Berlin in the wild 90s: clubs, techno, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and freedom

Berlin is not only striking, inspiring, and headstrong today. Even in the 1990s, the capital had a wild, creative, and chaotic character. It was a time when, after 28 years of division, the Berlin Wall fell and the inhabitants of the FRG and the GDR had to reorient themselves. The extent of the social and cultural challenges in Berlin's nightlife is evident in the transformation of clubs, the emergence and global triumph of electronic music, especially techno and house, and illegal parties. As so often in the city's history, needs arose in Berlin in the 1990s that could not be fully met by legal offerings. This quickly raised the question of how Berlin's new nightlife fit in with gambling and the allure of the forbidden.

🚧 The wild east – How Berlin's club scene reinvented itself🕺

The longing for intense experiences and the departure into boundless spheres came together in a unique way, taking into account the spatial conditions. We are talking about the conversion of vacant factories, especially the former LPG, and bunkers left over from World War I and II. The exodus to the West and emigration from Germany, which had continued for years, contributed to a large number of vacant residential buildings in Berlin after the fall of the Wall. However, these locations and spaces proved to be ideal for Berlin's emerging and rapidly growing club scene.

Thus, these quaint locations became an integral part of the subculture. Among the well-known clubs of yesterday and today are Tresor, E-Werk, and Bunker. They are indispensable companions in the development of the electronic music scene. Tresor, which opened in Berlin in 1991, quickly became one of the most successful techno clubs. Since 2007, it has been rooted in the heating plant in Berlin-Mitte. In the 1990s, the location was one of the most important clubs in the city. From 1992 to 1996, breakbeat, house, gabber, hard trance, and techno concerts and raves could be experienced on four levels.

Due to its somewhat musty and damp interior, it had a somewhat unsavory image. From 1993 to 1997, the E-Werk Berlin was considered a defining location for the techno scene. Among the most important events were the Dubmission parties with Paul van Dyke and Chromapark. The allure of illegality prompted techno organizers to hold illegal parties in Berlin. These included secret locations not approved for events, as well as the sale and consumption of intoxicants. The combination of illegality, freedom, and excesses came together on a weekly or monthly basis.

🎰From slot machines to poker games – gambling in Berlin's nightlife🃏

Illegal activities attract other illegal activities. This was also true in Berlin after reunification and was evident in gambling. Gambling took place wherever people gathered in groups. Since 1975, this was not only the case in Berlin's casino, but also in places where people met to dance, for example. The most popular games of chance were poker and slot machines. The fascination with gambling continued with the introduction and spread of online casinos. Using the list of free bonuses, you can now get your own taste of the thrill day or night, just like in a club, and get started right away as a new player without making a deposit.

Incidentally, the most typical locations for games involving money and high odds of winning at that time were not only the players' own homes, but also hotel rooms, back rooms in bars, pubs, and restaurants, as well as rooms in clubs. Poker in Berlin and throughout Germany was therefore illegal as soon as it was played commercially with real money stakes and with the involvement of outsiders. The installation and use of slot machines also increased, with the Gauselmann Group playing a significant role with its Merkur slot machines.

💊Adrenaline, sound, and risk – the night as a game🎧

The atmosphere in Berlin's nightlife today, as then, is as diverse as a kaleidoscope. One of the most striking features was the increasing symbiosis of high volume and the use of lighting effects, such as strobe lights, which emit flashes of light at predefined intervals. In Berlin's club scene, chemically induced ecstasy was also part of the subculture. The seemingly endless techno and house tracks awakened a desire in Berlin's rave scene to increase stamina and to experience and keep up with the urge to play for as long as possible, both physically and mentally. This was supported by party drugs such as ecstasy, LSD, molly, and cocaine.

Taking chemical substances (MDMA) not only promoted a sense of community, but also lifted the mood. In this way, going to clubs, raves, and festivals became an attraction of the forbidden and a playful risk with the danger of losing control and the maximum experience of inner freedom. Contemporary witnesses of the 1990s and followers of the techno and house scene report on the collective intoxication and the merging into a reality all their own.

📊Table – Legendary Berlin clubs of the 90s: Music, atmosphere, risk🔥

| Club name | Founded | Music style | Known for | |:-------------------:|:-------------:|:-------------------- -:|:------------------------------------------:| | Tresor | 1991 | Techno, Detroit style | Illegal parties, dark bunker aesthetic 💣 | | E-Werk | 1993 | House, Electric | Light show, queer crowd 🌈 | | Bunker | 1992 | Industrial, Acid | Hardest sound in town 🧱 | | Maria am Ostbahnhof | 1994 | Breakbeats, minimal | Mix of art and excess 🎨 |

The histories of techno and Berlin clearly overlap. The development of Berlin's club culture cannot be viewed separately from the stages of the techno scene. To this day, electronic music has had an immense influence on Berlin and has made the city an internationally recognized party metropolis. Thanks to the inventiveness and creative integration of unique clubs, combined with people's need for freedom, phenomena such as the Love Parade in Berlin and other raves and festivals were able to establish themselves. Spectators from all over the world came together and shaped the subgenre.

⚠️ Loss of control or new order? The dark side of freedom 🌒

The understanding of Berlin's nightlife, especially techno and house music as a youth and risk culture, was fueled primarily by the consumption of amphetamines and ecstasy. The noise could also cause hearing damage, and the high release of stress hormones could significantly increase blood pressure and heart rate. Neither addictive behavior nor escalations were therefore uncommon in the club scene and were, and still are, part of the appeal of the forbidden.

Furthermore, the desire for spatial and inner freedom led not only to artistic outpourings, but also to addictive behavior and thus to health crises, some of which resulted in permanent damage to health. This raises the question for Berlin's nightlife: Where does the euphoria end and where do the problems begin that can result from the dark side? Ultimately, everyone has to answer this question for themselves.