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| The last days of KdR |
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| The funeral |
The funeral took place today among a loyal crowd of mourners on a sunny but cold day on the corner of Oderberger Strasse and Eberswalder Strasse, just opposite the Mauerpark.
There are not may clubs left in this part of Berlin (Knaack and Icon have closed, while Magnet Club has relocated to Kreuzberg) as new investors, complaints about noise and high rents take their toll.
I liked the Klub der Republik. It was an unpretentious club, with a typical east Berlin charm and decor, where you could dance, listen to good music while resting on one of the vintage sofas, sip a drink or two and generally have a good time without spending a fortune. It attracted a mixed crowd of locals and tourists and was always packed at the weekend. It was a bit too smokey for my taste (the ban on smoking is yet to have an impact on the German capital) and the windows were always closed - because of the noise I presume - but it was a place with character and it is sad to see it go. One of my favourite features of the club was the dodgy staircase that you had to climb in order to get into the venue. The combination of drunk club goers and precarious staircase would never pass a health & safety inspection. Alas, we will never risk breaking our necks there again!
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The precarious staircase leading to the entrance of the club |
