#76

Yes! We made it through 2024! 2025, here we go!

Is your first reaction to the cold, grey Berlin winter usually escaping to the South, too? Well, maybe you should think twice this year. Berlin has so much to offer, even in January.

We have to admit that in our last Orania.Newsletter, our yearly December-christmas-mailing, we neglected those ones a bit who share our opinion that December really is the time for gingerbread and getting together with your loved ones. Well, it´s never too late for Christmas feelings, is it? If you are still in the mood for them, Christmas Garden Berlin at Botanischer Garten is your place to be until 12 January. Depending on your stress level before the holidays, this might even be a good opportunity to catch up with what you missed while doing the Christmas shopping and all the work that comes with the festive season. Apart from the beautiful lights, there are also some Christmas market stands along the way – a perfect opportunity to get some of the last cups of Glühwein of the season. Or one of the first ones this year. 

And this is the moment, when the Grinches start complaining about Christmas activities in January. Alright, that´s it, don´t worry. Orania.Berlin brought something for all the kids.

Not very christmassy, but as intense as some Christmas parties: “RCE” at renown Berliner Ensemble. Unfortunately, the adaptation of Sibylle Berg´s latest novel doesn´t carry English surtitles. But even the complex videos (“video of the year” – magazine Theater heute) and the futuristic stage are worth experiencing. Famous German director Kay Voges and the cast worked together with an artificial intelligence during rehearsals in order to find a less natural, cyber-like way of speaking for the actors. The result is a funny, avant-garde, overwhelming play of only 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you feel like listening to Tommy Finke´s soundtrack in preparation for your visit, just follow this link. The next show will be on 25 January.

Those of you who think, AI is getting a thing too quickly: C/O Berlin currently depicts the German capital right after the fall of the Berlin wall in its exhibition “Dream on – Berlin, the 90s”. Digitalisation was less important at that time than city development and finding a new identity for the reunited Germany, the reunited Berlin. Until 22 January you can admire photographs of agency OSTKREUZ, established in 1990 in former East Berlin. As exciting for those who still remember that time as well as those who consider the pictures historical documents already.

Speaking of history: did you know that advertising columns, in German so-called Litfaßsäulen (Eng.: Litfaß columns) are real Berliners? In 1855 publicist and marketing expert Ernst Litfaß installed the first of their kind at Münzstraße in Berlin Mitte to put an end to postering wildly on every house façade – and, of course, to earn money with the fees he took for postering on the columns. Find out more in this article.

There are probably few places in Berlin providing a more festive atmosphere to welcome the new year than Konzerthaus Berlin. So, how about enjoying one of the New Year´s concerts of charity organisation Volkssolidarität Berlin with famous German Film Orchestra Babelsberg? These events take place until 14 January. 

And if you haven´t experienced fantastic Joana Mallwitz yet, chief conductor and artistic director of Konzerthausorchester, scroll down to the bottom of this article for an overview of the concerts she conducts. The overwhelming positive energy and the musical precision of the “conductor of the year 2019” are a spectacle of their own.

We drink to her! Choosing whatever you like best. Our Orania.Barteam will know. Should you consider cheating once: In Schöneberg´s Goltzstraße you don´t only find Salut Bar and Green Door, but also the less known, but equally as atmospheric smokers´ bar Mister Hu. The salty popcorn they serve with the delicious drinks has achieved cult status in the neighbourhood already.

Well. From 20 January, the day of Donald Trump´s second inauguration, the world´s motto once more seems to be: Into the unknown! If the pressure of world politics is too much for you from time to time, just come around. Our Orania.Beds are as comfortable in 2025 as they were last year, our X-Berg-Duck is still as incomparably tasty as before and our Orania.Team´s cordiality and individuality stay unique in all of Germany´s hospitality. Okay, that sounded a lot like an advert. But you know why we´re so excited, right?