Berlin’s pubs

 

Berlin without pubs: unthinkable. As early as the late 19th century, they served as living rooms, debate halls, and safe havens all at once. Where apartments were cramped, the corner pub offered space to talk, sing, argue, and drink. In many establishments, social democrats gathered together, while in the back rooms, queer people found refuge from societal constraints. Today, hundreds of bars and pubs shape Berlin’s nightlife, often in old, repurposed spaces: workshops, hair salons, or butcher shops have become places of gathering. The left-wing feminist “Tristeza” in Neukölln stands for political punk culture, while the “Fuchsbau” in Kreuzberg is both a neighborhood hangout and a living room. The queer hangout “Roses” on Oranienstraße features pink plush walls and disco balls, and the “Schwarzes Café” in Charlottenburg is open around the clock on weekends. Around 1900, there was reportedly one bar for every 150 residents in the city: a density unmatched anywhere in the world. Many of these bars still serve as cultural venues today, hosting exhibitions, readings, or concerts. They are not just places to meet: the careers of many famous stars began on the stage of a smoky Berlin bar.

1 - One of the largest and most popular women’s clubs of the Weimar Republic, with 400 regular members, was the “Violetta,” opened by activist LOTTE HAHM. The club was known for “business card balls” and fashion events for lesbian and transgender people.

2 - Café DORIAN GRAY was one of the most important meeting places for the lesbian and gay scene in 1920s Berlin. The venue was not only a cultural hotspot but also a political space where the gay rights movement was actively supported.

3 - ROMY HAAG (*1951) has lived in Berlin as a singer, dancer, and entertainer since the 1970s. She ran her own clubs, such as “Chez Romy Haag,” and became an icon of Berlin’s queer scene.

4 - NICK CAVE (*1957) lived in West Berlin for a time in the 1980s. The city inspired him during his post-punk phase with the band “The Birthday Party.” Berlin offered venues for performances in alternative bars and clubs that supported his early career.

5 - TRUDE HESTERBERG (1892–1967) was an actress and cabaret artist. She ran the “Wilde Bühne” and helped shape Berlin’s cabaret scene in the 1920s. Hesterberg turned the city into a hub of political satire and avant-garde entertainment.

6 - IGGY POP (*1947) and DAVID BOWIE (1947–2016) moved to Berlin together in 1976. Here they created some of their most influential albums, including Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy.” Berlin offered them artistic freedom and had a lasting impact on their sound and personalities.

7 - OTTO DIX (1891–1969) is considered one of the sharpest observers of Weimar society. In the 1920s, he lived and worked in Berlin, where the city’s nightlife left a lasting impression on him. He found the motifs for his paintings in bars, dance halls, and variety theaters: works like “Großstadt” (1927–28) depict Berlin as a garish panorama of glamour and misery.

Did you know …
… that the tavern “Zur letzten Instanz” in Berlin Mitte has been around for over 400 years? The establishment opened in 1621 as a brandy bar. Napoleon and Beethoven are said to have been regulars.