Category: Guide Berlin
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“Darth Vader speaks Amtssprache”: The Chilling Poetry of German Bureaucracy
Every bureaucracy has its language; one might even go further to say that language is bureaucracy’s main tool. The characteristics of bureaucratic speech are well known: thick, complicated sentences, dripping with precision and impersonality. It is intentionally difficult to understand, requiring a certain amount of skill and training in its dark art. Most people will […]
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The Kiez: Where Berlin Becomes Personal
I’ve often said that in France every region has its dish, its wine, and its cheese; in Germany, every region has its dish, beer, sausage…and language. If we learned German before coming here, we learned “High German” (Hochdeutsch) – because it’s spoken in the high country… not because it’s lofty, or something – and then […]
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What does the Bezirksamt actually do, and why should you care?
Most Berliners know the Bezirksamt as the place where they wait weeks for a Bürgeramt appointment. But behind the paperwork lies one of the most important layers of democracy in the city — the level of government that shapes daily life in every neighborhood. Berlin often feels like two cities at once: a capital where […]
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Understanding Berlin – Why the City Is So Hard to Navigate
Berlin is a city of diversity. Almost a third of its residents were born outside of Germany, and thousands more arrive each year to study, work, or build a new life. Yet while the city thrives on its international character, those very people who keep it dynamic often face a paradox: it’s surprisingly hard to […]
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WahlheYmatPost – Understanding HOW TO BERLIN
It’s not easy to describe how I feel right now, having the privilege of greeting you in the very first edition of a newspaper dedicated to Berlin’s social and political life. My family and I arrived in Berlin almost ten years ago, literally knowing no one. It was exciting to feel the city’s vibe, to […]
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