Around 5000 wild boars are living in the forests of Berlin.
The video is made in the hinterland of the city, where the population density gets very scarce.
As part of 6 Music Loves Berlin, Iggy Pop takes you on a sonic journey through German lieder song, the Weimar Republic’s cabaret movement, the Yin of Schlager and the corresponding Yang of Krautrock. All the way through to today’s contemporary classical scene and the beat of Berghain. He also touches upon the influence of this once divided city on non-German musicians as well as the inescapable soundtrack to his short time there as a resident. Following the demise of Iggy & The Stooges and some personal issues in the mid-70s, Iggy ended up relocating from Los Angeles to what was then West Berlin for a couple of years. It was during his time there that he worked on music that led to his seminal solo albums The Idiot and Lust For Life.
When Berlin’s city government recently pledged €1 million to soundproof the city’s nightclubs and so safeguard their future, it showcased the importance of nightlife culture to the German capital’s global appeal. Ordinary Berliners agree: 84 percent call the city’s partyleben amazing and its culture and live music scenes score highly too. Berlin also stands out as one of the most inclusive, creative and affordable cities in the world, giving its citizens access to the things money can’t buy: freedom and happiness.
Darwin’s colleague Silke Voigt-Heucke said that nightingales, just like many of the people who come to Berlin from abroad and make it their home, may be attracted to the city’s dishevelled appearance. “What makes Berlin unique for a capital in Europe is that we still have a relatively good network of green spaces that are not overtly cultivated. For now, there are still a lot of unkempt brownfield sites,” she said.
“Poor but sexy”, a now widely mocked marketing slogan coined by the former mayor Klaus Wowereit, may have had a more lasting relevance in the avian world. “Many of Berlin’s parks haven’t been managed properly for years, which has turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” Voigt-Heucke said. “Nightingales nest on the ground within or next to dense bushes, so piles of leaves and stinging nettles are perfect for them.”