Author: radiospaetkauf

Berlin workers go on strike! Airport staff shut down Tegel and Schönefeld terminals on Feb 8 demanding a pay rise from €11 to €12 hour. Kindergarten staff went on strike on Feb 15, causing every second kita to close. They’re seeking equal pay with Brandenburg kita workers, who get up to €400 more per month.

Berlin is to get a new monument that is more like an amusement ride. The so-called Wippe, or see-saw, will be a moving platform that is supposed to reflect the motion of democracy. Federal politicians finally agreed to fund the Wippe after years of back and forth. No fixed opening date has been announced.

Berghain nightclub will open a new dance floor on March. Called Säule, it will feature dark experimental electronic music, and provide the club with space to squeeze in more guests.

Come to our next live show! It’s on Sunday Feb 19, 17.30, at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Entry is free.

This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by RadioEins.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

German federal police carried out an undercover sting targeting ticket inspectors on the Berlin S-Bahn. Five inspectors were busted fining tourists and pocketing the cash. If you’re caught, ask for inspectors’ ID and always get a receipt!

Six months in prison for smoking on your balcony? A Hellersdorf woman has been ordered by a court to not smoke outside between 8pm and 6am, or face a fine or jail time. Her 20 cigarettes a night were bothering her neighbour.

Fritz is the new Knut. Tierpark’s 3-month polar bear cub has been named Fritz, short for Friedrich, which intones peace. He’s half Russian.

Event tip: Australian musician Darren Cross writes songs inspired by Berlin. He’s playing a silent concert at Ofen Bar on Feb 7, where you wear headphones to hear the music.

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

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

How big is Berlin’s marijuana market? We interview podcaster Diane Arapovich who investigated the weed economy and found Berlin is the greenhouse of northern Europe, supplying even Amsterdam. Listen to her full German language podcast Die Stadt und Das Gras for more.

Was it fair for Andrej Holm to be fired from Humboldt University, just days after resigning under pressure because of his brief Stasi past? Joel and guest Konrad Werner think not. The academic has spent his adult life fighting to make housing affordable for poor people, a career that surely redeems his youthful error.

This year marks the end of an era at Berlin’s Volksbühne Theatre. Long-time intendant Frank Castorf will be replaced by Tate Modern director Chris Dercon. Konrad Werner explains why the Berlin theatre scene is upset over the switch. You’ve got until summer to get along to Volksbühne and catch one of the last Castorf productions.

Radio Spaetkauf needs your support! We’re asking our audience to donate at least one euro a month to help us bring you more local Berlin news.

Thanks to Mobile Kino for giving us free movies. Check out their Xavier Dolan program.

This episode was recorded live at the Comedy Cafe Berlin on January 22, 2017.

Hosts: Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Thanks to Joshua James Alas and Julian Beerbaum for support.

Berlin’s R2G coalition is in crisis after the mayor Michael Müller (SPD) forced the resignation of Andrej Holm, who had been picked by Die Linke as the city’s housing secretary. The sociologist was a controversial choice due to his radical anti-investor ideas, and also because when he was 18 years old he trained to become an officer for the Stasi, the secret police of East Germany. Holm has also now been fired from Humboldt University for failing to fully declare his Stasi past. Was it fair? Listen to our next live recording for a full discussion.

The KaDeWe department store has been robbed yet again. On January 14 axe-wielding bandits broke through the doors, smashed glass cabinets and stole jewelry. In robbers held up KaDeWe during opening hours and sprayed teargas as they stole €800,000 worth of expensive watches. And in 2009, burglars broke in and stole jewelry worth €2 million. Evidence from a dropped glove led to the arrest of a pair of twins, but neither could convicted as their DNA was too similar.

Police discovered the dismembered body of a 90-year old pensioner in the freezer of his apartment in Prenzlauer Berg. The body had been there for ten years. The neighbours said that they complained about a smell coming from the flat, but were ignored by both the building manager and the police. A man has been charged with the pensioner’s murder. It’s alleged he was making withdrawals from this bank account the whole time.

Come along to our show on Sunday January 22, 6pm at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln.

This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Jöran Mandik, and brought to you by RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.