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Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Wednesday, November 12 - from urgent alerts to stories in the subreddit. Today we went through 172 sources so you don't have to.
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🇩🇪 Clinic in Berlin-Neukölln damaged by explosion - fire also outside Charité hospital
Overnight into Tuesday, two major Berlin hospitals reported a suspected arson and a detonation affecting cancer radiation facilities. At Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln in Buckow, a strong explosion shattered several windows and damaged the entrance to the radiotherapy department; police suspect illegal pyrotechnics. State security investigators and explosives experts are involved, and the Kormoranweg/Rotschwanzweg area was cordoned off.
Separately, a fire occurred at the entrance of the cancer center on the Charité Campus Mitte in Invalidenstraße, causing light facade damage. No injuries were reported. Both hospitals say operations continue without restrictions. At Vivantes, the reception and waiting area are temporarily unusable, and patients are entering through a side door. (rbb24)
Even limited damage to oncology departments can cascade into harmful treatment delays. A large meta-analysis in the medical journal The BMJ found that each four‑week delay in starting cancer treatment increases mortality, typically by six to eight percent for surgery and about nine percent for some definitive radiotherapy. (PubMed Central)
🇩🇪 This is what makes the redevelopment of Tempelhof so difficult
After Berlin's Tempelhof Airport closed in 2008, redeveloping Europe's largest monument has become a billion-euro "generational task." The building is decaying, and revitalization faces three major hurdles. There is almost no documentation. Built by the Nazis and used by the Allies, building permits and structural data are missing, making safety assessments difficult.
The unique 1940s architecture and strict monument protection laws make renovation experimental and complex, complicating the conversion of airport-specific spaces. After 80 years of neglect, critical infrastructure like heating, plumbing, and fire safety systems are failing, making the building expensive to simply maintain, let alone upgrade. (Tagesspiegel)
Tempelhof’s reopening pace will hinge on expensive, sequential fixes. Even small changes are expensive. The restored “Berlin – Tempelhof” neon sign alone cost about €210,000, while the broader roof and concrete ceiling renovation is projected to run through 2027 at roughly €32 million. (Welt)
🇬🇧 New wildlife network launched
Berlin has launched "Wildtiernah Berlin," a new, centralized wildlife network coordinated by the Leibniz Institute (IZW). It serves as a primary contact for all wildlife-related questions, offering advice via phone and online. The network supports volunteers and operates a "wildlife mobile" to provide on-site treatment for injured animals. (Berlin.de)
The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Berlin reported a record 3,000‑plus wildlife consultations in 2024, despite shorter hotline hours. Most inquiries concerned raccoons, foxes, and wild boar. The group says the goal is to boost acceptance and resolve or prevent conflicts between people and urban wildlife. (lifePR)
Berlin’s new Red List of breeding birds records 185 species overall and 138 regular breeders. Forty‑eight percent fall into categories from extinct to rare, while only 47 percent are unthreatened. Thirty species were up‑listed since 2013, driven by habitat loss, traffic and climate impacts. (Berlin.de)
⚡ Quick Hits
🇩🇪 The black-red chaos prevails when it comes to residents' parking | Berlin charges €10.20 per year for resident parking, the lowest in Germany. Raising fees to between €80 and €120 could recoup about €7 million for transit or local parking.
🇬🇧 13,000 tons of salt: BSR prepares for winter service | BSR (Berlin's street-cleaning company) stocked 13,000 tons of salt, 5,000 tons of grit and 2,100 m3 of brine. It will deploy 2,300 staff and 540 snowplows for winter road service.
🇩🇪 Berlin district wants to help homeless EU migrants find a job | The project offers intensive counselling and direct employer placement to prevent exploitation. Gebewo, a nonprofit social services provider, coordinates the effort and has supported people since 1994.
🇬🇧 Can Germany Secure Its Pills Without China? | Generics (non-branded medicines) provide about 80% of daily doses in Germany. China supplies 81% of vitamin inputs (C 93%, E 89%) and 76% of antibiotics.
📅 Events Today
🎟️ Soundwatch Music Film Festival | November 12 - 17, 2025 | €9 | A cinephile treat highlights film scores through documentaries, shorts, audiovisual acts, and live concerts. It mixes beloved classics with thrilling discoveries. It celebrates music as an act of resistance and of freedom.
🎟️ Winter World on Potsdamer Platz | October 31 to December 31, 2025 | Free | Zip down a 12m-high, 70m-long illuminated toboggan run with disco lights and city-skyline views, then warm up under lit lime trees with mulled wine, bratwurst and artisanal gifts.
🎟️ Tomorrow: Games Ground | November 13 - 16, 2025 | from €10 | Industry pros and gamers mingle at a hybrid trade fair and festival. Speakers lead panels, keynotes and hands-on workshops. Attendees discover games, cosplay, live shows and career prospects (from indie to AAA).
💬 What Berliners Are Talking About
🗣️ What to do to prepare to be homeless in Berlin? Fiancee is likely going to be homeless by the end of the year. | Readers urge immediate action: contact shelters, social services, or move outside Berlin.
🗣️ Wie melde ich illegales Wohnheim / Brandrisiko in der Wohnung? | Community urges reporting overcrowded, battery-packed apartment to Ordnungsamt, police, or fire brigade.
🗣️ Living on the ground floor? | Readers weigh convenient location and cool summers against darkness, dampness, noise and privacy concerns.
🦁 Fun Fact: Thanks to the Cold War division, Berlin has two major zoos – the Zoological Garden in the west and Tierpark in the east – together housing about 30,000 animals, more species than any other city in the world.
👋 That's a wrap! Thanks for reading Berlin News Daily!
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