Techno-Walk in Berlin
Berlin’s techno culture was added to the German national inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2024. In doing so, the German UNESCO Commission is recognising the social and cultural significance of Berlin’s club culture, techno festivals and parades. It was Berlin’s specific situation after the fall of the Iron Curtain, particularly the numerous free spaces, that enabled a scene for techno music with international appeal to emerge – and to thrive and remain relevant to this day; despite all the changeability of pop culture scenes – Berlin and techno belong together.
The World Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage was celebrated by the Berlin Club for UNESCO with a city tour following the traces and stations of Berlin’s techno history (and present). The route led from the Rotes Rathaus (Berlin’s City Hall) via the Alte Münze (the old mint, a former abandoned place now filled with cultural actors), past the Kitkat Club and the Tresor (famous techno locations) to the Holzmarkt, where we were able to summarise the tour in a relaxed manner. The tour was led by Anna Grigoreva, a graduate of Heritage Studies in Cottbus-Senftenberg, who provided us with a wealth of information, photos and stories to illustrate the development and changing nature of Berlin’s techno culture as well as its integration into Berlin’s cultural policy and the challenges it faces. Dr. Motte (founder of the Love Parade) and his wife Ellen Dosch-Roeingh, who had prepared the application for the nationwide inventory, as well as other members of Rave the Planet, an NGO that campaigns for the public recognition of Berlin clubs as a cultural form worth preserving, entered dialogue with us. It was precisely this exchange full of anecdotes that made the tour very special.
The event is part of the cluster “Series of activities to celebrate the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage 2024 in Germany”.
Text as provided by the organiser(s).