Berlin clubs facing an uncertain future

Created: 12/26/2021 Updated: 12/26/2021, 1:05 PM

A disco ball spins in a club.

© Britta Pedersen / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa / symbol image

When the internationally celebrated nightlife of the German capital will return is open.

"So far, no club in Berlin has had to give up due to the corona, since the help has taken effect in the meantime," said Pamela Schobeß, chairwoman of the club commission, of the German press agency.

However, it is completely unclear to what extent this will also be the case in the future.

According to the latest decision by the Prime Minister's Conference, Berlin clubs will have to close on December 28th.

As a gastronomy, they can theoretically remain open in the capital, but as before there is a ban on dancing.

Schobeß, who speaks for the Association of Berlin Club, Party and Cultural Organizers, said: “As long as we keep running into partial lockdowns or are subject to various restrictions and limitations, we cannot sustain ourselves economically and are unfortunately on financial support reliant.

In addition, after almost two years of continuous crisis, we all have massive problems finding and retaining staff. ”Many have left the industry and will not come back.

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Going out safely would already be possible with PCR tests, said Schobeß. “It is and will be a political decision whether or not to close as incidences rise. But it is also clear that the scene will not survive the constant ups and downs in the long run. ”If the financial support breaks away in such a situation,“ our industry collapses completely ”.

What are you encouraging?

“The fact that an effective vaccine could be developed so quickly that protects against severe disease is a blessing and could have got us out of the pandemic situation.

I am not giving up hope that the previously unvaccinated people will recognize the benefits of vaccinations for themselves and for others, so that we can all regain our freedom without putting people in danger. "

According to Schobeß, clever concepts are needed to be able to live with the pandemic.

“The use of PCR tests is one way of enabling safe coexistence in the club, even with high incidences.

I hope that we can convince the political decision-makers of this. ”Dancing in clubs with PCR tests had been tried out in a model project in the summer.

The scene is expecting smarter and more stringent decisions from politics in the future, said Schobeß, who runs the “Gretchen” music club in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

"A clever vaccination campaign, a sensible communication strategy of the federal government and rules that make sense and are not mindless." Dpa