Photo: A. Caspary, M. Schierloh, J. Turtur (by D. Zinn)
Leisure time is dependent spaces, and freedom is even more so. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Berlin club scene offered exactly those spaces. Things that had previously been separated began to come together; possibilities that had been unknown began to open up. Not only did the clubs attract many people to the capital—they also helped turn city into a hip business centre. And what about now, in 2018? Today, Berlin clubs have to fight undesirable conditions; doubling rents and halved contract lengths are only the tip of the iceberg. Maik Schierloh from the legendary Kosmetiksalon Babette, whose lease was terminated in 2017, and Jakob Turtur from the club collective Jonny Knüppel am Schleusenufer, which suffered the same fate in April of this year, can attest first-hand to the hurdles Berlin clubs today must face. And that’s exactly what they’ll do at Pop-Kultur in a talk about real estate speculation, noise pollution, and other threats to freedom, hosted by Radio Eins's head of music, Anja Caspary.