegel Airport fans won a referendum on whether the hexagonal Flughafen should stay open post-BER. The "yes" vote was 56.1%. But it doesn't mean Tegel won't close, as the federal and Brandenburg governments would have to agree. Renovation and residential soundproofing costs could reach a billion euros. Tegel supporters now want an U-Bahn extension as well. The referendum happened on the same day as the German federal election, in which Angela Merkel's CDU won almost a third of votes. Berlin voted differently: here the CDU won almost 23%, and Die Linke came second with about 19%. There were protests in front of the AFD election party at a venue at Alexanderplatz. The far-right party won 12% of votes in Berlin. On September 24, 28,000 runners raced in the Berlin Marathon.Kenya's Eluid Kipchoge won the race for the second time, but missed out on a world record by 35 seconds, The women's race was won Gladys Cherono, also from Kenya. Another runner was Berlin's former state secretary for security, Bernd Krömer from the CDU, who called in sick to a parliamentary inquiry only two days earlier. The popular street food market known as Thai Park was raided last weekend. A squad of police and Ordnungsamt officers shut down the food stalls in Preussenpark in Wilmersdorf. Thai Park is still happening, but more raids are possible. The local CDU councillor said the food market must be either cleared away or legalized. The German Comic Con is on this weekend at Messe Berlin. If you don't like cosplay, come along to the live recording of Radio Spaetkauf at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday October 1, 17.30. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

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Berlin is a city with over 2.4 million rats. Lately they've been sighted more frequently as heavy rain has flushed them out of the drains. Several playgrounds in the north of the city have been closed due to rodents. A slightly more unusual pest, the invasive red American crayfish, has been seen scuttling along the paths in Tiergarten. More than 3000 crustaceans were caught as part of a recent eradication program. This year's Lollapalooza festival at the Hoppegarten race track ended in S-Bahn chaos. There weren't enough trains to handle the crowds. Trains arrived already full of revellers from an Oktoberfest nearby. Police closed the packed S-Bahn station for several hours. The S-Bahn blamed the festival organizers for not paying for extra trains. Next year Lollapalooza will move to Olympiastadion - the third time it has had to relocate. Want to buy Air Berlin? You'll have to pay more than the current highest bid - half a billion euros. Air Berlin's pilots aren’t making things easy for the airline. This week 200 of them called in sick on the same day to preemptively protest the possible pay cut they'll face if Lufthansa takes over. Ryanair has been stirring controversy by paying for election ads for the FDP supporting the pro-Tegel referendum campaign. The giant blue billboards featured Ryanair's logo, which is possibly illegal. The Reinickendorf local council threatened to ban the sponsored ads. The FDP eventually covered up the Ryanair logo with censored stickers. This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Dan Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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Comedian Caroline Clifford signed up as a bicycle food courier to earn extra cash. But she found the income depends on cycle speed and can be €5 an hour or less, especially as customers don't tip. Germany's federal election is on September 24. So far it's a dull campaign. But as Konrad Werner explains, in today's turbulent world a boring election is quite remarkable. Chancellor Angela Merkel "represents the state of the permanent present" that voters in smooth-running Germany desire. Is the Air Berlin bankruptcy being manipulated to favour Lufthansa? Ryanair is accusing the German authorities of helping Lufthansa take over Air Berlin, which would result in them grabbing 95% of the domestic German air travel market. The Tegel referendum is on the same day as the election. To quell concerns about the capacity of the new BER airport, BER's manager has released an expansion plan. BER will grow from 22 to 55 million by 2040, with new terminals. The Tagesspiegel reported that new terminals may be connected with a gondola. A soft opening date of October 2018 has been announced. We update some old stories: The man who kicked a woman down the stairs at Hermannstraße U-Bahn station in December last year was jailed for two years and four months. Our friends at Radbahn crowdfunded €31,000 to help them continue pushing for a bike path under the U1. Volksbühne's new director Chris Dearcon has taken over and will host his first event, a free 10-hour programme in the Tempelhof building on September 10. Dan will be hosting his new show, Line of Fire, every Saturday at 11.30 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin: www.facebook.com/events/506194369728432 Listen to Konrad Werner's podcast News des Nachrichtens: https://soundcloud.com/newsdesnachrichtens

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This summer's bad weather is affecting local fruit supply. Yields of regional apples, pears, cherries and plums are down by about 50%, pushing prices up by 15%. In other apple news, there's controversy at the Apfelfest in Guben in south-east Brandenburg. A man is suing the organizer of the Apple Queen competition, claiming the vote was rigged in favour of a female contestant. He said voters were mislead as the winner didn't have a driver's license. English speaking waiters in Berlin are getting on the nerves of CDU politician Jens Spahn, who said they should be able to take orders in German. He also criticized Germans who talk to each other in English as being elitist. Air Berlin has officially filed for bankruptcy after 37 years in operation. Germany's second largest airline has been losing money, passengers and their luggage for years. Now several airlines are fighting to buy the scraps of Air Berlin, which owns some valuable landing spots at key airports. The airline is still operating and tickets are still valid. Come along to our next live recording on Sunday September 3 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. Caroline is also hosting We Are Not Gemused, a stand-up show on Tuesday September 5 at Sameheads in Neukölln. This episode was presented by Caroline Clifford and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by Radio Eins, Berlin's public broadcaster.

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Meet Diana Arce, host of Politaoke, a cross between karaoke and political speeches. She hosts events where people read topical political rants while the audience boos and cheers. Diana is also part of White Guilt Cleanup, a service for people who don't know how to handle topics of race. Find out more at www.politaoke.com and www.whiteguiltcleanup.com We're live at the Mobile Kino Summer Camp at Klingemühle in Brandenburg, along with the brave folk who took a chance on the weather. There's a referendum coming up on September 24, the same day as the federal election. The question will be: should Berlin keep Tegel airport operating when BER finally opens? The no camp says Tegel will cost too much to renovate. The yes camp says it's necessary due to rising tourist traffic. Does Berlin really need more tourism? The Berlin Senate has finished a new law that ensures bicycle infrastructure will improve. There will be 50,000 new bike parking spots near public transport, including parking boxes. Bike lanes will be widened, a 100km bicycle highway will be opened, and dangerous spots will be fixed. If the Senate fails to deliver, social groups can sue to force them. Joel's got a new society startup idea: "Flat Rate Living - an all-inclusive way of life. All services provided free for 90% of your income." This episode was hosted by Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Caroline Clifford.

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Meet our guest host Caroline Clifford, who will also join us at this weekend’s Mobile Kino Summer Camp live recording! Over 210,000 posters are going up on the lampposts for the federal election, happening on September 24. The AFD posters manage to be both racist and sexist: “Burkas? We’d rather bikinis.” We doubt they’d really be happy with streets full of half-naked women. What’s a souvenir these days? A Berlin court has decided that teapots, cake slicers and cheese graters are not. A kitchenware in Mitte was fined for opening on Sundays: only tourist shops are allowed to do that. Permitted souvenirs include street maps, guidebooks, tobacco, film and camera items. When was the last time anyone bought film? Berlin's cute little squirrels are suffering from a virus that makes wounds grow on their paws. The squirrels can't hold on to trees because their fingers are stuck together. The wounds can be so painful that the poor squirrels sometimes die from shock. The condition has been named the Berliner Eichhörnchenvirus. The abbreviation "späti" has been entered into Germany's respected Duden dictionary. Also going in the dictionary is "Icke." It’s all a publicity stunt as dictionaries are in decline. The U1 is running again after a few weeks of repairs, but the U6 and U7 will be affected by repair work at Mehringdamm station that will last until September 3. Join us on Sunday August 13 for a live recording at the Mobile Kino Summer Camp, taking place at Klingemühle, 100km east of Berlin. This episode was hosted by Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Caroline Clifford.

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This Berlin summer continues to be a wash-out, causing floods and public transport delays. Despite the rain, the Weissensee lake in north Berlin is drying up. The operator of Strandbad Weissensee is crowdfunding €90,000 to pay for 40,000 cubic meters of water or 20 Olympic swimming pools. Berlin just had its annual Christopher Street Day pride parade, which celebrated Germany's surprise legalization of gay marriage. But as Joel points out, all things are not well for gays in Berlin. Attacks against LGBTQ increased by 10% in 2016. And gays are banned from donating blood or becoming sperm donors. Time for a new campaign - sperm donor equality! Berlin city government lost a court case against Airbnb, which is partially banned in Berlin. It had tried to force the website to hand over the names of its users, but a court ruled in Airbnb’s favour because it is data is controlled from its Irish headquarters. Those illegally renting their whole flats could still get reported by your neighbours or uncovered by the city’s team of host hunters. The German air traffic control authority said drones are allowed to be operated in the south-eastern end of Tempelhofer Feld, the former airport. They’re not allowed to film or take photos of people without permission. Fans of unusual sports competitions should check out the Beach Völkerball World Cup. Völkerball is a strange cross between volleyball and dodgeball in which two teams of eight try and hit their opponents with a small rubber projectile. It takes place at BeachMitte near Nordbahnhof on Saturday July 29 in Berlin. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Maisie Hitchcock.

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Police raid Neukölln houses in search of the missing 100kg gold coin! The case of the spectacular robbery of the Big Maple Leaf coin from the Bode Museum is close to being cracked. Four men have been arrested, including one who worked as a security guard at the museum. The level of detail in the execution led to suspicions that it was an inside job. The Berlin Senate is floating extensions to several U-Bahn lines, including the U9, U1 and U7, which could run all the way to Schönefeld and the new BER airport. This might be because Tegel fans seem to be winning the PR war to keep the old airport open. These extensions would take 15 years, if approved. Fans of British royalty - get your flowers ready. William and Kate Windsor will be in Berlin on July 19. They’ll visit the Brandenburg Gate, the Jewish Memorial and a children’s charity in Marzahn. Berlin has just endured its most rainy June on record with 193 litres of rain per square meter three times as much as normal, leading to floods across our swampy city. Our next live recording is on August 13 as part of the Mobile Kino Summer Camp, an open air cinema festival in the woods. Go to http://www.mobilekino.de for more details. This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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More than 200 Berlin police officers have been sent home from the G20 summit in Hamburg early after some were caught partying in their quarters. They were observed drinking and dancing on tables with their weapons, pissing in a row against a fence, and one couple was seen having sex in public. What might be standard behaviour for some Berliners was not acceptable in Hamburg. Berlin’s fascination with its captive bears continues. Two adult pandas have arrived from China. Meng Meng and Jiao Qing will be on display in a fancy new enclosure at the Zoo Berlin from July 7. Berlin’s gay pride parade, also known as Christopher Street Day or CSD, is happening on July 22. But there won’t be any Alternative CSD in Kreuzberg this year as the organizing team broke apart in a dispute. A replacement DIY picnic on Mariannenplatz was also cancelled after its Facebook event got too popular. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Jöran Mandik.

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New York has its Highline Park. Should Berlin have a lowline bike path under the U1 tracks? We interview a team member behind the idea for the U1 Radbahn. There’s controversy over plans to rename some streets in Wedding, where a citizen’s jury trying to replace German colonialist names somehow selected the name of a slave trader instead. Our guest Kilian Flad tells us about the revisionist history of street names. And our friend Konrad Werner is back to talk about whether Germany has an equivalent to Jeremy Corbyn in the coming federal election.

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There's been a spate of mysterious dog deaths around the Tegeler See. The cause is unclear - either a dog hater leaving poisoned food, or a bloom of dangerous blue algae in the water. Swimmers are also advised to avoid the Tegeler See, Berlin's second biggest lake. It has been almost a year since a new law was introduced forcing dog owners to carry a plastic poop bag or face a €35 fine. But so far not a single fine has been issued. The law's vague description of "suitable material" for poop collection could be at fault. There's a debate over whether a crucifix should be placed on top of the dome of the new Stadtschloss, or Humboldt Forum. Another suggestion is to install the word "Zweifel" (doubt) on the building. Joel's preference? No cross, no doubt, no Stadschloss at all. Come along to our next live recording, Sunday June 18, 17.30, at the Comedy Cafe Neukölln. This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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Only 26% of Berliners get around by car, a survey found. The rest walk, ride or use public transport. Those who take buses should be aware - the BVG has announced that it is looking for a security company to start checking tickets on buses, starting November 1. That’s because the city government wants the BVG to allow passengers to board buses through the rear doors to speed up departures. Berlin’s first-league football team Hertha BSC are unhappy with their home ground, the Olympiastadion, which they say is too big to create an energetic atmosphere. Now the mayor Michael Müller says the city would agree to reconstruct the Olympiastadion to extend seats to the edge of the field to keep Hertha happy. It could cost €160 million and push out athletic events. Karneval der Kulturen is on this weekend. The street festival runs from June 2 to 5, while the main parade is on Sunday June 4, moving from Hermannplatz to Yorckstraße. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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The new TV series 4 Blocks depicts Arabic criminal networks in Neukölln. But fiction isn't far off fact. We interview 4 Blocks writer Hanno Hackford about the real stories behind the show. You can see the show on TNT, or watch it with English subtitles at Mobile Kino. Are you scared of lakes? Can't join in the summer trips to Brandenburg? Author Jessica J. Lee decided to get over her fear of still water by swimming in a different lake every week, including winter. She joins us to give her tips on how to brave the cold. You can find her articles at: http://www.slowtravelberlin.com/wild-swimming-in-berlin/ Berlin's months-old Lidl Bike shared cycle system has deteriorated quickly due to vandalism, leaving Joel disappointed in his fellow citizens. The new rival Nextbike system has now launched, as have a new category of shared transport - shuttle buses. One shuttle company promises to get you from Rosenthaler Platz to Kottbusser Tor for €0.25. In airport news, Sixt car rental company is being fined €30,000 for interfering in the Tegel referendum by offering €10 vouchers to petition signatories. And the BER boss has taken a philosophical approach to the new airport's delays: "An airport is never finished." This episode was recorded at Comedy Cafe Berlin on May 21, with hosts Jöran Mandik, Maisie Hitchcock, Daniel Stern and Joel Dullroy. Photo by Patrick Dupuis

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The official Mietspiegel rent index has been released. Average prices grew by 9.6% in the last two years, twice as much as during the previous review. The Mietspiegel determines how much landlords can charge. The City Hostel in central Berlin has been ordered to shut down because of its ties to North Korea. The hostel is next door to the North Korean embassy, which since 2004 has rented out the building for €38,000 a month. The German Foreign Ministry has ordered the hostel to close or face fines for breaching UN sanctions. The hostel operator says they will fight the order and are still taking bookings. Berlin S-Bahn ticket machines were caught in the global computer virus Wanna Cry. Many ticket machines across the city were malfunctioning for several days due to the malware. Passengers might not have noticed as S-Bahn machines are hard to use at the best of times. A project to make the Spree swimmable is progressing. The Verein Flussbad is installing a 42-meter barge near Museuminsel to test a water filtration system. If all goes to plan, we could be swimming in the Spree by the year 2025. Come along to our next live show on Sunday May 21 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Doors open at 17.30, and entry is free. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Maisie Hitchcock, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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This year's May Day party/protest attracted 200,000 people to Kreuzberg 36, including 10,000 demonstrators and 5,000 police. But there were hardly any public toilets outside the official Myfest area. Where people supposed to pee? Holding the door open on the S-Bahn can be injurious to your body and wallet. A young man was dragged 50 metres along the Brandenburger Tor train platform after sticking his hand in a closing door. He could also be fined or jailed. A medical research project has applied to distribute marijuana to 25,000 Berliners to test its effects. The Forschungsinitiative Cannabis would give 30 grams of weed a month to each participant. Smokers ignorant about data privacy can register online. But the study probably won't happen since its chief scientist recently quit as the study wasn't scientific enough. This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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The landmark Neues Kreuzberger Zentrum at Kottbusser Tor will be purchased by the Berlin city government, snatching it from the hands of private investors. The NKZ - the giant 70s construction that bridges Adalbertstraße - will be bought by the city's own housing company Gewobag for €56.5 million. It is the first major example of the government buying back large tracts of housing from the open market to balance property prices. Why is the metal sculpture in front of the Volksbühne Theater about to disappear? Konrad Werner tells us about departing intendant Frank Carstoff's decision to take the circular "Rad" with him when he begrudgingly departs. Listen to Konrad's own podcast News des Nachrichtens: https://soundcloud.com/newsdesnachrichtens Why do the escalators at Kottbusser Tor U-Bahn station run British style, with traffic on the left? Wouter Bernhardt talks about his discoveries on the U1 line. Listen to Wouter's own podcast Walrus and the Bear: http://viertausendhertz.de/walrus-and-the-bear/ Think you're addicted to your smartphone? A group of Berlin activists wants to convince you to put down your Handy. We interview two members of Radikale Anti Smartphone Front: http://rasf.eu/?lang=de Our friends at Mobile Kino are organizing the Berlin Film Nights series. Check it out at: http://www.mobilekino.de This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and recorded on Sunday April 23 2017 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin.

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S-Bahn or U-Bahn? Take the U-Bahn if you like free Wi-Fi and fare evading. Figures from the Berlin Senat show the S-Bahn prosecuted over 35,000 repeat ticket cheaters in 2016, three times as many as the BVG. The S-Bahn checked 8.5 million passenger tickets, while the BVG only checked 5 million. Don’t try it if you want a career in education. A young Berlin man has been denied a career as a teacher because his potential employer ran a police background check and found he had been caught riding public transport with a fake ticket. A labour court upheld the school's decision. After the spectacular gold coin robbery at the Bode Museum, here’s another break-in. On Easter Sunday police responded to an alarm at the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Bürgeramt and caught two men in the building, while a third man escaped. Police said the burglars were trying to steal paper forms. Barack Obama will be visiting Berlin and will give a public address at the Brandenburger Tor on May 25. He’ll be on stage with Angela Merkel at an event to mark the 500th anniversary since Martin Luther started the protestant reformation. Our next live show is at 17.30 on Sunday April 23 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

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Berliners will get to vote on whether to keep Tegel open after the campaign to save the airport collected enough signatures to trigger a referendum. But even if Berlin votes yes in September, it doesn’t mean that Tegel will actually stay open due to complicated legal reasons. The past March was one of the warmest in recorded history, at an average temperature of 8 degrees. The winter was also unusually warm. Bee-keepers in Berlin and Brandenburg are reporting that 40% of their hives have died as a result, due to the growth of the varroa destructor parasite. Want to take a ride on Berlin's first cable car? Head along to the International Garten Ausstellung, opening in Marzahn on April 13. The 1.5km cable car will transport guests into the garden show, and is free to ride with a ticket to the IGA. It also gives a great view of the socialist Plattenbauten of East Berlin. More here: https://iga-berlin-2017.de If you haven’t yet, have a listen to our last hour-long live show. We had a great interview with a restaurant owner who was attacked by anti-gentrification activists in Kreuzberg. Find it on our website: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com This episode of Radio Spaetkauf was presented by Joel Dullroy and Maisie Hitchcock, and brought to you by RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

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Restauranteur Clare D'Orsay is a victim of anti-gentrification violence. She has been unfairly targeted by protesters angry about the potential eviction of Cafe Filou in Kreuzberg. Her restaurant Vertikal is next door. On this show Clare talks about the attacks against her business at the hands of misguided protesters. Clare says she's been spat at, pushed to the ground and had her windows smashed by an organized group for being a foreigner opening a nice looking restaurant. Investors Charles Skinner also joined the show to announce he's reached an agreement with Cafe Filou and will allow them to stay. Mr. Skinner said he decided to renew the contract after appeals from Green party politician Hans-Christian Ströble and Ms. D'Orsay. "In the end we saw reason," Mr. Skinner said. Maisie is one of 480 British citizens trying to apply for a German passport to ensure she can stay after Brexit. Unsurprisingly she's run into bureaucratic hurdles. Mark Whiley from Forward Britain joined the show to talk about what despairing Brits can do to create political pressure back home to try to mitigate the effect of Brexit. Visit http://www.forwardbritain.de This show was recorded live at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday March 19 2017, and was hosted by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radio-spaetkauf-berlin-podcast/id571999392 Support Radio Spaetkauf by donating a euro a month: https://radiospaetkauf.steadyhq.com/en

Radio Spaetkauf Berlin: Recent Episodes

Radio Spaetkauf Berlin