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Love Parade

"On July 1, 1989, we meet in Berlin, on the north side of Wittenbergplatz. It's 4 p.m... the music starts... around 150 people dance on the Kurfürstendamm, under the incredulous gazes of passers-by."

Thus began the adventure of the Love Parade. The event attracted up to 500,000 participants in 1995, forcing the organizers to leave the original route of the Kurfürstendamm, nicknamed Kudamm, for the legendary route between the Brandenburg Gate and Ernst-Reuter-Platz.

In 1999, 1,500,000 dancers marched past the famous Victory Column.

What was initially a demonstration for peace, joy, pancakes and a celebration of love and electronic music, became a world-famous mass event, showcasing techno and the entire electronic music spectrum.

Unfortunately, a court ruling reclassifying the event as a commercial event marked the beginning of its decline in 2001. The organizing team threw in the towel in 2006, selling the project to the McFit fitness chain, which held a final event in Berlin that same year before relocating to the Ruhr.

You can read about the history of this event during its Berlin era in our French book “Paix, Joie, Crêpes” and in our guide.

In addition to the history, our French-language guide will take you on a tour of the two Parade routes: the one from 1989 to 1995, and the one from 1996 to 2000.

Details: Category: "Historic Site Related to Techno Music in Berlin"; Hits: 125

Techno
Art

Tacheles

Friedrichstraße 110, 10117 Berlin

One of the first electronic dance clubs in the East was the Ständige Vertretung, located in the cellars under the Art House Tacheles. This venue was opened in February 1990 by a group of Australians who cleared the ruins of the basement of the former AEG "House of Technology," in what was then a Temporary Autonomous Zone on Oranienburger Straße, which no longer exists today.

The Art House Tacheles, named after an artists' initiative, was considered the hub of alternative art in Berlin from 1990 until its closure in 2012. Built between 1907 and 1909 using the most modern reinforced concrete construction techniques of the time, the building housed more than 100 shops and entertainment venues. From 1928 onwards, it was used by AEG as the "House of Technology." After the war, the heavily damaged building was only partially repaired.

In the 1970s, the "Camera" cinema, run by the national film archive, was installed there. Cinephiles from East Berlin could discover cinematic treasures rarely shown in the cinemas of the GDR. However, the building gradually deteriorated, and the "Camera" cinema moved out. The demolition of the rest of the building was planned for 1990.

In February 1990, squatters occupied the building, thus preventing its demolition. In the following years, the Kunsthaus Tacheles became a symbol of experimental production and an institution of the alternative cultural scene, attracting activists from all over the world. The outer walls were adorned with monumental murals, the courtyard housed steel sculpture gardens, and the staircases and corridors were covered with graffiti, posters, and stickers. Art exhibitions and performances by artists of different nationalities were organized there, with groups like Spiral Tribe and Mutoid Waste Company.

The building housed about thirty studios, exhibition spaces for contemporary art, a cinema, bars, a club, and large rooms for theatrical performances. To access the club, one had to go through a door and descend a staircase among the rubble. The dancers, dressed extravagantly according to a specific dress code for each evening, wore neither platform shoes nor reflective vests. This club became the hotspot of the East. DJs like Dr. Motte and other figures of the Berlin scene, then little known outside Berlin, took turns at the turntables.

The club operators tapped electricity from the neighboring building. A few old televisions flickered, and there were few places to sit, with most of the space reserved for the dance floor.

However, the building, with its 1,250 m² plot and central location, attracted the interest of investors. It was sold for just under 3 million marks in 1998. The artists, organized into an association, managed to sign a ten-year lease with the new owner, until December 31, 2008, thus preserving this Berlin treasure for a time.

Failing to agree with the owner on a contract extension, the artists squatted and managed the building again in the following years. In September 2012, the occupants were finally evicted, and the venue was closed amid protests.

Today, the building has been renovated and now houses various buildings including offices, apartments, and artists' studios.

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Raw
Revaler Strasse 99, 10245 Berlin

The site, formerly railway workshops, offers a variety of cultural and sports facilities, including artists' studios, concert halls and clubs (Cassiopeia, Astra, Lokschuppen, Der Weiße Hase, Urban Spree, Maaya), alternative cultural spaces (Zum schmutzigen Hobby, Emmapea, Crack Bellmer), galleries (RAW ART, Kunstakademie Friedrichshain, Urban Spree), a skate hall, a climbing space, and gastronomic areas.

The Cassiopeia club, the oldest on the site, combines underground and mainstream, with a program mainly focused on hip-hop and drum & bass.

The Skatehalle Berlin, the only indoor skate hall in Berlin, has gained worldwide fame since its opening in the winter of 2004/2005.

Located on Revaler Straße, the RAW is a hotspot for alternative culture in Berlin. Part of the site is currently threatened by real estate projects. In summer, Berliners love to gather in the Biergarten of the skatepark and that of Cassiopeia, as well as at Urban Spree.

Feel like discovering the smallest disco in the world? A Télédisko, installed in a former telephone booth, welcomes you at the heart of the RAW. Every Sunday, a flea market is also organized there.

Urban Spree

Urban Spree is a haven of peace and culture in the heart of the city, run by French people. It is a must-see place in the Berlin underground scene.

You can visit an indoor art gallery with regular exhibitions, as well as an outdoor gallery on the wall along Warschauer Straße and the walls of Urban Spree, where graffiti artists display their works.

Urban Spree is also a concert hall hosting a multitude of artists from various musical genres. In summer, the "garden" allows you to quietly sip a drink to the sound of music, whether it's live bands or DJs mixing different styles.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons, collectives organize events. At one time, the team from the label Aufnahme+Wiedergabe regularly offered New Beat nights, but the programming can sometimes surprise.

Feeling peckish? You can eat on-site thanks to the presence of small restaurateurs. Want a tattoo? A tattoo artist also has a shop on-site. This place is the quintessential underground spot where Berliners meet. It's not uncommon for some events to attract large crowds. The prices are very affordable, and the atmosphere is convivial. You might also run into DJs from the underground scene who come to relax.

Every year, Urban Spree hosts the Krake Festival, with a market for Berlin electronic labels, often run by big names in the scene.

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It's 2019, and the Nineties Berlin exhibition is offering a special “30 Years of the Love Parade” room to commemorate the creation of the Love Parade.

Find out more about the history of the Love Parade in the book (on french) PAIX, JOIE, CRÊPES.

That same year, Dr Motte proposed an anniversary float for the Christopher Street Day parade. Both events were a great success.

On January 1, 2020, at a press conference, Dr Motte announces the return of the Love Parade spirit, under the project Rave The Planet. It's not a revival, but a new adventure, an extension of the spirit!

(Love Parade is a registered trademark, owned by Mc Fit since 2006, and may not be used).

Mall Of Berlin 2019

This project isn't just about the return of a parade, but a body of work to defend the values of electronic music and have Berlin Techno recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Berlin Techno Narrative has followed Rave The Planet from the outset and is an official supporter and partner of Rave The Planet.

Dr Motte, father of the Love Parade, spoke about the project in an interview on our Maxximum show in February 2021:

Rave The Planet has succeeded in having Techno recognized as a Unesco Intangible Heritage on March 13, 2024!
Article on Unesco

The story of this project can also be found in our book (French) :
PAIX, JOIE, CRÊPES Volume 2

Berlin Techno Narrative is present at every Rave The Planet Parade to cover it in Photos and Videos as well as on social networks (Facebook and Instagram).

The Rave The Planet Parade is more than just a parade, it's a manifesto for electronic cultures with different demands. It's an opportunity to meet up with the whole spectrum of electronic music and different collectives, djs in House, Techno, Trance, Hardcore and all its derivatives.