Waterless Berlin

On May 3, 2024, a major power outage plunged large sections of Berlin, Germany into darkness, impacting over 30,000 households and numerous businesses. The outage, which lasted for several hours, disrupted public transportation, including trams and traffic lights, causing widespread chaos. Areas affected included Prenzlauer Berg, Mitte, and Kreuzberg, encompassing significant residential and commercial districts. The cause was attributed to a fault in a high-voltage cable operated by the energy company Stromnetz Berlin. Investigations into the specific failure are ongoing, but the incident brought renewed attention to the aging and under-maintained state of Berlin's infrastructure. Residents and businesses faced significant disruptions, including loss of heating, inability to work from home, and spoilage of food. The power outage sparked criticism of the Berlin state government's policies regarding infrastructure investment and maintenance. The article argues that decades of budget cuts and privatization initiatives have contributed to the deterioration of essential services, making the city increasingly vulnerable to such incidents. The event served as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting public utilities and the urgent need for increased investment in modernizing Berlin's infrastructure. find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/05/07/7aba-m07.html