🌤️ Guten Morgen, Berlin!

Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Thursday, September 11 - from urgent alerts to stories in the subreddit. Today we went through 100+ articles, posts and events so you don't have to. Let’s dive in.

🇩🇪 Attack on the grid in south-east Berlin: So many households are still without power.

An arson attack on two power pylons in Berlin’s Treptow-Köpenick caused a major blackout, with about 13,700 customers still without electricity Wednesday evening; grid operator Stromnetz Berlin expects full restoration during Thursday.

The outage initially hit about 50,000 people, disrupting traffic lights, trams, street lighting, and emergency numbers 110/112; up to 4,500 customers also lacked hot water. Officials call it Berlin’s longest power failure in at least 25 years; state security is probing after a left-wing claim.

Power restoration will continue through Thursday; authorities advise many households may remain dark overnight. Schools plan normal classes Thursday after closures, and police are investigating the arson method—steel chains and accelerants that melted cable insulation and triggered a short circuit. (Berliner Zeitung, 3 minute read)

🇬🇧 Apartment swaps are easier in Munich than in Berlin

Berlin plans to revamp its apartment swap program, but tenants still face significant hurdles, while Munich’s system enables swaps more easily.

Fearing higher rents, many residents remain in homes that no longer fit their needs; effective swap schemes can reduce mismatches without moving far. Munich shows a smoother model, while Berlin’s process remains difficult.

Berlin’s planned overhaul is pending; watch for concrete rules and timelines aimed at simplifying applications and eligibility, and how closely they mirror Munich’s approach. (Tagesspiegel Checkpoint, 1 minute read)

🇩🇪 Is an anthill delaying the construction of 2,500 apartments? The relocation of insects is being disputed in south-west Berlin

The presence of protected ants at Berlin’s Lichterfelde-Süd construction site has triggered a dispute between developer Groth Group and the district office.

The project plans a new neighborhood by 2033 for about 6,000 residents. The site hosts protected wildlife; the developer has long relocated sand lizards, highlighting how species protections can complicate urban building.

Officials and the developer will decide how to handle the protected ants and whether any measures will change the project’s timeline or design. (Tagesspiegel, 1 minute read)

⚡ Quick Hits

📅 Events Today

💬 What Berliners Are Talking About

🎢 Fun Fact: Berlin’s abandoned Spreepark is a creepy-cool relic of East Germany – a decaying amusement park with an old Ferris wheel that (until recently) still eerily creaked in the wind. Urban explorers can visit on guided tours to see its dinosaur statues and roller-coaster ruins.

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