Unesco to protect Berlin’s world-famous Techno scene?

A collective of people, from DJs, festival organisers and partygoers, have launched a new initiative to secure Unesco world heritage status for Berlin’s techno scene. There are fears that the culture won’t survive its long-standing affiliation with the capital. 

The organisation, Rave The Planet, is lobbying German authorities to apply for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) status. 

Sky News has reported that a figure of around 100 clubs in Berlin locked their doors in the last decade. 

Due to the current COVID restrictions in place, as we reported recently, Berlin will no longer permit dancing inside clubs from December 8 and nightclubs in areas with 350 COVID cases per 100,000 must close to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Unesco has a form for granting ICH status for this type of movement. Irish Harping and Tibetan Opera already hold the protection permit. 

Detroit DJ based in Berlin, Alan Oldham told The Guardian: “Unesco protection would go a long way towards maintaining that old spirit. 

“Legacy venues like Tresor and Berghain, for example, would be protected as cultural landmarks.”

“So many venues have closed in just the seven years I’ve lived here full-time. In other cities, it would be the natural club cycle at work, but Berlin is a different kind of place, where the club and creative scenes are the currency of the city.”