Skip to content
The Needle: Berlin

The Needle: Berlin

Sharp Views on the German capital

  • —> Guide for Moving to Berlin
  • Privacy
  • Contact

Gay and Queer Berlin

Gay and Queer Berlin 

Prepped for PrEP in Berlin?

29/11/201830/11/2018 Joseph Pearson

It’s not hard to convince people that PrEP works. “We have great data from studies that show its effectiveness. It’s

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

WAS IST POST-GENDER? and CAN BERLIN BE POST-GENDER?

17/08/201723/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

by Joseph Pearson Can Berlin be a post-gender city? And is it willing? What would it mean for spaces in

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

RosaCaleta: Jamaica’s Gay Embassy in Berlin

02/10/201623/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

Kirk Henry was out one day in Berlin and met two gay guys who told him they wouldn’t think to go

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

Review Podcast: Homosexuality_ies at the German Historical Museum

09/07/201523/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

If nothing else, it’s a conversation piece. Not everyone will be happy with the recently inaugurated exhibit on Homosexualt_ies (Homosexualitaet_en) at

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

Muslim, Gay, In Danger… but with Friends

13/04/201523/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

Nasser is an 18-year-old gay Muslim, born in Neukölln, Berlin. He was abducted by his family at the age of

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

Berlin’s Gay-Friendly Shabbat… featuring an appearance by the Police, and a reflection on the lessons of Securalism

19/01/201523/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

I have to admit I was intrigued by the bare-chested Facebook photo of the hot Cantor, who flies in frequently

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

What You Can Learn From Porn, at Berlin’s Gay* Museum.

07/12/201423/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

A Preview of Porn That Way at the Schwules* Museum, Berlin. From 6 December 2014 to 31 March 2015. The

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

Dumb or Malicious?: The Grindr Installation in Kreuzberg

06/10/201423/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

The Dutch artist Dries Verhoeven’s pop-up action, ‘Wanna Play? Love in Times of Grindr’,  has been brought to a close after

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

Berlin’s New (in Neukölln) Gay Scene

16/11/201301/12/2018 Joseph Pearson

Tonight, one of Berlin’s oldest gay clubs, Schwuz, moves from the long-gentrified Bergmannkiez in West Kreuzberg to the edgy Rollbergkiez

Read more
Gay and Queer Berlin 

Traumatised by Gay Oktoberfest

04/10/201123/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

I traumatised a friend visiting from Los Angeles by taking her to Gay Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest, Berlin, Gay? Do all these

Read more
Berlin and German Politics Gay and Queer Berlin 

State Elections in Berlin: Homophobia and the BIG party

16/09/201123/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

It’s election time in Berlin. On the 18th of September, the seats of the House of Deputies for the Land

Read more

Explore The Needle

  • Places in Berlin
  • Berlin History
  • Living in Berlin
  • Berlin and German Politics
  • Opinion and Politics
  • Berlin Arts
  • Foodie Berlin
  • Gay and Queer Berlin
  • Trips from Berlin
  • Blog Posts on The Needle

About the Author

Joseph Pearson is a writer based between Berlin and New York City. Born in Canada, he was educated at Cambridge University, UK, where he received his doctorate in history in 2001. His non-fiction portrait of Berlin was published in 2017. He is also the essayist and blogger of the Schaubühne Theatre, one of Berlin’s best known state-funded institutions. Since 2008, he has written The Needle, which has become one of Berlin’s most popular blogs. His writing has appeared widely in the press, literary and academic journals, and has been translated into German, Italian, French, Arabic, and other languages. For professional inquiries please contact:  joseph [AT] cantab.net.

What is The Needle?

The changing meanings of The Needle are the inspiration for these pages. Above Alexanderplatz is Berlin's television tower. The Needle surveilled the city during East German times like a threatening eye; then its meaning changed after the Berlin Wall fell. Berliners now think of the tower as a giant disco ball flirting with the city lights––a symbol of sex, electronic music and youth culture. This weekly documents the Berlin Renaissance today, mindful of a dramatic and terrifying history. Berlin is Europe's most exciting city, and The Needle is here to share.

Never miss a post!

If you'd like to sign up to be notified by email when there's a new post on The Needle, you can do so here.
Loading

Recent Comments

  • Berlinblog.dk on What’s Changed in Berlin in a Decade? Ten Years of ‘Moving to Berlin’
  • Suzy on Revolt on the Admiralbrücke, Kreuzberg
  • Elain on The Rise and Fall of Berliner Schnauze
  • Joseph Pearson on Turks but not Berliners?
  • Steph on Turks but not Berliners?
  • RudyTrudy on The Rise and Fall of Berliner Schnauze
  • Partitions & Resonances on A Secret Plan in Rix Café
  • Joseph Pearson on What’s Changed in Berlin in a Decade? Ten Years of ‘Moving to Berlin’
  • Max on What’s Changed in Berlin in a Decade? Ten Years of ‘Moving to Berlin’
  • Joseph Pearson on Why Does Kreuzberg Want to Save an ALDI?

Berlin Links

  • Architecture in Berlin A blog about buildings in the city
  • Berlin Poche Berlin en français!
  • Boulezian Classical Music Blog, with much on Berlin
  • Cabaret Berlin Exploring the entertainment world of Weimar Berlin
  • Expats Blog compendium of expats’ blogs
  • German Way Resources for the German-speaking lands
  • Il Mitte Online Magazine about Berlin in Italian
  • Kreuzberged Xberg–A Love and Hate Relationship
  • Neuköllner.net (German language) Nifty Neukölln weekend round-up
  • Sand: Berlin Literary Journal A literary journal based in Berlin
  • Slow Travel Berlin Meander through the city…
  • Sugarhigh: Design, Eat, Love Berlin
  • Then We Take Berlin Off-beat Berlin Blog
  • Überlin tips on the best places
  • Wednesday Chef Berlin Foodie Blog

Archives

Copyright © 2023 The Needle: Berlin. All rights reserved.
Theme: ColorMag by ThemeGrill. Powered by WordPress.