Berghain
nightclub in Berlin
Berghain (German: [ˈbɛʁkhaɪn]) is a nightclub in Berlin, Germany. It is named after its location near the border between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain and is a short walk from Berlin Ostbahnhof main line railway station. Founded in 2004 by friends Norbert Thormann and Michael Teufele, it has since become one of the world's most famous clubs and has been called the world capital of techno.
Berghain traces its roots to 1990s Berlin, beginning with hardcore techno and fetish parties in the Reichsbahnbunker, evolving into the influential gay club Ostgut in 1998. After Ostgut’s closure in 2003, its founders opened Berghain in 2004 in a former power plant, merging techno music with sexual freedom. It features a techno-focused main room, the house music-oriented Panorama Bar, and a seasonal outdoor garden. Its sound systems are considered state-of-the-art. It was temporarily transformed into an art space during the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming club events in 2021. Lab.oratory is a male-only sex club located in the basement of Berghain, described by Rolling Stone as Berlin’s most extreme.
Berghain is known for its extended weekend hours, strict and selective door policy, diverse queer culture, dedicated spaces for sexual activity, and an environment that has been described as influencing fluidity in sexual orientation and behavior.
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This entry incorporates text from “Berghain” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.