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FEMINISM

Where to celebrate Women’s Day in Berlin

Berlin will be honouring its first Frauentag as a public holiday Friday. Whether through arts or activism, here's our list of where to go on the day off work.

Published: 5 March 2019 17:16 CET
Updated: 8 March 2019 14:24 CET
Where to celebrate Women's Day in Berlin
Photo: DPA

Activism

“Together we achieve what we want”: Under this motto, various feminist groups are calling for a joint demonstration for women’s solidarity and against sexism and violence against women. The demonstration starts in front of the women's prison in Lichtenberg at 3 p.m. and ends at Warschauer Straße.

Critical Mass, a usual Friday event in which bikers take over the road, will be hosting a special Women’s Day edition. The “Purple Ride” will kick off Friday at 12 p.m. with a meeting point at Marienplatz and “ride against the patriarchy” through the streets of Berlin until 3 p.m.

SEE ALSO: What you should know about 'Frauentag', Berlin's newest public holiday

At the very precise German start time of 11:55 a.m., there will be a feminist march and strike starting at Robert-Koch-Platz and lasting throughout the day. Another march, held in honour of “Frauen*kampftag”, women’s fighting day, will start at Alexanderplatz at the foot of the TV tower at noon.

If you’re looking for some relaxation after a day of activism, B-Lage in Neukölln is hosting a ‘’Post-Strike Spa”, a chill-out evening with fine food and foot massages.

Arts and Music

The Feminist Film Week will be hosting its first full day on Friday, with a wide selection of films from female directors, producers and actors.

The ever-famous SO36 club in Kreuzberg will be hosting an international feminist dance party starting at 9 p.m. and stretching (at least) into the early hours of the a.m. The diverse music line-up will include Trans Rap from Iran, Turkish pop hits and Korean dance and percussion.

Photo: SO36

Situated in an airy rooftop, the Anomalie Art Club and Garden in Prenzlauer Berg will be hosting an all-day Open Air, with only women DJs from 12 until 8 p.m.

Begine, a cultural centre for women in Schöneberg, is inviting ladies to a dance and jazz evening with free entry.

Fairs and Exhibits

Knowledge is power. That’s the idea behind a “Woman’s Information Fair” taking place from 4 to 7 p.m. at Rathaus Zehlendorf. Women can learn about a variety of topics, including educational and work training, re-entry into the workplace, founding a start-up, pensions, victim production and health.

In the Willy Brandt House cultural centre in Kreuzberg, the Social Democrats will be hosting an all-day exhibit on “milestones in the history of women in SPD politics.”

Lectures

A panel discussion on “The role of women in different cultures” will take place at the Intercultural Meeting for Girls and Women in Reinickendorf 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Three women from different countries of origin will report from their perspective. Afterwards there will be the opportunity for exchange – and a delicious buffet.

The women’s rights movement has evolved tremendously in the past 100 years, as a tour at the German History Museum will show. Tours are set to depart during the day at 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Participants of a federal career program for women of immigrant backgrounds called “Strong at Work” pose on Monday. Photo: DPA

Can the liberation of women succeed without the liberation of men? That is a core question posed at a lecture led by both male and female speakers at the Haus der Psychologie on Friday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. While participation is free, registration is required at [email protected].

A line-up of speakers at the gay-friendly club Schwutz will be discussing what the term Queer feminism means today, and how the ideas behind it are evolving. The talk starts at 8 p.m. with an entrance fee of €6.

Shopping

In honour of independent Berlin-based women artists, designers, business makers and owners, the Enklave co-working space in Neukölln will be hosting a pop-up store from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – with free entry, drinks and food to boot.

Sports

If you’d rather put on your running shoes than high heels, the Grunewald Running Company is hosting a ladies trail run. You can lace up your sneakers for Friday at 10 a.m. at Schmetterlingsplatz near the Grunewald S-Bahn station.

Travel

The Berlin Travel Festival, now in its second year, will be offering a limited number of free tickets to ladies on Friday, the day that the festival kicks off. The weekend-long festival will also include travel companies, presenters and workshops geared to female and solo travels – and a bit of both!

If you know of any other events you would like to see included, email us at [email protected].

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EVENTS

How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dressing up, singing, and drinking: On Friday, countless Jecken (revelers) in Cologne will once again celebrate the start of the Carnival session.

Published: 9 November 2022 10:29 CET
How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dubbed Germany’s “fifth season” by locals, the event starts every year on November 11th at 11:11 am, and typically stretches into February or March, when colourful parades spill into the streets.

Carnival stronghold Cologne in particular is preparing for the onslaught of tens of thousands of people who will flock to its Altstadt (old town), and especially to the student quarter, starting early Friday morning. 

READ ALSO: 10 unmissable events in Germany this November

“Far too many people want to celebrate in far too small a space,” city director Andrea Blome told DPA. “We can’t stop anyone from coming to Cologne now.” 

More security this year

In the popular Kwartier Latäng student quarter, there have been regular bouts of drinking by young partygoers in the past, who crowded into a confined space, leaving litter everywhere and publicly peeing on the corners of buildings. 

Google Maps shows the location of the so-called Kwartier Latäng part of Cologne.

But with a new security plan, the city and police hope to keep the situation under control.

Several checkpoints and road closures have been set up to secure the safety of the revelers and relieve the burden on worried residents, according to Blome. Visitors will only be able to enter the closed-off area around Zülpicher Straße via a single access point. 

On Friday, Cologne is also set to send a total of 150 employees from the Ordnungsamt (public order office) onto the streets, who will be supported by 520 private security guards. 

A glass ban will again apply in the celebration zones, and several hundred toilets will be set up at the hotspots, “which nevertheless will probably not be used by all visitors,” Blome predicted.

READ ALSO: 10 words you need to know at Cologne’s Carnival

Up to 1,100 police officers are expected to be on duty on the day – about 200 fewer than last year, said head of operations Rüdiger Fink. But he expected to keep the situation “under control with a new security plan.”

What to expect

On Cologne’s Heumarkt, there will be a stage program all day with bands such as the Bläck Fööss, the Paveiern and Brings. 

Google Maps shows Cologne’s Heumarkt along the Rhine River.

According to the Willi Ostermann Society, about 10,000 tickets were sold in advance for the event, which will be aired by German WDR for several hours.

Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, the day will start at 11:11 a.m. with the “Hoppeditz Awakening” in front of City Hall. 

According to a spokesman, the police will be adequately prepared for the start of the season, with a particular focus on the Altstadt, where there will certainly be celebrations.

“But 11.11. is a very different event here in Düsseldorf than in Cologne,” he said, referring to a more orderly start and fewer guests.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about celebrating Carnival in Germany

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