Podcasts about comedy cafe berlin

Dearest Listener! Please enjoy this very special bonus episode! We welcome Dirk Hoffmann-Becking, from The History of the Germans Podcast. If there's something this man doesn't know about the Wittelsbachs, I sure as hell don't want to hear about it!Dirk takes Jonny and I from the earliest context surrounding the founding of Berlin and introduces us to some real characters like Henry the Fowler, all round nice guy, Uta von Ballenstedt, popped collar, cold hard stare, medieval FOX; As well as the painfully incontinent and hateful Saint Bernard of Clairvaux…AND he's here and he's less cuddly than you might think, it's Albrecht the mutha hugging BEAR!You can find more of Dirk's fantastic content here: https://historyofthegermans.com/++++++LIVE LIVE LIVE!!!! Come see us LIVE on the 29th March 2025 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin at 8pm,

Recorded live March 6, 2025 at Another Country Bookstore. Hosts Izzy and Dan with special  guest co-hosts Pip Roper of the "History Flakes" podcast, and comedian Toby Arsalan. They chat spring weather in Berlin and its impact on relationships, Germany's new electronic health records, Berlin labor strikes, local Football and various tree removals. Plus the annoucement of a Kickstarter campaign for a vinyl release of our mini-series "How to F#€K Up an Airport," Berlin's housing crisis, and more.  Interviews with Fabian Flues, a member of the Burger*innenInitiative A100, and Joanna Kusiak, a sociologist at Cambridge University and author of "Radically Legal: Berlin Constitutes the Future." Joanna Kusiak: Read the book open source: PDF LINK or listen on Audible: https://www.audible.de/pd/Radically-Legal-Hoerbuch/B0D8WSZ8QF Pip Roper: Live History Flakes Podcast Recording 29th March at Comedy Cafe Berlin https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/history-flakes-live-2/ Toby Arsalan: tobyarsalan.com or on insta at @tobyarsalan Fabian Flues: Bürger*innenInitiative A100 https://bi-a100.de/ Thanks to Vanta for their support, Learn more at: www.Vanta.com/RadioSpaetkauf Radio Spaetkauf: www.radiospaetkauf.com Vinyl Kickstarter, LAUNCHING SOON !: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/radiospaetkauf Additional thanks to podfestberlin.com for technical support. And to our home for the recording, Another Country Bookstore http://www.anothercountry.de/   and of course to you the listeners, if you would like to make a donation or support us through a steady membership:  www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

Matilde und Georg sind müde, aber sie geben nicht auf. Für euch streiten sie sich, ein bisschen echt, ein bisschen fake, aber definitiv lustig. Es wird ernst, es wird geschrien, es wird gelacht, es wird laut ausgeatmet, es wird.... MUGPU! Diese Folge wird präsentiert von schwarzen Bohnen, Wasser und Hunde adoptieren. Unterstützt uns auf PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/MUGPUFolgt UNS unterhttps://www.instagram.com/matildeundgeorg/Folgt Georg unterhttps://www.instagram.com/georgfka/https://bsky.app/profile/georgfk.bsky.socialFolgt Matilde unterhttps://www.instagram.com/matikeizer/Special thanks an Andrea Björk für unser Logo, und an Ralf Strecker für den Intro-Jingle. 

Recorded Live at the Babylon Berlin Cinema in Mitte on Sunday, January 22, 2023.  A brand new year brings Berlin fresh cringe from mayor Franziska Giffey and a reignition of the annual fireworks debate. We look at how racism and feminism might play a role in that conversation. Berlin vs. Hamburg? 25 percent of Germans found Hamburg the “most likable” German city, but which city-state do Radio Spaetkauf hosts prefer? The answer may shock you! (It probably won't).  This episode was sponsored by Athletic Greens. Visit http://www.athleticgreens.com/spaetkauf and get a free year's supply of Vitamin D3+K2 for immune support, 5 convenient Travel Packs and a starter kit with your first AG1 order! Fresh scandals and new posters leading up to the election redo, who stands to gain and do any deserve us? We chat with Nathaniel Flakin, author of “Revolutionary Berlin” about the election and some of the Berlin actors in the recent coup attempt. His book is published by Pluto Books and his tours can be found at https://revolutionaryberlin.wordpress.com/ Our second guest Yevhenii Surniaieva, is a board member of IWEK e.V. (fb page link), one of the associations that founded the Alliance of Ukrainian Organizations. He gives us some perspective on the new Ukrainian experience of Berlin and Ukraine as well as suggestions on how to help those displaced and suffering because of the Russian invasion. Links here: https://www.medhelpukraine2022.org/ https://plastde.org/spendenaufruf/  https://ukr-dim.de/help/ Berlin will, at long last, send Nigeria ten artifacts know as “Benin Bronzes”. Hopefully the return of these stolen artworks signals a better reckoning with Germany's colonial past.  The online portal queer.de has been sued for “disparaging the memory of the deceased” because of an article they wrote describing the now-deceased Joseph Ratzinger, AKA Pope Benedict the 16th, as being queerphobic. However, the head of the journalist union says there is no violation of the press codex and no obvious insult against the former pope. In transportation news, it was recently made public that the BVG fired their security company Pütz in November after an assault on a passenger was “the straw that broke the camel's back,” according to BVG sources.It's hard to believe, but there's actually some good economic news to kick off this year. Berlin's economic output rose by about 2.5 percent last year, above the average for the rest of the country.Berlin Fashion Week kicked off with Mayor Giffey's embarrassing hype line of “Hey, where are all the Berliners?!” and was later trolled by activists “The Yes Men” who infiltrated the Adidas RealityWear show with models in fake blood “literally wearing the toil of workers on [their] sleeves.”  Thank you to everyone who listens. We appreciate the audience and the community. Your financial support will help keep this project viable. Become a monthly supporter or make a one time donation at https://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate/ thank you. Join Izzy February 4th on a walking tour of Berlin covering social movements. Political Walking Tour – Social Movements in Berlin – The Left Berlin Dan has a new weekly stand up show called “Slingshot” at Two Fellas in Pankow. Info and reservations at sterndaniel.com Matilde is a frequent performer at Comedy Cafe Berlin, catch her there! This episode was produced by Anne-Marie Harrison and Daniel Stern. Editing and additional research by Sebastian Filip. Writing by Anne-Marie, Matilde Keizer and Izzy Choksey. Hosts: Matilde Keizer, Izzy Choksey and Daniel Stern.Additional contributions by Joran Mandik and as always the support of Joel Dullroy.  Assistance from https://www.podfestberlin.com/ and technical help from https://mobilekino.berlin/ Recorded live at Babylon Cinema in Mitte - a wonderful place to see thoughtfully curated film: https://babylonberlin.eu/ thank you to their wonderful staff!

*Not Safe For Over Thirties* This episode contains content that will make you feel old, but don't worry, everyone behind the mic is with you. Matilde Kaizer, Trevor Silverstein and Lauren Sedger from the Comedy Cafe Berlin house teams join us for another raucous episode of What's the Mate?. Julia shares news from the Langenscheidt Publishing House and what the public have determined is the 2022 German Youth Word of the Year, a real-life story about what happens at her adult sleepovers, and Matilde walks us through the experience of trying to adopt a cat in Germany. These stories inspire scenes of hip grannies trying to connect with their grandchildren, a touring band called The Tucks and their absurd connection to burritos, and an adoption interrogation turned pet sacrifice - enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Hosted by Julia Joubert with production help from Jill Beytin. Thanks again to Tom Evans of www.particle-sound.com for the theme song and to Hindenburg for their support. Thank you to our performers, you can catch them most weekends at www.comedycafeberlin.com but also follow them on Instagram to see what they're up to and listen to their podcasts, they have podcasts! You'll find Matilde here: @matildeundgeorg and @schamlos_pod a podcast auf Deutsch. And @ittotm a show in English. You'll find Trevor here: The Berlin Open Stage Show on www.bearradio.org or at Comedy Cafe Berlin.

This episode of What's The Mate comes to you LIVE from Comedy Cafe Berlin for our Halloween Special! We bring you spooky adjacent stories about spiders scary enough to call emergency services, a skeleton who's story doesn't add up, and shared dreams that just don't sit right. Our improvisers, Noah Telson, Amy Jane and Amanda King run with the tales and spin hilarious scenes throughout, all while dressed in costume with a live audience to egg them on!This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Thanks again to Tom Evans of Particle Sound for the theme song and to Hindenburg for their support. Thank you to Comedy Cafe Berlin (@comedycb) for the venue, and follow Noah (@telsonia) Amy (@stuffthusfar) and Amanda (@a_kup) to see where they'll be performing next!

Es ist passiert, liebe MUGPUdel: Matilde hat Corona, was sie aber nicht davon abhält, Georg im Videochat zu treffen, um für euch freshen CONTENT zu produzieren. Sie erzählt ihre Ansteckungs-Story, dann reden die beiden nochmal kurz über Netflix (tolle Website, habt ihr davon schon gehört?) und dann zwingt Matilde Georg, sich live on air bei Parship anzumelden, und wir alle erleben diesen komplizierten, verwirrenden und irgendwie schockierenden Prozess aus erster Hand.Eine ganz besondere Folge, aber das sind ja eigentlich alle MUGPU-Folgen, also irgendwie auch eine ganz normale Folge.Dieser Podcast wird präsentiert von dem Twitter von Jonas Imam, Steinen und Streit. Werdet auch Sponsoren: matildeundgeorg@gmail.com oder auf INSTAGRAM.Folgt UNS unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matildeundgeorghttps://www.instagram.com/matildeundgeorg/https://twitter.com/MatildeUndGeorgFolgt Georg unterhttps://www.instagram.com/georgfka/https://twitter.com/GeorgFKaFolgt Matilde unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matikeizerhttps://www.instagram.com/matikeizer/Special thanks an Andrea Björk für unser Logo, und an Ralf Strecker für den Intro-Jingle. ❤️Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=8KXBBEU5PVRNG)Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=8KXBBEU5PVRNG)

Hallo liebe MUGPUdel. Es sind harte Zeiten in der Welt, und trotzdem versuchen wir euch ein bisschen zu unterhalten. Falls ihr finanzielle Kapazitäten habt spendet gerne an Hilfsorganisationen. Ihr habt sicherlich schon genug Informationen, aber HIER könnt ihr euch spezifisch für Berlin informieren. Wir haben versucht für euch eine lockere, lustig Folge aufzunehmen, um hoffentlich für etwas Leichtigkeit zu sorgen. Georg und Matilde besprechen Cocktails, Kochshows und Dating. Natürlich wie immer auch alles drum herum was passiert. Hoffentlich sind diese 74 Minuten eine Freude für euch. Dieser Podcast ist präsentiert von dem Twitter von Jonas Imam, Schatten und Streit. Werdet auch Sponsoren: matildeundgeorg@gmail.com oder auf INSTAGRAM.Folgt UNS unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matildeundgeorghttps://www.instagram.com/matildeundgeorg/https://twitter.com/MatildeUndGeorgFolgt Georg unterhttps://www.instagram.com/georgfka/https://twitter.com/GeorgFKaFolgt Matilde unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matikeizerhttps://www.instagram.com/matikeizer/Special thanks an Andrea Björk für unser Logo, und an Ralf Strecker für den Intro-Jingle. ❤️Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=8KXBBEU5PVRNG)

Ooooh die 70e Folge ist da. Und wie in der Folge angekündigt (wie ihr habt sie noch nicht gehört? Komisch!) Wird der Text etwas kürzer ausfallen.  Es gibt nämlich ein paar wichtige Links die ihrnciht verpassen solltet.  Matilde und Georg sind beim Podfest Berlin im Comedy Cafe Berlin und hier könnt ihr Tickets kaufen: https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/podfest-berlin-matilde-und-georg-produzieren-unterhaltung-live-aufnahme/ Bitte kommt zahlreich! Wir brauchen eure Unterstützung mit viel Lachen und so weiter.  Diese Folge ist politisch, und lustig. Matilde ist wütend über einen schlechten Job (falls ihr DEN Link braucht, schreibt sie an!) Aber das wichtigste ist: Georg hat Geburtstag! Es wird nicht lang besprochen, aber seid vielleicht so nett und schreibt ihm Grüße auf unser Twitter oder Instagram! Ihr seid wie immer die besten Fans. Dieser Podcast wird präsentiert von Katzen. Werdet auch Sponsoren: matildeundgeorg@gmail.com oder auf INSTAGRAM.Folgt UNS unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matildeundgeorghttps://www.instagram.com/matildeundgeorg/https://twitter.com/MatildeUndGeorgFolgt Georg unterhttps://www.facebook.com/GeorgFKhttps://www.instagram.com/kammerergeorg/https://twitter.com/GeorgFKaFolgt Matilde unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matikeizerhttps://www.instagram.com/matikeizer/Special thanks an Andrea Björk für unser Logo, und an Ralf Strecker für den Intro-Jingle. ❤️

Berlin is weeks away from its state election and a referendum on housing. We analyse the campaign posters with Konrad Werner, columnist for Exberliner, and host of the weekly German news show Megan's Megacan: https://anchor.fm/megans-megacan The AFD has moved from anti-migrant to anti-Green issues, declaring "Your car would vote for us". The CDU are trying to convince Berliners they'd do a better job than the R2G coalition. The SPD is sticking with mayoral candidate Franziska Giffey, despite more plagiarism problems. She's also effectively ruled out a new coalition with Die Linke and possibly the Greens, meaning a return to a conservative coalition in Berlin. And there's lots of small parties with interesting ideas and terrible graphic design. Izzy's volunteering to campaign for Klimaliste, who have a detailed plan on how to mitigate climate change, and say the Greens aren't doing enough. What happens if you paint the city streets with DIY safety markings and bike lanes? We meet a group who are being prosecuted for taking traffic control into their own hands. Jon from the group Vineta Kiezblock tells us how his group painted road safety marks. The Ordnungsamt painted them black. Follow here: https://twitter.com/VKiezblock No more free coronavirus tests. Germany has decided to stop paying for your tests as of October 11. Expect a lot of empty shops and second-hand lab coats for sale online. The end of the tests means the end of income for some small shops. The BVG is rolling out its new station announcement audio to more U-Bahn lines. The five-tone marimba alert is very tropical, but not very Berlin. Mail from Maisie! She's in Brighton, or "Kotti Am See". She misses affordable bio food, rubbish recycling and Brandenburg lakes. But at least it's multicultural, and free of scooters on sidewalks. Guest host Izzy Choksey from the podcast @Sistrionics joins Joel and Dan for a live recording in front of a small safe audience at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. Dan's got a show coming up on August 28 at CCB. Come! Tickets here: https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/toby-dan-3/ Thanks to all our supporters! You can donate to keep us going here: http://www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

Everything is reopening. We’re shooting up on vaccines, and shoving sticks up our noses in strange places - and loving it. And best of all - Maisie is back! Coronavirus testing centers are popping up faster than bubble tea shops. There are more than 1000 stations in the strangest locations - converted restaurants, bikes, basements. Is this creative capitalism, or a state-funded stimulus? The government is paying €12 per test. Some of that money is going amiss. Joel witnessed some test centers sending results without actually performing the tests, and others using incorrect personal data. Our guest Nik Kaestner, a spokesman for Volksentscheid Berlin Autofrei presents their goal of removing cars from within Berlin’s S-bahn Ring. This would create the world’s largest car-free zone. The idea has gained a great deal of support from cyclists and pedestrians. Nik says even the 1.3 million car owners will be happy when they see the improvement. The initiative’s website’s English language version is here: http://volksentscheid-berlin-autofrei.de/index.php?lang=en It's time to ban schokoküsse, the chocolate marshmallows with a racist former name. Their continued existence allows racists to use them as a vehicle to attack Black people. A man attacked in the chocolate aisle in Aldi on Grenzallee in Neukölln by a white man, who used a box of chocolate kisses as a pretext for racial abuse. Changing the name (only in 2005) wasn't enough: choco kisses have to go. Berlin voters are being asked by the SPD to elect a mayor who has resigned as a federal government minister over a PhD plagiarism scandal: Franziska Giffey. She has quit the federal cabinet in anticipation of losing her degree. But she's still the SPD's mayoral candidate for the upcoming election. Local sports: Berlin's two football teams had very different Bundesliga season campaigns. Hertha played a terrible season, narrowly escaped dropping out of the Bundesliga, and fired some staff over racist comments. Union Berlin, however, had a fantastic year, finishing 7th overall. Today's episode of Radio Spaetkauf was made with financial support from Wander. If you are looking to discover and explore the great places in Berlin check out Wander. Wander offers immersive audio experiences in locations all over the city. Visit places you always wanted to go and others you didn't even know existed. Wander suggests their audio experiences at Teufeslberg or the Neukölln Wochenmarkt on Maybachufer. Listen now for free at https://www.getwander.app/ Cohost Daniel Stern has a show live online Friday night via Comedy Cafe Berlin. Tickets and info at https://www.comedycafeberlin.com/event/night-show-berlin-live-from-ccb/ Thank you again to https://www.getwander.app/ for their support. On Insta at https://www.instagram.com/getwander.app/ Apple Podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/wander/id1545586440?l=en And Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/6JLLnFuFwYLEtWYXsp3veI?si=FGr5XzAqS6aN8gCXWKzHUw&nd=1

Oooohhhh bald ist es soweit! MUGPU hat 50-jähriges Jubiläum! Ach was war die Reise toll. Danke an alle die noch da sind, oder noch dazu kommen. Unsere Türen sind immer offen für neue MUGPUdel! Für unsere Jubiläumsfolge wird es einen LIVESTREAM geben am SONNTAG um 14:00 unter diesem LINK. Mit ganz besonderen Gästen. Ihr solltet es nicht verpassen. Heute wieder in unsere tighten 60 Minuten Version: In dieser Folge geht es um Improcomedy,  alte Fernsehformate, Melancholie, das neue Leben und die Angst davor,  Karrieren (Matilde und Georg können alles, oder vieles), Finanzen (die beiden sind ein bisschen chaotisch), Unterschriften sammeln und Volksentscheide, Georgs Twitter und Matildes Instagram. Ist diese Auflistung schon zu lang geworden?  Ach es gibt noch mehr Themen: Unsicherheiten von hetero cis Männer, Steuerberater, Medizinstudium,  Ehrlichkeit von Ärzten,  Homöopathie, Gendern und HP Baxxter. Konnten wir euch mit diesen Auflistungen überzeugen diese Folge zu hören?  Die liebsten Grüße, und danke dass es euch gibt ihr lieben MUGPUdel! Teilt die Folge mit eurer sexpositiven Oma!Dieser Podcast wird präsentiert von Basti Bargelds Instagram-Profil (https://www.instagram.com/bastibargeld/) Werdet auch Sponsoren: matildeundgeorg@gmail.com oder auf INSTAGRAMFolgt UNS unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matildeundgeorghttps://www.instagram.com/matildeundgeorg/https://twitter.com/MatildeUndGeorgFolgt Georg unterhttps://www.facebook.com/GeorgFKhttps://www.instagram.com/kammerergeorg/https://twitter.com/GeorgFKaFolgt Matilde unterhttps://www.facebook.com/matikeizerhttps://www.instagram.com/matikeizer/Special thanks an Andrea Björk für unser Logo, und an Ralf Strecker für den Intro-Jingle. ❤️

Dieser Podcast wurde am 24.04.2020 live gestreamt bei Facebook. Im Interview: Stand-up-Comedian Ingrid Wenzel. Diese Fragen besprechen wir unter anderem im Interview: - Was ist Stand-up-Comedy überhaupt? - Wie entwickelst du eine Show und deine Gags? - Wie kreativ muss man sein, um humorvoll zu sein? - Welche Technik verwendest du bei deiner Vortragsweise, wann wird es witzig, wenn man es erzählt? - Wie macht man schwierige Themen leicht? Über Ingrid Wenzel: Sie ist Stand-up Comedian aus Hamburg und Berlin – derzeit lebst du in Berlin, richtig?. Sie arbeitet mit Universitäten, TV-Shows und Marken zusammen. Bei ihren Auftritten, so schreibt sie über sich selbst, ist sie präzise, klug, witzig, respektvoll, frisch und dankbar – Da bin ich gleich mal gespannt, wie das geht. Bei mir klappt das nämlich nicht immer exakt auf den Punkt. Im TV war sie unter anderem bereits bei Nightwash im WDR oder auch dem NDR Comedy Contest zu sehen, und live war sie u.a. bei der Quatsch comedy Live show und dem Comedy Cafe Berlin. Mehr Infos zu Ingrid: https://www.ingridwenzel.de/ Mehr Infos zu Bewegte Rhetorik: https://bewegte-rhetorik.de/ Du findest mich in den sozialen Medien bei: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bewegte-Rhetorik-101549161503810 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewegte_rhetorik

Coming to you from the bowels of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it’s What‘s The Mate!In this bonus episode we are joined, virtually and from across the globe, by GRILL TALK. Matilde Keizer dialed in from Berlin, Nacho Sanguinetti from Uruguay and Trevor Silverstein from California to bring you some of the funniest improv comedy!Together they explore bizarre stories that have come out of life during corona, where the drama of a machete-wielding man inspires “smart-social police officers” who use TikTok to fight crime. Eyewitness accounts of the anti-lockdown protests introduce us to a new journalistic practice of “fact cats” and find out how Matilde’s neighbours brought about the tale of Excalibur, the peephole salesman. This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Big thanks to RØDE for the sponsored equipment, to Hindenburg for their ongoing support and to Tom Evans of Particle Studio for the theme song. Follow GRILL TALK on Facebook to find out what they’re up to. They also do a number of digital shows in various groups so be sure to head to The Comedy Cafe Berlin for more. Listen to Trevor Silverstein’s The BOSS (Berlin Open Stage Show) Podcast on Bear Radio. Find Matilde Keizer at @matikeizer on Instagram, and check out her podcasts “Matilde und Georg produzieren Unterhaltung” and SCHAMLOS. You’ll find Nacho on Instagram at @nachodenoche.

"The time for partying is over," Berlin's health senator Dilek Kalayci said, announcing the shut down of the city. Berlin's government has enacted the widest restriction of liberties since the war as it struggles to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. Hosts Daniel Stern, Joel Dullroy and Jöran Mandik record an unscheduled episode in an empty room. Our correspondent in Maisie Hitchcock joins us via Skype to tell us about pre-lockdown England. Noah Telson from the Comedy Cafe Berlin tells us about shutting down his business for a month. What's life like in quarantine in Berlin? We talk via Skype with comedian Ben Maclean. Worried about your health? Call the Berlin Corona Hotline: 030 90 28 28 28. Don't go out seeking a test. Like the show? Support us with a donation! https://steadyhq.com/en/radiospaetkauf

"The time for partying is over," Berlin's health senator Dilek Kalayci said, announcing the shut down of the city. Berlin's government has enacted the widest restriction of liberties since the war as it struggles to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. Hosts Daniel Stern, Joel Dullroy and Jöran Mandik record an unscheduled episode in an empty room. Our correspondent in Maisie Hitchcock joins us via Skype to tell us about pre-lockdown England. Noah Telson from the Comedy Cafe Berlin tells us about shutting down his business for a month. What's life like in quarantine in Berlin? We talk via Skype with comedian Ben Maclean. Worried about your health? Call the Berlin Corona Hotline: 030 90 28 28 28. Don't go out seeking a test.

Noah Telson has a pretty interesting story. He's an American Expat living in Germany, running one of the few English improv clubs on the continent. Berlin has become a home for all kinds of international creatives, and as improv is the jazz of theater, they all congregate around the Comedy Cafe Berlin, Noah's joint. We talk about improv in Germany, Noah's story of moving to Berlin, and what the scene is like. Check Noah out! His website, Comedy Cafe Berlin, Noah on Facebook. The original Vice clip that got us connected. Finally, if you want to support the podcast on Patreon WE'D LOVE YOU X1000 FOREVER!! Even a couple of dollars helps :)

Berlin’s favourite free coworking space also has books. We meet Juliana Pranke from the ZLB, Berlin's central library. She tells us the secrets of the Bibliothek: You can borrow art to hang on your wall, digitize vinyl and stream films online. Why don't you have a library card already?! The revolutionary Mietendeckel has started. It applies to all tenants, even subletters in WGs. Find out more on our spin-off podcast Rent Freeze. The next episode is landing soon. Berlin Mayor Michael Müller says he'll quit before the next election. Joel reviews his political flops: the Tempelhofer Feld building plan, the Olympic Games bid and his opposition to the rent freeze. It's Berlinale time, but there's another important film festival coming up: Berlin Feminist Film Week. We meet founder Karin Fornander, who says we should stop giving the Academy Awards attention: it's decided by a jury of mostly old white men. In the wake of the terrible Hanau racist attack, Dan Stern gives an emotional acknowledgement that our show doesn't do enough to reflect racial diversity, and that most Berlin expats live in a mostly white bubble. We pledge to try to expand our racial inclusivity. Thanks to Tom Evans for sound engineering, and Comedy Cafe Berlin for hosting our show. Presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

Some of Berlin's most infamous nightclubs are closing as investors cash in on their properties. Grießmühle is almost gone, and KitKatClub may be forced out by the summer. What's different about this round of club closures? And what could the city do to save its culture? In Berlin's monocultural housing estates, some kids never meet people of other religions. Shalom Rollberg changes that by offering after-school activities, taught by Jewish volunteers. We meet founder Yonatan Weizman. He says the program should be expanded from Muslim to German neighbourhoods to fully tackle antisemitism. You can help out here: https://shalom-rollberg.de Konrad Werner joins us to talk about racist street names in Berlin. Konrad is the co-host of Megan's Megacan, a weekly show about German news: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/megans-megacan/id1406002313 Anyone else annoyed by bad English grammar on advertising? Companies spend thousands on billboard ads that seem to be computer translated. We critique the latest offensive example from a website offering AI-based flatmate matching. Hopefully their code is better than their copy. Berlin's rent freeze is coming, and so is our new spin-off series about this radical new housing policy. The first episode of Rent Freeze will appear in your podcast feed shortly! Thanks to Tom Evans for sound engineering, and Comedy Cafe Berlin for hosting our show. Hosts: Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Support us with a donation! https://steadyhq.com/en/radiospaetkauf

Maisie, Dan and Joel meet at Gendarmenmarkt Christmas market to catch up on the news. Berlin's advertising boards are full of complaints by companies against the city government. Airbnb is demanding that bureaucracy more efficiently approve its hosts' applications. Do they expect citizens to care? The revolutionary rent freeze law has been passed, meaning our rents can't be increased for the next five years. Investors continue to buy up property. The SPD's new leftish national leadership wants to copy Berlin's law in other German cities. Pedestrian deaths are up a lot this year: 23 people have died so far after being hit by cars - a 60% increase. The local Green party has made it one of its policies to phase cars out of the inner city. Friedrichstrasse will go car-free for three months next summer. Berlin finally starting to control the fireworks madness on New Year's Eve. Want some peace and quiet this Silvester? Go to Alexanderplatz, which is one of only two places where fireworks have been officially banned. Want a Christmas tree but don’t want to kill a living entity? You can rent a living tree for €20, and get €10 back if you return it in good condition. See you next year for our live recording on January 26 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin!

Our first ever live show, just in time for the festive yuletide season. We were suited and booted for a year-end quiz with our brilliant guests Carl Clancy, Sebastian Knight, Maurice Frank and Sofia Diogo Mateus.

It's our season finale, and we honestly couldn't think of a better way to end an incredible year! Julieta Degese, Trevor Silverstein and Gaston Stabiszewski join Julia for another side-splitting episode of WTM. We start with the story of meeting Pablo Francisco, which inspires a restaurant where anyone could be a celebrity, we hear the tale of a terrible Berlin club, the reason for Julia's "sexy voice" and the worst Coat Check of all time, and we end things with Julieta's experience with a German police officer, his vest and a cellphone number... it gets wild!This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Thanks again to Tom Evans of Particle Studio for the theme song and to Hindenburg for their support. We'd also like to give an extra big thank you to our producer extraodinaire, Jill Beytin, for all of her time and energy in helping put What's The Mate together. Make sure you see our brilliant guests in action, both on and off the air: catch Trevor as part of The BOSS (Berlin Open Stage Show) Podcast which you can listen to right here on Bear Radio or see him record live every Thursday at 11pm at Comedy Cafe Berlin. Gaston is also in the business of podcasts so give his German improv podcast, Lebenspodcast, a listen, on Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also catch both Trevor and Gaston on stage at CCB and in various groups. Last but not least, follow Julieta's stand up and improv comedy journey at https://www.facebook.com/Julietas-Comedy-292482798286521/

Friends With Benefits join us for this week’s hilarious episode of What's The Mate! Antonia Bär, Caroline Clifford and Matilde Keizer dive right in, with the German Record of 268 litres of Solyanka, a traditional Russian soup, inspiring an unhealthy relationship between Antonia and Ramen noodles, 300 German swingers being evacuated from a building educated us on the realities of a "Swingers Buffet" and Matilde's horrible interaction with someone on public transport found us in a world where you reserve train tickets and waiting room chairs for sandwiches. This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Thanks again to Tom Evans of Particle Studio for the theme song and to Hindenburg for their support. Catch Friends With Benefits in various shows including, It's That Time of the Month, an improvised talk show that takes place every second Sunday of the month at Comedy Cafe Berlin or follow all three across social media to see where they're doing what: @iamabear @cliffy_butt @matikeizer.

I, Contact makes their What's The Mate debut with this brilliantly funny and four storied episode! Blake, Ben and Justin dive into what it would mean to be stuck with a stranger's luggage on the S-Bahn, and we find out that Germany has over 3200 varieties of bread and that they celebrate "Buttered Bread Day". Justin's Oktoberfest experience opens our eyes to the fact that the Beer Festival isn't even in October and Ben's interaction with Reggie Watts takes us down a rabbit hole of Tom Cruise, grannies and family facts. As always, this episode was brought to you by Bear Radio with support from Tom Evans of Particle Studio and Hindenburg.Don's miss Blake and Ben in their bimonthly musical improv show, Rollercoasters, at Comedy Cafe Berlin and Z Bar - check out rollercoastersimprov.com for more info or follow them on social media at @rollercoastersimprov. Follow Skeleton Brains on Facebook and Instagram to see where Blake and Julia are performing next and be sure to listen to Henri & Blake's podcast: Improvise Till You Make It. Follow Justin on Instagram at @bejustincredible to follow all of his adventures both on and off the stage.

Double XL promised us a weird episode, and what a weird one it is! Nacho Sanguinetti and Trevor Silverstein join us for the „Ultimate Berlin Episode“ with stories about volunteering at the unfinished BER Airport, the fire at Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap and living the Freelance Life in Germany’s capital.This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio with big thanks to Tom Evans of Particle Studio and Hindenburg for their support. Catch Trevor and Nacho at various shows and in various groups at The Comedy Cafe Berlin. Enjoy more improv comedy on The BOSS (Berlin Open Stage Show) Live Podcast every Thursday at 11pm at CCB or right here on Bear Radio. If you’d like to boot Trevor off of Twitter, give him a follow on @TreStijl and like the tweet and follow Nacho’s adventures at @nachodenoche on Instagram.

Jakob Wagner, man of many hats, many deals, and many talents, brings this episode to life with his skills as an improvisor, actor, rapper, comedian, and storyteller as he shares and overshares about his uranium-like emotional antennae (you read that correctly), and his one-and-only conspiracy theory. We get into the nitty gritty of what empathy means, when and how to wield it, and whether, as Swiss-German psychoanalyst Dr. Arno Gruen suggests, empathy has the power to save the world. Empathy's potential as a global force for good notwithstanding, the lives of empaths are both helped and hindered by their ability to tap into the emotional experience of others, as we find out on an episode which might otherwise be entitled, "Neurotic White Men." To cap the show off, we'll put our rapping, rhyming, and beat-boxing skills to the test in an epic game of "Beastie Rap." Our neurosis bring us deep into the rage-fueled downward spiral of a pair of casting directors at odds with the actors who dare to take liberties with the script, and soaring into the stratosphere on the high of a Krav Maga expert who, after chancing upon a mega-celebrity and personal hero, is given the chance to show off his fighting skills to the whole world. You'll find Jakob playing on improv teams across Berlin, including the CCB Harold Team, People System, which plays every other Friday at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. Check out his rap group, PuppetMastaz, and their latest record, Sweet Sugar Rush, on Spotify and anywhere else you get your music, and if you happen to be in France, be sure to see the PuppetMastaz live for some hip hop mayhem incited by a group of rapping puppets, bursting at their literal seams with rhymes, wit, and polyurethane. As always, thanks for listening, and be sure to follow us on instagram at @henriandblake for a sneak peek of the next episode of "Improvise Till You Make It!" and to keep posted on all the exciting ways we continue to spread the improv mindset.

Matilde Keizer, a cornerstone of the English improv scene in Berlin, wears as many hats as she has nationalities. Writer, actor, impovisor, teacher, coach, chef, as well as Comedy Cafe Berlin's greatest cheerleader and ally, she's the epitome of, as she puts it, "The Super Cool Fun Millennial Hyphenate Life." After surprising us with the shockingly negligible impact of her multi-cultural background on her family's holiday traditions, we dive into what it means to trust oneself and others on an improv stage, and explore the effects of living life with the same kind of unbiased openness. Is such blind trust naive? Maybe. Does it have powerful implications for how we can live with ourselves and others? Definitely. The conduits of our conversation draw us deep into a world where the astoundingly accurate analyses of a "diner-stool psychologist" leave a few late-night patrons with their jaws on the floor, and into the belly of a start-up office where the feedback culture is as open and honest as it is steeped in poetic license before we bring the episode to a close with a rousing game of "Word Express." Keep up with all of Matilde's goings-on via her facebook page (and go ahead and like it while you're there!), and come on down to Comedy Cafe Berlin, where you can enjoy a Matilde-inspired grilled cheese sandwich while watching her perform with one of her many improv teams, including It's That Time of the Month, People System, Grill Talk, and Cuter Than Hedgehogs. As always, thanks for listening, and be sure to follow us on instagram at @henriandblake for a sneak peek of the next episode of "Improvise Till You Make It!" and to keep posted on all the exciting ways we continue to spread the improv mindset.

This week we explore the concept of "Yes, And..." with actor, director, instructor, improvisor, and general ray of sunshine Brian Kapell. To say Brian is an experienced improvisor is as much an understatement as saying he's a really friendly guy. He's a former executive director of ComedySportz, a global network of companies that transform the world using improvisation, and with over 35 years of improv under his belt, he lives the improv mindset with every breath, punctuating his conversation with arguably the world's most infectious laugh. As he regales us with tales of his journey into improv, a sojourn with tragic origins and thought-provoking if galvanizing milestones, we learn how Brian uses "Yes, And..." to propel himself from one life event to the next, and how we can all use it to overcome, maybe even enjoy, the challenges and struggles life throws at us. Along the way, we'll travel to Improv universes where tennis grand-slams are gladiatorial events, and where masters discipline their servants by making them kings and queens for a day. Brian Kapell is the director of ComedyShorts Berlin which features improvisors from twelve countries who put on a fun, fast-paced, comedy show where two teams compete for comedy glory in a fully improvised performance, and the audience decides who wins! ComedyShorts Berlin performs on an improv stage every week at either 800A or Comedy Cafe Berlin. As always, thanks for listening, and be sure to follow us on instagram at @henriandblake for a sneak peek of the next episode of "Improvise Till You Make It!" and to keep posted on all the exciting ways we continue to spread the improv mindset.

Julia Joubert is a journalist, broadcaster, improvisor, and podcaster who's podcast, What's the Mate?, has become a magnet for gathering the best and brightest of Berlin's thriving English improv scene. After a riveting discussion about our wardrobe choices for the kinky Berlin party we attended the night before this episode's recording, Julia explores with us what trust means both on-and-off the improv stage, both intra-and-inter-personally, and the importance of creating and fostering environments where trust is at the foundation of everything. Our conversations lead us to some uncharted improv territories and beyond where perfect strangers reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to a benevolent bus-stop-dweller, and where the indecision of a couple of top-dogs at Nasa cause chaos for the Astronauts relying on their commands, all capped of with a game of "Problem Solving" sure to put a smile on even the sourest face. Catch Julia Joubert every other week on stage in Berlin alongside Henri & Blake with their improv troupe Skeleton Brains, winners of the Comedy Cafe Berlin 2018 August Offensive, and be sure to listen to Julia's phenomenal improv podcast, What's the Mate?, which features world-class improvisors performing scenes inspired by weird and wonderful tales from the streets of Berlin. As always, thanks for listening, and be sure to follow us on instagram at @henriandblake for a sneak peek of the next episode of "Improvise Till You Make It!" and to keep posted on all the exciting ways we continue to spread the improv mindset.

We're joined on our first episode by Kevin Napier, writer, improvisor, and performer extraordinaire! Kevin shares with us what 18 years of improvising has taught him about The Improv Mindset, and how that relates to his super-normal super power. His tales of how doing improv has influenced the way he lives his life lead us down an improv rabbit hole where we find a Master lecturing his apprentices on the importance of destroying your masterworks upon their completion, a few unlucky road-trippers practicing mindfulness to ensure they get the most out of their prison sentences, and some new-age astronauts in a space station surviving on nothing but good (and bad) vibes. You can find Kevin Napier improvising with pretty much every improvisor in Berlin, onstage at the wonderful Comedy Cafe Berlin, as well as every other week with his (and Henri & Blake's! ) Improv Group Skeleton Brains! As always, thanks for listening, and be sure to follow us on instagram at @henriandblake for a sneak peek of the next episode of "Improvise Till You Make It!" and to keep posted on all the exciting ways we continue to spread the improv mindset.

It's the final episode of Season 2 and it's an epic adventure featuring the weirdest stories and wackiest improv, brought to you by Michele Guido, Clementine Satsuma and Andrea Andrésdottir of Legends in Concert! The terrible but true story about a woman who was hit with a medieval cannonball inspired the moat loving Trebuchet salesman. Michele’s run-in with the cops took us to a WG casting where every applicant’s documents were covered in something wet and the awkward interaction between two of Julias colleagues gave us a look into the life of a girl with very unfortunate Doppelgängers. Being the final episode, we thought we'd treat you to an EXTRA story that came out of our What's The Mate Storytelling night and inspired the Café War of the century!This episode was brought to you by Bear Radio with the kind and continued support from Hindenburg, and Tom Evans of Particle Studio.Be sure to catch Legends in Concert in various shows and Harold Nights at Comedy Cafe Berlin, and if you'd like to see or showcase more wacky characters, go check out The Queens Court that takes place every second Saturday at CCB. 

Berlin is a noisy city, and it's getting louder. Stats show police cars activated their lights and sirens 158,000 times last year - or more than 400 times a day. That's a 5% increase on the previous year. The famous open-air karaoke sessions in Mauerpark can go ahead again after the Pankow authorities reversed their plan to close the event down. Authorities were refusing to issue the regular permits due to nearby construction work. After a public outcry, the authorities backed down. Apparently it wasn’t so hard to move a few fences around after all. Expect the singing to resume sometime around Easter. The BVG says more than 41,000 square meters of its U-Bahn carriage walls were graffitied last year - 20% more than the previous year. They plan to stick yellow heart stickers on top of graffiti to annoy the vandals. Our next live show is Sunday October 31 at Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Come along! More info here: https://bit.ly/2HKPN83 This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

The wonderfully funny Friends With Benefits join us for this week’s episode of What's The Mate! Antonia Bär, Caroline Clifford and Matilde Keizer took us on a wild ride where stories of "manspreading" lead to owl eggs hatching in Caroline's pants, the Singing Shrinks of Berlin inspired the character of a one Dr Kant (lol) and the completely uncool way he guilt trips his patients into watching his Red Hot Chili Peppers covers and then there was the scene with a famous person who can't be named and a whole lotta salad - check it out! This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio. Thanks against to The Venue for letting us use their space, to Tom Evans of Particle Studio for the theme song and to Hindenburg for their support. Catch Friends With Benefits as part of It's That Time of the Month, an improvised talk show that takes place every second Sunday of the month at Comedy Cafe Berlin or follow all three across social media to see where they're doing what: @iamabear @cliffy_butt @matikeizer.

This week we are joined by the uber talented and brilliantly funny Steindór Jónsson, Andrea Andrésdottir and Carl Clancy aka A North Atlantic Extravaganza! They turned the true story of Germany’s scheme to pay Refugees to return home into a tale of Viking treks and weird Icelandic accents. “The Berlin Effect” inspired the creation of a Startup with rabid dogs & a no-pants policy and, a cat so large he needed two X-Rays introduced us to the fact that apparently Irish folk don’t understand the concept of a euphemism. As always, this episode is brought to you by Bear Radio, with support from the kindpeople of The Venue Berlin and a big thank you to Hindenburg too.If you’d like to catch our guests again, make sure to check Andrea out at It's That Time of the Month every second Sunday at Comedy Cafe Berlin, Carl & Andrea together at Comedy Shorts and Steindór on The BOSS Podcast that he co-hosts with Trevor Silverstein and which can be found at bearradio.org.

We thought we’d close Season 1 with a bang and brought you our second live recording with a What’s The Mate favourite, GLB! Nicole Ratjien, Noah Telson and Josh Telson joined Julia again, this time in front of a packed house at Comedy Café Berlin. A story about how someone’s ‘dead’ body ended up on cigarette packets all over Europe had our improvisors dive into agency/client contracts and the tale of the very real Ketchup Bandits inspired bizarre scenes of a sauce testing lair and gravy in the bedroom. Big thanks to Comedy Cafe Berlin for letting us use their space and to Hindenburg for their continued support. If you’d like to catch more of GLB then support them by liking their Facebook Page: GLB Comedy, following them on Twitter: @glbcomedy, @joshwithpowers, @telsonia + @rattynikki and watching them to their thing at the Comedy Café Berlin: https://comedycafeberlin.com/

This episode of The MEAT recorded live in the Comedy Cafe Berlin features Antonia Bär (It's That Time of the Month) & Josh Telson (@GLB Comedy)! We start off comparing notes between Nazi Germany and Modern Day America. Antonio shares a story about a time she forgot her antidepressants while leading a tour of a concentration camp. Noah talks about what it's like to have kids in Germany and ruin a midwife's big reveal. These true stories inspire improvised scenes about a film about a bumbling doofus, liberal rebels, short taxi rides and child bucks. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy ( https://www.acast.com/privacy ) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-meat-improv-with-jake-jabbour-and-josh-simpson/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sara Nere, Janina Rook and Caroline Clifford of CǓNT HåmmɆr, join us for another brilliant episode of What’s The Mate! Our three improvisors unpacked how some of the week’s Berlin stories could have gone and blessed us with some truly hilarious improv. We explored a world where STD symptoms come in the form of Enya, Queen or Elton John songs & new recruits go to Aldi Supermarket Clerk Training Camp. We even weighed in on the rather bizarre and completely questionable effect that the prolonged warm weather would have on your choice of Döner Kebap meats. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this one!This episode is brought to you by Bear Radio, with support from the kind people of The Venue Berlin and a big thank you to Hindenburg too. Catch CǓNT HåmmɆr at We Are Not Gemüsed every other Tuesday in Neukölln and every first and third Friday as part of the Harold Nights at Comedy Cafe Berlin. Check out Caroline’s YouTube mini series called When I Grow Up and follow Janina (@rook_togo) on instagram, she needs more followers. You’ll find Sara on her Pennyfarthing somewhere in Berlin.

Megan and Konrad crack a mega with Carl Clancy on his brilliant Saturday night chat show. Listen and wish you'd been there. Recorded at the Comedy Cafe Berlin on October 6, 2018

What will it take to get Berliners to pickup trash - the offer of a free beer, perhaps? The Big Görlitzer Clean Up happens on July 7. Organizer Lubomila Jordanova from the group Plan A tells us how they plan to incentivise volunteer cleaners. Empty flats in Neukölln? They do exist. Unfortunately they're being kept empty on purpose. Activists squatted several buildings to protest, but were promptly evicted. In some cases, flats are left unrented by speculators who prefer to wait for prices to rise rather than rent to problematic tenants. This case involved a publicly-owned building left empty because of slow bureacracy. Dan's search for a kindergarten for his child is going badly. It's not all his fault - Berlin has a shortage of kita spots. Thousands of people protested againt the kita crisis. Dan tells us the rumours he's heard on the playground - parents offering to help kitas cheat the system to earn more from government, for example. This episode was recorded live at the Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday May 27. Hosts: Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

Sick of cars parking in bike lanes? Write own parking tickets during Falschparker Aktionswoche, which starts on May 28. Illegal parkers are fined just €20 in Berlin if caught, while the EU average is €100. You can use an app called Wegeheld to report drivers to the authorities, if you don’t mind being called a Spießer. Trees in Berlin parks are being wrapped in white webs by an invasion of oak processionary moth caterpillars. Watch out for their bristles - they contain a toxin which irritates the skin and causes respiratory problems. The trees should recover in a few weeks, though. Karneval der Kulturen is on again this weekend all around Kreuzberg 61, but it might be the last year it’s held there due to rising security costs. If you don’t like crowds, try the Berlin Mural Festival, held on walls across the city. Our next live show is on 6pm, Sunday May 27. We’re back at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

Film director Karim Ainouz tells us what life was really like for refugees living in Tempelhof airport. His documentary "Zentralflughafen THF" was filmed in the camp, which recently closed. Could public transport in Germany soon be free? The federal government suggested this as a way of reducing air pollution from diesel cars. What would Berlin be like if dirty cars are banned? Should car manufacturers be made to pay for cheating and lying? Maisie says Berlin's U-Bahns are filling up with more passengers. That might be because the BVG has cut costs and failed to order enough trains. They're now allowing graffiti-tagged carriages to stay on the tracks. This episode was recorded live at the Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday February 25, 2018. Hosts: Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

Germans throw out one truck's worth of good food each minute. SirPlus is a supermarket that sells groceries that are past their best-before date but are still edible. Founder Raphael Fellmer joins us with a basket of typical products from his shelves. You can visit the shop at Wilmersdorfer Staße 59. Or you can order a home delivery box at: http://www.sirplus.de Konrad Werner explains why Germans are terrified of fresh elections. The country still doesn't have a governing coalition and might need to go back to the polls. Joel suggests a policy to add to coalition negations: abolishing the racist term "Schwarzer Peter" (Black Peter) to refer to a trouble-maker. The term has often been used referring to the FDP, which walked out of coalition negotiations. Listen to Konrad's podcast here: http://bit.ly/2zsamzo You might have heard of Berlin's top league football team Hertha BSC. But the city is also home to numerous neighbourhood clubs across seven different football leagues. Bloody Hell Magazine is an English-language blog that celebrates local football teams. Writers Ben, Dave and Alex join us to share their passion. Read more at: http://bloodyhellmagazine.com Iconic Berlin illustrator and musician Jim Avignon joins us to perform live and talk about his new art book, Business As Unusual. He tells us how he managed to rediscover his love for Berlin despite how much it has changed during his 30 years here. Find his book here: http://bit.ly/2hW0jLC This is our last live recording for 2017. Stay tuned for our upcoming spin-off podcast focusing exclusively on the debacle at Berlin Brandenburg Airport BER. Recorded at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday November 26. Your hosts: Jöran Mandik, Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

The number of public bikes in Berlin increased to 6200 this week when Chinese company Mobike placed 700 of their orange and silver bicycles on the streets. They’re not to be confused with O-Bike, a Singaporean company which introduced 500 yellow-framed bikes just a few weeks earlier. In other cities, Mobike gives users credits for reporting broken bikes, and takes away credits for poor parking and “abandoning the bike when intercepted by police.” The Berlin transport department says another three bike sharing companies have expressed interest in operating here. Radio Spaetkauf co-host Jöran Mandik discovered a watery graveyard of Lidl Bikes in the Landwehrkanal near Admiralsbrücke where some hater has been throwing them. Police in Berlin recovered over 100 stolen items formerly belonging to John Lennon. A man has been arrested for allegedly selling the objects, worth an estimated €3 million, via an online auction website. They items were stolen from Yoko Ono by her former chauffeur, and passed on to a fence in Berlin. The auction website's former managers says it didn't know the items were stolen. This Sunday is our very last live show of the year. Jim Avignon, an iconic Berlin illustrator and musician, is our special musical guest. The whole team will be on stage at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Doors open at 3.30pm, show starts at 4pm, entry is free.

Almost 200 cyclists blocked traffic on Oranienstraße in a protest after a cyclist was doored and seriously injured. O-Straße is the third most dangerous street for cyclists in Berlin. What would happen if we painted our own bike lane? Over 34,000 bicycles worth almost €20 million are stolen annually in Berlin, only 3.5 percent are recovered. Air Berlin's turbulent descent into insolvency has reached its end. At 10.45pm on October 27 the final Air Berlin flight AB6210 from Munich will touch down at Tegel Airport, and the airline will cease to exist.Lufthansa won the bidding war to take over the majority of the bankrupt airline. It will purchase 81 aircraft and take on around 3000 employees and integrate them into its Eurowings brand. Lufthansa will soon carry over 90% of domestic German air traffic. Don't be surprised if ticket prices start going up. Time to take a train? The low-cost rail company Locomore has recently re-launched, offering tickets to Frankfurt and Stuttgart for €9.90. Berlin authorities have cracked down on homeless people camping in Tiergarten, where the murder of a 60 year old woman sparked politicians to claim the park had become lawless. Evictions have taken place in other locations. A homeless camp of around 70 people was cleared out from behind the Berghain nightclub. The Neukölln district council chartered buses to take homeless people back to Romania and Bulgaria. The number of homeless people staying in shelters has risen from almost 8000 in 2013 to over 30,000 in 2016, and an estimated 2000 are sleeping rough on the streets. Rising rents are forcing more Berliners out of their homes. Come along to our next live recording at 6pm, Sunday November 5 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. This episode of Radio Spaetkauf is brought to you by Radio Eins, Berlin's public broadcaster.

Comedian and journalist Drew Portnoy tells us about his return to Berlin after several years away. The city has grown by the equivalent of two Bonns in that time and is feeling much fuller. Berlin-based refugee rescue charity Jugend Rettet is in trouble. The organization's boat has been impounded by Italian authorities. Jugend Rettet says they are being bullied out of the Mediterranean. Are you a freelancer in Germany? Our guest Henrietta Mehlis from the SMart freelancers cooperative has some tips. Don't confuse your tax identification number from your tax number - they're different. And don't trust cheap health insurance. She is running a free info session as part of European Freelancers Week at 5pm, 11.09.17, at Betahaus. More info at www.smart-de.org. Berlin is sending 28 representatives to the Bundestag after last week's elections. Here's the breakdown by party: CDU 6; Die Linke 6; SPD 5; Die Grünen 4; AFD 4; FDP 3. The Greens barely held on to Hans-Christian Ströbele's seat after infighting. The CDU's failed mayoral candidate Frank Henkel also failed to win a parliamentary seat. Berlin also voted 56.1% "yes" in the referendum on whether to keep Tegel Airport open. The R2G coalition now has to decide how to react - ignore the non-binding result, or try to please Tegel fans and face huge legal challenges from businesses, residents and environmental activists. Die Linke released a study finding 30% of all flights to Berlin could easily be replaced by train journeys. The offstage drama at the Volksbühne continues. Squatters occupied the theatre demanding that new director Chris Dercon be replaced by a collective directorship. They were evicted after rejecting a compromise to hold their art-action in the Grüne Salon. Dan names and shames a Berlin startup, Your Superfoods, which is begging for volunteers to pack boxes instead of paying for staff. This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and recorded at the Comedy Cafe Berlin.

Tegel Airport fans won a referendum on whether the hexagonal Flughafen should stay open post-BER. The "yes" vote was 56.1%. But it doesn't mean Tegel won't close, as the federal and Brandenburg governments would have to agree. Renovation and residential soundproofing costs could reach a billion euros. Tegel supporters now want an U-Bahn extension as well. The referendum happened on the same day as the German federal election, in which Angela Merkel's CDU won almost a third of votes. Berlin voted differently: here the CDU won almost 23%, and Die Linke came second with about 19%. There were protests in front of the AFD election party at a venue at Alexanderplatz. The far-right party won 12% of votes in Berlin. On September 24, 28,000 runners raced in the Berlin Marathon.Kenya's Eluid Kipchoge won the race for the second time, but missed out on a world record by 35 seconds, The women's race was won Gladys Cherono, also from Kenya. Another runner was Berlin's former state secretary for security, Bernd Krömer from the CDU, who called in sick to a parliamentary inquiry only two days earlier. The popular street food market known as Thai Park was raided last weekend. A squad of police and Ordnungsamt officers shut down the food stalls in Preussenpark in Wilmersdorf. Thai Park is still happening, but more raids are possible. The local CDU councillor said the food market must be either cleared away or legalized. The German Comic Con is on this weekend at Messe Berlin. If you don't like cosplay, come along to the live recording of Radio Spaetkauf at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday October 1, 17.30. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern.

Damien Warren-Smith is an Aussie actor, comedian, improv performer, clown and (obviously) a popular spin-cycle instructor! During his time in Berlin Damien was a regular on stage at the Comedy Cafe Berlin performing stand-up and devised theatre, which has recently taken him back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We managed to grab Damo for a cuppa before his move back to the UK where he is continuing his work on his latest project "Hamlette" which comes to Berlin this November! Follow Damien Warren-Smith on Instagram: @becausedamien His solo show "Garry Starr Performs Everything" will tour festivals in 2018. Follow @TheGarryStarr on Facebook and Instagram for more! "Hamlette" - 17-19th November 2017 Tatwerk, Berlin www.tatwerk-berlin.de Berlin Ed Fringe Previews: http://comedycafeberlin.com/berlin-edfringe-previews/

Comedian Caroline Clifford signed up as a bicycle food courier to earn extra cash. But she found the income depends on cycle speed and can be €5 an hour or less, especially as customers don't tip. Germany's federal election is on September 24. So far it's a dull campaign. But as Konrad Werner explains, in today's turbulent world a boring election is quite remarkable. Chancellor Angela Merkel "represents the state of the permanent present" that voters in smooth-running Germany desire. Is the Air Berlin bankruptcy being manipulated to favour Lufthansa? Ryanair is accusing the German authorities of helping Lufthansa take over Air Berlin, which would result in them grabbing 95% of the domestic German air travel market. The Tegel referendum is on the same day as the election. To quell concerns about the capacity of the new BER airport, BER's manager has released an expansion plan. BER will grow from 22 to 55 million by 2040, with new terminals. The Tagesspiegel reported that new terminals may be connected with a gondola. A soft opening date of October 2018 has been announced. We update some old stories: The man who kicked a woman down the stairs at Hermannstraße U-Bahn station in December last year was jailed for two years and four months. Our friends at Radbahn crowdfunded €31,000 to help them continue pushing for a bike path under the U1. Volksbühne's new director Chris Dearcon has taken over and will host his first event, a free 10-hour programme in the Tempelhof building on September 10. Dan will be hosting his new show, Line of Fire, every Saturday at 11.30 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin: www.facebook.com/events/506194369728432 Listen to Konrad Werner's podcast News des Nachrichtens: https://soundcloud.com/newsdesnachrichtens

This summer's bad weather is affecting local fruit supply. Yields of regional apples, pears, cherries and plums are down by about 50%, pushing prices up by 15%. In other apple news, there's controversy at the Apfelfest in Guben in south-east Brandenburg. A man is suing the organizer of the Apple Queen competition, claiming the vote was rigged in favour of a female contestant. He said voters were mislead as the winner didn't have a driver's license. English speaking waiters in Berlin are getting on the nerves of CDU politician Jens Spahn, who said they should be able to take orders in German. He also criticized Germans who talk to each other in English as being elitist. Air Berlin has officially filed for bankruptcy after 37 years in operation. Germany's second largest airline has been losing money, passengers and their luggage for years. Now several airlines are fighting to buy the scraps of Air Berlin, which owns some valuable landing spots at key airports. The airline is still operating and tickets are still valid. Come along to our next live recording on Sunday September 3 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. Caroline is also hosting We Are Not Gemused, a stand-up show on Tuesday September 5 at Sameheads in Neukölln. This episode was presented by Caroline Clifford and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by Radio Eins, Berlin's public broadcaster.

The new TV series 4 Blocks depicts Arabic criminal networks in Neukölln. But fiction isn't far off fact. We interview 4 Blocks writer Hanno Hackford about the real stories behind the show. You can see the show on TNT, or watch it with English subtitles at Mobile Kino. Are you scared of lakes? Can't join in the summer trips to Brandenburg? Author Jessica J. Lee decided to get over her fear of still water by swimming in a different lake every week, including winter. She joins us to give her tips on how to brave the cold. You can find her articles at: http://www.slowtravelberlin.com/wild-swimming-in-berlin/ Berlin's months-old Lidl Bike shared cycle system has deteriorated quickly due to vandalism, leaving Joel disappointed in his fellow citizens. The new rival Nextbike system has now launched, as have a new category of shared transport - shuttle buses. One shuttle company promises to get you from Rosenthaler Platz to Kottbusser Tor for €0.25. In airport news, Sixt car rental company is being fined €30,000 for interfering in the Tegel referendum by offering €10 vouchers to petition signatories. And the BER boss has taken a philosophical approach to the new airport's delays: "An airport is never finished." This episode was recorded at Comedy Cafe Berlin on May 21, with hosts Jöran Mandik, Maisie Hitchcock, Daniel Stern and Joel Dullroy. Photo by Patrick Dupuis

The official Mietspiegel rent index has been released. Average prices grew by 9.6% in the last two years, twice as much as during the previous review. The Mietspiegel determines how much landlords can charge. The City Hostel in central Berlin has been ordered to shut down because of its ties to North Korea. The hostel is next door to the North Korean embassy, which since 2004 has rented out the building for €38,000 a month. The German Foreign Ministry has ordered the hostel to close or face fines for breaching UN sanctions. The hostel operator says they will fight the order and are still taking bookings. Berlin S-Bahn ticket machines were caught in the global computer virus Wanna Cry. Many ticket machines across the city were malfunctioning for several days due to the malware. Passengers might not have noticed as S-Bahn machines are hard to use at the best of times. A project to make the Spree swimmable is progressing. The Verein Flussbad is installing a 42-meter barge near Museuminsel to test a water filtration system. If all goes to plan, we could be swimming in the Spree by the year 2025. Come along to our next live show on Sunday May 21 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Doors open at 17.30, and entry is free. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Maisie Hitchcock, and brought to you by RadioEins.

The landmark Neues Kreuzberger Zentrum at Kottbusser Tor will be purchased by the Berlin city government, snatching it from the hands of private investors. The NKZ - the giant 70s construction that bridges Adalbertstraße - will be bought by the city's own housing company Gewobag for €56.5 million. It is the first major example of the government buying back large tracts of housing from the open market to balance property prices. Why is the metal sculpture in front of the Volksbühne Theater about to disappear? Konrad Werner tells us about departing intendant Frank Carstoff's decision to take the circular "Rad" with him when he begrudgingly departs. Listen to Konrad's own podcast News des Nachrichtens: https://soundcloud.com/newsdesnachrichtens Why do the escalators at Kottbusser Tor U-Bahn station run British style, with traffic on the left? Wouter Bernhardt talks about his discoveries on the U1 line. Listen to Wouter's own podcast Walrus and the Bear: http://viertausendhertz.de/walrus-and-the-bear/ Think you're addicted to your smartphone? A group of Berlin activists wants to convince you to put down your Handy. We interview two members of Radikale Anti Smartphone Front: http://rasf.eu/?lang=de Our friends at Mobile Kino are organizing the Berlin Film Nights series. Check it out at: http://www.mobilekino.de This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and recorded on Sunday April 23 2017 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin.

S-Bahn or U-Bahn? Take the U-Bahn if you like free Wi-Fi and fare evading. Figures from the Berlin Senat show the S-Bahn prosecuted over 35,000 repeat ticket cheaters in 2016, three times as many as the BVG. The S-Bahn checked 8.5 million passenger tickets, while the BVG only checked 5 million. Don’t try it if you want a career in education. A young Berlin man has been denied a career as a teacher because his potential employer ran a police background check and found he had been caught riding public transport with a fake ticket. A labour court upheld the school's decision. After the spectacular gold coin robbery at the Bode Museum, here’s another break-in. On Easter Sunday police responded to an alarm at the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Bürgeramt and caught two men in the building, while a third man escaped. Police said the burglars were trying to steal paper forms. Barack Obama will be visiting Berlin and will give a public address at the Brandenburger Tor on May 25. He’ll be on stage with Angela Merkel at an event to mark the 500th anniversary since Martin Luther started the protestant reformation. Our next live show is at 17.30 on Sunday April 23 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

Restauranteur Clare D'Orsay is a victim of anti-gentrification violence. She has been unfairly targeted by protesters angry about the potential eviction of Cafe Filou in Kreuzberg. Her restaurant Vertikal is next door. On this show Clare talks about the attacks against her business at the hands of misguided protesters. Clare says she's been spat at, pushed to the ground and had her windows smashed by an organized group for being a foreigner opening a nice looking restaurant. Investors Charles Skinner also joined the show to announce he's reached an agreement with Cafe Filou and will allow them to stay. Mr. Skinner said he decided to renew the contract after appeals from Green party politician Hans-Christian Ströble and Ms. D'Orsay. "In the end we saw reason," Mr. Skinner said. Maisie is one of 480 British citizens trying to apply for a German passport to ensure she can stay after Brexit. Unsurprisingly she's run into bureaucratic hurdles. Mark Whiley from Forward Britain joined the show to talk about what despairing Brits can do to create political pressure back home to try to mitigate the effect of Brexit. Visit http://www.forwardbritain.de This show was recorded live at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday March 19 2017, and was hosted by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radio-spaetkauf-berlin-podcast/id571999392 Support Radio Spaetkauf by donating a euro a month: https://radiospaetkauf.steadyhq.com/en

Hang on to your wallet on the U6 and U8. Crime stats show they’re the hottest U-Bahn lines for pickpockets. While wallet theft is up, crime rates in Berlin have remained stable - not bad, since the city is growing. Bicycle activists have long complained that Berlin’s €10 parking fines are too cheap. Now a study has found it costs the city €10.38 to process a parking ticket. Should the city charge more, or give up issuing fines? Strikes are continuing at Berlin airports, where workers are demanding an immediate €1 pay rise per hour, while ground service companies are offering €0.27 a year over three years. Ryanair has escalated the situation by flying in a plane load of Irish strike breakers. Hear more about drama at the BER airport at our next live show at 5.30pm, Sunday March 19 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. This episode was hosted by Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern, and presented by RadioEins.

How to make Berlin's buses run faster? The city has set up a taskforce to come up with ideas. One of them is to allow passengers to board on the rear doors to save time. The BVG doesn't like the plan. Our own Dan Stern has a few suggestions for the taskforce, one involving the to-be-constructed Wippe see-saw monument. Two major transport tunnel projects are delayed due to groundwater flooding - no surprise, since Berlin is built on a swamp. The S21 connection between Gesundbrunnen and Hauptbahnhof, and the U5 extension under Museuminsel are both experiencing water problems. Again, Dan has a suggestion - an underground ferry system. Berlin's latest anti-gentrification protest is against the eviction of Cafe Filou, a French bakery in Kreuzberg being kicked out by British investors who don't like the croissants. Could more of these kinds of investors be on their way to Berlin with the planned relocation of Lloyd's bank to the German capital? Radio Spaetkauf is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the show, why not donate a small monthly amount to keep the news coming? Go to: www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate This live show was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Recorded live at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday Feb 19, 2017.

Berlin workers go on strike! Airport staff shut down Tegel and Schönefeld terminals on Feb 8 demanding a pay rise from €11 to €12 hour. Kindergarten staff went on strike on Feb 15, causing every second kita to close. They're seeking equal pay with Brandenburg kita workers, who get up to €400 more per month. Berlin is to get a new monument that is more like an amusement ride. The so-called Wippe, or see-saw, will be a moving platform that is supposed to reflect the motion of democracy. Federal politicians finally agreed to fund the Wippe after years of back and forth. No fixed opening date has been announced. The famous Berghain nightclub will open a new dance floor on March. Called Säule, it will feature dark experimental electronic music, and provide the club with space to squeeze in more guests. Come to our next live show! It's on Sunday Feb 19, 17.30, at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Entry is free. This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by RadioEins.

Berlin’s R2G coalition is in crisis after the mayor Michael Müller (SPD) forced the resignation of Andrej Holm, who had been picked by Die Linke as the city’s housing secretary. The sociologist was a controversial choice due to his radical anti-investor ideas, and also because when he was 18 years old he trained to become an officer for the Stasi, the secret police of East Germany. Holm has also now been fired from Humboldt University for failing to fully declare his Stasi past. Was it fair? Listen to our next live recording for a full discussion. The KaDeWe department store has been robbed yet again. On January 14 axe-wielding bandits broke through the doors, smashed glass cabinets and stole jewelry. In robbers held up KaDeWe during opening hours and sprayed teargas as they stole €800,000 worth of expensive watches. And in 2009, burglars broke in and stole jewelry worth €2 million. Evidence from a dropped glove led to the arrest of a pair of twins, but neither could convicted as their DNA was too similar. Police discovered the dismembered body of a 90-year old pensioner in the freezer of his apartment in Prenzlauer Berg. The body had been there for ten years. The neighbours said that they complained about a smell coming from the flat, but were ignored by both the building manager and the police. A man has been charged with the pensioner's murder. It's alleged he was making withdrawals from this bank account the whole time. Come along to our show on Sunday January 22, 6pm at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. This episode was presented by Joel Dullroy and Jöran Mandik, and brought to you by RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

The new year started in Berlin with 16 people hospitalized from fireworks injuries. The number of emergency calls was down by 12%. If you think Berlin was chaotic, in Paris more than 650 cars were set on fire. Last month video footage of a man kicking a woman in an U-Bahn station led to a suspect’s arrest. Since then police have been releasing a steady stream of images from attacks and robberies. Previously, they were reluctant to do so for privacy and legal reasons. Even the mayor Michael Müller has changed his mind about video surveillance. He says he’s now open to more cameras in public places. The BSR will be collecting old Christmas trees from January 7 until January 20. You can find a full list of districts and dates here: http://bit.ly/2hTqQu4 In case you’re wondering what happens to old trees, they get used as biofuel to power the city, and are given to elephants at the zoo to eat. Come along to our next live show on Sunday January 22, 6pm, at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. This show was presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

Should a man who once trained with the Stasi be allowed to run Berlin’s housing department? Professor Andrej Holm has been named city secretary for housing. He's been the most vocal critic of the city’s policies for many years, and advocates high taxation on real estate speculation. His critics say he shouldn't have such an important job because in 1989 he joined a Stasi training academy. His supporters say a person's mistake as an 18 year old shouldn't affect them 26 years later. Should the city install more security cameras, after that terrible kicking attack in an U-bahn station? Berlin was shocked by a video showing a man kicking a woman in the back, sending her flying down the stairs of the Hermannstrasse U-Bahn station. The man was caught on a bus after being recognized by a passenger. The new R2G has promised to reduce the number of surveillance cameras in public places. And should the city take free money to rebuild an imperial monument? The federal government wants to give Berlin €18.5M to rebuild the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial. Why not build something new instead? Want to protect your data while using the BVG's free WiFi network (or any other)? Join our guest Adam Burns at a Cryptoparty: https://www.cryptoparty.in/berlin It's cold out. If you see someone on the street in danger of freezing, call the Kaltbus on 0178 523 58 38. Become a Radio Spaetkauf supporter! Donate just €1, €5 or €10 a month to help us bring you the news. Go to http://www.radiospaetkauf.com and click "Donate." This episode was recorded at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday December 18. It was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Thanks to Katharina Bille for video work, and Joshua Alas from Mobile Kino for sound.

Berlin still has an estimated 3000 unexploded WWII bombs under the surface. One was discovered this week between Neukölln and Treptow, causing the evacuation of 2600 residents. The city also has a lot of people in jail for not paying their public transport fines. Almost 10 percent of the city’s 4100 inmates are there for dodging train fares. Now the new justice senator, Dirk Behrend from the Greens, plans to roll back the policy of jailing so-called “Schwarzfahrer”. He wants to let them do community service instead. Michael Müller has been sworn in as Berlin’s mayor for a second term as head of the R2G coalition. But it hasn’t been the best week for the returning mayor. His top aide, Björn Böhning from the SPD, is being investigated for alleged corruption. The controversy is about a report written by the consulting company McKinsey into the city’s refugee situation in 2015. McKinsey originally said this would be done pro bono. But later Mr. Böhning authorized a payment of €237,000 to the consultants, one of whom was a former SPD party secretary. The mayor is supporting Mr. Böhning. The investigation continues. Residents of Neukölln and Wedding awoke this week to the first snow of the season. Meteorologists said the fine layer of white snow actually came from the city’s fossil fuel-fired power plants. Steam from the plants crystalized in the cold foggy air and fell to earth. They’re calling it “Industrieschnee.” Our next live show is on Sunday December 18 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. Come along! This episode of Radio Spaetkauf was presented by Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern, and was brought to you by RadioEins, Berlin’s public broadcaster.

Berlin's bird flu outbreak keeps getting worse. Now residents near the central waterways are being told to keep their pets inside - even cats. The petition to keep Tegel Airport airport has progressed to the next phase. The supporters could trigger a referendum if they collect enough signatures by March. Radio Spaetkauf's next live show is on Sunday December 18, 6pm, at the Comedy Cafe Berlin. This short update was presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Daniel Stern, and is brought to you by radioeins, Berlin's public broadcaster.

Welcome to our new series of short news updates produced for RadioEins, Berlin's public broadcaster! On this show we talk about how Berlin's new "red-red-green" coalition between the SPD, Die Grünen and Die Linke plan to change the city. Their coalition talks include closing Unter den Linden to most vehicle traffic, and building several new tram lines across the city. The incoming coalition also plans to end the crackdown on marijuana in Görlitzer Park, and perhaps even introduce legal medical weed apothekes. Come along to the next live recording of the hour-long Radio Spaetkauf monthly show on Sunday November 20, 6pm, at the Comedy Cafe Berlin on Weserstraße, Neukölln. More at www.radiospaetkauf.com This episode is presented by Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Radio Spaetkauf is brought to you by RadioEins, part of the RBB network: www.radioeins.de

Berlin still has no official governing coalition, as the SPD, Die Linke and Die Grünen drag on their negotiations. Public transport ticket prices for 2017 have been announced, and they're going up again, despite the BVG pulling in a record profit. Come along to Radio Spaetkauf's next live show on November 20 at Comedy Cafe Berlin. And stay tuned for a very special new project. Radio Spaetkauf is teaming up with RadioEins, Berlin's public broadcaster, to produce a bi-monthly short news update!

We're decoding the Berlin election with a full run down on what each party is promising, with some graphic design critique thrown in. Who's going to run Berlin after the September 18 vote? Probably not the CDU, who have lost voters to the far-right AFD. The SPD doesn't want to govern with them, and neither do the Greens. It makes an SPD-Greens-Linke coalition a pretty likely scenario. Our own candidate Jöran Mandik talks about his campaign (or lack of it). Turns out if he could get 2500 votes, he'd earn over €6000 in public campaign contributions. We have a special guest, blogger John Riceburg, who has his own controversial opinion on the election. He doesn't like any of the parties, who aren't promising any great changes at all. Special thanks to our hosts Comedy Cafe Berlin!

What would we do if we ran the city? Radio Spaetkauf is exploring Berlin's political system by trying to get our own host Jöran Mandik elected to the state Abgeordnetenhaus. We get tips from former Pirate Party leader Martin Delius about how local politics really works. And we're calling for ideas from listeners about what policies Jöran should add to his manifesto. Sunday trading for spaetkaufs? Online Bürgeramt registration? On this episode we're joined by a new co-host, stand-up comedian and computer programmer Caroline Clifford. Recorded on Monday May 23 2016 at the very empty Comedy Cafe Berlin.

A quick update on football and festivals. And come along to our live show on April 24 at 6pm! Comedy Cafe Berlin: https://www.facebook.com/events/626246324195152/

This weekend is Easter, which means it is illegal to watch over 700 films banned by the German ratings authority. It includes obvious anti-religious films such as the Life of Brian, but also strange entries such as Mary Poppins. Dan Stern reads through the list to pick out some gems. The refugee influx has created opportunities for some businesses to make a lot of money. The consulting firm McKinsey found itself in hot water this month for obtaining a big contract from the city of Berlin by employing a former SPD party official. McKinsey quit after the scandal emerged, but mayor Michael Müller has been damaged by the incident. Special guest Elizabeth Rushe joins us to talk about her interview with a young Syrian athlete and refugee in Berlin who, despite her harrowing ordeal, is still training to swim at the Olympics. Read her full story here: http://bit.ly/1Uvebec Special guest Craig Schuftan talks about the Culture Club Kino, a new event series in Berlin mashing together a lecture, video and audio to explain the fascinating connections in pop culture. Culture Club Kino takes place on Thurs March 24, 8pm, in the Oval Room at Babylon. Tickets here: http://bit.ly/1LzAE7a Thanks to Comedy Cafe Berlin for hosting our recording, and Mobile Kino for the video projection! This episode is supported by Clare, which offers third party liability insurance in English. This insurance protects you in case you damage someone else's property, and it doesn't cost much at all. Better still, all of Clare's information is in English, so you'll understand what's going on. Visit http://www.clare.de to find out more, and tell them Radio Spaetkauf sent you!