Times are changing! As we enter 2020 there are a host of new laws, changes and important updates on the cultural scene affecting Berliners. Wages are going up, rents are holding steady and transport costs are aligning to a more climate-friendly agenda (except for BVG pricing, which inevitably increased on January 1). The fabled BER airport is still/ever/again set to open, as well as the widely debated Humboldt Forum, museums are also becoming more accessible and we're getting an extra one-off holiday. Here's a rundown of everything Berliners need to know as we slide into the new year.
BVG goes up, DB down
Up first: transport. And it could be a lot better, no surprise. Locally the price of U-Bahn and S-Bahn tickets have risen, with the BVG asking us for an extra 10 cents on their already exorbitant single tickets (AB) and hiking day tickets from €7.00 to €8.60. Meanwhile, the German government has changed transport VAT in an attempt to meet new climate goals. Commercial flight prices should be on the rise with VAT on air travel increasing from seven percent to 19 percent. But for long-distance Deutsche Bahn train tickets it's the reverse, lowering from 19 percent to seven percent VAT. Looks like it’s time to take the train and do away with some of that Flugscham!
Museum and music
Staying grounded won't be so bad though as 2020 has some pretty fun things lined up for you here at home. Looking to begin the decade with a cultural soak? Prepare to be spoilt for choice. From April, the Senate wishes to introduce one admission-free Sunday each month to our plethora of museums to get us off the grind and into the galleries. To ensure their continued quality and maintenance, Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer has announced that substantial state funds will be made available for the institutions. No excuse, now!
We’ve been beset with delays to the opening of the Humboldt Forum after November’s cancellations. But finally, the light is emerging. The eagerly awaited institution, housed in the reconstructed Berlin Palace, is planned to open to the public in September 2020 in three stages. Hold your horses, though. General Director Hartmut Dorgerloh says this is only possible if an operating permit is issued.
2020 also marks the 250th birthday of Beethoven. Festivities will be held at classical venues across the city. Check out the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester 2020BTHVN programme for their concerts dedicated to the composer.
New duvet day!
Aside from the cultural scene, there are more opportunities to get our work-life balance in check. Courtesy of the state we're all getting an extra holiday this year! Be sure to scribble Friday, May 8, in your new diary as you’re in for a one-off public holiday to mark the 75th anniversary of the Wehrmacht’s capitulation in 1945.
Car-free trial
Another date of note is the city's attempt to heal Berlin’s smokey skies with a car ban being brought in for Friedrichstraße from 21 June to September. As part of continuing plans for further pedestrianisation of Mitte, the summer ban will coincide with the beginning of Fête de la Musique, leaving your lungs cleaner for all that dancing!
New housing laws
In terms of housing, rent freeze is now in effect! For five years, 1.5 million homes built before 2014 are required to remain at the mid-2019 rent price. The fightback against greedy landlords has begun. New legislation has also come in making smoke alarms in homes compulsory. Landlords must install them in lounges and corridors/escape routes in common areas by December 31 this year, but their maintenance is the tenant's responsibility.
Wage boost!
For Berliners, working in the capital once again reaps its reward: the minimum wage increases have continued. In 2017, the city raised the minimum wage from €8.50 to €9. Now, it’s going up to €12.50 an hour while the German-wide minimum wage is still at €9.35. For freelancers and small businesses it's good news too. The tax-exempt income allowance has been raised from €17,500 to €22,000.
Hygiene and health
Two hotly debated topics in Berlin and internationally are being addressed. The government made a statement on the highly criticised "tampon tax", reducing VAT on feminine hygiene products from 19 percent to seven percent. Berlin authorities also took a stand on vaccinations, making the measles vaccine mandatory beginning March 2020 for all Berlin children if they partake in the city's public education system. Additionally, the medical hotline 116 117, which has operated since 2012 to assist while clinics are closed, is now available 24/7. In 2018 alone 77.4 million people contacted the service asking for medical advice and its extension is being widely welcomed.
And that’s your EXB 2020 news briefing wrapped! Our regular EXB weekly news briefing is back next week.