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The Needle: Berlin

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"The Deserted Room" on Koppenplatz
Berlin History 

The Deserted Room

23/09/201823/09/2018 Joseph Pearson 0 Comments

In Koppenplatz, in Berlin’s Mitte, you might be surprised to see an overturned chair next to a table in the

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Places in Berlin 

Berlin’s Museum of Natural History: Dinosaurs and Dark Tourism

14/09/201818/09/2018 Joseph Pearson 1 Comment

When I read about the destruction of Brazil’s Natural History Museum by fire on 2 September–– and the loss of

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Berlin Arts 

Goodbye Sir Simon

21/06/201823/06/2018 Joseph Pearson 0 Comments

Berlin is losing one of its cultural figures: Sir Simon Rattle. The British maestro conducted his final concert in the

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Berlin Portraits 

Henri Jakobs on Love’s Ghost

11/05/201823/06/2018 Joseph Pearson 0 Comments

An Interview for the Berlin Portrait Series on The Needle. By Joseph Pearson. The Needle speaks this week, for the Portrait Series, with

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Berlin Portraits 

Alexander Nicholls on Berlin’s Cellist King

27/04/201823/06/2018 Joseph Pearson 0 Comments

An Interview for the Berlin Portrait Series on The Needle. By Joseph Pearson. A year ago, the baroque cellist Alexander Nicholls had

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Berlin Portraits 

La JohnJoseph on Fascist Symbols in Berlin’s Fetish Scene

13/04/201823/06/2018 Joseph Pearson 0 Comments

An Interview for the Berlin Portrait Series on The Needle. By Joseph Pearson. What is your name? La JohnJoseph   Where

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Opinion and Politics 

Flying the World’s Worst Airlines? You thought Ryanair was bad…

09/04/201823/06/2018 Joseph Pearson 1 Comment

Berlin’s internationalization continues apace as a new direct budget flight is added from Berlin to Singapore this June. Joseph, after

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Berlin Portraits 

Danilo Rosato on Contaminating the Berlin Party Scene

30/03/201823/06/2018 Joseph Pearson 0 Comments

Boccaccio in Berlin. An Interview for the Berlin Portrait Series on The Needle.  by Joseph Pearson BERLIN, 30.03.18–– “I thought that Berlin

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Berlin Arts 

Pretty in Pink. The Renovated Staatsoper in Berlin

18/12/201723/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

After eight years of renovation, the German State Opera House, or Staatsoper, on Unter den Linden, has reopened its doors,

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Living in Berlin 

Berlin for Brexiters

14/11/201723/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

In the past year, there has been an enormous surge in views on The Needle’s Moving to Berlin site from

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Berlin and German Politics 

Where Germany is Going: a Q&A on Election Weekend

22/09/201723/06/2018 Joseph Pearson

Germany goes to the polls this Sunday, 24 September 2017. What does the campaign tell us about the EU’s largest

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About the Author

Joseph Pearson is a writer based in Berlin. 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.

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Recent Comments

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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
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  • 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

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