I mentioned the “Wohnungskrise” in Berlin before. Very briefly: there are not enough apartments for people who already live or want to live in the city ant the rental prices have been rising. Berlin’s authentic ways of living offer a kind of relief in the crisis, such as WGs. Yes, I am getting to the point and don’t worry, it doesn’t include any numbers, just facts.
Wohngemeinschaft is a form of shared accommodation, where there is usually a main tenant (Hauptmieter) and a couple of more people who share the space, rent and expenses. This makes a lot of sense because in Berlin there used to be many large apartments and a lot of poor people who cannot afford living alone or simply don’t want to live on their own. I will end the definition with this one sided oversimplification because it serves what I aim with this text and I’m already bored of explaining.
As we first moved to Berlin in 2017, finding a spot in a WG was also a challenge, especially for a couple. On the other hand, it did not seem as hard as renting our own private apartment, so it was definitely an option for us. As I started looking for a room, I also came across stories about living in a WG. For example, a guy from Turkey, who went to a couple of WG-acquisition-interviews (yes, I know) he wrote he witnessed some sides of the daily life there that made him give up the idea of sharing the living spaces with others. Mountain of dishes is the kitchen is no secret. He was especially shocked when he saw one roommate pissing in the toilet when the other was taking a shower just next to them. There was a shower curtain in between, if you wonder, and probably a very moldy and slimy one.
This doesn’t even make my top 10 weirdest things I experienced in a WG, it doesn’t even come close. I lived in a Berlin-WG for almost 4 years, I might not have seen it all but I have seen a lot. Those filthy, very filthy, large places do not surprise me anymore. Yes, I admit that in my first weeks I was knocking on my roommates’ door to see if they were still alive after not leaving their room for three days straight, at least not in the daylight. Or I was surprised to see what the dating apps, specifically a premium Tinder membership could offer. I saw a mouth being kissed by several different partners on the same day and a bathrobe worn by tens of different people without being washed once in months. I saw rooms filled with stuff and only cleaned before the moving-in ten years ago. And I am not even sure if all this is weird, anymore. I just got so used to it and maybe became a part of it too. Yes, I also stopped wiping that shelf in the kitchen and let it collect dust for a couple of years but no, I’ve never worn that bathrobe myself. This is actually topic for a book but I will try to tell a bit more in the next piece. I hope you are curious.
