Radio Spaetkauf – The Berlin News Show

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.

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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.

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The new year started in Berlin with 16 people hospitalized from fireworks injuries. The number of emergency calls was down by 12%. If you think Berlin was chaotic, in Paris more than 650 cars were set on fire.

Last month video footage of a man kicking a woman in an U-Bahn station led to a suspect’s arrest. Since then police have been releasing a steady stream of images from attacks and robberies. Previously, they were reluctant to do so for privacy and legal reasons. Even the mayor Michael Müller has changed his mind about video surveillance. He says he’s now open to more cameras in public places.

The BSR will be collecting old Christmas trees from January 7 until January 20. In case you’re wondering what happens to old trees, they get used as biofuel to power the city, and are given to elephants at the zoo to eat. You can find a full list of pick-up dates for each district here: bit.ly/2hTqQu4

Come along to our next live show on Sunday January 22, 6pm, at the Comedy Cafe Berlin!

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