Golden Twenties in Berlin:
Nightlife, History & the Reality Behind the Myth
What Were the Golden Twenties in Berlin?
The Golden Twenties in Berlin mainly refer to the years from 1924 to 1929 during the Weimar Republic. After hyperinflation and political crises, Germany temporarily stabilized – and Berlin developed into one of Europe's most important centers of culture, industry and entertainment.
The Berlin locals recommend.
Why Were the Golden Twenties in Berlin So Special?
Berlin experienced technological progress, cultural freedom, a massive nightlife scene and stark social contrasts all at the same time. Jazz, film, new architecture and sexual subcultures existed alongside housing shortages, poverty and political instability. It is precisely this contrast that continues to shape our image of the Golden Twenties today.
Facts at a Glance
- Golden Twenties: mainly 1924–1929
- Greater Berlin was established in 1920 with around 3.8 million residents
- Tempelhof Airport opened in 1923
- Berlin's first traffic light system at Potsdamer Platz: 1924
- Construction of the Hufeisensiedlung began in 1925
- Josephine Baker enjoyed major success in Berlin in 1926
- BVG began operations in 1929
- Cocaine was a visible part of Berlin nightlife, but it was not a mass phenomenon
- Berlin had an exceptionally diverse queer subculture
Alright, friends,
when I think of the Weimar Republic, the first thing I think of is school.
History books, endless afternoons and my teacher.
When I think of the Golden Twenties in Berlin, it's a completely different picture. I think of a city that went wild. Of nights that never seemed to end. Of extremes that hadn't existed like this before.
And of an era that still shapes Berlin today.
Most people come to Berlin, party, go out to eat, take photos and experience a city where nightlife and subculture feel surprisingly natural.
The 1920s alone don't explain the Berlin we know today. But they were an important precursor to Berlin's club culture, which would later reappear in completely different forms.
Why the Golden Twenties Actually Lasted Only a Few Years
“Golden” sounds like an entire decade. Historically, however, the term usually refers only to the short period between 1924 and the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929.
Germany was emerging from World War I, political unrest and the hyperinflation of 1923. From 1924 onwards, the currency and economy temporarily stabilized. Culture, consumerism and entertainment had room to flourish again.
But this stability was fragile.
When the Great Depression began in 1929, unemployment and social tensions intensified once again. The supposedly golden era was over after just a few years.
How Berlin Suddenly Became a Global Metropolis in the 1920s
One decisive change had already taken place in 1920: Greater Berlin was created.
Berlin was merged with eight cities, 59 rural municipalities and 27 estate districts. Its population doubled to around 3.8 million, while its area grew from just under 66 to more than 878 square kilometres. This made Berlin the third-largest city in the world after London and New York.
Places like Kurfürstendamm, Friedrichstraße, Unter den Linden and Alexanderplatz came to represent this new metropolitan feeling.
Berlin was elegant and dirty, modern and overwhelmed – all at the same time.
How Did Ordinary Berliners Live During the Golden Twenties?
This is where the romantic image quickly starts to fall apart.
While new dance halls, cinemas and department stores were opening, affordable housing was a huge problem. One of the city's responses was to build modern housing estates. The Hufeisensiedlung in Britz was built between 1925 and 1930 according to the principle of “air, light and sun” and remains a prime example of social housing from the Weimar era.
If you're interested in this side of Berlin, you'll find how it developed in the decades that followed in my article about housing and Plattenbau in Berlin.
The Golden Twenties were never golden for everyone.
The glamour of a few streets tells you very little about how the rest of the city lived.
Berlin Nightlife in the 1920s: A Precursor to Today’s Club Culture
Berlin developed an entertainment scene that became internationally famous: dance halls, cabarets, variety shows, bars and huge entertainment venues attracted both Berliners and visitors.
Moka Efti opened on Leipziger Straße in 1926 and later became a huge café and dance hall with a restaurant, hair salon, billiard room and other attractions. The real Moka Efti, however, was not the wild underground club portrayed in “Babylon Berlin.”
Queer subcultures also became increasingly visible. The Eldorado became a famous venue for drag performances. Berlin offered gay people freedoms that were almost impossible to find elsewhere – even though male homosexuality remained criminalized.
This is where we can see some of the early roots of what Berlin nightlife would later become known for: spaces where society's usual rules worked differently, at least for a while.
Cocaine in Berlin: How Intoxicated Were the Golden Twenties Really?
Cocaine is part of the history of Berlin nightlife in the 1920s. But over the years, plenty of myth has been added to the story.
The German Federal Archives explicitly describes cocaine use as a fringe phenomenon rather than a widespread problem. Still, the drug was visible: a well-known photograph from 1924, for example, shows the Berlin cocaine dealer “Koks-Emil.” Drugs were used in connection with pain, war trauma and social hardship, as well as in parts of the bohemian scene.
Dancer Anita Berber became a symbol of this world through her provocative performances and excessive lifestyle.
So cocaine was real. The idea that Berlin was in a constant collective state of intoxication, however, is part of the legend.
Josephine Baker, Jazz and Charleston: Berlin Changes Its Rhythm
Josephine Baker came to Berlin in 1926 and was celebrated on Kurfürstendamm. Her performance caused a sensation, while the Charleston became a symbol of a new entertainment culture.
Jazz, revue and new dances represented movement and a break with old social conventions.
Fashion changed too. Bobbed hair, more practical clothing and new roles for women became increasingly visible. Women had gained political rights with the Weimar Republic, although a modern haircut was, of course, still a long way from full social equality.
But something was changing on the streets.
Freedom suddenly became visible.
Berlin as a Laboratory for the Future: Transport, Film and New Architecture
While Berlin danced at night, during the day it was busy building the modern metropolis.
Tempelhof Airport began flight operations in 1923. On December 15, 1924, Berlin's first traffic light system went into operation at Potsdamer Platz. In 1929, the newly founded BVG brought trams, buses and the U-Bahn together under one company.
At the same time, modern housing estates and new architecture emerged, while Berlin's film industry produced works such as Fritz Lang's “Metropolis.”
The development of Berlin's public transport system still tells the story of this modernization today.
Berlin was a laboratory for the future – just without a stable social foundation.
Why the Golden Twenties Were Politically Unstable
The cultural freedom of the era shouldn't obscure just how tense the political situation in the Weimar Republic remained.
Political camps became increasingly hostile towards one another. Street fighting, extremism and state violence were part of the reality. In 1929, the events known as Berlin's “Bloody May” showed just how quickly political conflicts could escalate.
Then the Great Depression hit a society whose stability was already fragile.
This matters because it's exactly this part that tends to disappear from the nostalgic image of the Golden Twenties: A creative and modern city isn't automatically a stable one.
Which Places from the Golden Twenties Can You Still See in Berlin Today?
Much was destroyed during World War II or completely transformed in the decades that followed. But you can still find traces of this era today.
The Hufeisensiedlung represents the New Building movement. Tempelhof tells the story of Berlin's early aviation. At Potsdamer Platz, a replica of the historic traffic tower recalls the traffic light system installed there in 1924. Even the Delphi Filmpalast in Weißensee, now known as a filming location for “Babylon Berlin,” opened back in 1929.
You'll find other layers of Berlin's history in my articles about Lost Places, Wünsdorf, the Olympiastadion and Teufelsberg. Some of them come from different eras, but they show just as clearly how many different versions of this city still exist on top of one another today.
Babylon Berlin: How Much of the Series Is Based on Reality?
For many people, “Babylon Berlin” has become the defining image of Berlin in the late 1920s.
The series draws on real elements of the era: political tensions, crime, nightlife, drugs and social contrasts. Moka Efti really existed too.
Still, it remains a dramatized version of the past. Moka Efti in particular is portrayed as far more decadent and seedy in the series than the real café and dance hall actually was.
That doesn't make the series any less compelling.
You just have to distinguish between historical Berlin and the version of Berlin we like to create from that era today.
Musical “BERLIN BERLIN”: The Glamorous Version of the Twenties
In 2024, I went to see the musical “BERLIN BERLIN” with my family.
And sure, it's fun.
In 2024, I went to see the musical “BERLIN BERLIN” with my family.
And sure, it's fun.
Charleston, music, figures like Josephine Baker – exactly the image many people have of this era.
But for the most part, it's the polished version. Apart from a few wartime anecdotes and reality checks, today it's mainly about show, lights and entertainment.
Back then, behind this image were real social conflicts, poverty, political uncertainty and people who didn't simply go home once the curtain came down.
Today, we buy a ticket to enter this world. Back then, it was everyday life.
Provocateur Berlin: How the Twenties Live On Today
I worked at Provocateur Berlin myself for several years, among other places. By the way, everyone in Berlin should visit it at least once.
That's where I really understood just how powerful the image of the Golden Twenties still is today – and the kind of people it attracts.
Burlesque shows, a dark and decadent atmosphere, drinks inspired by icons of the era and a unique crowd. Well known among Berliners, yet somehow still under the radar.
Through my work in Berlin's hotel industry, I saw exactly this connection firsthand.
Do the Golden Twenties Still Shape Berlin’s Club Culture Today?
The 1920s were an important precursor to Berlin's club culture, but they weren't its sole birthplace. Today's nightlife emerged from several different eras in Berlin's history and was completely reshaped once again, especially after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Still, certain ideas were already clearly visible during the Weimar era: nightlife as a social space of its own, sexual and cultural subcultures, international influences, pushing social boundaries and places where people could live differently for a few hours.
Later, completely different worlds emerged from this – from Berghain and Holzmarkt 25 to the RAW-Gelände.
There's no direct line. But it's one hell of a backstory.
Why We Still Romanticize the Golden Twenties Today
Today, we experience this era through TV series, musicals, hotels, bars and photographs.
Everything curated. Much of it aesthetic.
The real Berlin of the 1920s was more complicated: a city of millions full of technological innovations and cultural experiments, but at the same time marked by deep social contrasts.
Maybe that's exactly why this era still fascinates us.
Not because everything was better or freer back then. But because new beginnings and collapse existed so close together.
If you want to keep exploring Berlin beyond this story, you'll also find our articles about market halls, unique viewpoints, Volkspark Friedrichshain and Monbijou-Theater here.
Berlin isn't a tourist attraction. Berlin is a city.
We'll see you in the real Berlin – or here in the next blog.
Take care 🖤
Sources: “Die Zwanziger Jahre in Berlin” – Michael Bienert, Elke Linda Buchholz “Es wird Nacht in Berlin” – Robert Nippoldt, Boris Pofalla “Deutschland in den goldenen 20ern” – Spiegel Buchverlag “Ein Führer durch das lasterhafte Berlin” – Curt Moreck “1920 Berlin” – Rainer Metzger | Most images in this article are sample images and were not taken at the places featured.
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