A homeless man in central Berlin. Photo: DPA
Only in a city where everyone speaks a common language can people have enough sensitivity for changes in the world around them. The prevalence of English in Berlin makes this tricky, argues editor of The Local, Jörg Luyken.
The conservative politician Jens Spahn controversially claimed last year that Berlin was turning into a version of 18th century Europe, when the upper classes removed themselves from society by speaking French rather than the local language.
Whatever the accuracy of Spahn’s observation that “elite hipster” Germans prefer to talk in English than in their native tongue, he was right on one point: a common language is necessary for society to live harmoniously.
And this is a problem which people who move into the German capital from abroad should think about. Berlin is currently undergoing rapid change as money and jobs have started pouring into the city for the first time since the Second World War.
READ ALSO: Why some foreigners live in Germany without mastering the language
While this has brought many obvious benefits, it has also come with problems - not least a dramatic rise in homelessness as people and families have been pushed out of the housing market.
The German Press Agency (DPA) on Wednesday published an article detailing the extent to which homelessness has reached into the middle classes of Berlin society.
Berliners are particularly vulnerable to changes in the housing market because the city is almost entirely made up of renters, the report explains. While in other German cities at least a quarter of the population own their own homes, only 15 percent of Berliners do so.
That Berlin is a city of tenants was never previously a problem - there was enough housing in the city to supply its population. But with the large influx of "new Berliners" in recent years, landlords now have an incentive to cancel contracts if tenants are even slightly late on paying their rent.
Reiner Wild, head of the Berlin Tenants’ Association, told DPA that the tendency among landlords to throw out their tenants after just one unpaid rent is "very common.” The landlords know that they will be able to re-rent their property for more money, he explained.
Experts are warning that the result is families being forced to look for accommodation in shelters.
Barbara Eschen, spokeswoman for the National Conference on Poverty, told DPA that “the whole help system is blocked up - including women’s refuges.”
“Homelessness is intruding further into the middle classes than was once the case,” Eschen said. “From my experience, homelessness among families is a more recent problem - and it has an awful lot to do with pressure on the housing market.”
Exact figures on the homelessness problem are hard to come by - city authorities do not publish relevant statistics.
SEE ALSO: 'Bureaucracy makes you feel like a lowly beggar': surviving on the streets of Berlin
But the charity Caritas, which provides shelter and food, does count the amount of people that seek help from it. In the district of Moabit, it details how the number of people seeking help has doubled in a decade. In 2017 some 3,200 used their services. And more and more are people who have jobs. Whereas in 2007, 5 percent of people seeking help had an income, that had risen to 15 percent in 2017.
Of course, it is not the fault of someone offered a well-paying job at a tech company that they can afford to rent a renovated apartment in Kreuzberg. But people who move into Berlin from abroad are often part of the knowledge economy, and as such tend to be the ones putting pressure on the housing market rather than the ones feeling the weight of that pressure.
It is ultimately the responsibility of the Berlin government to make sure that vulnerable people are being protected. (To this end the Berlin senate recently doubled its budget for helping the homeless to €8.1 million.)
In the long term though, if Berlin is to become a cohesive city, anyone who has come here to live and work has the responsibility to understand what is going on around them - in their own small way they are contributing to social changes.
To this extent I can only agree with Spahn. For Berlin to prosper and grow together, everyone needs to take the time to learn German.
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Travelling to Europe just got a whole lot more affordable, with the newest budget flights to launch set to deliver Aussies to one of the world’s hottest cities.
Tickets to Scoot’s latest destination, Berlin, have just gone on sale.
And with fares for as little as $379, we’re tipping the German capital is about to become an even bigger hit with Australian travellers.
It’s the third long-haul destination for the Singapore-based low-cost airline, after Athens (launched last year to the delight of cash-strapped Aussie travellers who were able to snap up flights as low as $325) and Honolulu.
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The new flights to Berlin (via Singapore) launch on June 20, with basic economy flights from Perth from $379 one way (excluding bags and food) or $1199 in ScootBiz, which includes 30kg checked baggage, 15kg carry-on baggage, meals and a drink, ScootTV, plus a wide leather reclining seat and in seat power.
Flights from Melbourne and Sydney start from $439 or $1299 flying ScootBiz.
And fares from the Gold Coast start at $429 or $1299 for ScootBiz.
media_camera Fireworks at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
The four-times-weekly Singapore-Berlin flights will be operated on Boeing 787 Dreamliners, subject to regulatory approval, which boast state of the art innovations that provide a more comfortable travel experience, according to Scoot.
These include improved humidity and cabin pressurisation, large dimmable windows, 20 per cent less noise, in-flight Wi-Fi, in-seat power and in-flight ScooTV entertainment streamed to guests’ own devices.
“Scoot’s low-cost long-haul business model has finally taken off in the last six months with our flights to Athens and Honolulu,” says Scoot CEO Lee Lik Hsin.
“Both have lived up to our expectations and our guests tell us that the 787 Dreamliner has been key to convincing them to travel long-haul on low-cost.
“With Berlin, we continue on our mission to bring more choices for great value long-haul, low-cost travel to more travellers so they can escape the ordinary!”
media_camera Scoot says its Dreamliners provide a more comfortable flying experience.
And Germany is already bracing for the influx of Aussie travellers.
“The new Scoot route to Berlin is fantastic news for Germany,” says Stefanie Eberhard, director of the German National Tourist Office in Sydney.
“It opens up many new opportunities for Australian visitors and, with additional flights, travellers can easily explore the capital Berlin and nearby cities such as Dresden, Leipzig and Hamburg.
“Berlin is a happening city packed with exciting events, concerts, exhibition and shows all year round. Germany’s focus for 2018 is ‘Culinary Germany’ which aims to introduce travellers to the country’s gourmet highlights such as the popular Currywurst in Berlin or the many Michelin starred restaurants in the capital.”
media_camera The Berlin Wall East Side Gallery.
The sale fares are for travel from June 20 to October 26, 2018, and are on sale until 2.59am, February 1 (AEDT) or until sold out.
Escape readers can score $30 off selected FLYBAG and FLYBAGEAT fares, by keying in the promo code GOBERLIN.
For details or to book, visit flyscoot.com.
For more travel news and inspiration, sign up to Escape’s newsletter.
Promo fares are available until 31 Jan 2018, and it's for travel from 20 Jun to 26 Oct 2018.
This is a great year for budget travellers because low-cost long-haul flights seem to be the trend. Scoot, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines, has recently launched their ticket sales to Berlin. This is Scoot’s third long-haul destination after Athens and Honolulu.
The four-times-weekly Singapore-Berlin flights are scheduled to commence on 20 Jun 2018, and a one-way ticket is going for S$299. This is under the Economy FLY fare category which does not include baggage and meals.
Of course, you’re probably wondering how much a round trip flight would cost. The return ticket is priced slightly higher, starting from S$368.04.
This means that a round-trip ticket from Singapore to Berlin costs S$667.04 – if you’re a no-frills traveller, that is.
If you would like to include a 20kg check-in baggage, you can opt for the FlyBag fare which costs an additional S$62 each way. Want food on the flight? Then throw in a bundle of baggage plus meal with the FlyBagEat fare for an additional S$112 each way.
Promo details
These fares are subject to availability and will go on sale until till 31 Jan 2018, for travel from 20 Jun to 26 Oct 2018. For an additional 10% off selected FLYBAG and FLYBAGEAT fares, key in the promo code ‘GOBERLIN’.
Is it a good deal?
Well, getting from Singapore to Europe for S$660 may sound tempting for some, but we have seen lower prices on budget airlines. Norwegian, for one, can fly you from Singapore to London and back under S$500, and when they launched their promo fare, it was less than S$200 for a one-way ticket.
On top of that, it’s possible to find tickets from Singapore to Berlin on a full-fledged carrier (like Turkish Airlines) for around S$1,000 – and this would include baggage, meals, and in-flight entertainment. Scoot’s FLYBAGEAT fare would just be slightly cheaper than this.
Is it worth it, then? That’s up to you to decide. What’s great is having the extra option on our hands.
Some of the information here are extracted from the press release issued by Scoot
