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FRANKFURT

What’s on in Germany: December 24-January 6

This Week's Highlights: Swan Lake swirls through Frankfurt, Renaissance art hangs in Munich, and independent American films screen in Berlin.

Published: 23 December 2009 09:55 CET
What's on in Germany: December 24-January 6
Swan Lake in Fankfurt. Photo: DPA

BERLIN

Events

Gendarmenmarkt New Year’s Eve Gala

Live music, dance, and theatre, among the grand buildings of one of Berlin’s prettiest squares make this one posh affair. Ring in the new year in swinging style.

Price: €10

Location: Gendarmenmarkt

Times: Thursday, December 31, 7pm-1am

More Information: www.gendarmenmarktberlin.de

Film

Unknown Pleasures – American Independent Film Fest

From the Chelsea Hotel to the Lower East Side, New York City makes more than a few appearances in this month-long film festival. If you can’t get to Sundance, head to Babylon.

Price: €6.50

Location: Babylon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 30

Times: Friday, January 1 – Wednesday, January 27

Phone: 030 24 25 969

More Information: www.babylonberlin.de

Galleries/Museums

Blue Note Photographers from Francis Wolff to Jimmy Katz

John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Smith, and the list goes on. See a dazzling collection of jazz images by Blue Note photographers, dating from 1939 when the label was founded by a pair of German-Jewish American immigrants, to the present day.

Price: €5

Location: Berlin Jewish Musuem, Lindenstrasse 9-14

Times: Monday, 10am-10pm; Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-8pm; through February 7

Phone: 030 25 993 434

More Information: www.juedisches-museum-berlin.de

COLOGNE

Events

The Big Silvester Party

Two dance floors, one for your favourite – house, and the other for your friend’s favourite – 80s and 90s classics. You’re going to be feeling it New Year’s Day, unless of course you just keep dancing straight on into January 2.

Price: €25

Location: Alten Wartesaal, Johannisstrasse 11

Times: Thursday, December 31, 9pm

Tickets: 0221 2801

More Information: www.wartesaal.de

Galleries/Museums

Leiko Ikemura

Japanese artist Leiko Ikemura examines the relationships between reality and imagination, and humans and nature with images saturated in colour. Start the new year by gazing upon the artist’s vivid new collection of paintings and sculptures.

Price: Free

Location: Galerie Karsten Greve, Cologne, Drususgasse 1-5

Times: Tuesday – Friday, 10am-6:30pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm; through February 6

Tickets: 0221 257 1012

More Information: www.artnet.com

DÜSSELDORF

Opera

Salome

The chemistry between Jochanaan, Herodes, Salome, and her mother Herodias never seems to get old. See Nicola Beller Carbone’s contemporary rendition of the “dance of the seven veils,” in this classic Richard Strauss opera.

Price: €14.50 – 67.50

Location: Dusseldorf Opera House, Heinrich-Heine-Allee 16a

Times: Sunday, December 27, 6:30-8:15pm

Phone: 0211 892 5210

More Information: www.rheinoper.de

Galleries/Museums

Barbara Roth – Ocean Dust

Swiss artist Barbara Roth plays with space in her current exhibition at Cologne’s Baukunst Galerie. In addition to her neatly rendered brass sculptures, ethereal water colour paintings depicting historically influenced maps and geographical themes hang in the space.

Price: Free

Location: Baukunst Galerie, Theodor-Heuss-Ring 7

Times: Tuesday – Friday, 10am-6:30pm; Saturday, 11am-6pm; through February 19 (note: the gallery is closed for the holidays until January 5)

Phone: 0221 771 33 35

More Information: www.baukunst-galerie.de

FRANKFURT

Events

Whiskey Tram New Year’s Ride

All aboard the Whiskey Tram! The time has come to welcome the new decade with a few sips of Scotch during a two and a half hour ride through town on one of Frankfurt’s historical streetcars. The sounds of a bagpiper add to the spirited scene.

Price: €65

Location: Dreieichstrasse 35 tram stop, in front of My Whisky

Times: Saturday, January 2, 3:30pm

Ticket Hotline: 069 606 075 24

More Information: www.whiskymax.com

Dance

St. Petersburg Ballet – Swan Lake

One of the most moving Tchaikovsky scores of all time fills the theatre as a prince falls in love with a swan. What a magical way to spend a Christmas evening. The St. Petersburg State Ballet performs the timeless piece Friday night in Frankfurt.

Price: €36.50 – 54.10

Location: Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt, Pfaffenwiese

Times: Friday, December 25, 7:30pm

Ticket Hotline: 01805 360 1240

More Information: www.jahrhunderthalle.de

HAMBURG

Music/Concerts

Beauty and the Beast

If the promise of Saint-Saens, Massnet, Boulanger, and Satie isn’t enough to lure you, then perhaps a love story inspired by the French will. The Philharmonic Trio shares the stage with storyteller M. Mario Goldmann for one heart pattering evening.

Price: €12

Location: St. Johanniskirche, Bei der Johanniskirche 16

Times: Tuesday, December 29, 8pm

Phone: 040 43 43 34

More Information: www.gemeinde-altona-ost.de

Theatre

Alice in Wonderland

Join the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Alice and the rest on a romp through Wonderland. Director Christian Berg’s spirited cast will leave the whole family thoroughly entertained.

Price: €11 – 23.10

Location: Schmidt Theatre, Spielbudenplatz 24

Times: Friday, December 25, 3pm; Saturday, December 26 – Wednesday, December 30, 11am and 3pm

Ticket Hotline: 040 31 77 88 99

More Information: www.tivoli.de

Galleries/Museums

Where is the Wind, When it Doesn’t Blow

From 15th century illustrations of the apocalypse by Albrecht Durer, to the pages of Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland, this new exhibition at Hamburg’s Kunstverein brings together a vast assortment of politically motivated art. See how philosophies and artistic styles have changed since the invention of printing.

Price: €5

Location: Kunstverein, Klosterwall 23

Times: Tuesday – Sunday, 12-6pm; through March 14, 2010

Phone: 040 32 21 57

More Information: www.kunstverein.de

MUNICH

Events

Night Flea Market

Grab a drink and groove to the music as you browse the handcrafted treasures and antique gems that will fill Munich’s Old Congress Hall Friday. Find something good and start the year off right.

Price: €3

Location: Alte Kongresshalle, Theresienhöhe 15

Times: Friday, January 2, 6pm

More Information: www.nachtflohmarkt-münchen.de

Parties

American Silvester

Party like it’s 2009, American style, with caipirinhas, mojitos, margaritas, and cuba libres. DJ Mad Mike and DJ My T Chris spin house and R&B while “American cheerleaders” and an “American stripper” strut their stuff at Americanos City on New Year’s Eve.

Price: €5 – 10

Location: Americanos City, Hochbrücken Strasse 3

Times: Thursday, December 31, 11pm

Phone: 0172 882 8497

More Information: www.americanos.de

Galleries/Museums

Andrea del Sarto – The Holy Family in Munich and Paris

Two paintings, nearly identical, yet subtle differences abound. One of the most important works in the Alte Pinakothek’s collection, this Renaissance masterpiece by Andrea del Sarto was recently restored and hangs alongside another version, which belongs to the Louvre, through January 5.

Price: €13

Location: Alte Pinakothek, Barer Strasse 27

Times: Monday, 10am-6pm; Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-8pm; through January 5, 2010 (Closed December 24, 25, and 31)

Phone: 089 23805 216

More Information: www.pinakothek.de

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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.

Published: 27 November 2021 16:16 CET
Updated: 29 November 2021 14:17 CET
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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