Another fire broke out last night on the grounds of a Berlin club in what seems to be becoming a disturbing trend. Less than a year after the fire at Wilde Renate and two months after a Nazi arson attack against a club on the RAW site, flames were spotted at the venue on Wiesenweg early this morning.
Wiesenweg is home to two major clubs, neighbouring OXI and Void; a photo released by the Berliner Feuerwehr (Berlin Fire Department) shows firefighters in front of the wooden facade of OXI. According to a report published by the Fire Department, the flames initially broke out in a wooden structure in the club’s courtyard and spread to the aforementioned facade. Witnesses called firefighters to the scene, who arrived with eight vehicles carrying 30 personnel. They managed to put the blaze out, using a chainsaw to cut through a part of the wooden fence. The police subsequently took over the investigation into the cause of the fire.
OXI – as well as Renate – is among several clubs threatened with bulldozing due to the planned extension of the A100 motorway. Increasing operating costs, lower numbers of visitors, as well as disputes with landlords and real estate investors who would prefer to see cultural venues turned into more office space, are all additional worries for the city’s club scene. The prospect of being burned down now appears to be joining that list.
