Carnival in Berlin: Pfannkuchen time

If you live in Berlin you might not even realise that it is Carnival time. Unlike other German cities like Cologne or Mainz, Berlin does not have have a strong Carnival vibe. I was rather surprised therefore to discover that Berlin has in fact an old Carnival tradition, which is relatively unknown. Berlin's Karneval dates back to the 15th century, when the first Carnival parades were introduced by migrants from Lusatia. The Prussian kings continued the Carnival tradition by celebrating with masked balls. Then when the Rhineland became part of Prussia in 1815, migrants from this region brought their Carnival traditions with them: the first Rhineland Carnival clubs in Berlin were founded in 1870.

Nowadays, one of the few signs that it is indeed Carnival is the notices in bakeries advising you to order your Pfannkuchen. In other parts of Germany these pastries are actually called Berliner, but in Berlin they are called Pfannkuchen and are similar to doughnuts but without a hole. They are usually filled with plum jam or plum puree (Pflaumenmus) and are topped with icing or sprinkled icing sugar. They are traditionally eaten on Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday.

The other telling sign is the Carnival costumes in toyshops. With a few exceptions, Carnival in Berlin is mostly an occasion for children to dress up and have fun. 

There is actually a Carnival parade (Faschingszug, which has just celebrated its 15th birthday) through City-West, along Kurfürstendamm (or Ku'damm as it is called by Berliners) and ending up at Wittenbergplatz, but 
I certainly would not suggest coming to Berlin for the Carnival atmosphere.

For the real Carnival party, however, I would recommend waiting until the spring for the Karneval der Kulturen (literally Carnival of Cultures) in Kreuzberg. It is a four day street festival that celebrates Berlin's diversity. It is very international, loud and colourful. The street parade will take place on 4 June this year, so make a note in your diaries (or digital calendars).

Mittendrin oder rundherum?

Have you ever wondered what it is like to sit in the middle of an orchestra surrounded by professional musicians? At Konzerthaus Berlin, on Gendarmenmarkt, this is possible.
Mittendrin literally means "right in the middle" and is the title of a series of interactive concerts performed by the Konzerthaus orchestra, conducted by Iván Fischer. The idea is to bring the audience as close as possible to the orchestra in order to "experience the music up close and personal". At the end of the performance there is also the opportunity to ask Iván Fischer questions by sms.

Last Thursday I attended my first Mittendrin concert. In this case rather than sitting in the middle of the orchestra, the seats were arranged around the orchestra. As soon as the Hungarian conductor Iván Fischer walked into the concert hall, he was quick to point out that Mittendrin was not quite the right description and that rundherum (all around) would have been preferable. He explained that this type of music - Philip Glass "Façades" and 

John Adams „Fearful Symmetries" - could only be performed by the orchestra when the musicians sit together. Nevertheless, it was a unique experience. The music sounded amazing and the introduction about minimal music was made all the more interesting by  Iván Fischer's eloquence (very impressive for a non-native German speaker), charm and humour. To anyone looking for a different way to experience music, I would definitely recommend attending the Mittendrin concerts. As all the good events in Berlin, tickets sell out fast so make sure you book yours well in advance.

Goodbye Kaiser's

If you have been out food shopping in Berlin lately, you may be feeling a little confused. There are supermarkets with Kaiser's signs on the outside that inside sell Edeka products and there are supermarkets with brand new Rewe signs and half-empty shelves. This is because the Kaiser's Tengelmann supermarket chain is being taken over by Edeka and Rewe. The 120 odd Kaiser's supermarkets in Berlin have been equally split between the two competitors and the Kaiser's brand is being phased out.
I have to admit that I am quite sad about this. After eight years of living in Berlin I had grown fond of Kaiser's and their products. Whenever you needed groceries there would always be a Kaiser's nearby. But now everything is changing. At the moment it is all rather chaotic, as anyone who has ever been through a takeover knows only too well. Apparently there will be no jobs lost, but I could see the confusion and worry in the eyes of the employees in a supermarket under transformation yesterday. 
While change is happening everywhere around Schönhauser Allee and 
Pappelallee, I was relieved to see that my closest Kaiser's has not changed yet, but I know it is now only a question of days. Goodbye Kaiser's, we will miss you.