Berlin now has a Rio Reiser Platz – right in the heart of Kreuzberg Photo: Charles Yunck
By Julian Loevenich
Now it’s here: the Rio-Reiser-Platz in Kreuzberg! The renaming was celebrated on Sunday as part of the cultural summer festival. The king of Germany is back in his neighborhood!
The neighborhood where he was involved in the occupation of the Bethanien Hospital on Mariannenplatz in 1971; in which he wrote the squatter’s anthem Rauch-Haus-Song (“You can’t get us out of here! This is our house!”).
Countless people came to the celebration on Kreuzberg’s Oranienstrasse Photo: Charles Yunck
From 1970 to 1985, Ralph Möbius, as Rio Reiser’s real name was, was the singer and face of the Berlin band Ton Steine Scherben – the voice of a whole generation.
Claudia Roth (67, Green), longtime manager of Ton Steine Scherben Photo: Charles Yunck
He came out as gay early on. Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (67, Greens) emphasized Reiser’s courage for this step.
In recent years, the renaming of the former Heinrichplatz has caused a lot of discussion.
Rio Reiser died in 1996 at the age of 46 Photo: picture alliance / Horst Galusch
Reiser’s brother, Gert Möbius (79), said on Sunday with a view to the previous Prussian namesake: “I wonder what these noble offspring can give us?” Many of them were warmongers.
Rio Reiser’s story encourages those who doubted their social acceptance.
A must: Ton Steine Scherben played live on Sunday Photo: Charles Yunck