Category: 2017

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.

The official Berlin Mietspiegel rent index has been released. It shows 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.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

Support us with a monthly donation!

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.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

Please support us with a monthly donation!

The landmark Neues Kreuzberger Zentrum at Kottbusser Tor will be purchased by the Berlin city government, snatching it from the hands of private investors. 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.

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. Come along!

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

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.