Maybe September will be sunnier than July…still the first showers will be at the rendez-vous, as the beautiful foliage in the Volkspark across the street!

The cultural season is in full swing, with the Heritage days in early September, exhibitions and the Festival of Lights in October…

A fabulous book on the best preserved examples of German post-war architecture, especially in the Ruhr region. The text is very enjoyable, also for non-architects. And the photos are magnificent.

Berlin was and remains the techno capital…if you are missing the S-bahn rides and Berlin’s clubs, board the train with DJ Paul Kalkbrenner…

On the NYTimes we’ve discovered a beautiful blog (and store): The End of History. Alas, it’s in NYC, not in Berlin! But if you love German and Italian design of the 1950s and 1960s you will love The End of History’s choice of bowls, Murano vases, glasses and yes…models of West-German radio towers! The blog is very informative and a must-read before hitting the vintage design stores in Berlin on a Saturday afternoon and an aperitivo at the Fernsehturm…

Photo: German radio towers at The End of History

The Nordmende Radio Spectra Futura by Raymond Loewy is a perfect example of bauhaus aesthetics: here form definitely follows function. The orange and red flaps open to reveal controls and an array of German broadcasting stations.

The Nordmende brand was born in Dresden, revived in Bremen and remained top-of-mind in the TV and radio market segment until the late 1970s. After a takeover which determined its disappearance, the Nordmende brand was relaunched a couple of years ago in Ireland. But we love the Spectra Futura…

Photos: Design & Music from the 60s 70s; Furniture Collectibles

re:publica is Europe’s most exciting and Germany’s biggest conference when it comes to blogs, social media, and our society in the digital age. From April 13 – 15 re:publica is going to take place in the heart of Berlin, with 2011 also being its 5th anniversary. The political and cultural, but most of all very zeitgeisty event has evolved from an informal blogger meetup to an essential date for media professionals. What once started with 800 attendees in 2007 attracted the impressive number of 2700 participants only three years later.

re:publica can definitely pride itself on portraying the digital society in every detail and being its platform at the same time. All over Europe, there is no comparable event to re:publica, which combines the afore-mentioned heterogeneity with a broad spectrum of discussed subjects, including arts, media, culture, and politics as well as entertainment.

In 2010 more than 250 speakers from 30 countries presented their ideas and projects in over 160 hours of program on a total of eight platforms. re:publica draws an audience from all kinds of professional fields – here you will find journalists and developers as well as managers, teachers, students, scientists and creative artists. They either attend re:publica out of work-related or personal interest, but most often for both reasons which creates a unique and casual atmosphere.

source: re:publica

DesignBoom reports: The electrically powered ‘bulli’ is a zero-emissions vehicle,  powered by a lithium-ion battery that offers up to 186 miles to each full charge, and top speeds of 87mph (140kmh).  The charging process is engineered to take under a single hour when performed at specially designed ‘electric refueling stations’. The battery is sandwiched in the floor, while the electric motor of the front-wheel drive car is located in the vehicle’s front.

In March the ice thaws on Berlin roads (hopefully) and bikes and the motorbikes are back on the tarmac! If you are a biker at the end of the month the Berliner Motorrad Tage will make your day…