Berlin’s 1990s squatter scene roars back to life in bold new theatre production

Step into the neon-lit chaos of 1990s Berlin, where a lost world of rebellion and techno pulses back to life. This isn’t nostalgia—it’s a reckoning with the city’s fading soul.

, and Administrator

2025 November 18 . 5:01 PM

1 min read

At the bottom of the image there is a road with cars and a bus. Behind them there are buildings... — At the bottom of the image there is a road with cars and a bus. Behind them there are buildings with walls, windows, dish and roofs. And also there are posters and banners to the walls. There is a pole with streetlight.

Berlin’s 1990s squatter scene roars back to life in bold new theatre production

A new theatre production has brought Berlin's 1990s squatter scene back to life. Titled 'Theater Techno Tempel', the show premiered on 18 October 2025 at Theater im Kino on Rigaer Straße 77—the very spot where much of the original history unfolded. The performance blended archival footage, interviews, and live action to recreate a lost era of grassroots resistance and underground culture.

The production centred on the staged reopening of Schizzo Temple, a legendary 1990s venue in East Berlin's underground scene. Developed by an amateur ensemble, it was shaped by dramaturg Paul Marwitz-Seyffert and director Richard Haufe-Ahmels. Both were drawn to the project by the shrinking number of free spaces in the city today.

The premiere took place at the original Rigaer Straße 77 location, linking past and present. By reviving Schizzo Temple on stage, the production offered a direct encounter with a world that has largely vanished. Organisers hope the show will spark conversations about Berlin's changing urban landscape and the legacy of its autonomous spaces.