Experiences with racism in Berlin

I've read through most of the related threads, and it seems like there are areas in Berlin where non-Caucasians should stay away from. I have a quite decent life in Toronto with a good job, haven't experienced any aggressive racism here. so for someone like me, would Berlin be a worse place to live? I wouldn't mind a change in my life at all, like relocating to Berlin, but I certainly do not want that to be something I'd regret later. I was living in Braunschweig for 2 & 1/2 years, I didn't like it then, but it might be a lot different in Berlin. I've read about an incident where a Japanese couple were attacked by neo-nazis on S-Bahn, and the Japanese consulate advised the Japanese residents in Berlin to stay away from S-Bahn. is something like this an everyday thing in Berlin?

Well, it´s not 1939 anymore.

I have several asian-looking friends here, and have never heard them complain. Remember Berlin is a very liberal city, with all kinds of people in the streets. So a japanese look isn´t likely to get you into any trouble.

This was discussed in other threads quite often. Of course it is NOT an everyday thing that coloured people get attecked by racists. But racism is an issue especially in the eastern suburbs. Here http://www.morgenpost.de/content/2008/02/0...lin/945744.html is a map showing neonazi attacks between 2003 and 2006 (the dots). BUT: The map shows all attacks of neonazis - which are mostly against white left wing people aka punks, etc.
Additionally, attacks against foreigners are usually made very big in the news (which I think is a good thing) - and I can remember just two or three cases of attacks against asian looking people during the last five years.

My wife is Asian and had no problems at all after 7 years living in Berlin. We know plenty of Asians and we are not aware of any major problems. We never went to Marzahn though.

The fact is that in the former east German states racism is pretty much widespread. In Leipzig I have been shocked at the levels of racism, even among educated people. I lived in a WG with university students all from small town east Germany and they had appalingly racist attitudes towards blacks and jewish people, even though they all claimed to vote for the SPD, and some of their friends refused to talk to me because I was English. You'll be OK living in Berlin if you avoid straying away from trendy liberal areas like Prenzlauer Berg or Mitte in the former East. Even Friedrichshain can be pretty touch and go, or so I've heard.

So is Pankow a safe place to live? I am moving to Berlin at end of July and need to sort out where to live.

Friedrichshain is perfectly safe for any Asian-looking man or woman, and Kreuzberg too. I´m sure there are some sketchy neighbourhoods in Berlin he should avoid, like the infamous Marzhan. But a foreign-looking guy need not to "avoid straying away from Prenzlauer Berg or Mitte".

no, it's certainly not 1939 any more. but also bear in mind that not all Asian countries are comparable to Germany. And I bet some Asians are just happy to have left their home countries to escape from dictatorship, lack of employment opportunities, etc. not that they expect any special treatment, but for Asian Americans or Asian Canadians from fairly multicultural cities, the expectation could be quite high from a city like Berlin that claims to be liberal. I really hope Berlin is as liberal as some people say it is, since the real estate market seems very attractive. I've done some job research in Berlin, and most of the ad agencies (that'd be where I'd work for) are in trendy areas of Ost-Berlin.

Of course the trendy areas in Ost-Berlin (southern Prenzlauer Berg, Mitte) aren't the one where the racism takes place.

I think you'll find that Berlin is probably more tolerant than the majority of European cities. The excess of racism in the former East that hits the headlines is like that of any other country/region - perpetrated by a small minority. This minority usually lacks the courage to do anything except when in large groups - so the usual precautions that any sensible person would take at night when in a large city (such as avoiding crowds, drunks and dark alleys) will keep you safe - daylight attacks are almost unheard of. As has been said before in the thread, violent attacks on minorities are widely reported, mainly because of their novelty.

There is no denying, however, that there is some racism but it tends to be at a personal level. e.g. when you ask for any item in a shop and are told it is out of stock, even though you know damn well it is there, or similar petty annoyances. These tend more to be aimed at anyone who is not German, rather than because of a skin colour issue and are more likely to be the result of the "why are these foreigners here taking our jobs" syndrome.

In summary, I don't think that a fear of racism should put you coming off coming to this fascinating city.

True.
My very outspoken Norwegian (but Asian-looking) friend have never raised the issue. He wanders around the former east (and West areas like Kreuzberg and Neukölln) alone at night without hesitation. I´ve also had several Japanese guys tell me how much they love Berlin.
Not saying racism does not occur, but in general I think it´s safe to say that Berlin isn´t any worse than any other big city. Infact I think it´s better.
At any rate, good look with your job hunt. Berlin rocks!

Berlin is fine to live in, racism is all in the head.You wanna go and live in Lacamp Louisiana...have some fun there with the local boys

Hi,

I was just reading the thread regarding racism in Berlin. Compared to Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis and Milwaukee (where I've lived before), Berlin is a piece of cake. I'd be foolish to say that there is a place in Berlin that is 100 percent safe from anything. Afterall, racists and other criminals travel.

In a previous post, someone gave a link to the Berlin newspaper Morgenpost which shows where "right-wing" aka "neo nazi" violence occurred and where those criminals live, however it doesn't cover race related or other types of crime by other people.



There are areas which the Berliners recommend staying away from. I've been there and never had any problems. These neighborhoods tend not to have a lot of Germans living in them: Kreuzberg (area by Cottbuser Tor Subway station) and Wedding (Berlin Mitte) (by Punkstr. subway station), Neukölln (by Hermann Platz subway station) etc. Some look a bit worn-down with higher-than -average unemployment.

As a general rule, stay within the elevation train ring (S-Bahn Ring) that encircles the city.

But no worries, I haven't seen any area in Berlin which compares to the ghettos in the States.

Enjoy Berlin. It's an excellent city and my home since 1999. Hope this helps. ;-)

Chicago Rose
www.chicagorose.de

Hi there,

I m coming to Berlin for 10 days. My hotel is located in the East part of Berlin (Adlershof). I have been there 2 years ago and I didn't experienced any problem. Should I be worried? (I m african-american)

Thanks.

Normally, Adlershof is safe, as it isn't a poor district and because of the science park there, where also hundreds of coloured people are working/studying. It could get a bit dodgy late at night in the S-Bahn between Treptower Park and Schöneweide, but the usual rules should help (not entering a wagon full of young drunken male youth, etc.)