The Needle: Berlin – Page 14 of 20 – A Berlin Memory Blog

Places in Berlin

Joseph Pearson 29/10/201223/06/2018

You Are Afraid of the Venomous Rabbit Saloon

Some people are afraid of Hermannplatz, others of Kottbusser Tor, but many more are afraid of Hasenheide Park. Hermannplatz frightens

Places in Berlin

Joseph Pearson 22/10/201223/06/2018

Roasting Goat at the Airport

I smelled it before I saw it. God, I smell bad. What poison was my body purging as I sweat

Places in Berlin

Joseph Pearson 14/10/201223/06/2018

The Hipster Library: The Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum

I’ve wanted to make love with you so many times, but I’m always waiting in line. Everyone wants to put

Trips from Berlin

Joseph Pearson 07/10/201223/06/2018

A Remedy to Berlin Attitude: A Trip to Olomouc, Czech Republic

When I was a kid, we had neighbours from Moravia. My memory is triggered by cuisine: especially strudels and pancakes and spongey

Joseph Pearson 01/10/201223/06/2018

‘This Ain’t California’: The Undeclared Mockumentary

Every once and a while a film comes around that does the truth a real disservice. This is one of

Trips from Berlin

Joseph Pearson 30/09/201223/06/2018

Poland from Berlin: Wrocław in a Weekend

You might never notice walking around Berlin, but a vast and complicated land lies just over 50 km from the

Trips from Berlin

Joseph Pearson 23/09/201223/06/2018

Rockets, Radiation and Slave Labour: A Weekend Trip to Stechlinsee

We came to this region some 80km north of Berlin, a land of lakes and medieval towns built on isthmi,

Trips from Berlin

Joseph Pearson 18/09/201223/06/2018

Weekend Trips: From Berlin to Hiddensee

My dear Needle readers, welcome back after the summer break. It’s a golden autumn, the cultural season starts up again,

Places in Berlin

Joseph Pearson 16/05/201223/06/2018

How to Fall in Love in Clärchens Ballhaus

Creak open the door to Clärchens Ballhaus. Can’t you hear the jazz band playing? It’s calling out to you all the way

Joseph Pearson 09/05/201223/06/2018

A Tale of Two Pastries on Boppstraße

One of the most obvious signs of changing times in Kreuzberg is the emergence of a new generation of tea

Berlin and German Politics

Joseph Pearson 03/05/201223/06/2018

Tear Gas, Riot Police and Barbecue: 1 May 2012 in Kreuzberg

There are two faces to the International Workers Day protests in Berlin. There are the street parties, with DJs setting

Joseph Pearson is a writer and historian based in Berlin. His non-fiction portrait of Berlin was published in 2017. He published a second book, My Grandfather’s Knife, about how everyday objects tell World War Two stories, in 2022. His writing has appeared widely in the press, literary and academic journals, and has been translated into German, Italian, French, Arabic, and other languages. Born in Canada, he was educated at Cambridge University, UK, where he received his doctorate in history in 2001. He works at New York University, Berlin, and at the Barenboim-Said Akademie. Since 2008, he has written The Needle, which has become one of Berlin’s most popular blogs. For professional inquiries please contact his agency, Peters Fraser Dunlop, email him directly joseph [AT] cantab.net, or visit his professional website: josephpearson.ca