Concept

Strolling through the market hall with an overflowing basket. Strawberries from Werder and the smell of freshly baked sourdough. A glance into the glass-walled butcher’s shop. Cheese from the Urstromtal and beer brewed in the cellar. Seniors sharing meals instead of eating alone, while school classes learn how milk becomes cheese. A quick chat with a neighbor at the fish counter about the start of asparagus season. A gardener from Rüdnitz recommending cabbages and beets.

More than a decade ago, Markthalle IX was on the verge of becoming an empty shell. Three discount stores and a lone coffee stand were the last tenants. The city decided to sell. Thanks to committed neighbors, the hall wasn’t sold to the highest bidder, but to the best concept. A network of food activists came together, slowly bringing the market back to life between historical stalls and workbenches. What emerged is a place that reunites the things that make urban neighborhoods worth living in:

From Monday to Saturday, the market hall offers a wide variety of goods: from everyday essentials to specialties from around the world. Many of our vendors are regional producers who oversee their products from origin to sale. Others are traders who know the stories behind what they offer. Glass-fronted bakeries and a butcher shop, a small brewery, a patisserie, and an open canteen bring food production out of anonymity and back into urban life. Cooking classes for children and teenagers teach skills and knowledge about how to handle food. The street-food market showcases Berlin as a creative, diverse metropolis of culinary culture.

Beyond selling food, the market hall provides space for local initiatives and projects that engage with issues like nutrition, urban life, agriculture, and the environment. Markthalle Neun sparks conversations about building a sustainable and fair food system in the city – and actively welcomes the public debate that’s needed to get there.