It’s like it’s cursed.
Back in December 2024, following an inquiry, I received an answer that had actually been drafted in 2021 regarding whether there would or could ever be a weekly market on Otto-Weidt-Platz:
(...) However, using the area as a marketplace is viewed critically, as the square is paved with small cobblestones. With frequent use by market vendors' vehicles, this pavement will not be sufficiently durable in the long run. (...)
In November of last year, I met with Member of the State Parliament (MdA) Gebel and the District Councilor for Order, Environment, Nature, Streets, and Green Spaces, Mr. Schriner (both from the Green Party). During our meeting, Mr. Schriner showed himself to be very open to the idea and stated that he would fundamentally not stand in the way of such an initiative.
Following that, Frau Voigt, the operator of the weekly market at Nordbahnhof, met me on the square in March of this year to present her concept. She explained that she had submitted an application and was in high spirits.
The District Councilor, local politicians, and, last but not least, the residents are all on board—so what could possibly go wrong?
Well, as it turned out: quite a lot. And it had nothing to do with a missing power connection.
Towards the end of April, I had to read the following in the Tagesspiegel:
Weekly market cannot take place because the paving in the newly developed district is allegedly unsuitable.
Furthermore:
The district office has rejected the market
How interesting—and it sounds remarkably like the response from 2021.
I reached out directly to Mr. Schriner and Frau Gebel. Gebel replied:
I spoke with (...) Schriner yesterday. (...) [He] still shares the goal of establishing a market there.
So, which one is it? It seems someone in the district administration is thinking: "I don't care who the District Councilor above me is."
Political Resistance Is Forming¶
However, political resistance is forming against this bureaucratic block. Fittingly, I had sat down shortly before this with Ephraim Gothe (also a District Councilor in Mitte, responsible for urban development) and Tilmann Häußler, candidate for the Berlin State Assembly (both SPD), to discuss pressing issues in the neighborhood (I will report on the other urban development plans in a separate post).
Following this meeting, Tilmann Häußler promptly introduced a motion regarding the market to the District Assembly (BVV) in Mitte. And as it turns out, the SPD is not alone in its frustration: the Green Party and the CDU are also applying pressure with their own initiatives (here and here).
The entire matter is scheduled for the session on May 21, 2026. The Mitte district office, which rejected the market, is controlled by the BVV and will have to explain itself there. I am certainly curious to see what comes out of it.
