No World Cup Party for Berlin?
July 9, 2005
Berlin might like to sell itself as Germany's most dynamic metropolis, but more often than not, the city comes off like a provincial village. In less than a year, the city will host the World Cup final -- one of the greatest events in sport. Only the privileged few will manage to get tickets to that match, but the masses that don't fit into Berlin's Olympic Stadium shouldn't be left out of the fun.
The other 11 cities were the world's best soccer players will kick the ball around all have come up with concepts for large outdoor festivals, where fans can celebrate and watch the matches on big video screens. Only Berlin remains without a plan. The events -- under the official auspices of soccer's organizing body FIFA and the tournament's main corporate sponsors -- will aim to offer lots of fan and family-friendly entertainment. They will also give the German host cities a chance to present themselves to the public.
Naturally, those official parties will be a huge draw for the hordes of TV crews eager to beam happy and colorful images around the world. In the global hard-fought battle for tourists and the cash they leave where they visit, it's not hard to imagine what a unique opportunity the World Cup offers Germany's cities to market themselves to the world. But Berlin's dithering could cost the capital dearly.
Ironically, Germany's leading city already had a plan for its official fan festival. The city's main axis that cuts through the central Tiergarten park and leads straight to the famous Brandenburg Gate was already under consideration last year, as the broad boulevard has already been used for similar large events including the techno festival Love Parade and last week's Germany edition of the worldwide Live 8 concerts.
"We want this location since there's nothing like it anywhere else in the world," said Hanns Peter Nerger, the head of Berlin's tourist marketing corporation.
Gridlock traffic?
The Berlin's city government had giving its assurances to FIFA in writing that the axis, along the Straße des 17. Juni would be available for a mile-long World Cup festival. But the Senate abruptly changed its mind after realizing one of the city's major traffic arteries would be shut for over a month with the tournament took place in June and July of next year. Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit apparently fears chaos if the 40,000 cars that use the street each day are diverted elsewhere, potentially annoying Berliners and jeopardizing his re-election chances in fall 2006.
That's left the most important World Cup host city scrambling for an appropriate location for its official fan festival. Finding a new one won't be easy since the party-mile was an integral part of the Berlin concept. And that's upsetting several of the organizers.
"We still have a few problems to solve before Berlin can show its best side," saod Fedor Radmann, an advisor to the Germany's official World Cup organizing committee.
Regardless of where the official party ends up, there will certainly be plenty of inofficial places for fans to gather to watch the matches in Berlin. Whether in bars, beergardens or pubs -- soccer will be omnipresent in the city next summer. Sporting goods maker Adidas even wants to show the matches in a mini-replica Olympic Stadium for 8,500 fans right in front of the Reichstag.
Still, some are concerned the capital's image will be damaged if the embarrassing confusion isn't quickly taken care of. "At some point we have to know where all the events will take place," said Berlin city council man from the district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Klaus-Dieter Gröhler. "I believe the importance of this spectacle is underestimated in Berlin."