Justice
Why Berlin's Top Nightclub Is Now Officially a Cultural Venue
It’s all about money, of course, but the Berghain case is also a symbol of how seriously the city takes its nightlife scene.
It’s official: techno is culture. Thus ruled a German court this month in a case concerning Berghain, Berlin’s (and increasingly Europe’s) best-known nightclub.
A vast dance club housed in a former East Berlin power station, Berghain has somehow managed the impressive feat of becoming world famous while still retaining a reputation as having an underground edge. Now, a regional court has to an extent enshrined its status in law, by ruling that it may join the city’s museums and concert halls in being taxed not as an entertainment business, but as a venue for culture.