Berghain – The best Club in the World?
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Berghain – Champagne or seltzer? Whoever gets in is in. Yes, Mr. General Manager.
Anyone who has once walked the sacred footpath to Berghain Berlin would hate to hear: “Sorry, not today. Try it somewhere else.”
The revelers stand humbly in line and wait until the verdict is in. They accept their punishment if they are denied entry and depart, “because they know the word of the temple guard is just and final” (Die Welt). Admission to the cathedral depends, among other things, on the pilgrims’ dress code. Not chic enough (underdressed), too chic (overdressed), too ugly, too put-upon, there are many vague characteristics that influence the bouncers.
How to get into Berghain Berlin?
Here are a few tips researched from the web to get into one of the hottest dance floors: In the queue before the entrance, for example, to the club night, do not attract attention and appear confident & naturally friendly, black clothes should be an advantage. With these outfits you can get into any big city club. (ze.tt) You should not be dressed completely out of place or drunk, do not drink beer in line. Locals (regulars) definitely have an advantage:
It is good to stand behind a group of tourists who are likely to be rejected, because you are waiting too tensely and you can smell the “shit in your pants” before the rejection. Behind it, “you” should seem cooler.
Whoever gets in is in and has a clear path. Do not worry the capacity of the sacred temple is large, many guests come in easier than they expect. Then you are in, according to the New York Times, “the best club in the world”. Enjoy the electro program.
The exact line-up is often secret , but the inclined techno head can look forward to an hour-long jam, to which he / she can of course dance in the large hall.
Berghain
Welcome to the realm of madness (Süddeutsche Zeitung Online). Today, the Berghain is also gladly called techno temple and “art in the club”: the Ibiza of Berlin (Spiegel Online) similarly many myths circle around the cult club (Wikipedia). The club in the district of Friedrichshain is considered one of the most famous in the world and is visited annually much and gladly by tourists and locals alike.
Already in 1998 the roots are stuck, because at that time the technoclub Ostgut opened, an important focal point of the technoculture of the 90s. In addition, the Ostgut was quite famous for also hosting parties for fetish lovers and homosexuals. When the club’s building was demolished, founders Michael Teufele and Norbert Thormann moved to a larger location not far from the old one in 2004. With the new start, the name was also changed to Berghain. Since that year, the club has continued to climb the ladder of success.
In 2010, the club was renovated and rebuilt to create more space for the partygoers. In 2014, the 10th anniversary followed: 10 years of techno – a legend celebrates anniversary (Stern.de). On four floors, the celebration community now finds dressing rooms, dark rooms, cozy corners, cool bars, the Lab Oratory for men, the large club room and a side room for exhibitions and the like. In addition, the music label Ostgut Ton is settled there.
In 2009, the club was chosen as the best club in the world by the DJ trade magazine “DJ Magazine”. The location is one of the best and most famous techno clubs in the world. In the meantime, this place belongs to another amusement club, but Berghain still plays at the top of the world ranking.
The program at the Berghain Club
Highly praised as a techno temple and much sought-after by Berliners and tourists from all countries, the house naturally also has a corresponding program on the schedule. The club nights feature danceable techno, house and electro.
The special feature is the world-famous DJs who regularly play here and bring the dance floor to a boil. There is also the possibility to party all night long. When the doors open for the club night on Saturdays, the party on the main floor and at the bars goes on continuously until the early hours of Monday morning. On Fridays, the bars usually play hip club music by well-known DJs.
In summer the program is extended by the open garden with bar and DJ music from noon. Sex parties, fetish parties and gay discos are also often held. Concerts are held mostly on weekdays on the main level. From time to time, the musical program is extended by cultural events, such as photo exhibitions, sound installations or the well-known Electroacoustic Salon.
The Berg-hain also regularly participates in the annual CTM Festival, an event for experimental music. Here, according to Focus Online, it says: going out extreme in self-experiment kreuzberg-friedrichshain 24 hours in the wildest club in the world.
The bouncers
As famous as the club itself is, so are the bouncers and their harsh regiment at Berghain. They alone decide who is allowed to pass through the gate to the temple.
The selection is very strict, the bouncers are known for their special, mysterious connoisseur look. They all failed at the bouncer (B.Z.). So far, no one has been able to get behind exactly for what reasons the selections take place. A large part of the waiting pack is often not let in, for it often a short head shake is enough.
The media and also disappointed visitors often speak of the hardest door in Berlin. While bouncers generally have a certain charisma, some of the bouncers are even downright famous. There is for example Roger Baptist, better known as the musician Rummelsnuff or also Sven Marquardt.
The face of Berghain: Sven Marquardt
Club connoisseurs will already have him in mind: Sven Marquardt, the face of the club. The man who decides with his people who is allowed to party in the palace and who is not. Many say of him that he is the best-known bouncer in Germany and even internationally famous.
The pierced and tattooed man in his 50s is one of the club’s few permanent employees. Born in East Berlin, he has been there almost from the beginning and probably knows the audience like no other. Trained as a cameraman and photographer, he is now mainly a bouncer, but still does a lot of photography. He has even exhibited some of his pictures on site and even published an autobiography in 2014.
If you want to get inside the dance temple, you definitely have to pass this symbolic figure of the club scene.
When to go?
It is known even beyond the city limits that there is always a long queue in front of the entrance. The club usually opens around midnight, and the first queues form even before then.
A wait of several hours is not uncommon. Especially when special DJs play or the summer comes, the party people are attracted to the club. So one option is of course by bike to the legendary clubs (Tagesspiegel Online).
The media and also disappointed visitors often speak of the hardest door in Berlin. While bouncers generally have a certain charisma, some of the bouncers are even downright famous.
I ♥ Berlin
At peak times, there is often a second queue, but this is reserved for regulars and guest list guests. But even here, there are longer waiting times. When exactly is the best time to go to Berghain cannot be clearly stated. Guests have to wait either way. And often for nothing, when one of the bouncers shakes his head and sends people home.
The dress code for men and women
It actually stands to reason that in such a hip club, where not everyone is allowed in, there would be a certain dress code. But it is not like that. There is no set dress code requirement, nor is there any indication of what Berghain outfit might be helpful when entering. In general, guests should appear confident, but not arrogant, and wear coherent outfits and have a well-groomed appearance.
More important than the dress code at Berghain is probably the appearance. Drunk guests do not even need to try it and are immediately rejected. This way you are guaranteed to get into “Berghain”. (Die Welt Online). Since the club is often also a bit more revealing and is considered sexually open, you could even choose a skimpy outfit.
The important thing is that the impression is right and the bouncers are convinced by it. Surely no one should show up there in flip flops, but that should be clear to everyone. That’s how you get through the toughest door in town (gefühlskonserve.de). Many connoisseurs of the club advise, by the way, to look the bouncer calmly open in the face. Thus, one’s own self-confidence can be demonstrated and bouncers are, after all, only human.
The DJs, the music
As already mentioned, the club mainly plays techno, electro and house, “the rest of the world disappears” – The legendary house (ntv.de). On the regular club nights, the DJs play techno, minimal techno, house and electronic music of all kinds. On Saturday club nights, very famous and world-renowned DJs often perform. These are regular guests at the club. Some examples of well-known DJs who are resident DJs at Berghain today include Norman Nodge, Ben Klock, Len Faki, André Galluzzi, Tama Sumo
