Berlin Clubs In Danger From New Commercial Development

Gentrification strikes again! Earlier this week we reported on a shopping mall/bowling alley that will open opposite of Berghain in the coming years, putting an end to a once deserted and debauched area. Now the Berliner Zeitung has news of an even more frightening project. The RAW Gelände, a club area in close proximity to Berghain that has been around since the 1990s, is facing an end. In previous years, the former railroad yard has been the center of nightlife in Berlin’s Friedrichshain neighborhood. Now the owners of the areal, the Kurth Gruppe, want to turn it into a commercial development with design boutiques, a biomarket and a chain supermarket store—just what Berlin needs!

There are two different plans: one would replace the clubs with new shiny high-rises and apartment towers. The other would aim for a “softer” approach and build around the old structures, with potential for some of the clubs to stay open. In any case, this is another depressing nail in the coffin for Berlin nightlife.

Photo: Imago/Olaf Wagner