Singer and actress Rosa Landers still lives in the same Prenzlauer Berg apartment she grew up in, during that sliver of time in the 1990s when the district still retained its East German nonconformist spirit and had not yet turned into the prim and proper family hotspot it’s known as now. Today, Landers’ flat, located on a popular Prenzlauer Berg street, is full of all the same bohemian whimsy and vintage gems as when she first moved in.
What is your history with the apartment?
I was born not far from here, and in 1994 my mom and I moved into this apartment. So I grew up in this place.
What do you remember the neighbourhood being like?
It was very empty and all the houses were brownish beige, almost like ruins. There was one bar, Nemo, which is still here. Mauerpark was freshly opened, I remember going with my kindergarten group and there was glass everywhere. It was a super punk area.
How do people describe your apartment when they first see it?
One friend made a joke about me putting shrines everywhere. Friends have also said it has a witchy vibe.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Do you know Pippi Langstrumpf [Pippi Longstocking]? There’s something great about her house because every room had a different colour.
Do you have a favourite space?
My bedroom floor. When I’m writing songs or working on a project, I lie down there and just let everything go. It’s my favourite area for having ideas.
What are people most drawn to when they visit?
Definitely the daybed. It’s literally just a bed that I use as a sofa, but I don’t think it’s something that people see very often. There’s something romantic about it.
What’s the weirdest object you own?
A scientific model head that shows which parts of the brain are responsible for what. I think I found it on the street and now it lives in the bathroom.
What’s the most sentimental object you own?
The pink cupboard. You definitely need two people to move it, so whenever my mom and I had to move it, we really had to work together. It kind of created a tension between us, but it was also something that made us be a team.
Do you have any favourite objects?
I love my Kermit the Frog, he’s just the most casual cowboy I’ve ever seen.
- Follow Rosa Landers on Instagram @rosa__landers
