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FRANKFURT

What’s on in Germany: October 8 – 14

This Week's Highlights: Mucha in Munich, an onion festival in Weimar, and a candlelit commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Leipzig's Peaceful Revolution.

What's on in Germany: October 8 - 14
Photo: Thomas Demand

BERLIN

Events

Tempelhof Freestyle Weekend

Get in on the excitement this weekend as Tempelhof Airport hosts its very first freestyle sports event. Watch bikers, skateboarders, skiers, and snow boarders fly through the air. Rock bands amp up the voltage between events, and late night DJs will have you raging late into the night.

Price: €8-53

Location: Tempelhof Airport

Times: Friday, October 9 – Sunday, October 11

Ticket Hotline: 01805 570 070 (0.14 cents/min)

More Information: berlin.freestyle.ch

Galleries/Museums

Thomas Demand

The German artist builds sets out of paper and then photographs them. See about thirty-five of his pieces, depicting tidy bathrooms, messy offices, and other images inspired by German historical events at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie.

Price: €8

Location: Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Strasse 50

Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday, 10am-6pm; Thursday, 10am-10pm; Friday – Saturday, 10am-8pm; through January 17, 2010

Phone: 030 266 42 42 42

More Information: www.demandinberlin.org

Workshops

Traditional Music Festival – Workshops

Got a hankering to play the oud? Here’s your chance to learn a few traditional Turkish ditties on the ancient Arabic instrument. But why stop there? The day’s program includes workshops on Russian songs and the African mbira as well. You’ll be a multi-cultural one man band in no time.

Price: €15-30

Location: Kulturbrauerei, Kesselhaus, Maschinenhaus, Schönhauser Allee 36

Times: Sunday, October 11, 12-5:30pm

Phone: 030 44 315 157

More Information: kulturbrauerei-berlin.de

COLOGNE

Music/Concerts

Julie Doiron and Plants & Animals

It’s Montreal night at Cologne’s King Georg. The Canadian band Plants and Animals opens the evening with their classic rock inspired anthems, while Julie Doiron hurls it into full swing with melodic vocals and electric guitars.

Price: €8

Location: King Georg, Sudermanstrasse 2

Times: Wednesday, October 14, 9pm

More Information: www.kinggeorg.de

FRANKFURT

Galleries/Museums

László Moholy-Nagy Retrospective

A brand new exhibition dedicated to the work of the Hungary-born Bauhaus master László Moholy-Nagy opens Thursday in Frankfurt. See over 150 radiant works spanning the mediums of painting, photography, sculpture, film, set design, and typography.

Price: €8

Location: Schirn Kunsthalle, Römerberg

Times: Tuesday, Friday – Sunday, 10am-7pm; Wednesday and Thursday, 10am-10pm; through February 7, 2010

Phone: 069 29 98 820

More Information: www.schirn-kunsthalle.de

HAMBURG

Galleries/Museums

Views of Hamburg – The City in the Painter’s Gaze

With numerous waterways, lush parklands, and enchanting neighbourhoods, Hamburg is one of Germany’s most picturesque cities. Since the end of the 19th century artists from around Europe began making their way to this radiant destination. See dozens of works by the likes of Max Liebermann, Emil Nolde, and Albert Marquet in this new exhibition of Hamburg docks, harbours, and other vivid landscapes.

Price: €10

Location: Hamburger Kunsthalle, Glockengiesserwall

Times: Thursday, October 8, 7pm (Opening); Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-6pm; Thursday, 10am-9pm; through February 14, 2010 (Regular Hours)

Phone: 040 428 131 200

More Information: /www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de

LEIPZIG

Events

Light Festival 2009

This Friday, walk by candlelight to the music of choirs and orchestras, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Leipzig’s Peaceful Revolution. Follow in the footsteps of those 70,000 brave demonstrators who in 1989 set into motion the events that would bring about Germany’s reunification, and view the new works of art created by architects, lighting designers, and artists from across Europe in honour of the event.

Price: Free

Location: Augustusplatz

Times: Friday, October 9, 6-11:30pm

More Information: www.leipziger-freiheit.de

MUNICH

Music/Concerts

October Music Festival

In co-operation with the Bavarian State Opera, Munich’s Alte Pinakothek presents a program of Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Franz Biber, and the enigmatic Mr. Grobe. Fill your fall baroque quota with one transporting evening.

Price: €35

Location: Alte Pinakothek, Barer Strasse 27

Times: Monday, October 12, 7pm

Tickets: 089 2185 1920

More Information: www.bayerische.staatsoper.de

Galleries/Museums

Alfons Mucha – Master of Art Nouveau

On Friday, the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung unveils a dazzling collection of over 200 paintings, drawings, posters, fabrics, jewellery, sculptures, books, and objects by the Art Nouveau master Alfons Mucha. See highlights like the Bosnia-Herzegovina pavilion constructed for the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, and two canvases from the Czech artist’s “Slav Epic” cycle.

Price: €9

Location: Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Theatinerstrasse 8

Times: Daily, 10am-10pm; October 9 – January 24, 2010

Phone: 089 22 44 12

More Information: www.hypo-kunsthalle.de

Masterpieces by Famous Leica Photographers

By inventing a camera so compact in size and so easy to use Leica profoundly effected 20th century photojournalism. See historic pics by those who made it big at the opening of this new exhibition Friday night.

Price: Free

Location: Amerika Haus, Karolinenplatz 3

Times: Friday, October 8, 7-9pm (Opening); Monday – Friday, 12-5pm; Wednesday, 12-8pm (Regular Hours); through December 2

Phone: 089 5525 3713

More Information: www.amerikahaus.de

WEIMAR

Festivals

Weimar Onion Festival

Taste a Zwiebelkuchen and stroll among long ropes of braided onions this weekend as the annual Weimar Onion Festival sets up on the town’s historic main square. Now in its 356th year, this beloved event has lured regional farmers since 1653.

Price: Free

Location: Weimar, Town Centre

Times: Friday, October 9 – Sunday, October 11

More Information: www.weimar.de

For members

BERLIN

EXPLAINED: Berlin’s latest Covid rules

In response to rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates, the Berlin Senate has introduced stricter rules, which came into force on Saturday, November 27th. Here's what you need to know.

A sign in front of a waxing studio in Berlin indicates the rule of the 2G system
A sign in front of a waxing studio indicates the rule of the 2G system with access only for fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 as restrictions tighten in Berlin. STEFANIE LOOS / AFP

The Senate agreed on the tougher restrictions on Tuesday, November 23rd with the goal of reducing contacts and mobility, according to State Secretary of Health Martin Matz (SPD).

He explained after the meeting that these measures should slow the increase in Covid-19 infection rates, which was important as “the situation had, unfortunately, deteriorated over the past weeks”, according to media reports.

READ ALSO: Tougher Covid measures needed to stop 100,000 more deaths, warns top German virologist

Essentially, the new rules exclude from much of public life anyone who cannot show proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19. You’ll find more details of how different sectors are affected below.

Shops
If you haven’t been vaccinated or recovered (2G – geimpft (vaccinated) or genesen (recovered)) from Covid-19, then you can only go into shops for essential supplies, i.e. food shopping in supermarkets or to drugstores and pharmacies.

Many – but not all – of the rules for shopping are the same as those passed in the neighbouring state of Brandenburg in order to avoid promoting ‘shopping tourism’ with different restrictions in different states.

Leisure
2G applies here, too, as well as the requirement to wear a mask with most places now no longer accepting a negative test for entry. Only minors are exempt from this requirement.

Sport, culture, clubs
Indoor sports halls will off-limits to anyone who hasn’t  been vaccinated or can’t show proof of recovery from Covid-19. 2G is also in force for cultural events, such as plays and concerts, where there’s also a requirement to wear a mask. 

In places where mask-wearing isn’t possible, such as dance clubs, then a negative test and social distancing are required (capacity is capped at 50 percent of the maximum).

Restaurants, bars, pubs (indoors)
You have to wear a mask in all of these places when you come in, leave or move around. You can only take your mask off while you’re sat down. 2G rules also apply here.

Hotels and other types of accommodation 
Restrictions are tougher here, too, with 2G now in force. This means that unvaccinated people can no longer get a room, even if they have a negative test.

Hairdressers
For close-contact services, such as hairdressers and beauticians, it’s up to the service providers themselves to decide whether they require customers to wear masks or a negative test.

Football matches and other large-scale events
Rules have changed here, too. From December 1st, capacity will be limited to 5,000 people plus 50 percent of the total potential stadium or arena capacity. And only those who’ve been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in. Masks are also compulsory.

For the Olympic Stadium, this means capacity will be capped at 42,000 spectators and 16,000 for the Alte Försterei stadium. 

Transport
3G rules – ie vaccinated, recovered or a negative test – still apply on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses in Berlin. It was not possible to tighten restrictions, Matz said, as the regulations were issued at national level.

According to the German Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, people have to wear a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask  on public transport.

Christmas markets
The Senate currently has no plans to cancel the capital’s Christmas markets, some of which have been open since Monday. 

According to Matz, 2G rules apply and wearing a mask is compulsory.

Schools and day-care
Pupils will still have to take Covid tests three times a week and, in classes where there are at least two children who test positive in the rapid antigen tests, then tests should be carried out daily for a week.  

Unlike in Brandenburg, there are currently no plans to move away from face-to-face teaching. The child-friendly ‘lollipop’ Covid tests will be made compulsory in day-care centres and parents will be required to confirm that the tests have been carried out. Day-care staff have to document the results.

What about vaccination centres?
Berlin wants to expand these and set up new ones, according to Matz. A new vaccination centre should open in the Ring centre at the end of the week and 50 soldiers from the German army have been helping at the vaccination centre at the Exhibition Centre each day since last week.

The capacity in the new vaccination centre in the Lindencenter in Lichtenberg is expected to be doubled. There are also additional vaccination appointments so that people can get their jabs more quickly. Currently, all appointments are fully booked well into the new year.

 

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