RAW-Gelände Berlin:
History, Clubs, Street Art and the Future of a Berlin Cultural Hub
What is the RAW-Gelände in Berlin?
The RAW-Gelände (RAW-Area) is a former railway repair works on Revaler Straße in Berlin-Friedrichshain. Since railway operations ceased, the site has developed into a cultural and leisure hub with clubs, street art, food and drink venues, sports facilities and community-based cultural projects.
The Berlin locals recommend.
What can you do at the RAW-Gelände?
At the RAW-Gelände, you can catch live concerts, go clubbing, discover graffiti, skate, go bouldering or browse the Sunday flea market. Some of its best-known spots include Cassiopeia, Astra Kulturhaus and Urban Spree, alongside the many graffiti-covered industrial buildings.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Location: Revaler Straße 99, Berlin-Friedrichshain
- Opened as a railway workshop: 1867
- Original name: Königlich-Preußische Eisenbahnwerkstatt Berlin II
- Meaning of RAW: Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk (railway repair works)
- End of railway operations: Gradually phased out by 1995
- Start of temporary cultural use: 1999
- Known for: Clubs, concerts, street art, flea market and industrial heritage
- Admission: The grounds are generally free to enter
- Flea market: Sundays, usually 8 am–5 pm
- Getting there: S+U Warschauer Straße
- Special feature: Parts of the historic industrial buildings are listed as protected monuments
Alright, friends,
the RAW isn’t somewhere I discovered one day.
The RAW was simply always there.
I grew up about ten minutes from here. Simon-Dach-Straße just around the corner. Warschauer Straße practically on my doorstep.
And if you grew up in Friedrichshain in the 2000s, there was no getting around the RAW.
Back then, dozens of drug dealers would often hang around between the kebab shop, the first entrance gate and Warschauer Brücke. There were already plenty of tourists back then, too – but Friedrichshain still felt completely different from how it does today.
How many times did I end up spending hours there?
I’ve lost count.
The RAW-Gelände and My Teenage Years in Friedrichshain
Friday nights playing table football and drinking at Cassiopeia with old classmates.
Wednesdays meant drum & bass at Suicide Circus with my colleagues from the hospitality industry. Regularly. Packed. Sweat, bass, and eventually stumbling out in the morning to head home.
Confetti-filled nights at Astra Kulturhaus. And that’s exactly where we later held our graduation parties, too – Berliners will remember.
Back then, we were looking for a venue we could actually afford as students.
Astra was perfect: no venue hire fee, as long as enough people showed up.
Later came concerts, small hip-hop festivals and countless nights I’d probably rather not remember all that clearly.
The first time I got robbed was right here, by the way.
I was twelve. Welcome to Berlin in the 2000s. (Yes, I know, you experience it differently.)
And my last really big RAW experience?
August 2025. A spontaneous pop-up show by Fritz Kalkbrenner in front of the skate hall.
Announced on social media just a few days beforehand. You pretty much needed connections to get tickets.
He played from an ice cream van, with free ice cream being handed out.
Thousands of people. Unforgettable.
But to understand why this place exists in the first place, we need to go much further back.
Why Is the RAW-Gelände Called RAW?
RAW stands for Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk, the German term for a railway repair works. The name dates back to when railway vehicles were maintained, repaired and made ready for service again on the site.
The abbreviation has stuck, even though the site’s original purpose is long gone.
Interestingly, the works weren’t actually called RAW when they first opened.
In 1867, the Königlich-Preußische Eisenbahnwerkstatt Berlin II was established here. It was only after the end of the monarchy that the name Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk came into use.
Today, many visitors know the RAW-Gelände purely as a place to party. But its name is a reminder of one of Friedrichshain’s most important former industrial sites.
The History of the RAW-Gelände Begins in 1867
The history of the RAW-Gelände is closely tied to Berlin’s industrialisation and the expansion of the Prussian railway network.
On 1 October 1867, the Königlich-Preußische Eisenbahnwerkstatt Berlin II began operations.
Around the same time, the former Ostbahnhof, also known as Küstriner Bahnhof, opened just a few hundred metres away.
Not to be confused with today’s Berlin Ostbahnhof!
From here, the Prussian Eastern Railway ran via Küstrin and Königsberg towards what was then the Russian border.
The railway connected economic regions, transported goods and transformed the development of the growing capital.
Locomotives and railway carriages needed regular maintenance. To keep them running, the railway required large workshops with rail connections, material storage facilities and skilled workers.
The works were expanded in 1882.
By the end of the First World War, around 1,200 people worked here.
A Workplace for Generations of Friedrichshain Locals
The railway works were much more than just a large repair hall.
The site included metalworking and woodworking workshops, training facilities, administrative buildings, a canteen and medical facilities.
For many families, the RAW provided secure employment for generations.
The history of the works is therefore also part of Berlin’s working-class history.
Back then, Friedrichshain wasn’t a nightlife district filled with cocktail bars and vintage shops. Industry, railways, tenement buildings and working-class families shaped much of everyday life.
The RAW-Gelände During the Nazi Era and the Second World War
During Nazi rule, the Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk also became part of the forced labour system.
People were forced to work on the site. Historical accounts report that around 2,000 forced labourers were employed here during the Nazi era.
They were used to keep railway operations running as Germany waged war and labour shortages grew.
This chapter is just as much a part of the RAW-Gelände’s history as the later GDR era and today’s club culture.
In February 1944, heavy Allied air raids struck the railway works.
Around 80 percent of the buildings were destroyed.
The areas along the railway tracks were particularly badly affected. Parts of the buildings on Revaler Straße and the historic perimeter wall, however, survived the bombing.
The RAW in the GDR: Railway Works Instead of a Nightlife Hotspot
After the Second World War, the Soviet occupation authorities had the damaged railway works rebuilt.
In the GDR, the RAW became an important facility of the Deutsche Reichsbahn.
At times, up to 1,700 people worked here.
Employees repaired railway vehicles, completed their vocational training and spent much of their working lives on the site.
Alongside workshops and storage buildings, a vocational school, a canteen and a medical clinic were also part of everyday life at the works.
That’s why the stories older Friedrichshain locals tell about the RAW sound completely different from today’s club stories.
Hammers striking metal. Squealing machinery. Cold. Open workshop halls in winter.
For many, the RAW wasn’t a place to party. It was where they worked.
Who Was Franz Stenzer?
In 1967, to mark its 100th anniversary, the works were renamed Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk Franz Stenzer.
Franz Stenzer was a Bavarian railway worker and communist member of the Reichstag.
After the Nazis came to power, he was persecuted and murdered at Dachau concentration camp in 1933.
The GDR named the works in his memory.
His name is a reminder of the political history of the German labour movement and the resistance against Nazism.
What Happened to the RAW-Gelände After German Reunification?
After German reunification, the Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk lost much of its former importance.
Deutsche Bahn no longer needed all the repair facilities of the former GDR railway.
On 31 October 1991, the gradual closure of the works was announced.
By 1995, most of the original operations had ceased. Only a few sections continued to be used for railway work.
What remained were huge workshop halls, empty buildings and an uncertain future.
Even my parents used to tell me stories about the RAW.
How the site initially stood empty after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
How many people in the neighbourhood feared that the entire place would eventually fall into ruin.
Back then, hardly anyone could have imagined that it would one day become one of Berlin’s best-known cultural hubs.
Former industrial sites like this shaped Berlin in the years after reunification. You’ll find more of them in our article about Lost Places in Berlin.
How Did the RAW-Gelände Become a Berlin Cultural Hub?
In 1999, organised temporary cultural use of the former railway works began.
With support from the Friedrichshain district office, the RAW-Tempel association secured an initial three-year permit to use the site.
In July 1999, the first art and cultural projects moved onto the grounds.
Former railway buildings were transformed into artists’ studios, rehearsal rooms, workshops, theatre spaces and event venues.
A music school, the Zack children’s circus, community activities and sociocultural projects followed.
At times, more than 50 project partners were involved in developing the cultural centre.
The RAW-Tempel was therefore far more than just a collection of clubs.
It created space for people who could no longer take having a place in an increasingly commercialised city for granted.
Why Temporary Cultural Use Was So Important for Berlin
The RAW-Gelände is a prime example of a development that shaped Berlin after 1989.
Empty buildings and uncertain futures made relatively affordable spaces available for art, music and alternative ways of life.
What was originally intended to be temporary became a permanent part of Berlin’s culture in many places.
Similar developments took place at other former industrial and transport sites.
What makes the RAW-Gelände special is that historic industrial buildings, community-based cultural projects, nightlife and leisure activities still exist side by side today.
What Remains of the Old Railway Works Today?
As you walk through the RAW-Gelände, you’ll still find plenty of traces of its industrial past.
The historic buildings along Revaler Straße are particularly interesting.
The old perimeter wall, the main entrance gate and several former railway buildings are also part of the protected historic site.
Some of the buildings even survived the bombing during the Second World War.
Other sections were rebuilt after 1945 or altered in later years.
Look a little closer and you can still recognise the site’s original purpose: large halls, brick facades, former workshop areas and its physical connection to the railway.
The Berliner Geschichtswerkstatt RAW is dedicated to researching this history.
What Can You Do at the RAW-Gelände Today?
Today, the RAW-Gelände is one of Friedrichshain’s best-known cultural and nightlife spots.
It’s hardly a hidden Berlin insider tip anymore.
Still, it’s worth taking a closer look at what the site has to offer.
Cassiopeia and Astra Kulturhaus
Cassiopeia is one of the established club and live music venues at the RAW-Gelände.
Alternative club nights, concerts and a large summer garden all come together here.
Astra Kulturhaus, meanwhile, is particularly well known for its concerts and parties.
For me personally, both places are part of my teenage years.
Urban Spree, Lokschuppen and Other Venues
Urban Spree brings together street art, exhibitions, concerts and events.
Lokschuppen, formerly Suicide Circus, is one of the well-known spots for electronic music.
Other venues include Crack Bellmer, MAAYA and Bar zum schmutzigen Hobby.
There’s also Teledisko, a tiny phone booth that transforms into a miniature nightclub, making it one of the more unusual attractions on the site.
You’ll find an up-to-date overview of the operators on the official RAW-Gelände website.
Sports, Children’s Circus and Leisure Activities
The RAW-Gelände isn’t just about bars and nightlife.
Here you’ll also find:
- Skatehalle Berlin
- Bouldering facilities
- Kletterkegel climbing tower
- Kinderzirkus Zack
- Artists’ studios and workshops
- Changing cultural events
It’s precisely this mix that sets the RAW-Gelände apart from an ordinary nightlife district.
When Is the Flea Market at the RAW-Gelände?
The RAW flea market usually takes place every Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm.
Among the old industrial buildings, mostly private sellers offer clothing, vinyl records, jewellery, antiques, handmade crafts and all kinds of Berlin second-hand finds.
You’ll also find street food and smaller design stalls.
Admission is free.
For the latest information, visit the RAW-Flohmarkt website.
Is There an Entrance Fee for the RAW-Gelände?
No. The RAW-Gelände itself is generally free to enter.
Individual clubs, concerts, sports facilities and special events may charge admission.
So you can walk around the site, explore the historic buildings or discover street art without buying a ticket.
Is the RAW-Gelände Dangerous?
The RAW-Gelände has had a difficult reputation for years.
Drug dealing, theft, violent incidents and noise complaints have repeatedly been an issue – particularly around Warschauer Straße.
At the same time, families, Berliners, skaters, artists, clubbers and tourists visit the site every day.
During the day, the RAW-Gelände is a busy cultural and leisure spot. At night, the atmosphere changes as the clubs fill up and the crowds around Warschauer Straße grow.
As with other busy nightlife areas, keep an eye on your valuables and stay aware of your surroundings.
The RAW-Gelände isn’t somewhere you need to be afraid of visiting. But it’s not somewhere you should throw all caution to the wind, either.
What’s Next for the RAW-Gelände? The Future of Culture and New Development
The future of the RAW-Gelände has been the subject of disputes between property owners, politicians, cultural organisations and local residents for years.
At the heart of the debate is the economic development of the site and the preservation of its cultural uses.
In August 2026, an important agreement between the Kurth Group, the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district authorities and the Berlin Senate administration was announced.
An initial two-year temporary use agreement, with an option to extend, was reached for the area known as the Soziokulturelles L.
The aim is to secure the cultural area in the long term.
At the same time, the development plans for RAW-West are to be revised. Alongside commercial and retail spaces, residential development is now also planned.
According to the current planning schedule, the development plan process is expected to be completed by March 2029.
The RAW-Gelände therefore remains an example of a fundamental question facing Berlin’s urban development:
How can established cultural spaces be preserved as the land they occupy becomes increasingly valuable?
For me, the RAW isn’t just a nightlife hotspot.
It’s a place where personal memories, working-class history and the transformation of an entire neighbourhood come together.
Is the RAW-Gelände Still Worth Visiting Today?
Yes. Especially if you want to see more than just Berlin’s famous tourist attractions.
The RAW-Gelände brings together history, culture, nightlife and everyday Berlin life in one place.
Visit during the day if you want to explore the historic buildings and graffiti at your own pace. On Sundays, you can combine your visit with the flea market.
In the evening, the atmosphere changes as the site becomes one of Friedrichshain’s well-known nightlife spots.
If you want to explore more of the neighbourhood afterwards, you’ll find more stories from this part of Berlin in our articles about Frankfurter Tor, Oberbaumbridge and Volkspark Friedrichshain.
And if you don’t want to spend hours searching for every place individually: We’ve collected over 500 spots in our Berlin Insider Guide – directly in Google Maps and ready for you to explore Berlin your own way.
Berlin isn’t a tourist attraction. Berlin is a city.
See you in the real Berlin – or right here in the next blog.
Take care 🖤
MOST IMAGES IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SAMPLE IMAGES AND WERE NOT TAKEN AT THE PLACES FEATURED.
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