With the arrival of the carnival, many people worldwide are preparing for the holidays with fasting and Lent meditation. Preparing for the Holy Week, which recalls the sacrifice of Jesus to rid the world of sin. It’s funny to remember repentance and recollection with the memory of the death of a martyr, with a party like the carnival all over the world, that has a great deal of fun and excess with food drink and pleasure. Sometimes, we consider that the influence of the church in our culture is becoming more dispersed, but it is not necessarily so.

The reverse influence of the tradition of carnival, may suggest that an expression of celebration and excess is simply another means to keep the community united and not allow to effectively question the results of organized religion. That is, the freedom of what was apparently a matter of sin before the moment of forgiveness of moral and spiritual meditation, this is just another feature of organized demagoguery.

The syncretism of these customs and festivals, go back to pagan customs, which of course, is the worshiping of natural forces and God, it was an act of community celebration, as opposed to the moral rules and restrictions imposed by the Christian religion in particular. During the Middle Ages, the custom of carnival is spread further and thus becomes the key to abandonment and debauchery, curiously created by the church itself in order to give forgiveness to all of its followers. Today the Christian and Catholic religion is losing favor everywhere in the world after scandals and abuses of power carried out in various parts of the world. Catholic Church is in decline while other more diverse religious practices are on the rise.

Berlin by contrast, is one of the most liberal cities in Europe. Its great cultural diversity of as well as its cosmopolitan and diverse community, make the carnival held in this city as one of the most colorful and popular events you can visit. First, the Parade of Carnival is celebrated this year on the 12th of February. A beautiful day of floats, costumes, all in celebration of King Momo. You can also see traditional German costumes and disguises. Beers and wursts are at your disposal throughout the parade, as well as other typical German delicacies.

Besides having music and dance guaranteed, the floats launch candy to passersby, many children look astonished at the various gigantic figures that pass before them  You can read more about this carnival by clicking on this link: http://www.karneval-in-berlin.de/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy the diverse cultural life. The Berlin Carnival Parade is waiting for you to spend moments of fun and joy with the whole family. Not to be missed during your stay in Berlin.

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There are uncountable film festivals that take place around the world but, among these, the Berlin International Film Festival, also known as Berlinale, stands out from all of them, not only for being a favourite in Europe and to the quality of the films that participate, but also because it’s a perfect alternative to light up the cold winter days.

Berlin, in the last few years, has been considered as one of the most artistic and bohemian places in Europe, a place where creativity seems to flow quicker in its intriguing squares, cafés, theatres and museums, that manage to cast a spell on the artists so they produce amazing works. This, added to the extraordinary nightlife that the German capital offers, make it a perfect destination for such an event.

The Berlinale was founded in 1951, in the old West Germany and, since 1978, has been taking place every year in the month of February, slowly becoming one of the most famous film festivals around the world, as well as the one that receives the most public with 487,000 visitors. Around 400 films compete in different categories (any format or genre can be presented for consideration) with the aim of obtaining those sought after Golden and Silver Bears that are given as an award to the best films.

The films that are presented at the festival are divided in seven categories that conform different blocks of films duly selected by a distinguished expert panel. The sections are as follows:

Generation: This is the category for the youngest ones and divides itself in two: Generation Kplus, for children and under 14s, and Generation 14plus, for children older than 14.

Berlinale Shorts: Fresh and innovative short films, German and international, compete in this category with the hope of obtaining the coveted Golden Bear to the best short film.

Forum: The films in the Forum category don’t compete for any award. In this category they present documentaries and experimental films without restrictions of format or genre.

Competition: In this section they present films that haven’t been premiered yet outside their country of origin. The films in this category can compete for the Golden Bear for the best film, as well as Silver Bears for the best actor/actress, script and production.

Panorama: The controversial and unconventional subjects are the stars in this category. Here they present independent films that provoke discussion. The LGBT community has special importance in this section because their films are the most popular.

Retrospective: In this category they present films shown in past editions of the Berlinale in the categories of Competition, Forum, Panorama and Generation.

Perspektive Deutsches Kino: It’s an exclusive category for German films that tries to highlight the current trends in Germany.

As well as the seven sections, the Berlinale finishes with a tribute to the life and work of a film personality.

Don’t forget, from the 9th till the 19th of February you have a date with the seventh art in Berlin. For more information visit the official website of teh festival: http://www.berlinale.de

Hans

Nothing better than renting apartments in Berlin and enjoying one of the most important film festivals in the world, the Berlinale, a festival you won’t want to miss.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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In France, the electronic music trend is huge. Some of the most important bands in the world began in that country and are known all over the globe. One of them is, undoubtedly, Justice, who is made up by Gaspar Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, which was founded in 2003 in Paris.

Justice became famous because it incorporates rock and indie sounds and it mixes them with raw synthesizers that makes everyone dance all night with strong and unique music.

Despite them being famous before they released their debut album, in 2007 they released ‘†’, which was very successful around the world and became part of the 15 most important tracks of the year on the Pitchfork list, which is the most consulted and relevant. Actually, they won a Grammy for their remix of ‘Electric Feel’ by MGMT. With millions of fans around the world and a Grammy, Justice are just adding to their success, remixing songs that become classics and playing gigs that quickly sell out.

In October 2011, they presented ‘Audio, Video, Disco’, with a spectacular reception both by the critics and their fans, who had been waiting for over four years for their new albu,

More information: http://www.hekticket.de/columbia/.bin/index.cgi?keyword=%22Justice%22

Columbiahalle: Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin, Germany

MiLK

On this occasion, the electronic duo that has been compared with Daft Punk arrives at the German capital to play a concert at Columbiahalle on the 22nd of February. If you want to enjoy a unique concert where you won’t stop dancing and having fun for a second, rent apartments in Berlin and, also, get to know one of the most beautiful cities, not only in Europe but in the world.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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The 62nd edition of the Berlinale is already here, which means that Berlin will fill up with glamour, stars and many, many golden and silver Bears. The film festival in Berlin is one of the oldest in Europe and it’s also one of the most important around the world. In these 62 years it has worked arduously to give more space for film, creating special categories to include different themes, formats and styles, in order not to leave any loose ends.

Since 1951, with the inauguration of the film festival with the film ‘Rebecca’ by Alfred Hitchcock, the event has broadened and changed with time and that’s how, today, as well as being one of the festivals that promotes more independent film of all the famous and big film festivals, it characterizes itself for having a temporary film school called ‘Berlinale Talent Campus’, where the most outstanding filmmakers, actors and film celebrities give talks and show the people who participate subjects related with the seventh art. On the other hand, the festival promotes the sale and distribution of films inside the European market, an aspect which stands out because at the festival they come to a large amount of agreements and business deals for future film productions, as well as fomenting film in countries that don’t have a wealthy infrastructure and boost the career of young filmmakers.

The 2012 edition of the festival seems to be an interesting one. Starting with the international category, the great star is probably Angelina Jolie as a director with her film ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’ that is competing for the Golden Bear. In the same category as Jolie, the films ‘Taboo’, ‘La chispa de la vida’ by Alex de la Iglesia, ‘Childish Games’, ‘Barbara’, ‘Meteora’ and L’enfant d’en haut’ among others. On the other hand, in the short film category, from a hundred films, thirty have been selected that go straight into the competition for the Golden Bear. The award for this category is a Golden Bear for the best short film, a silver Bear for the special prize from the jury and the film nominated for the European Film Awards.

The other official categories of the festival are: the Generation Award, that awards films with young actors and young directors (children and adolescents only), who compete in front of a jury of the same age for the Crystal Bear. Also, there are the awards for the best prime opera and the Honorific Bear Award, that this year will be going to the great actress Meryl Streep. Also, there will be a deserved recognition to the Babelbergs Studios, pioneers in the development of international film and, of course, the cradle of German film. In retrospective, this year will be dedicated to show a group theme with the MOMA Contemporary Art Museum called ‘The Red Dreams Factory’.

As well as all of these wonderful things, we can find: The ‘Forum’, the Perspektive Deutsches Kino and many other attractions and special sections that make this event unique in the world.

For more information visit: http://www.berlinale.de/en/HomePage.html

Luz Obscura

Rent apartments in Berlin right now! The Berlinale is one of the most important film festivals in the world and you should be there!

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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It’s pleasant and cheaper to go to Berlin this time of year, although you have to take some precautions because the cold is a constant presence, not only when it snows but during the whole day, even if the sun is out. So, we’ll give you some recommendations on how to alleviate that impact and enjoy your stay.

The first thing to remember is that transport in Berlin is expensive, so you have to check out which type of pass is best suited to your budget. Otherwise, you’ll have to walk a lot and, remember, it’s winter.

Traditional German cuisine is ideal for these cold months. It’s abundant style, where we find a lot of meat, potatoes, sausages and sauerkraut, was created to live and work during long, winter days.

The restaurant Zur Letzten Instanz, located in the district of Mitte, is a great alternative to try this food, which will keep you away from the outside cold. This restaurant is one of the oldest in Berlin and it carries the tradition of being an obliged stop to avoid the cold. Also, the atmosphere is warm and cozy, so it’s good to warm up the soul. Napoleon, Maxim Gorky, Otto Nagel and many other famous men and women have eaten the restaurant’s specialities on its tables; specialities like Berliner Eisbein (pig feet), or the soup of the day, which is always abundant. It has good prices and it’s always busy, so you should book a table in advance so you’re not left out.

Clothes are another element that you should take into consideration to avoid the cold. The hat, the scarf, the gloves and, if you’re a girl, tights, are mandatory. But it’s not true that you have to walk like a bear to escape the cold. Today it is known that the best way to avoid it is with an appropriate thermal isolation of the body and, for that, the experts recommend putting on various thin layers of clothes (onion style) made of cotton or fleece, both on the legs and on the torso. Over them, wear a coat or something waterproof so that the cold stays out. Socks and shoes are very important because the feet are in contact with the floor and are very sensitive to the cold.

Another great way to beat the cold is to have hot drinks, such as coffee in all of its varieties, hot chocolate, or eat sweet food, since they’re part of German tradition. In any place in the city that you come across, there are original cafeterias, with china bought in the markets, so don’t worry if there are more than two or three cups or chairs that are the same, because that’s just how Berlin is.

Patisserie Albrechts is a 60s style bakery. It has four tables and the most delicious homemade cakes in the city, such as the Karamelläpfel auf Blätterteig, a pastry cake with caramelized apple that they serve with coffee or hot chocolate.

Nancy Guzman

Don’t let the cold ruin your trip and relaxing time in apartments in Berlin On the contrary! Let it be a stimulation towards your imagination and shared leisure.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Beer and Berlin are just one word, which is why there are the best places to drink this barley nectar in the world, especially in the Biergarten or beer gardens that are open all year. Remember that the Germans are serious about the ritual of drinking beer and therefore, you should know the types of beer and the ideal season to drink them, however, we will help you with this task by recommending some places to enjoy a beer with your travel companions.

Please note that in every part of Germany there are different kinds of local beers, they are identified by the name and emblem of the town, and there are many varieties: blonde, red and black. If you want to change a little or if you have a bad cold, because of the low temperatures, you can mix lager with lemon, what they call Radler. The Weisse mit Schuß is a Berlin preparation of lager with raspberry syrup.

Prater Gaststätte & Biergarten is one of the oldest places in Berlin to drink beer and eat local specialties. It was built in 1837 and in 1995 it opened as a Biergarten and restaurant. The service and the atmosphere are very good; it is a place that brings people from all around the world no matter race, class and nationality without problem. It is very nice to eat sausages and test a variety of beers that they have to accompany them. It is located on Kastanienallee 7-9.

Berliner Bürgerbräu Café is located on the south of the city, facing the lake Mülggelsee and its a beautiful landscape to drink a good home beer served with local food. This family-owned brewery, allows you to scroll through the outskirts of the city, where the aesthetics of the buildings of the former GDR remain almost intact. The cafe is divided into four rooms and can accommodate about 250 people. It also maintains the aesthetics of the post war, with painted walls and old floors, tables and chairs. While the food is too traditional, too much meat and spices, is a good alternative to the winter cold with a Bock beer in the house. Its exact address is Müggelseedamm 164-166.

Max und Moritz is a restaurant where you eat the best sausages, very good beer, and other delights of German cuisine. This place is ideal for eating well at good prices and very well attended. It also has high-quality beers from different regions of Germany. Its address is Oranienstrasse 162 and it is open at night. It is an ideal place to come in groups.

Schleusenkrug is considered a good place to have beers with style. The place is nice and has occasional live music, with good local DJs in the scene, at reasonable prices. Its address is Müller-Breslau-Strasse and in winter it is open from 10:00 am to 18:00 pm.

Nancy Guzman

Rent apartments in Berlin and enjoy in all these recommended places to drink beer and make new friends.

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Translated by: Hans
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On January 28, 2012  Berlin will celebrate the 30th edition of The Long Night of Museums, an activity that starts at 18:00 and ends at 2:00 am of the next day. On this occasion, 70 Berlin museums open their doors and bring the public to culture in a different way. This year there will be a diverse and entertaining program for those who enjoy culture and for this purpose, a special bus service will run all night long between museums.

As usual, there will be poetry readings, dance activities, theater performances and concerts that complement this night where culture is the center of all activity. On this occasion, the celebrations will also take place in Brandenburg to commemorate the birth of Frederick the Great. Following this line of activities , on January 30  several collections that revolve around the figure of Frederick the Great will be presented.

Frederick the Great was born on January 24, 1712 in Berlin. Son of Frederick William I and Sophia Dorothea of ​​Hanover of the House of Hohenzollern, he became king of Prussia in 1740 and directed its destinies during 46 years.

In his youth, encouraged by his mother, he became interested and became an avid reader of French literature, maintaining  correspondence with the philosophers of the Enlightenment. This relationship with the intellectuals of his time in contrasted with the rejection of the discipline imposed by the Court and military traditions.

His homosexuality and the rejection to the brutality of his father, who ordered the beheading of his lover, Lt Hermann von Kate. and who forced him to witness the execution, and was then sent to jail during two years losing his nobility as as prince. Three years later, in 1730, he was obliged to marry Isabel Cristina of Brunswick, regaining his status as a prince.

In 1739 he published the book The Anti. Machiavelli, which bitterly criticized Machiavelli’s vision on the grounds that his thinking about moral lacked power and advocated that greater demands that are made on the ethics of the rulers. His disruptive view took him to keep in a  constant process of exchange of ideas with the philosophers of his day, among whom was Voltaire, who wrote an interesting poem about the orgasm to make him believe that passion and emotion of a Prussian could be as intense than that of  those of southern Europe.

His ruling framed by the enlightened despotism had him order several reforms such as the codification of Prussian law that indicated that the obligation to protect the weak in society, he abolished torture and established the independence of the judiciary. He was a great reformer, a lover of the arts and science by opening the Sanssouci Palace to philosophers, musicians and writers of his time.

For more information http://www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de/

Nancy Guzman

In order to have a great time visiting museums in January, rent apartments in Berlin and learn through art the transformations the world has experienced.

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Translated by: Marc
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Berlin is a friendly city to live in at any time of the year, it also has a healthy amount of street markets that lend it a charming touch and moves you to find a flavor to remember the past. We will tell you which are the best markets and what you can find in them.

First we will tell you that the markets are differentiated by what they sell, in Flohmarkt they sell shoes, clothing, tools, furniture, electronics, books and unused records and CD’s. In Trödelmarkt they sell the same things, but they add interesting objects of the former GDR. In Antikmarkt, furniture, weaponry and antiques are sold. Finally, there are Kunstmarkt or markets selling arts and crafts manufactured by its creators. You should consider that the markets that are located in West Berlin are the most expensive and of the highest quality, which means that their prices are higher.

Mauerpark is the most famous flea market in Berlin, because it is located in the park by the Berlin Wall that separates Wedding, Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. It has the largest variety of objects, vintage clothes, furniture and second hand bicycles  which is mixed with karaoke music and jugglers, giving it a unique, almost surreal feel when you look at it  from the Wall and watch the excitement of the place. There you can eat very good vegetarian menus, or tea or coffee at affordable prices.

If you have time you can go to the Arkonaplatz market, which is very close to Mauerpark, there you can find great vinyls and an amazing variety of books. The market opens at 10:00 A.M. every Sunday and is on Bernauer Strasse, close to good cafes.

Friedrichshain market has that happy and relaxed atmosphere and specializes in high quality antiques. You can find furniture, decorative objects, books, and more. Remember that in this as in other markets, bargaining is a sport practiced by everyone. Located in Boxhagener Platz.

Kottim is another of these markets with tradition, there is  a festive atmosphere with live music. You can also find great bargains on clothes and good quality accessories of  there are also food stalls, drinks and everything is at reasonable prices. Its location is in Kottbusser Platz U-Bahn and is open every Sunday from 12 noon.

Charlottenburg, Tiergarten Market is one of the most interesting of the city, since it has very good marquetry furniture and antiques, although their prices are not cheap and there is no possibility of bargaining because they are restored by manufacturers. It is a serious place, suitable for collectors, interior designers and specialists in antique furniture. Located in the area of ​​the old West Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni.

Nancy Guzman

Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Rent apartments in Berlin and explore these markets and have fun, for sure you will find an object to fill that empty space in your house.

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Translated by: Marc
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Techno music has become inevitable for those who like having a lot of fun, some people even travel just to enjoy those places, where the leading techno parties take place. This type of music was born in the U.S. with strong European influence and has many fans in Berlin, which is called the world capital of techno, so I’ll tell you where you can dance techno and have fun in this city.

Bar Berghain is the most famous techno club in Berlin and its name comes from the word game on the names of the neighborhoods in the intersection the bar is located, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. The site was a former Thermal power station near the Ostbahnhof train station. The structure belongs to the socialist neoclassicism and has been preserved and restored inside, where there is capacity for 1500 people. Here the best DJs are concentrated in the techno and minimal techno worlds. Its address is Am Bahnhof 1 Wriezener and it is open every Saturday at 12 pm, to finish the next day. There are also art shows.

Watergate Club is considered one of the top 100 places in the world to dance techno music. Located in the heart of Kreuzberg, on the banks of the Spree River, it has two floors and two rooms with good lighting, and an adorable floating terrace. It’s a great place to dance, because of its spacious dance floor and it is ideal for seeing the sun rise in the morning through its glass ceiling. The music is excellent, since it has best DJs in the world and every Saturday there is a great music agenda. Its address is Falckensteinstrasse 49.

Matrix Club Berlin is one of the greatest spaces to dance and listen to live techno music. Every Saturday, it has DJs that heat the atmosphere and do not stop until the next day, because each party lasts 22 hours. The place has three floors, where you can listen to different music depending on the floor you are. It was designed to adapt to the tastes of every visitor, the music heard in this club is, electro pop, rock and techno. Its address is Warschauer Strasse 18.

The Club Cassiopeia is one of the biggest clubs in Berlin that specializes in making live music techno parties and concerts, its building is a renewed old factory, which retains its post-industrial minimalist interior. The dance floors are on two levels, where the music changes with night, according to the DJs that appear on the scene. While the Club is a place for adults who love techno, it also engages in skateboarding during the day and enabled the courtyard as a bohemian meeting area for beers.

Nancy Guzman

A great outlook for 2012 is starting to rent apartments in Berlin and throw all the weight of the past while vibrating with dance techno music and the best DJs in Europe. Book your apartment and prepare your feet for this day.

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Translated by: Hans
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In 1923, due to the increasing dissonance between the expressionist style of the painter Lothar Schreyer, member of the Berliner group ‘Sturm’, and the aesthetic foundations of the Bauhaus, which aspired to achieved a synthesis of all arts through pure forms, he was substituted as the director of the scenic workshops of the school, an essential part of the interdisciplinary plan of studies of the project of Walter Gropius, who aspired both to the elimination of barriers between artists and artisans as well as the acknowledgement of the possibility that art could influence in industrial production.

The successor to Schreyer was Oskar Schlemmer, who during the period between 1923 and 1929 transformed the Bauhaus scenic workshops into a pioneer multidisciplinary centre of experimental work that reflected, through dynamic ways, the artistic and technological sensitivities of the school.

The most representative result of this work was his seminal Triadic Ballet, that contained all the spectrum of Schlemmer’s theory on performance and which is, today, probably still the most interesting and complete fusion of dance, music and costume (that extended in space the contours of the body, a true driving force behind performance, through the use of metal, fabric and wires that transformed the actors into abstract figures) that had never been staged before.

Schlemmer’s works are a double witness on one hand of the tight and live existing relation between art and fashion in contemporary times and on the other of an era, the period between the wars in which Germany was one of the great capitals, not only of artistic avant-garde but also of fashion, able to compete in its own way with countries such as France or Italy in this field.

After having great success for many years in Barcelona, the international urban fashion festival Bread & Butter, possibly the most important one in the world in its field, has been hosted in Berlin since 2010, and will host its next edition from the 18th to the 20th of January in the centric and emblematic Tempelhof airport, which has been closed to air traffic for many years (http://www.breadandbutter.com/winter2012/). This is an event which is like a way of travelling to those unique times on board of no lesser special aeroplane able to dig out past, present and future, a legitimate sphere of relativity where art adapted to fashion seems to be moving in its own sphere, full of possibly, as Marshall McLuhan said, a certain infallibility that fills in some way the sensorial emptiness created by the different misplacements caused by technology.

It seems that a lot of time has gone by since Schlimmer’s experiments, although we still can’t say, like Chesterton, if the world is young or old, but the German capital is today like it used to be before, one of the most avant-gardist and vibrant cities in the West.

Paul Oilzum

If you rent apartments in Berlin around these dates, submerge yourself in the fascinating world of Bread & Butter, a festival that in barely ten years has become the most important in Europe.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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