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Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Wednesday, December 17 - from urgent alerts to stories in the subreddit. Today we went through 215 sources so you don't have to.
📣 Schedule Update: Starting this week, we will temporarily be moving from 5 emails a week to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I want to make every issue a must-read so I'm cutting back to focus on quality and depth.
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🏠 Study Finds Widespread Racism in German Housing Market
A new study reveals significant racial discrimination in Germany’s housing market. Research from the German Center for Integration and Migration Research shows Black and Muslim people are far more likely to be excluded from viewings. In a test, résumés with German-sounding names received viewing invitations 22% of the time, versus 16% for other names. (InfoMigrants)
Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) officially prohibits housing discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin. However, the law's protections are weaker in practice. A significant loophole exempts landlords who rent out fewer than 50 apartments from many of the law's provisions, limiting legal recourse for many tenants facing discrimination. (CMS LawNow)
Such systemic exclusion from stable housing inflicts lasting harm on the social and economic well-being of affected communities. This is evident across Europe, where housing discrimination remains a significant barrier. According to a wide-ranging EU survey, nearly one in two people of African descent (45%) lives in overcrowded housing, a rate 2.5 times higher than in the general population. (European Data Journalism Network)
⚖️ Berlin Upholds Deportations Despite New Court Ruling
Berlin officials will continue deportations despite a Federal Constitutional Court ruling making them more difficult. Interior State Secretary Christian Hochgrebe stated the city remains capable of acting. The court now requires a judicial warrant to enter an asylum seeker's room for deportation if they do not open the door, reversing a 2019 law. (Berliner Morgenpost)
The court’s decision is rooted in Germany's constitution, or Basic Law. Article 13 of this document guarantees the inviolability of the home, protecting a person's private spatial sphere from state intrusion. This fundamental right means that searches generally require prior authorization from a judge to ensure the protection of privacy. (German Bundestag)
This ruling adds a legal hurdle to a system already struggling with a high volume of cases. The new warrant requirement could slow down procedures and increase the failure rate of deportations. At the end of 2024, there were still 220,000 migrants in Germany who were officially obliged to leave the country. (Centre for Eastern Studies)
📈 Berlin Subletting Profits Face High Court Scrutiny
Germany's Federal Court of Justice is reviewing a case of alleged profit-driven subletting in Berlin, with a ruling expected in January 2026. The case involves a tenant charging a subtenant more than double the actual rent. This decision could have major consequences for Berlin's rental market, where subletting is common. (Berliner Zeitung)
The case unfolds amid a severe housing crisis in the city. By mid-2025, Berlin’s housing vacancy rate had fallen below 1%, creating intense competition for available units. Asking rents for available apartments surged by 12 % to 15 % year-on-year across most districts, far outpacing new construction and putting immense pressure on tenants. (Investropa)
This shortage has driven up prices in the sublet market, which many students and young professionals rely on. In 2025, the average cost for a room in a Berlin shared flat reached €650 per month. This makes the capital the third-most expensive city in Germany for shared accommodations. (IamExpat.de)
⚡ Quick Hits
🇩🇪 Schwedt-Rostock pipeline back in operation after accident | At least 200,000 liters of oil leaked, contaminating over two hectares of farmland. Officials stress the pipeline’s role in supplying fuel to Berlin and northeast Germany after Russian imports stopped in 2023.
🇩🇪 When BSR picks up your Christmas tree - the dates at a glance | Berlin’s waste service (BSR) collects trees from 10–24 January 2026. Residents must place undecorated trees (no plastic bags) at the curb by 6 am on their district’s pickup day.
🇩🇪 Why migrants are driving Berlin forward | The piece highlights how migrant communities drive Berlin’s economy through higher startup rates, 670,000 self-employed workers, and strong work ethics. It notes they express more pride in Germany than nonmigrant Germans.
🇩🇪 Berlin wants to further expand solar energy | Berlin keeps its main subsidy program and reserves €10M per year through 2026. The city shifts funding to larger roofs as it chases a fivefold jump in solar’s power share by 2035.
🇩🇪 Hanukkah: Police ban gatherings around Hanukkah celebration in Berlin | Police will seal off Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate area for the Chanukka candle-lighting. Only invited guests may attend. Officials cite security concerns after a recent antisemitic attack in Australia.
📅 Events Today
🎟️ LGBTIQA Winterdays and Christmas Avenue | November 04 to December 23, 2025 | Free | The market spotlights Berlin's LGBTQIA scene with dazzling lights and lively stage shows. Local artists perform drag bingo and genre-hopping sets (and the food and drinks are top-notch).
🎟️ This weekend: Christmas in Westend | December 20 and 21, 2025 | Free | A talking, bicycling elephant charms families. Free-flying birds of prey wow kids. Crafters sell last-minute gifts while a jazz Santa band plays classics.
🎟️ This weekend: Christmas Film Festival | December 18 - 21, 2025 | €12, concessions €10 | Curators present unconventional Christmas films from 25 countries. The festival offers dark, comic, and radical takes (for anyone escaping holiday rush or loneliness).
💬 What Berliners Are Talking About
🗣️ Maskierte werfen Handgranate in Kreuzberger Club | Masked attackers hurl grenade into Kreuzberg club, sparking shock and safety concerns.
🗣️ who to speak to if I'm feeling hopeless | Post asking for English-speaking crisis support sparks replies sharing hotlines and offers.
🗣️ Suche Wellenmesser (Crinkle Cut Knife) in Berlin | Locals in Berlin offer tips to buy a crinkle-cut (buntmesser) knife.
📊 Chart of the Day
Berlin is currently averaging 1.2 hours of sun per day, officially placing us in the "atmospheric depression" zone.
🔥 Word of the Day: Feuerzeug | Literal: Fire-thing | Meaning: A lighter. | Example: Hast du ein Feuerzeug für die Kerze? (Do you have a fire-thing for the candle?)
👋 That's a wrap! Thank you for reading.
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