Based on reporting from DW News Documentary
On the eastern edge of Berlin, far from the bright shopfronts of Alexanderplatz, lies Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Its concrete blocks have stood through decades of change. First under East German socialism, then in the uncertainty that followed reunification. Now the district is known for something else. It is one of the most socially and economically disadvantaged areas in Germany.
Government figures show that 18.1 percent of residents here live at risk of poverty. The national figure is 16.6 percent. Among teenagers, nearly 14 percent leave school without a diploma. Across Germany, the figure is about six percent.
A Grandmother’s Morning
At six o’clock, Eveline “Evi” Weyer sits in the quiet before the day begins. Her husband, ill with cancer, sleeps in the next room. She learned only two months ago that she also has cancer. After decades of work in agriculture and in a factory, she lost her job after reunification and never found stable employment again.
She walks to her daughter’s cramped flat to help get the children ready for school. There is no space for a dining table. She spreads bread, slices cucumber, and calls each child by name. “Yesterday I bought fruit for my husband,” she says. “Thirty-five euros for just a little. A cucumber costs €1.19. Soon we will not be able to buy them.”
Illness and Poverty
Her daughter Mandy had six children before a stroke changed her life. An inoperable clot on her brain stem left her unable to work and barely able to speak. Her husband Pierre gave up his job to care for her full-time.
“Before the stroke, everything was fine,” Pierre says. “We shared the work. We had plans. Then everything changed.”
Charity workers say that in Marzahn-Hellersdorf, illness often leads directly to long-term poverty.
Breaking the Cycle
In a nearby street, the children’s charity Die Arche—The Ark—offers a place to learn and eat.
Pascal “Kalle” Höhn, 24, once came here himself. “I missed out on a lot,” he says. “I do not want them to go through the same.”
Kalle’s teenage years led to drugs, violence, and prison. Now he trains as a social welfare assistant and works to keep others from making the same mistakes.
Social worker Josefine “Josi” Brendel helps families stay together. She runs reading sessions with therapy dogs so children can try without fear. “Every child comes with their own challenges,” she says. “We meet them where they are.”
Single Mothers and Tight Budgets
Single mothers are most at risk. For years, Jessica Laue lived on welfare while raising her children, Lea and Alex. Now she works full-time but earns €1,418 net—a little less than her previous benefits.
At the start of each month, she puts €150 aside for each week’s food and outings. “If we can get to the food bank, it is easier,” she says.
Alex, 17, hopes to join the German mountain infantry. “It is important to contribute to society,” he says. “Earn your money honestly.”
The Food Bank Lifeline
Every other Wednesday, Evi queues for donated food. She brings home fruit, vegetables, and herbs worth over €100 in a shop. She uses every bit, chopping and freezing herbs to make them last.
The Berliner Tafel says the number of people using food banks in the city has risen by more than 40 percent since 2019.
The Cost Beyond Money
Nearly 18 million people in Germany live in poverty. Researchers at the German Institute for Economic Research say it can take four to six generations to escape. In that time, children grow up in overcrowded flats, with little access to quiet spaces for homework, sports, or art.
Poverty is not only about what is in the wallet. It is also about opportunities that never come.
Paths to Change
The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs is debating a Kindergrundsicherung—a basic child allowance to give all children access to sports, arts, and tutoring.
Other measures could include:
-
More subsidised after-school programmes in low-income areas.
-
Rent caps or priority housing for families with disabilities.
-
Expanded vocational training for single parents.
A Call to Act
In Marzahn-Hellersdorf, poverty is part of daily life. It does not have to be permanent. It can be broken with sustained support, investment, and a belief that dignity should not depend on where you live.
If you are moved by these stories, support local initiatives like Die Arche or volunteer with food banks and youth programmes. Change begins when people refuse to accept that poverty is inevitable.
Credit: This article is based on DW News Documentary’s reporting on poverty in Berlin.
Comments
Post a Comment