First Class U-Bahns

Berlin's housing crisis took a tragic turn this week when an elderly old woman died on the streets two days after being evicted from her apartment. Several hundred people marched through Kreuzberg on Sunday to protest the incident, and to voice their anger at the role of the police in enforcing evictions across the city. An increasing number of evictions are taking place across Berlin as landlords seek to take advantage of soaring rental prices. Evictions are routinely undertaken by large numbers of police, who have increased their enforcement measures in response to the growing crowds of blockading protesters. During Sunday's demonstration, marchers shouted angry slogans at the police, blaming them for "murdering" Rosemarie Fliess, an elderly woman who was forced out of her home in the district of Reinickendorf.

14 Huhti 20133min

Have you ever taken the U-Bahn to the end of the line? If not, you're missing out on some great architecture, according to photographer Kate Seabrook. On this short episode of Radio Spätkauf, Maisie interviews Kate about her project Endbahnhof (http://endbahnhof.tumblr.com/), which involved photographing the interiors of every one of Berlin's U-Bahn stations.

8 Huhti 20135min

On this construction-themed episode, Joel, Maisie and Andrew discuss Berlin buildings of all kinds, from the much maligned GDR variety to the much-loathed Stadtschloss (City Palace). Most people oppose the new Stadschloss, so why is it being built? Andrew talks to a man who is preserving East German architecture by creating miniature cardboard cut-outs of plattenbau and iconic DDR buildings. Plus random anti-smoking legislation, Knut lives on in the courts, the joys of Tegel airport and why development on Tempelhof Field might not be such a bad thing. Music from Kool Thing and legendary GDR composer Reinhard Lakomy. Tune in to Reboot.fm 88.4 Berlin from 11pm to hear the show, or download the podcast.

24 Maalis 201324min

Radio Spätkauf is the Berlin podcast, a half-hour discussion about news, politics and culture from the perspective of the city's international residents. Tonight hosts Maisie and Joel talk about the main topic of the past two weeks; the re-fall of the Berlin wall. Who requested the building of a footbridge, which was the ostensible reason for the wall's partial removal? We play interviews from the main events as they unfolded. Berlin's troubled airport has been lit up like a Christmas tree for months now; the reason? They can't work out how to turn off the lights. U-Bahn tickets are going up again to €2.60 this summer; compare that to the Pirate party's plan for free public transport, which would require €800M funding, or €131 from every Berliner per year. Maisie presents her interview with Victor Grossman, an American soldier who defected to the DDR because he agreed with their political views. Now retired and living on Karl Marx Allee, he told Maisie he didn't regret his decision to move east. The Berlin government is offering a prize if you can come up with an interesting new souvenir for the city. Got any ideas? Send them here: http://www.sei.berlin.de/designwettbewerb We play music from Ideal, as well as Moritz Reichelt from Der Plan. More information about the show at http://www.radiospaetkauf.com

10 Maalis 201327min

Should Berlin's international residents feel responsible for the eviction of a Turkish family in Kreuzberg? We talk about what the city's foreign residents should be doing to mitigate the impact of their presence. Our new reporter Andrew visited a demonstration against the eviction and collected interviews from people on the street. We also talk about a petition to prevent development on Tempelhof airfield, which is being eyed off as prize real estate. Then there's the sad story of a bottle collector who jumped onto the S-Bahn tracks to collect a flasche - he should have used the Pfandgeben website instead: www.pfandgeben.de. There's music tonight from Joel's band Skiing: www.skiing.bandcamp.com. Radio Spaetkauf is the Berlin podcast, a fortnightly conversation about local politics, architecture, public transport and culture. More info at www.radiospaetkauf.com.

25 Helmi 201326min

Berlin's transport company, the BVG, doesn't like graffiti, so when two filmmakers decided to make a film about trainwriting (graffiti on trains) in Berlin, the BVG managed to get it banned. After two years, the ban has been lifted and the film is now set for general release. We talk to the the men behind 'Unlike U: Trainwriting in Berlin' about their fight to get the film shown. Also on the show: After another PhD plagiarism scandal hits German politics, we discuss whether the country's obsession with academic qualifications is causing politicians to cut corners. And we talk about how the legendary Tacheles has reopened - but not to the public - as well as toxic graffiti, the Berlin robber tunnellers using Facebook to fool the police, and how Berlin's housing crisis may save the much maligned GDR 'Plattenbau.' This episode aired on Sunday February 10 on Berlin's Reboot.fm. This is the MUSIC FREE version. To hear the FULL VERSION, go to http://www.radiospaetkauf.com

9 Helmi 201326min

Maisie and Joel discuss the debate over what Berliners call their bread rolls - wecken or schrippen. Joel interviews Tim Edler of Flussbad Berlin, the group who wants to turn a stretch of the river Spree into a public swimming pool. Maisie plays a song from a forgotten East German band that sounds uncannily like the Blade Runner theme. And the pair talk about a ban on new restaurants in trendy streets in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.

20 Tammi 201321min

The BVG declares that "foreigners can count on goodwill" if caught with the wrong ticket on the U-Bahn. Someone is dropping razorblade-laced meatballs on Berlin footpaths. The airport is out of money and delayed again, and the Staatsoper too; so why does Berlin bother trying to build monumental structures? What changes can you expect in Germany on January 1? A new compulsory TV tax, for starters. Join Maisie and Joel for our end-of-year special.

13 Joulu 201229min