Berlin's underground scene squeezed by rising rents and property prices

Key facts

• Berlin's underground cultural groups are being displaced due to rising rents and property prices.
• Zirkus Mond, a circus troupe, is relocating after its performance space on vacant land was reclaimed by a developer.
• Berlin's property prices have more than tripled in the past 15 years.
• A recent Berlin state election saw a far-left party win on a platform of rent control and taking over housing from corporate landlords.
• The city's 'interim usage' rules have previously allowed alternative groups to occupy vacant land.

Berlin's underground cultural scene is facing increasing pressure as rents and property prices in the city continue to rise. Zirkus Mond, an alternative circus troupe that had used a vacant plot of land for eight years, is being forced to move after the developer who leased them the space wants it back. This situation is emblematic of a broader trend in Berlin, where once-plentiful open spaces like 'die Greife' are disappearing due to urban development.

Historically, Berlin's underground culture has been intertwined with economic shifts and the property market, from the hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic to the post-Cold War era when artists occupied industrial sites. The current wave of gentrification has seen residential property prices more than triple in the last 15 years. This has led to a political response, with a far-left party winning a recent state election on a platform of rent control and municipalizing housing.

Despite the challenges, figures like Max Mohr of Zirkus Mond express a pragmatic acceptance of the situation, noting they had found a new location. Juan Migama, Zirkus Mond's artistic director, highlighted that while housing costs are driving people away, Berlin remains a tolerant city. He also pointed out that the city's complex regulatory system, ironically, has sometimes provided a framework for alternative groups to operate within a 'grey area' as long as they adhere to specific rules, such as the 'interim usage' regulations that allowed groups like diskoBabel to set up on vacant land.