SO36 (Club in Kreuzberg's Oranienstrasse)

SO36 is one of Berlin's legendary clubs. Located in Kreuzberg's Oranienstraße it's more than a dance and concert location and holds what could best be classified as "alternative politico-cultural" events.

Regular Events

(Selection, we haven't had time to visit them all yet)

Wednesdays: "Kurzurlaub": electronic entertainment, from 11pm

Fridays / Saturdays: "Electric Ballroom", from 11pm; not every week; www.electric-ballroom.de.

Sundays: "Cafe Fatal" (7pm - 2am, www.cafefatal.de) with dance course, varieté and alternating Schlagerkarussell and Disco36.

Once a month there's the "Nacht Flohmarkt" (night flea market) - with both junk and DJs.

Access

How to get to SO36: nearest U-Bahn stations are Kottbusser Tor (Station) (U1, U8) and Görlitzer Bahnhof (Station) (U1). Bus M29 runs along the Oranienstrasse.

Link

SO36 website: www.so36.de

History

SO36's location has a long history: originally a biergarten pub opened in 1861, it became a cinema after the First World War. During the 1960s the building - like many in Kreuzberg - was abandoned, but was soon taken over by the alternative art scene, and towards the end of the 1970s it became a concert location for the alternative music scene, with appearances by bands such as the "Die einstürzenden Neubauten" and the "Dead Kennedys". The fun ended in 1983 - the building was closed by the authorities for safety reasons, causing the owners to go bankrupt. A long intermezzo followed with the occasional temporary events and a phase of occupation by various alternative projects, ending in the building's clearance by the police in 1987.

In 1990, following extensive renovation, the SO36 as we know it today came into existence, establishing itself as a permanent fixture in Berlin's less-mainstream cultural scene. Extensive renovation in 2003 gave SO36 a new lease of life.

Crêperie Bretonne (0.3 km), Kottbusser Tor (Station) (0.3 km), Görlitzer Bahnhof (Station) (0.4 km), The Old Emerald Isle (TOEI) (0.7 km), Oranienstraße (0.8 km), Motelone Berlin-Mitte (0.9 km), Moritzplatz (Station) (0.9 km), Moritzplatz (0.9 km), Fair Exchange (Bookshop) (0.9 km)