History

The potato revolution of 1847

It was the so-called potato revolution that prompted Berlin's city fathers to consider building market halls. These halls were intended to ensure a widespread supply of inexpensive food for the growing population.

In April 1847, looting and mass protests broke out in Berlin. Poor harvests had led to an extreme rise in food prices. Potatoes, the staple food of the poorer people, were four times more expensive. Many Berliners were starving. Eventually, customers at several weekly markets in Berlin fought back against the exorbitant prices. They overturned the stalls, cut up the sacks of potatoes and helped themselves without paying. In the days that followed, angry demonstrators looted bakeries and meat shops. It took the military three days to put an end to the unrest.

The potato revolution made it clear that the old supply structures were no longer sufficient for the rapidly growing city. Poverty and hunger among large sections of the population were the downside of the rapid growth. However, it took several more attempts before the first market hall was opened in Berlin in 1886, where food could be sold under hygienic conditions. During this time, Berlin's population tripled: in 1849, around 424,000 people lived in the city, by 1890 it already had more than 1.5 million inhabitants. The industrial revolution needed workers, for whom the notorious tenements were built in Kreuzberg.

Weekly markets and Höker

In the 19th century, Berliners bought their food from so called Höker, farmers from the surrounding area who went from house to house in the city or offered their goods at the city's weekly markets. Around 1870, there were 20 such markets. They were primitive sales outlets: many market women simply spread their fruit and vegetables out on the ground. Blowflies circled around the butchers' stalls and the blood from the slaughtered goods ran over the pavement. Fish swam in wooden troughs - often belly up. Stench, noise and traffic chaos led to frequent complaints.

In 1881, the city council decided on a market hall concept with the participation of the doctor Rudolf Virchow. On the one hand, the catastrophic hygienic conditions at the weekly markets were to be combated in this way. Above all, however, the aim was to ensure a stable supply of food. Last but not least, it was the Berlin railway that made this possible. With the inauguration of the new railway tracks in February 1882, a fast and inexpensive connection to the major domestic and foreign food trading centres became possible.

The concept envisaged the construction of a central market hall with a railway connection. In addition, several decentralised smaller district market halls were to be built. The project was realised within just six years.

The opening of Markthalle IX in May 1891

On 2 May 1886, the central market hall on Alexanderplatz and the first three smaller market halls were inaugurated. The remaining Berlin market halls were built by 1892. There were 14 halls in total. This secured the food supply for Berliners. They could now shop at any time and regardless of the weather. Perishable goods were protected and the food was monitored by the health police. The weekly markets were closed.

The magistrate had the smaller market halls built in areas with a high population density. Market Hall IX was no exception. It opened its doors on 1 October 1891. Shortly before or at the same time, the tenement blocks in Eisenbahnstrasse, Wrangelstrasse, Muskauerstrasse, Waldemarstrasse and Pücklerstrasse were built.

Markthalle IX is located between two streets, Eisenbahnstraße and Pücklerstraße. It extends over several courtyards. The facades of the front buildings are richly decorated. Shed roof windows provide daylight and good ventilation. The cooling facilities in the basement and the supply and disposal of large quantities of water met the most modern hygiene standards of the time. A meat inspection centre was also integrated into the hall. In order to enable a smooth flow of goods, it had wide gateways that could also be used by horse-drawn vehicles.

The other retail market halls were similarly designed. Their design was the brainchild of city planning officer Hermann Blankenstein. His colleague, the architect August Lindemann, was largely responsible for the technical and structural details of Market Hall IX. There was space for 300 stalls, each measuring four square metres.

All the stalls were already rented out in the first year after the opening. The large cathedral-like building offered local residents an unprecedented selection of a wide variety of foods. Shopping in the market halls with their spacious architecture of iron structures, atriums and lots of glass, which had long been common in the most important European capitals, was very popular. Now the whole range of food available at the time was also accessible to the general public.

Meat, game and poultry were offered at 77 stalls in Market Hall IX. Fish was available at 18 stalls. Customers could buy fruit and vegetables, butter, but also colonial goods, spices and other items at 210 stalls.

Flourishing and crises

Although the stall rents in the market halls were significantly more expensive than those at the weekly markets, the traders did good business. They were able to offer their goods in the halls every day and into the evening hours and therefore generate considerably higher sales than at the weekly markets.

It is true that four halls had to close again before the First World War because their location was unprofitable or because they were unable to cope with the competition from the emerging grocery shops and department stores. But the other small halls boomed.

Things picked up again in the twenties. The economic crisis meant that many once wealthy Berliners also took advantage of the favourable prices on offer in the market halls. From the mid-twenties onwards, all halls were once again fully utilised.

World War II and the consequences

Während des Zweiten Weltkriegs wurden von den zehn verbliebenen Markthallen acht völlig zerstört. Die Markthalle IX blieb lange unbeschädigt, erst im Februar 1945 wurde sie von einer Bombe getroffen. Teile des Kellers stürzen ein; es wurde von zwei Todesopfern berichtet. Trotzdem ging der Verkauf auf provisorischen Ständen weiter.

Nach dem Krieg wurden in West-Berlin nur drei Markthallen wieder in Betrieb genommen: die Markthalle IX, die Arminiushalle in Moabit (Markthalle X) und die Markthalle XI am Marheinekeplatz, die allerdings neu aufgebaut werden musste und erst 1953 wieder eröffnete. Seit der politischen Teilung der Stadt Ende 1948 wurden die Hallen West-Berlins vom Senat verwaltet. Sie erhielten neue Kühlanlagen, die Beleuchtung mit elektrischem Licht wurde verbessert und Warmluftheizungen wurden installiert. 1951 feierte die Markthalle IX mit großem Aufwand und Politikpräsenz ihr 60. Jubiläum.

Allerdings hatte sie massiv unter den Folgen des Krieges zu leiden. Durch den Bombenangriff vom 3. Februar 1945, als Kreuzberg vier Tage lang brannte, waren ganze Straßenzüge in der Umgebung zerstört worden. Vor allem aber schnitt der Mauerbau 1961 die Halle IX von ihrem Hinterland ab. In der Folge geriet das Quartier in eine Randlage; wer es sich leisten konnte, zog weg. Dazu trug auch die „Kahlschlagsanierung“ bei. Sie führt dazu, dass viele Wohnungen leer standen oder nur befristet vermietet wurden – an ausländische Arbeitnehmer und Studenten, an Künstler und Alternative mit wenig Kaufkraft.

Zu den Strukturproblemen des Viertels kamen massive Veränderungen im Lebensmittelhandel. Supermärkte mit Selbstbedienung lösten die traditionellen Einzelhandelsgeschäfte ab und machten auch den Markthallen Konkurrenz. Bis 1976 gingen die vermieteten Flächen der Halle IX auf 60 Prozent zurück. Die Schließung drohte.

‘Everything under one roof’ 1977

It was two discounters, actually competitors, that saved Markthalle IX: ALDI moved into the hall in 1977 and Drospa moved in in 1981. The concept worked: The following year, the remaining 30 stalls were once again 97% full.

The Berlin market halls had already been transferred to the ownership of the state-owned Berliner Großmarkt GmbH at the end of 1969. At the same time, the traders had founded a co-operative that rented the halls and ran them under its own management. Self-management brought considerable cost reductions for the 30 members of the co-operative. The range of goods on offer could be expanded, textiles, stationery and toys were also sold in market hall IX, and even a locksmith service was integrated. ‘Everything under one roof’ was the cooperative's advertising slogan.

But sales stagnated. There was a lack of qualified new recruits in some sectors. For the greengrocers, for example, the working day started at around 3 a.m. and did not end when the shop closed. Not everyone is up for that. There were complaints about frequent changes of stall holders, because this damages the halls. Their biggest advantage is the emotional connection with customers, for whom a little chat with familiar traders is more important than modern shopping convenience.

Many older people shopped in Hall IX - which also reflected the ageing population of Kreuzberg. There were frequent conflicts with some young people who moved into the neighbourhood. In 1987, the market hall administration lodged a complaint with the Senate about a lack of security with regard to the ‘autonomous scene’. In 1991, the now 100-year-old Markthalle IX was renovated at a cost of around DM 700,000.

In 1994, a small hotel, the ‘Sandmann’, opened above the market restaurant, but it did not last long. A highlight of this decade was an exhibition by four female artists about the market hall in 1995.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Decay and sale 2000-2011

But ‘everything under one roof’ was becoming less and less true. The situation became more precarious and many stalls stood empty. The co-operative dissolved in 2003. In the same year, Berliner Großmarkt GmbH rented out large areas of Markthalle IX to the textile discounter KIK. No solutions were found for the problems of the stall tenants. Instead, it decided to sell the hall. A ‘modernisation and maintenance backlog is clearly evident’, according to the tender. The market hall on Marheinekeplatz was brought forward in the renovation planning.

In 2001, the Lausitzer Platz residents' group began campaigning for the hall; they were to fight for ten years to save it. In 2007, plans were announced to turn the Prussian brick and cast iron building on Eisenbahnstraße into an oriental bazaar with stalls selling spices, gold jewellery and carpets. To this end, stall rents were to be doubled to 60 euros per square metre. This was met with public criticism.

The residents' initiative Eisenbahn.MarktundKultur.Halle also opposed the sale of the hall to a bidder who wanted to install a supermarket there. It tirelessly mobilised artists and interim users, politicians and traders in the area. It was thanks to them that the plans to sell the hall to the highest bidder were stopped in 2010. Instead, the hall was offered at a fixed price of 1.15 million euros. The bidders had to present a concept that included small-scale retail as well as cultural and social activities.

The Markthalle Neun project group was eventually awarded the contract. It had supported the initiative's numerous events since the beginning of 2009 and presented a utilisation concept that met the interests of the organised residents.