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Berlin

obelix ist ein berliner
Obelix ist ein Berliner

Berlin, Germany’s vibrant capital, is a city where centuries of history blend seamlessly with a bold, contemporary spirit. It is the heart of national politics, industry, culture, and media, drawing visitors with its world-famous landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag dome, and the Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery. With over 3.7 million inhabitants, Berlin is also Germany’s most populous city and one of Europe’s most diverse urban landscapes. Its neighborhoods—from chic Mitte and creative Prenzlauer Berg to multicultural Kreuzberg and historic Charlottenburg—offer a rich tapestry of lifestyles, cuisines, and experiences. Berlin thrives as a hub of museums (such as Museum Island and the Pergamon), performing arts (Deutsche Oper and Berliner Philharmonie), and festivals (Berlin International Film Festival, Carnival of Cultures). Green spaces like Tiergarten, Tempelhofer Feld, and numerous lakes around the city make it remarkably livable. Though scarred by its 20th‑century history — imperial grandeur, the Weimar effervescence, Nazi terror, the Cold War division, and dramatic reunification — Berlin today is defined by its resilience and cosmopolitan energy.

The Berlin dialect

The dialect most associated with Berlin is Berlinerisch (or Berlin dialect), known colloquially as “Berliner Schnauze.” It is a regional regiolect of High German, deeply rooted in West Germanic, and shaped by both Central and Low German influences. Berlinerisch evolved from the Brandenburgisch dialect, transitioning in the 16th–18th centuries into a High-German koiné with a Low-German substratum (Missingsch).

Distinctive features of Berlinerisch include:

  • Pronunciation shifts: High German /g/ becomes /j/ (e.g., gut → jut), and diphthongs simplify (au → oo, ei → ee).
  • Grammar simplification: Loss of case distinctions (accusative/dative), replacement of genitive with periphrastic forms (e.g., dem sein Haus).
  • Characteristic vocabulary: Unique words and phrases like ick, det, wat, and expressive idioms such as Da kacke nich druff or bis in die Puppen.

Berlinerisch coexists with Standard German, often used in everyday speech and media for its gritty humor and urban charm. Social observers note it as a sociolect rather than a formal dialect today, with usage declining among educated speakers and immigrants in favor of Hochdeutsch..

asterix mundart berlin
Asterix in Berlin dialect

Asterix auf Berlinisch

Berliners can enjoy Asterix in their own tongue through three Berlinisch editions published by Egmont:

  1. Die Platte Jottweedee – Berlinisch I, 1998
    Based on Die Trabantenstadt (The Mansions of the Gods), translated by Karl‑Heinz Scherfling, Silke Locke & Sven Kugler. It peppers the story with local references from the Neukölln/Wedding districts and Berlin housing estates (Plattenbau).
  2. Asterix und det Pyramidenluda – Berlinisch II, 2002
    A Berlin‑flavored version of Asterix und Kleopatra (Asterix and Cleopatra), translated by Dieter Hallervorden and Kalle Scherfling. It transforms iconic names into Pyramidenluda and infuses authentic Schnauze expressions.
  3. Schwabylon Berlin – Berlinisch III, 2021
    A modern adaptation of Gallien in Gefahr (Asterix and the Falling Sky), translated by Martin “Gotti” Gottschild. The translation spices the comic with street slang, current Berlin allusions (immigration, wildlife, transport), and strong swear- flavored “Schnauze”.
    The title is a pun combining “Schwaben”: people from Swabia (southwest Germany, e.g., Stuttgart) and “Babylon”: ancient city symbolizing confusion, multilingualism, and excess.
    So “Schwabylon” humorously suggests a Swabian invasion or takeover. In many parts of Berlin, Swabians are seen (often jokingly or critically) as wealthy newcomers who gentrify neighborhoods, drive up rents, and change the local culture.

These albums were compiled in the 2017 volume Asterix balinat, featuring the first two albums, followed by the 2021 release of Schwabylon Berlin.