Berghain

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Berghain
Berghain-Logo.svg
Berghain - Panorama Bar 2017.jpg
The Berghain nightclub building
Berghain is located in Berlin
Berghain
Berghain
Location within Berlin
Former namesOstgut (1998–2003)
AddressAm Wriezener Bahnhof
LocationFriedrichshain, Berlin, Germany
Coordinates52°30′40″N 13°26′35″E / 52.51111°N 13.44306°E / 52.51111; 13.44306
TypeNightclub
Capacity1,500
Opened2004; 17 years ago (2004)

Berghain (pronounced [bɛʁkhaɪn]) is a nightclub in Berlin, Germany. It is named after its location near the border between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain in Berlin, and is a short walk from Berlin Ostbahnhof main line railway station.[1] Founded in 2004 by friends Norbert Thormann and Michael Teufele,[2] it has since become one of the world's most famous clubs,[3] and is sometimes called the "world capital of Techno."[4]

History[]

The sign for Ostgut

Thormann and Teufele became party promoters in the 1990s, hosting a male-only fetish club night called Snax at various clubs around Berlin. In 1999 they founded their first club, Ostgut, in a former railway repair depot in Friedrichshain. Unlike Snax, the club was open to the general public. It closed in January 2003, with the building slated for demolition and later replaced by the O2 World Berlin (since 2015: Mercedes-Benz Arena).[2]

Berghain opened in 2004 as a reincarnation of Ostgut.[5][6] The name is a portmanteau of the two city quarters that flank the south and north sides of the building: Kreuzberg (formerly in West Berlin) and Friedrichshain (formerly in East Berlin). The literal meaning of the German word Berghain is "mountain grove."

The club is in a former power plant built in 1953 and abandoned in the 1980s.[3] The space was originally rented from the energy company Vattenfall[7] but has been owned outright by the club since 2011.[8] The building is remarkable for its enormous dimensions, with 18-meter ceilings on the main dancefloor. The interior's minimalist design is dominated by steel and concrete. Only half the building is in use.[4]

In 2016, a German court officially designated Berghain a cultural institution, which allows the club to pay a reduced tax rate.[9]

Nightclub[]

View from below towards the main dancefloor

The club's main room is focused on techno, with a smaller upstairs space, Panorama Bar, featuring house.[4][10] The basement holds a male-only sex club called Lab.Oratory.[11]

Berghain has a Funktion-One sound system on its main dance floor which, when it was installed in 2004, was one of the company's largest club installs.[12] At its launch, the sound system comprised four Funktion-One Dance Stacks (consisting of a DS210, a DS215 and three F218), a Double Infrahorn (consisting of two Infrabass, one Doublehorn Extension) and two Resolution 2 for monitoring.[13] The Panorama Bar was upgraded in 2007 with a four-point line-array system with an additional six subwoofers from Studt Akustik.[14]

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, in March 2020, Berghain closed along with all other nightclubs in Berlin.[15] Over the summer, it hosted several sound art installations inside the building and the adjacent beer garden.[16] In September, the indoors club reopened as an art space, hosting an exhibition titled "Studio Berlin" featuring 115 Berlin-based artists including Tacita Dean, Olafur Eliasson and Wolfgang Tillmans.[17][18][19]

Culture[]

Berghain has become associated with decadence and hedonism. It is open continuously most weekends from Saturday night through late Monday morning.[20] Patrons openly engage in sexual acts on the dance floor, as well as in dark rooms specifically set aside for such activity.[21] Like Ostgut, the club focuses on the gay community but is open to all, save for the twice-yearly Snax.[22]

No photos are allowed inside the club, with patrons required to cover their smartphone cameras with a sticker.[2] The policy was maintained when the club converted into an art space for the "Studio Berlin" exhibition.[17] Because drugs are commonly used in the club, there are no mirrors or other reflective surfaces, so that guests are spared the "buzzkilling indignity of seeing their own faces after an epic partying session."[3][4]

The club's door policy is notorious for being both strict and opaque,[23] generating occasional accusations of racism[9][24][25] and frequent debate and speculation about how to get in.[26][27][28] Head bouncer Sven Marquardt, who is also a photographer, is a minor celebrity in the techno scene.[2][29]

Record label[]

Panorama Bar resident Cassy

In 2005, Berghain's owners started a record label, Ostgut Ton.[4][30] Its first releases were by Berghain/Panorama Bar DJ residents such as Marcel Dettmann, Cassy and Ben Klock. The label's music is mostly techno, tech house, Detroit techno and minimal techno.

In 2007 Berghain collaborated with the Berlin State Ballet to create Shut Up and Dance! Updated, a ballet for five dancers that was performed at the club in late June and early July that year.[31][32] The ballet's soundtrack, released on Ostgut Ton on May 29, 2007,[32] is made up of five specially composed tracks by prominent minimal techno artists, such as Luciano, Âme, Sleeparchive and Luke Slater (The 7th Plain).[33] The soundtrack received some positive reviews,[30][34][35] while the ballet was less well received.[36]

In October 2010 the label released a five-year anniversary compilation, Fünf, for which field recordings from within the club were used. Höppner further explained the concept behind the compilation in an August 2010 interview:

Well, it wasn't really my idea ... I didn't like the thought of doing it like everyone else–maybe a mix through the back catalog and a few exclusive new tracks by some key artists... I wanted something more special. Then a while ago I met Emika, she's making music herself on Ninja Tune. We sat together one day last summer and she told me about her last visit to Berghain. It was a regular Sunday morning and she noticed how everything in the building was resonating and vibrating and swinging and humming–she realized that there were a lot of sounds coming from the building itself. That led to the idea of doing field recordings within the building while it's not open to the public ... It took about two or three weeks ... It was a four gigabyte library.[37]

Höppner also spoke about the label's artist roster and sales performance, saying that many people who submit recordings are turned down because there are "so many in-house artists", while the label at that time was selling more product than other labels, but not generating much profit. Of the period from 2010 to 2015, Höppner said, "Everyone has his tastes and a very high standard of quality. Just maintaining this level of quality is our ambition, I guess. Keep it interesting, and whatever that might actually mean remains to be seen."[37]

Recognition[]

DJ Magazine's top 100 Clubs[]

Berghain first entered DJ Magazine's Top 100 Clubs list in 2008, ranking 20th, and reached the top position the next year.[38]

Position by year[]

Year Position Notes Ref.
2008 20 New Entry [39]
2009 1 N/A [40]
2010 8 N/A [41]
2011 6 N/A [42]
2012 13 N/A [43]
2013 18 N/A [44]
2014 14 N/A [45]
2015 13 N/A [46]
2016 16 N/A [47]
2017 12 N/A [48]
2018 10 N/A [49]
2019 10 N/A [50]
2020 8 N/A [51]

International Dance Music Awards[]

Year Category Work Result Ref.
2010 Best Global Club Berghain - Berlin, Germany Nominated [52]
2012 Nominated [53]
2013 Nominated [54]
2014 Nominated [55]
2015 Nominated [56]
2016 Nominated [57]
2020 Nominated [58]

Trivia[]

  • In the TV series Sense8 one of the characters, Riley Gunnarsdóttir, played by Tuppence Middleton, is admired for a recording of a DJ set she made in Berghain.[citation needed]

See also[]

  • List of electronic dance music venues
  • Superclub

References[]

  1. ^ Panoramabar: Berlin's Underworld | XLR8R Archived 2008-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Paumgarten, Nick (16 March 2014). "Dancing Through Berlin". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Rogers, Thomas (2014-02-06). "Berghain: The Secretive, Sex-Fueled World of Techno's Coolest Club". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Sherburne, Philip (2007-05-09). "The Month In: Techno". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  5. ^ andrew. "Ostgut, Berlin — Discopia". Archived from the original on 2006-08-29. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  6. ^ "Berlin electro club Berghain turns two". The Berlin Paper. 2006-12-16. Archived from the original on 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  7. ^ Andreas Tzortzis (1 May 2007). "In Berlin, art among the ruins". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. ^ Balzer, Jens (2012-08-15). "Berghain: Dies wäre Ihr Klub gewesen". fr-online.de (in German). Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Thaddeus-Johns, Josie (2019-11-14). "Anything Goes in Berlin's Clubs. But Are Bouncers Killing the Vibe? (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  10. ^ "New Cassy mix captures Panoramabar". Resident Advisor. 2006-07-09. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  11. ^ "Lab.Oratory Berlin". www.lab-oratory.de. Archived from the original on 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  12. ^ Mahrt, Emin (August 2011). "The Story of Funktion One". Proud Magazine.
  13. ^ "Berghain". Mondo*dr Magazine: 76–78. July–August 2005.
  14. ^ "Berghain's Panorama Bar Has A New Soundsystem". Electronic Beats. August 2017.
  15. ^ "Berghain cancels all club events until late April amid coronavirus concerns". DJMag.com. 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  16. ^ "Berghain is hosting limited-capacity "sound exhibitions"". DJMag.com. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b Bradley, Kimberly (2020-09-04). "While Berghain Is Closed, There's Art on the Dance Floor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  18. ^ Barrell, Sarah (2020-11-19). "How Berlin's infamous Berghain nightclub has reimagined itself in 2020". National Geographic UK. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  19. ^ "Berghain to open as art gallery in September". DJMag.com. 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  20. ^ Pidd, Helen (9 January 2008). "Last night a cellist saved my life". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 April 2014. Berlin's Berghain club is known for many things: its hardcore opening hours (starting from Saturday it stays open until Monday noon), its DJs (who play some of the best techno in Europe), and its relaxed attitude towards sex in public (walk past the booths on the ground floor and you're sure to see a bare bottom or 10).
  21. ^ Battersby, Shandelle (2006-10-19). "Ich bin ein NZer". The New Zealand Herald.
  22. ^ "Live from Berghain [Snax Party] (30-03-13)" (Audio upload). Dustin Zahn on SoundCloud. SoundCloud. May 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  23. ^ "Poll Clubs 2016: Berghain / Panorama Bar". DJMag.com. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  24. ^ "READ FELIX DA HOUSECAT'S TWITTER RANT IN FULL". DJMag.com. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  25. ^ "Is racism threatening Berlin's "utopian" club culture? - INDIE". INDIE Magazine. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  26. ^ "This website simulates getting in (or not getting in) to Berghain". Fact Magazine. 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  27. ^ Dundon, Alice. "These 11 Secret Things Will Help You Get into Berghain". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  28. ^ Campbell, Scott (2016-02-05). "Berghain: how to get into Berlin's most exclusive nightclub". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  29. ^ Helm, Burt (25 July 2015). "How the Bouncer of Berghain Chooses Who Gets Into the Most Depraved Party on the Planet". GQ. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-01-04. Retrieved 2007-08-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. ^ "Spielplan Spielzeit 06-07". Staatsballett Berlin. Archived from the original on 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b "Shut up and dance". Resident Advisor. 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  33. ^ "Various Artists – Shut Up And Dance! Updated". inthemix.com.au. 2007-06-07. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  34. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2007-08-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  35. ^ Macpherson, Alex (2007-05-25). "Various Artists, Shut up and Dance!". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  36. ^ Janet Leyton-Grant; Enrico Nawrath (27 June 2007). "Shut Up and Dance!". Resident Advisor. Resident Advisor Ltd. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b "Marcel Dettmann, SCB, Tama Sumo and others all contribute tracks to the Berlin label's new compilation". Resident Advisor. Resident Advisor Ltd. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  38. ^ Christopher Lawton (27 June 2011). "The Berlin Night Life: Dark...and Cool". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2008". DJMagazine.
  40. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2009". DJMagazine.
  41. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2010". DJMagazine.
  42. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2011". DJMagazine.
  43. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2012". DJMagazine.
  44. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2013". DJMagazine.
  45. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2014". DJMagazine.
  46. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2015". DJMagazine.
  47. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2016". DJMagazine.
  48. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2017". DJMagazine.
  49. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2018". DJMagazine.
  50. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2019". DJMagazine.
  51. ^ "Top 100 Clubs 2020". DJMagazine.
  52. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2018-09-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  53. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-01. Retrieved 2018-11-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  54. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2018-09-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  55. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2018-09-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  56. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2018-09-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  57. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2018-09-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  58. ^ "IDMA 2020 winners announced: Avicii's 'Tim' named as the best album". April 2020.

External links[]

Coordinates: 52°30′40″N 13°26′35″E / 52.51111°N 13.44306°E / 52.51111; 13.44306

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