☀️ Guten Morgen, Berlin!
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Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Tuesday, December 02 - from urgent alerts to stories in the subreddit. Today we went through 200 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!
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🇩🇪 Berlin Police Crack Down on Gang Violence
Berlin police have launched a special commission, "Soko Ferrum," to combat a surge in gang shootings and protection rackets. Since mid-November, officials have seized 32 illegal weapons and made 193 arrests following checks on over 3,300 individuals. Police Chief Barbara Slowik Meisel identified extortion against businesses as the primary driver of the violence. Despite facing violent resistance (including a recent raid leaving four officers injured) authorities have declared the crackdown a top priority to dismantle criminal networks and remove illegal firearms. (Tagesspiegel)
Protection racketeering is a form of extortion in which victims, often shop or restaurant owners, are forced to pay money in exchange for promised “protection” without any real service. Offenders threaten physical attacks or damage to premises, and refusal to pay can lead to serious economic loss or even death. (Wikipedia)
These developments show how everyday businesses are directly exposed to organised violence. The crackdown comes amid a broader rise in crime in Berlin. Police registered 539,049 offences in the city in 2024, about 1,500 crimes per day, with 113,473 recorded victims, an increase of 6.4 % on 2023. Knife attacks alone reached 3,412 cases that year, only slightly below the previous year. (Berlin.de)
⚡ Quick Hits
🇩🇪 Why the prep syringe will not be available in Germany in the foreseeable future | The new HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection with up to 100 percent efficacy in studies, is stuck in Germany. Manufacturer Gilead has not begun price talks with insurers, which are required for prescriptions. The main issue is cost. A U.S. yearly course is about €24,300, far above cheap Truvada generics.
🇩🇪 Berlin & Brandenburg: Police warn of fake tradesmen and police officers | Scammers in Berlin increasingly pose as tradespeople or plainclothes police to steal from mainly elderly residents. They typically claim water damage or a recent break-in, then distract victims while accomplices search the home. Police urge residents to keep doors locked with a chain, verify IDs, reject unannounced workers, and call for help from neighbors if unsure.
🇬🇧 Germany on high alert to protect Christmas markets from terrorism | Germany’s 3,250 Christmas markets now operate under heavy security after recent vehicle attacks and ongoing jihadist threats. Cities like Dresden and Augsburg have invested millions of euros in crash barriers, video surveillance, and “digital twin” simulations. Organisers say these measures protect vulnerable groups, including queer communities, but admit the visible fortifications dampen the festive atmosphere.
🇩🇪 The 5 best free events in Berlin this week | Berliners can fill the week with free culture across Kreuzberg and Neukölln. Highlights range from a board‑game evening at Markthalle Neun and a punk concert at Wild at Heart to an open calligraphy workshop for beginners. At the weekend, a spicy chili festival and a family‑friendly winter fair offer food, music, and markets.
🇩🇪 Will the construction turbo change the cityscape? Berlin wants to significantly simplify the construction of high-rise residential buildings | Berlin plans to relax rules for residential towers over 60 meters that include mandatory social housing (under the city’s cooperative land development model). Such projects could even bypass a formal zoning plan and public hearings under the new federal “Bauturbo” housing law. Critics warn this weakens local districts, public oversight, and the city’s Baukollegium design review body.
🇬🇧 The New German War Machine | Germany is rapidly abandoning its postwar pacifism as U.S. protection looks uncertain and Russia grows more threatening. Berlin plans to spend more than €460 billion on the Bundeswehr in four years, revive arms production, and permanently base troops in Lithuania. The shift is popular in frontline states but contested at home, amid AfD gains and historical unease.
🇩🇪 Why HIV infection figures are also rising in Germany | Germany recorded an estimated 2,300 new HIV infections in 2024, an increase of 200 cases. Experts worry because about one third of infections are diagnosed late and 8,200 people are thought to live with HIV unknowingly. Stigma, patchy access to prevention drugs like PrEP, and funding cuts to testing and counseling services threaten further setbacks.
📅 Events Today
🎟️ Christmas at the Tierpark | November 21, 2025 - January 10, 2026 | From €15,90 | The grounds glow with 30 light sculptures. A two-kilometre trail guides you past lit treetops and water shows. A historic palace anchors the finale. Children ride a steam carousel.
🎟️ This weekend: Berlin St. Nicholas Run | December 06, 2025 | Not yet known | Participants choose distances from kids' races to half marathons. Routes loop forest trails and park paths (mostly firm soil with a few rooty sections). Teams race relays and walkers tackle Nordic routes.
🎟️ This weekend: Christmas at Tempelhof Airport | December 05 to 07, 2025 | Free of charge, registration for Christmas caroling required | A winter market fills a historic industrial space with handmade gifts and food trucks. Local choirs lead rousing carols. Families find kids' shows and a rooftop view (free access).
📚 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
🗣️ U9 wird noch lange gesperrt sein zwischen Bundesplatz und Rathaus Steglitz | U9 fire shuts central section, passengers stuck with inconvenient bus replacements.
🗣️ This Company Almost Got Away with Robbing Me after Bullying Me. | Former working student used German law to recover underpaid wages after bullying.
🗣️ Almost job 3 times | People vent about repeatedly losing final interviews in an unforgiving, oversaturated job market.
📊 Chart of the Day
Deutsche Bahn leads the pack, while Mercedes-Benz sees a slight decline in 2024.
🐠 Fun Fact: The Berlin Zoo’s Aquarium is one of the world’s largest aquariums – a three-story facility (built 1913) home to around 11,000 animals, from sharks and piranhas to crocodiles and Komodo dragons. It’s a must-visit for any animal lover in Berlin.
👋 That's a wrap! Thank you for reading.
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