Counter-culture/ Wild Berlin

Although Germany is famously orderly and regulated, Berlin is WILD.

When the city was divided by the Berlin Wall, West Berlin was largely abandoned. This island became a magnet for the weird, wild, wacky and (sometimes) wonderful West Germans: artists, punks, lefts, anarchists, pacifists and migrants. They were attracted by the cheap real estate, possibility of squatting/ occupying the abandoned buildings, avoiding military service or, in the case of the migrants, they were largely forced to reside here.

This history has led Berlin to become a hub for many subcultures; such as graffiti and street art, techno and electronic music, punk, anarchist, anti-imperialist and anti-fascist politics, sexual fetish communities, the list goes on. Long before the division attracted these communities, the city had a special draw for alternative artists, critical philosophers and writers and LGBTIQ+ communities. Let’s trace these stories, see where they happened and experience the special culture and “vibe” with which they have endowed Berlin.

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