No Fly Zone Thumb

No-fly zone!

When it comes to the new international airport (BER) set to open in June, the Berlin government is putting commercial interests above those of its citizenry. Not, however, without a struggle.

Apr 11, 2012 by in Zeitgeist (2 Comments)

Implants Thumb

The cost of cheap silicon

When the PIP scandal broke in 2010, few breast implant patients in Germany were told they were carrying toxic time bombs. Up to 500,000 women in Europe are believed to have been affected – many in Berlin.

Mar 20, 2012 by in Zeitgeist

Second hand scam

Second hand scam

Ever asked yourself where those boots you scored at your favourite thrift shop came from? The trade in used clothes is second-hand fashion’s ratty little secret, going back to that container down your street.

Jan 31, 2012 by in Features (2 Comments)

Silicon Valley thumb

Forget Silicon Valley

While thousands of occupiers take to the Reichstag, capitalism is alive and kicking on Rosenthaler Platz.

Nov 16, 2011 by in Zeitgeist (2 Comments)

Sex, the city and the ‘new AIDS’

Berlin is Germany’s HIV capital. But what does it mean to live with AIDS in a time and place in which customised treatments can provide many HIV patients a normal life expectancy?

Oct 26, 2011 by in Zeitgeist

Spreefeld: Third Way on the Spree?

While experts and activists are busy discussing alternative scenarios for the riverside, one group has already set the future in motion.

Sep 16, 2011 by in People

Das Kapital and the clubs

Every summer, the clubs on the river drum up media fuss about their imminent demise. Each victim of the Mediaspree developers throws a ‘last closing forever’ party – only to cancel the closure their success.

Aug 5, 2011 by in Nightlife (2 Comments)

“My mum became a fighter the day she got pregnant with me”

Ingrid Thorius is an 80-year-old retired head nurse and a familiar face around Moabit. We talked to her about life, her mother and her neighbourhood.

Jun 30, 2011 by in Zeitgeist (1 Comments)

The Mitte boys are back

The veterans of Berlin’s post-Wende nightlife underground have reached into their deep pockets to recreate the scrappy playground of their youth.

Jun 1, 2011 by in Zeitgeist

Obituary: Maria am Ostbahnhof

She was the club pioneer on the banks of the Spree. But soon, at just 13, she will be gone forever. Maria, one of Berlin’s top clubs for electronic music, closes this month.

May 4, 2011 by in Nightlife

The new May Day wrecking crew

The extreme violence and vandalism surrounding the eviction of the Liebig14 squatters in January could mean that this year’s May 1 Kreuzberg demo will be more brutal than ever.

Apr 26, 2011 by in Features (1 Comments)

When men lose control

Every half hour, a woman in Berlin is physically assaulted – not by a stranger but by someone she trusts most: her husband, a lover or family member. Anne Lena Mösken investigates.

Mar 28, 2011 by in People

Beyond the cineplex

Don't want to stay home even though the Berlinale's over? Looking for the extra edge to make you REALLY feel like you know Berlin and it's nitty-gritty Kino-world? Our guide to alternative film spots shows you where to look.

Feb 21, 2011 by | | | in Film

The science of sleep

Every night, when you tuck into bed and drift off to dreamland, your body and brain become a buzzing hive of activity. At the Charité Sleep Lab in Mitte, the research begins when the lights go out.

Jan 21, 2011 by in Zeitgeist (1 Comments)

Stripped bare

BERLIN BEAUTY: Germans like to dance the Cuban salsa and Spanish flamenco, to holiday in Tuscany and to act, well, German. But when it comes to their genitals, they love it the Brazilian way!

Nov 1, 2010 by in Zeitgeist (4 Comments)

Green wasted youth

Does Berlin’s new “sustainable nightlife” really make a difference, or is it just another party gimmick?

Oct 25, 2010 by in Zeitgeist (1 Comments)

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

It’s secret, it’s not quite legal - and it’s definitely a whole new way to eat out. We invite ourselves to the Palisaden Supper Club to sample guerrilla dining, Berlin-style.

Aug 1, 2010 by in Restaurants (2 Comments)

When cops act like thugs

A handcuffed tourist; an expat bullied and 'kidnapped' by rogue cops – police abuse is a daily reality in Berlin. Read our special investigation with victim testimonies, including video footage.

Jul 2, 2010 by in People (2 Comments)

A cop’s life: an insider’s view

Read EXBERLINER's exclusive interview with a veteran policeman. "An officer who hasn't had a complaint against him for his entire career - I'd consider him a danger to public safety."

Jun 15, 2010 by in Features

The secret lives of cyclists

The guy who opens the door looks as if he is about to embark on the Tour de France: he’s wearing a turtleneck tricot and one of those cycling caps with the tiny visors. But this is just the way Dustin dresses every Monday morning...

Mar 1, 2010 by in Zeitgeist