☀️ Guten Morgen, Berlin!
High: 7.5°C | Low: 3.8°C
Chance of Rain: 65%
Sunrise: 7:50 AM | Sunset: 3:58 PM
Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Friday, November 28 - from urgent alerts to stories in the subreddit. Today we went through 185 sources so you don't have to.
🫶 Witnessed an act of kindness lately? Berlin can be grey, but the people don’t have to be. Whether it was a stranger returning a lost wallet or a nice chat at the Späti, tell us about a small act of kindness you witnessed lately. Help us brighten the next newsletter by sharing it with the community. Tell us what you saw!
Got feedback? Write us at news@berlindaily.org. Let's dive in.
🇩🇪 Berlin Court of Audit sharply criticizes black-red coalition
Berlin’s Court of Audit warns that the city has spent about €2 billion more each year than it earns for years, and says the draft 2026/27 budget would fully deplete reserves within two years. The report also criticizes weak disaster preparedness, delays at the Molkenmarkt housing project, and lost revenue from waived sidewalk fees. (rbb24)
Berlin’s budget strain comes as the Senate plans record spending of €43.8 billion in 2026 and €44.6 billion in 2027, up from under €40 billion this year. To close annual gaps of around €5 billion, the city plans significantly higher borrowing, pushing debt toward about €76 billion by 2027. (n-tv)
The report underlines how structural deficits, weak risk management, and slow building projects could erode Berlin’s resilience. This is especially serious for housing. By 2029, Berlin already expects to spend nearly €6 billion per year on investments, including housing construction, yet still faces severe supply shortages and rising costs for delayed projects. (n-tv)
🇩🇪 Single parent and poor in Berlin: When your own strength is not enough
The Berlin children’s charity Arche is marking its 30th anniversary this week at its original site in Hellersdorf. It has grown from an emergency project for neglected children into a nationwide network of 35 locations that supports about 10,500 children daily, most from single‑mother households. Former client Jessica Laue now volunteers there herself. (rbb24)
Across Germany, single parents remain the family type with the highest poverty risk. According to Mikrozensus 2023 data, 41 % of single‑parent households are at risk of poverty, compared with 16.6 % in the overall population. Around 82 % of single parents are women, and over one third of single‑parent families receive basic income support. (Diakonie Deutschland)
Berlin has tried to respond with its own anti‑poverty structures. The city created a Commission for Child Poverty Prevention in 2017 and adopted a “Strategy against Child Poverty” in 2021. Yet the "At-Risk-of-Poverty Rate" only fell slightly from 25.3 % to 23.2 %. This rate is measured by checking if a child lives in a household with less than 60% of the national median income, adjusted for family size. (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung)
🇬🇧 Study warns of alarming normalisation of far-right ideology in Germany
Far right ideas that were once marginal are gaining ground in Germany’s political mainstream, according to new results from the long‑running Die Mitte study. One in five self‑described “mainstream” Germans no longer clearly reject core far right statements, while support for aggressive nationalism and chauvinism has climbed to 20 %. (TRT World)
The Die Mitte series, commissioned regularly since 2002, has long tracked right wing extremist and authoritarian attitudes in Germany’s “democratic center.” Recent editions already showed concern: in 2022, 8 % of respondents agreed with a closed, ethnically defined national community, and more than 30 % expressed hostile views toward Muslims. (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung)
Rising distrust in democracy is not unique to this survey. In 2024, the Allensbach Institute found only 54 % of Germans still considered democracy the best form of government, down from 70 % in 2019. At the same time, 31 % believed politicians “do not care” what people think, fueling receptiveness to populist narratives. (FAZ)
These findings point to a deepening vulnerability in Germany’s democratic culture, where normalized exclusionary ideas meet eroding institutional trust. Such trends can quickly reshape party systems. After winning 20.8 % in the February 2025 election, AfD now polls around 26 % nationally and leads in several eastern states, consolidating unprecedented influence for a far right party in postwar Germany. (Politico)
⚡ Quick Hits
🇩🇪 Verdi demands three more vacation days from BVG Will Berlin soon be threatened by bus and train strikes again? | Verdi, the public-services union, demands better working conditions, including 33 vacation days and longer rest times. The talks may trigger new Berlin transit disruptions as part of a nationwide bargaining push.
🇩🇪 Exchange driving license in Berlin: These age groups must act now | Berlin drivers with plastic licences from 1999–2001 must swap them by 19 January 2026. The mandatory exchange costs 26.50 euros and is done via a short Bürgeramt appointment.
🇩🇪 Blackout in Germany: What happens in the first 24 hours? | The Berlin “future lab” walks politicians through a 24‑hour power outage. It shows how quickly hospitals, water, fuel and communications fail and stresses shared preparation instead of relying solely on the state.
🇬🇧 Berlin court confirms: Ban on the 2024 Palestine Congress was illegal | A Berlin court found police had no legal basis to shut the Palestine Congress or bar speakers. The ruling fuels debate over free speech, protest rights, and Palestine solidarity in Germany.
🇩🇪 "Furnished apartments at moon prices" - Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg attacks landlords | The district now bans several furnished short‑term rentals in a key protection area. Officials say 70% of new listings are furnished and often cost over 200% more than regular leases.
🇩🇪 Christmas markets in Berlin 2025: This list shows all | Berlin hosts dozens of Christmas markets in 2025 across almost every neighborhood. A city “WeihnachtsmarktFinder” tool lists all locations, dates, prices and accessibility options, with filters for themes and public transport.
📅 Events Today
🎟️ Bloody X-Mas Market | November 28 and 29, 2025 | Free | Metalheads donate blood to refill hospital supplies. Acoustic metal carols fuel a festive mosh. All proceeds support pediatric oncology.
🎟️ Estonian Film Days Berlin | November 28 - 30, 2025 | Not yet known | Estonian cinema showcases bold documentaries and intimate features. Audiences gain fresh cultural perspectives (with Q&As and a lively supporting program).
🎟️ This weekend: Berlin Dog Christmas Market | November 29 and 30, 2025 | €2,50 | A festive market celebrates dogs and their humans with animal-themed decorations and pet gifts. Dogs get spoiled. Humans sip mulled wine. Proceeds support animal welfare.
📚 The December Literary List | Looking for literary events in Berlin? This month’s issue covers 25+ English-language gatherings, including book launches, open mics, and a special end-of-year creative writing workshop. Get the full list from our partner, Berlin Literary Events.
💬 What Berliners Are Talking About
🗣️ Als Typ mit Absatzboots in Neukölln? Schlechte Idee bzw. wie mit Homophobie umgehen? | Mostly encouraging: wear the heels—Neukölln is tolerant, but homophobia exists so stay cautious.
🗣️ Can I bring a friend at the unemployment centre as translator? | People confirm you can bring a friend to translate, agencies insist on German.
📜 Black Friday - November 28th
Black Friday is a relatively new import to Germany, popularized by early online promotions from companies like Apple around 2006. Unlike in the US, it has no cultural connection to Thanksgiving, which is a minor religious observance here. Over the last decade, it has evolved into "Black Week," a massive retail event that has fundamentally altered the traditional German winter sales calendar.
The day is significant as the commercial kickoff for the Christmas season, generating billions in revenue. It highlights the globalization of Berlin's economy, as local stores adopt American marketing tactics to compete with international chains. For consumers, it offers a rare opportunity to purchase high-ticket electronics and fashion at significant discounts before the holiday price hikes.
Germans largely treat this as an online sport, searching portals like "MyDealz" for price errors and deep cuts. However, physical locations like the Mall of Berlin and Kurfürstendamm also draw heavy crowds. The atmosphere is bustling but generally orderly, lacking the violent frenzy of American doorbusters, as Germans prefer comparing technical specifications to fighting over flat-screen TVs.
⏱ Fun Fact: A transit fan holds a Guinness World Record for the Berlin U-Bahn – in 2017, Adham Fisher rode to all 173 stations in 6 hours 53 minutes 24 seconds, the fastest anyone’s completed the entire U-Bahn network.
👋 That's a wrap! Thank you for reading.
Know someone who’d love this? Share the email or send them the URL.