By Juergen Wenzel
200,000 people marched to Tiergarten on Saturday at “Rave the Planet”. BZ reporter Jürgen Wenzel was already there in the golden days of the Love Parade. At that time with over a million participants. his comparison.
When in 2005, after four days of a closing party, the bass suddenly fell silent and Tresor boss Dimitri Hegemann made a brief arrangement, history was in the air: “A legend is coming to an end”.
To this day I remember that moment. I had the same feeling of goosebumps at the opening words of Dr. Moth and Senator for Culture Joe Chialo on Saturday. Once again there was a touch of history in the air.
This time, however, it was a resurrection instead of a fall!
DJ Westbam (here with his girlfriend) was also there again. Just like BZ reporter Jürgen Wenzel (r.) Photo: Sven Meissner
Dimitri Herrmann was also one of the speakers at the parade on Saturday.
The Love Parade’s unique DNA has survived: bringing hundreds of thousands of people together peacefully, celebrating without any form of aggressiveness.
Westbam started his set with the old Loveparade anthem “Let the sunshine in your heart”. How appropriate for this hot and sunny afternoon.
1.5 million ravers danced and celebrated at the 1999 Love Parade Photo: Picture Alliance/dpa
He has reinvented himself through his new love Hannah, with whom he moved three months ago to a new apartment on the Alex above the rooftops of Berlin. The musical engine of the Loveparade was, is and will remain Westbam! His song “Beatbox Rocker” is still rocking the parade. Memories wake up
Positive: Ecstasy no longer plays a major role in the general public. There seemed to be significantly fewer visitors on drugs than back then. Less skin was also shown than before. Even if the police asked the participants not to undress.
The moments when the floats blended into the crowd and the energy from the floats onto the crowd
skipped, however, compared to the peak of the Love Parade, there were only a few to be observed.
The magical moment is still when the carriages pass the Victory Column. Like back then.