

Having trouble getting past Sven? Here are 28 tips on how to get past the bouncers at Berghain. We went in and had our bags checked, nothing was said to us about the contents of our bag. I went in with 2 friends and we were looking forward to a good night in Berlins Berghain. "Later I talked to the owner and he told me that he was in Berlin and was allowed into Berghain," said Marquardt during an interview with BZ Berlin.Īn eye for an eye, a bounce for a bounce.Įarlier this month, Marquardt successfully sued the Swedish company Beware Of Ninja for €15,000 after they used his likeness without consent in their Berghain-inspired card game, Bergnein. to whom it may concern, i dont even know how to explain what Ive been through in your club tonight. Traveling to Australia to showcase his art at Goethe-Institut in Sydney, Sven Marquardt decided to hit the town after his gallery showing.įinding himself in line at a nightclub later that night, Marquardt was denied entry because the club's bouncers found his facial tattoos to be too off-putting and suspicious. In addition to being the world's most famous bouncer, the East Berlin native is also an accomplished photographer who has exhibited his work in numerous locations around the world. One woman of color, who wished to remain anonymous, warns me of those who view Berghain as their "church.Sven Marquardt, the clubland sentry who watches over the door of Berlin's legendary nightclub, Berghain, was given a taste of his own medicine at a nightclub in Sydney earlier this month. Clubbing might be off the cards for Berghain thanks to the coronavirus, but the last year has seen the iconic Berlin institution taken over by art installations and exhibitions and now, a fashion show has been thrown into the mix, too. Yet, as pressure on the club's policy mounts, so does its cultish aura of protection. The story is not a one-off and potentially mirrors Berlin's issues with racism and unintegrated migrant communities. The film, logically entitled 'Berlin Bouncer' and directed by David Dietl, tells the. The club came under public scrutiny in 2015 when Black DJ and producer, Felix Da Housecat, took to Twitter to complain of racism within the door selection process. Berghain bouncer Sven Marquardt is the subject of a new documentary along with another of the club's 'deciders', Smiley Baldwin, and Frank Knster, who worked a similar role at the sorely-missed Delicious Donuts during the 1990s, and more latterly King Size. Though the club intends to establish a place of expression and freedom for all, the door selection process gets heavily criticized for its unscripted subjectivity that leaves space for discrimination. Marquardt denies a formulaic approach, instead suggesting that he attempts to create contrasts and excitement within the club's walls through the people he picks. Countless guides to getting past his scrutiny exist: wear black, come alone, speak German. The club's famous bouncer, Sven Marquardt, known for being picky in terms of clientele, has been interviewed by GQ and has explained what influences the door staff's decisions at the Berlin club. The bouncers don’t hesitate to deny entry often for no discernable reason - but it. Just the mention of Berghain bouncer Sven Marquardts name is enough to make clubbers palms sweaty, but another famous Berlin doorman, Smiley Baldwin, made his name by leading with love. If you were wondering just what you had to do or wear to qualify for entry into Berghain, you can put your mind to rest now. He is most accurately a selector and perhaps the most difficult to impress in the world. I lived in Berlin for some time and have gone to Berghain on numerous occasions, says John OCeallaigh. Yet, neither bouncer nor gatekeeper aptly describes his role. The heavily-tattooed man has become a living legend as a gatekeeper to Berghain. Becoming entrenched in Berlin's gay punk scene at an early age, the bouncer started working for Teufele and Thormann's Snax nights in the 90s and today mans the doors of Berghain. Sven Marquardt is a living, breathing constant throughout the club's history and undoubtedly its future. Berghain's opening thus reignited the city's excitement for techno, recreating the adventure and anarchy of the 90s.īecome a Gray Area member for access to exclusive perks! The club's launch came at a crucial time for Berlin's techno scene: the early noughties saw many of Berlin's clubs closing their doors and attendance to the Love Parade, a notorious annual street techno festival, dwindling until it was eventually canceled in 20. In 2004, the club opened, commencing with the Panorama Bar and eventually expanding into the space it is known as today. They named the new club Berghain, a nod to the two districts the club sits between, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. Teufele and Thormann eventually established new roots in a disused power plant. Forced to give way to government construction projects, Ostgut closed its doors in 2003 with a party that revelers speak of to this day. Yet, Berghain, as it exists today, was not physically in Ostgut's original location.
