On Tuesday 21^st May 2013 we are extremely pleased to be welcoming to The Circus another eyewitness speaker from the Zeitzeugenbörse (Centre for Witness to Contemporary History). This is part of our monthly series events that we have been running for the past two years, in which we invite speakers to come and join us for a while and tell us their own personal stories about different moments in Berlin and German history.

This month we are delighted to welcome Dr Golkowsky who will be coming to talk to us about the Second World War and its aftermath. Dr Golkowsky was born in 1934 in Silesia, and will share stories of his experience during the war, the flight to the west, and observations on life for himself, friends and family, on both sides of the iron curtain.

We are really looking forward to another fascinating evening of personal history in Fabisch, and we hope you will join us. The talk will be in English, is open to all, and is free… although we will be collecting contributions towards our own donation to the ZZB to help them continue in their important work.

Where: Fabisch at The Circus Hotel, Rosenthaler Straße 1 (U8: Rosenthaler Platz)
When: Tue 21^st May at 6.45pm

(Photo: Bundesarchiv on Wikimedia Commons)

If you want to join in the raucous and rowdy celebration of Berlin’s multicultural spirit then head south from Rosenthaler Platz to Kreuzberg on Sunday to join in with parade of the Carnival of Cultures, a fabulous collection of carnival groups from around the world made up of masqueraders, musicians, dancers, DJs and artists.

Around the Parade, from Friday to Monday there is a great programme of events going on around the neighbourhood… more about which you can find on the Carnival website. But never fear, if you head down on the U8 to Kreuzberg over the weekend you will have a great time of tasty food, super tunes, and over a million people throughout the four days who have realized as well that there is only one place in the city to be.

(Photo image: © visitBerlin | Koschel)

So you’ve come to Berlin and want to explore the city. The weather is fine, so you don’t want to join the crowds on the U-Bahn or sit in a stuffy bus, but at the same time you have realized that the walk from the East Side Gallery to the Bauhaus Archive might be a little too much for your feet to take. Never fear, we have you covered. We already offered the chance to rent bicycles, segways and Elmotos here at the Circus, and now we have a new member of our two-wheeled family – the Pedelec, thanks to the good folks at Lautlos durch Deutschland.

Unlike the Elmotos they have pedals, and unlike our bikes they have a motor… so if you manage to actually find a hill here in Berlin (next mountain to the east, somewhere in Russia) then you can let the Pedelec take the strain. When you are feeling fit and good, like a 2012 Bradley Wiggins, then the Pedelec works just like a normal bike as you cruise through the streets.

If you want to rent two wheels for your tour of the city, the prices are as follows (per day): Bike €12, Segway €15, Pedelec €18, and Elmoto €20… and if you need MORE WHEELS FOR YOUR MONEY… we also have rollerblades, for the low, low price of a fiver a day. Get moving through the city!

Coming up next Wednesday 15^th May at the Sputnik Kino in Kreuzberg is an event that sounds quite scary if you are the filmmakers involved… basically they get the chance to present their short films to an audience – there is no application, pre-selection or jury – and they will be simply judged by those watching. Any type of film can be presented, but if enough of the audience show the red card then the screening will be stopped. Nerve-wracking!

After the screenings there will be a short Q & A to give the filmmakers and the audience the chance to talk about the films, and this is a great opportunity not only for the filmmakers themselves to test their work, but also for those of us interested in film to get an idea of what is being created. The screenings start at 8.30pm and admission is free.

In Berlin we have a number of different “long nights…”, whether for museums  or knowledge, but coming up on the 11^th May is a long night that promises to be the tastiest of them all: the Long Night of Cuisine. In the neighbourhoods of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg a number of culinary establishments will be opening their doors from 6pm until midnight, giving you the chance to sample their work for a small price, showcasing the ever-increasing range of high quality, owner-operated culinary destinations we have here in our city.

Here’s some more information about what to expect:

On Saturday May 11th, the Friedrichshain shops “Küchenliebe”, “Zuckerstück” und “Stadtschönheit” invite you to a punch party with disco appetizers in mason jars. The café “Zuckerstück” is serving punch and cake, and the catering company “Stadtschönheit” is offering appetizers in mason jars, all accompanied with relaxing, electro lounge music from Horst Matrix. The restaurant “Schwarzer Hahn” is offering delicious smoked Thuringian pork with mustard-cream cucumbers, May-punch and jars filled with tasty duck rillette and black nuts. Café Sellberg invites you to a special reading with stories about coffee. While listening, you can enjoy the café’s three most popular cakes: cheesecake, carrot cake and nut brownie. Additionally, you can win coffee vouchers and a Berlin breakfast for two.

Whoever prefers tea instead can join an informative tasting of the trendy cult drink matcha tea. The tea store “Teekränzchen” welcomes you to the exciting world of tea: from tastings to tours through the diversity of tea, a visual tea seminar, a tea tombola with the motto “Every ticket wins”, and an exciting quiz. The Scandinavian candy store “Herr Nilsson GODIS” will surprise with its Nilsson’s Wheel of Fortune: visitors can try their luck at spinning the wheel to win different prizes like a Herr Nilsson T-shirt, a candy tasting or a special discount. You can experience a different kind of disco in the restaurant “scheers schnitzel”, located at the Oberbaumbrücke. At their “Schnitzeldisco” you can get cocktail shots (i.e. Basil Smash, MaiThai Shot, 3-Days-Awake-Caffeine-Shot), a tasting portion of schnitzel and a scheers-dessert for a small price. The party will be accompanied by a DJ desk. Caution: come as a schnitzel and get a schnitzel for free.

Guests will get an introduction of classic German brewing in Kreuzberg at the “Brahaus Südstern”. Small samples of rare beer specialties will be served and its characteristics explained, as Brewmaster Thorsten Schoppe presents his own favorite beers. Other participating culinary partners in Kreuzberg include “Cupcake Cuisine”, “OlioBiscotti” , “Zum goldenen Krümel” and “W.E.I.N. eG”.

You can register for the event and find out more information on the Long Night of Cuisine website.

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Throughout the month of May the Komische Oper in Berlin performs only operas by… well yes, you’ve guessed it, the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. There are loads of different performances throughout the month, but we are especially pleased to announce that we have teamed up with the Komische Oper to offer Circus guests a €10 discount on the following:

10^th May – Don Giovanni
12^th May – The Marriage of Figaro
20^th May – Don Giovanni
23^rd May – Don Giovanni
24^th May – The Abduction from the Seraglio
26^th May – The Abduction from the Seraglio

If any of our guests are interested then please contact the reception, where you can also get information about the rest of the festival.

The next in our series of Perfect Days comes from Lisanne, our social media guru and the person you should ask for all your Berlin tips and ideas for things to do… You will find Lis tweeting here…

UP IN TIME FOR BREAKFAST…

One of my favourite spots for breakfast – and not far from The Circus – is the Café Fleury in Weinbergsweg. Sometimes hard to get a table, but they also have an outside area with blankets and morning sun. They have great Cappuccino, several breakfast options but also cakes, daily changing soups and sandwiches. If you´re not the big-breakfast-type, just take the “petit français” (“little French”) – a coffee and a croissant.

GOOD MORNING BERLIN…

Once done with breakfast, I´d walk up Kastanienallee, a great street to do some not too expensive shopping if you don´t like big fashion chains. There are several shops of Berlin labels such as Mr. & Mrs. Peppers (Kastanienallee 91/92) who have great Berlin-made skirts and dresses, with a hint of 70ies. In winter time, you should stop for a waffle at Kauf dich glücklich, a café/shop where you can basically buy everything they have inside. The Elvis waffle is my favourite J

A SPOT OF LUNCH…

Ready to eat again? J In walking distance from Kastanienallee is a Vietnamese restaurant, Monsieur Voung (www.monsieurvuong.de). They serve absolutely delicious and fresh Vietnamese food and have a daily changing menu including yummy appetizers and a smoothie of the day. If you don´t like what is on the daily board, go for the Wan-Tan-Soup on the permanent menu – so good. They don´t take reservations, but you never have to wait long even though it’s always full (some kind of magic…)

THROUGH THE AFTERNOON…

(above: © visitBerlin | Koschel)

Let’s get out of this district and move to western Berlin, or rather in the south!  One of my all-time favourite spots in Berlin is the former airport Tempelhof. It has been turned into a huge free space with a park-like atmosphere – but mostly it is one of the few spots inside of this city where you have a wide horizon and the feeling to be able to breathe. You can do a tour through the old airport-buildings, rent some rollerblades or bikes from Circus reception and stroll around, watch family barbecues, city garden projects and all sorts of kites and kitebladers… the sunset is amazing here, too.

SOMETHING FOR DINNER (AND BEYOND)…

Ideally, it still warm outside… head to Kottbusser Tor and walk down Admiralsstrasse, you will cross a little bridge where in summertime young guitarists and beer lovers make it difficult for bikes and cars to cross – but create an international and fun atmosphere. Just next to the bridge is an Italian Restaurant, Il Casolare, original Italian waiters and white-red-table-cloths included. The taste of the pizza makes you feel like you´re in Italy, too. The pasta and meat menu changes daily and is only in Italian – its worth bringing up the courage to let it translate by one of the waiters! If you don´t get a table, get a pizza to take away and have a seat alongside the water. And enjoy! J

The Perfect Day series is a collection of suggestions of things to see and do in the city that have been chosen by, and are very personal to, different members of the Circus team. You can see more Perfect Days on the blog here.

But the end of the bookshop, sad as it is, does not mean the end of Dialogue… and within a few hours of the hangovers clearing they sent out their first invitation to their first post-Bookshop event – part of their Literary Lounge series at Soho House – and it seems fitting in this time of shift and change for both Dialogue and the wider industry, that it is their first eBook event:

“This month in the Literary Lounge, Dialogue Books is thrilled to mark the launch of Frisch & Co eBook imprint with a very special evening of conversation and reading.

Founded in 2012, Frisch & Co. Electronic Books is a Berlin-based eBook publisher of contemporary fiction in English-language translation. Joining Dialogue Books’ owner Sharmaine Lovegrove are E.J Van Lanen, founder of Frisch & Co. and Anna Kim, winner of the 2012 EU Prize for Literature and author of Anatomy of A Night (“one of the most exciting and beautiful German language texts in recent years”).

Please Note: This a bi-lingual reading with English language discussion.

Spaces are – as ever – extremely limited, so please RSVP to events@dialoguebooks.org to reserve your space.”

The Literary Lounge takes place on May 14^th, just a short stroll down the Torstraße away from The Circus, but as they mention in their information places are VERY limited so make sure you register at the email address above.

For more on the future of Dialogue in Berlin, take a look here, whilst if you are (like us) bereft because of the closure of the shop, check out this post with alternative foreign-language booksellers in Berlin.

This coming Tuesday (30^th April) we have a tour once more to the Otto Weidt Museum, just down the street from the Circus. It is one of the most fascinating free tours that we offer, thanks to the commitment and knowledge of the museum guides who show us around… they really are excellent, and the story they have to tell has to be heard to be believed.

In 1936 Otto Weidt established his workshop, which he moved in 1940 to the back courtyard of Rosenthaler Straße 39 to manufacture brooms and brushes. Because one of his main customers was the German Army, Weidt managed to have his business classified as vital to the war effort. About thirty blind and deaf Jews were employed at his shop between the years of 1941 and 1943. When the Gestapo began to arrest and deport his Jewish employees, Weidt fought to secure their safety by falsifying documents, bribing officers, and even hiding them inside the factory itself.

Here’s what Andrew, our Entertainment Manager has to say about his experience of leading the tour down to the Otto Weidt museum:

“During the tour through the museum you discover stories of real people that are almost unbelievable – from the desperation of living a hidden and underground life in Berlin to amazing stories of survival – and it is thanks to the guides at the Otto Weidt that this history comes to life in such a vivid and incredible way. After the tour of the museum they then take us through the heart of the old Jewish quarter of Berlin, including the memorial that marks the collection spot for the Jewish population before their deportation to the camps.”

The tour is of course free to guests of The Circus, but places are limited, so please make sure you sign up at reception to guarantee your place.

Something very special on the Fabisch stage this Friday evening, as we welcome IriS Romen to the Circus as part of our regular live music events on Friday evenings. A veteran of the Clärchens Ballhaus stage, IriS is celebrating the release of her first album “Vintage Gal Hour”, from which she will be performing some songs on Friday evening. But words cannot do justice to what you have to look forward to on Friday, so watch this video instead and we will see you there:

IriS Romen – Live in Fabisch at The Circus Hotel
Friday 26^th April at 10pm
Admission: Free