At regular intervals, an underground train passes by, making the impressive Oberbaum Bridge shake, while a tourist boat sails beneath it on the River Spree. Its bank on the Kreuzberg side is dominated by a glass office building with a terrace in front of it on the water. A rather inconspicuous address during the day.
But on weekends long queues form in front of the entrance of the building just before midnight. Watergate has been one of the hottest clubs in town for 22 years. A bastion of electronic music on two levels, party and dance overlooking the river. Watergate lasted quite a while in a rather short-lived club scene. But now it’s over.
The end after 22 years
“You just have to understand that culture, especially club culture, has a definite economic component as well. Unfortunately, this is often overlooked because of all the praise for Berlin’s diverse club culture,” says Uli Wombacher, one of Watergate’s founders, in a press release about the closure.
High rents, inflation and general cost increases had made this step inevitable. After the coronavirus crisis, business never recovered.
The golden years (over)
In the 1990s and 2000s, Berlin had developed into a party capital. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, there were many empty buildings that were transformed into hedonistic temples with little effort and a lot of enthusiasm.
News of the appeal of techno clubs like Tresor, WMF and Berghain in vaulted cellars and former industrial buildings spread far beyond Berlin. For years, Berlin’s tourism has also benefited greatly from party tourists. In the heyday of low-cost airlines, they would come from all over Europe just to spend a weekend of fun in Berlin.
Corona virus, climate and rising costs
The demise of some low-cost airlines such as Air Berlin, reduced flights due to climate change and the coronavirus crisis have left their mark on Berlin’s club scene. And, of course, real estate speculation. Clubs were welcomed as a temporary use for empty buildings. Meanwhile, many of the old, favorable rental contracts have expired and most clubs can no longer meet the new rent demands.
In August, another well-known Berlin techno club, Wilde Renate, announced that it will have to vacate at the end of 2025 due to the expiration of its lease. Unlike Watergate, Wilde Renate wants to try to continue in another location.
The DNA of Berlin
Christian Tedsler from Visit Berlin, the capital’s tourism marketing agency, agrees that Berlin’s club culture faces major challenges. In addition to the well-known causes, such as rising costs and rents, exiting behavior has also changed.
“Younger people now meet somewhere late at night, bring a loudspeaker and play their Spotify account on it. They don’t necessarily have to go to the club to have fun,” Tedsler tells DW.
Nevertheless, the club culture is an important factor in Berlin’s tourism. Berlin is still internationally recognized as the capital of techno and plays in the first class worldwide with its clubs. “Club culture is part of Berlin’s DNA,” emphasizes Tedsler.
He also sees the future of Berlin clubs in their ability to tailor their offerings. World-renowned institutions, such as Berghain, will also open their halls for other events.
The caravan continues
The Club Commission, an association of club and event organizers founded in 2000, sees the biggest challenge in securing venues for Berlin’s clubs. Its representative, Emiko Gogic, proposes the regulation of commercial rents for clubs, which are not located in state premises.
Overall, though, change and flexibility are part of Berlin’s club culture. The fact that Watergate was able to survive for so long is probably the exception. “Clubs will again move more to the outer boroughs. There will still be other forms of temporary use,” and in the future “it will again be a somewhat more flexible scene.”
“Berlin’s clubs are the heart of this city – and Berlin remains the capital of club culture. They also bring around 3 million tourists to Berlin every year,” emphasizes Christopher Zuss, spokesman for Berlin’s culture minister Joe Cialo. Against the backdrop of club closures, the minister is planning a round table and campaigning for clubs to be recognized as cultural spaces.
The party is over – long live the party. That’s what the Watergate home page says. At the end of the year, the club, which has been a major attraction for Berlin’s partygoers and nightwalkers for 22 years, will close its doors for good. But first he wants to celebrate it normally.
Source: DW
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