The Market Hall

It goes without saying that the Markthalle 9, dating back to 1892, has a history of extraordinary vicissitude. By its very nature, a market hall, being a place for public life, trading and communication, invariably serves as an epicentre of current affairs.
The Markthalle 9 not only survived two World Wars largely unscathed, it has also always reflected the history of Kreuzberg and continues to do so: from being a working-class neighbourhood before and after the Second World War, to forming a leftist bastion in the 70s and 80s, then seemingly forgotten about in the 90s after the Wall fell, until becoming the hipster place of today, inundated with tourists and with rents going through the roof.
We’d like to pay tribute to all of this in a very special way. Using a mixture of theatre and improvisation we intend to bring to life three very different eras at the Markthalle. We’d like to invite you on this journey through time, back to the ever-changing pasts of this venue.
 
You’ll experience the Kreuzberg of March 1981, defined by the battles for the occupied houses. Maybe you’ll become part of the protest movement, join in the rehearsals of a sit-in or get involved in the quarrels, the escalation and chaos. Everything that happens is, of course, improvised with only the setting and the actors’ characters certain.
We go back to the year 1948 when Berlin was divided into occupation zones and the Berlin Blockade was imminent: food rations, a flourishing black market, flirting GIs, swing and rock ’n’ roll, and the arrival of the first ‘candy bombers’.
We’ll delve into March 1926, when the Golden Twenties were in full swing – a heyday for market halls and a time when trade unions and sports clubs competed for the Kreuzberger’s favour.

All of this will come alive with the help of sound, improvisation and atmosphere. There’ll be a sound installation accompanying the evening, acoustically supporting the portrayal of each year and the course of the centuries.
An audio-visual, culinary, artistic and sensual journey into the past of Kreuzberg, portrayed by the entire festival ensemble, featuring artists from 12 countries!