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On Saturday night in Mitte, Weinbergspark and James-Simon-Park, the rain of the day has disappeared. It is party time. Police are moving in with 300 officers to end the celebration and, a spokesperson later said, had to act “forcefully” to force people out of the parks. Some threw bottles or threw fireworks.
When it comes to your own party, Berlin doesn’t understand jokes. Like hardly any other city in Europe, the capital represents a vibrant electronic scene, for dance nights and club culture. Raven in Berlin has become the subject of movies and books.
It is a value in itself. For quite a few, all of this appears to be indispensable in the crown pandemic. “For me, Raven has always been a form of self-care, mental cleaning,” enthuses Nadja. The 26-year-old is studying politics and plans to finish her master’s degree soon.
Like all the other people in this text, he does not want to give his real name publicly. It is one of those that, despite the corona pandemic, restrictions and the risk of contagion, participated in large raves.
After the outbreak of the pandemic, Nadja first tried to stay with her friends within what was allowed. “Of course we do. There were very few of us and we had a list, ”he recalls of a house party the first weekend after the club closed.
When tougher bans made such celebrations impossible, the raver held back for two months, also fearing hefty fines.
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So Nadja also went to the illegal parties in Hasenheide, seeking the feeling of the past. She didn’t have much fun, she says. However, she did spend a few summer weekends in the park, which is now known for its raves. “Actually, I really care about high quality music. There is no such thing in Hasenheide, ”he says.
Police confiscated 18 speakers and sound devices
Illegal parties have been held there regularly since spring. Over and over again, the police broke up the events with up to several thousand participants and seized music systems. Since August 10, the police have been statistically documenting the number of equipment seized: a total of 18 “speakers and audio players” were seized in Hasenheide. Neukölln Mayor Martin Hikel (SPD) joked that the police could “enter the club scene” with all the boxes.
The audience changed in Hasenheide. On Christopher Street Day, the street parade was officially canceled, countless people from the queer community celebrated in Hasenheide. Later, the clientele changed, says Nadja. It is clear to her that people who deny the existence of the corona virus also celebrate.
Unlike Nadja, Sophie no longer goes to parties. The 32-year-old works for a startup, loves electronic music and dancing in dark clubs. Now avoid bigger events. Before that, Sophie used to spend her weekends in Berghain. You still feel the need to go to a party.
You don’t feel safe at an illegal rave
But the experience, Sophie says, would no longer be the same. “You can’t have this feeling of being in a safe place, in a safe space, if it’s an illegal rave that takes place in the forest and can be picked up at any time,” says the techno lover.
But it is not only illegality that scares them: “When I dance, I want to give someone my bottle of water when they need it. I want to meet and not stay at a distance “.
[Illegale Party oder feiern mit Abstand und Hygienekonzept? In unseren Leute-Newslettern berichten wir wöchentlich aus den zwölf Berliner Bezirken und wie dort mit der Coronakrise umgegangen wird. Die Newsletter können Sie hier kostenlos bestellen: leute.tagesspiegel.de]
Nadja also speaks of a longing for the old “Safe Space”. The Hasenheide never felt safe, especially as a queer woman or person, she says. But because people were looking for ways to have fun in one way or another, more parties had to be allowed in an official and legal framework. “It is also easier to maintain hygiene if there are toilets and disinfectants. That is not the case somewhere in the bushes, ”he argues.
Various organizers are trying to convince the city with their own hygiene concepts. Parties have already been held in the Berghain garden. Nadja was there: “I was not afraid of getting Corona infected there. There everyone wore masks on the dance floor. ”
In winter, the outdoor events end
Sophie herself is still too risky, but she’s also convinced that not much can be accomplished with simple bans. “I can very well understand people who have the feeling that a large part of life is being ripped away.”
Meanwhile, the Senate and districts are discussing tightening the virus containment rules again, the second wave of corona is underway. The clubs suffer. “They were the first to shut down and will probably be the last to return to normal operation at some point,” says Sophie. It’s particularly difficult for people who make their money on the scene, says Nadja.
For Nadja, too, there could be an end to the electric festivals in winter. Even in the summer she just partied and danced outdoors. Sophie still has a feeling when she’s going to dance again. “I think most of us made our closest friends in clubs. That is and will always be something very important to us, ”he says.
