Das SO36 blickt auf eine über hundertjährige Geschichte zurück.

Im Jahr 1861 begann die Halle als Biergarten-Lokal. Vor rund 75 Jahren zog dann das Kino am Heinrichplatz als eines der ersten Berliner Lichtspielhäuser mit 660 Plätzen ein. Ende der sechziger, Anfang der siebziger Jahre nahm sich eine Gruppe Aktionskünstler den inzwischen leerstehenden Raum als Atelier. Ihnen folgten zehn Jahre später die Neuen Wilden,der Raum wurde Konzerthalle. Aus dem musikalischen Untergrund kommend traten hier „Die einstürzenden Neubauten“ und „Die tödliche Doris“ auf, die mit provozierenden Ausdrucksformen den damaligen Stillstand in der populären Musik beendeten. Das erste Atonal-Musikfestival öffnete hier 1978 seine Pforten und bot dem legendären Fischlabor den geeigneten Raum für unzählige Projekte.

Das von Monika Döring organisierte erste Konzert der “Dead Kennedys” machte das SO36 zu DER Punk-Konzerthalle in Berlin. 1983 wurde dem bunten Treiben jäh ein Ende gesetzt. Der letzte Pächter, der die Halle “SO36 Merhaba” genannt hatte, mußte Konkurs anmelden, als die Bauaufsicht den Saal schloß.

Überbleibsel der Episode: ein Nachfolger der “IBA”, die S.T.E.R.N. GmbH, blieb Hauptmieter der Halle. 1984 erwachte die Halle noch einmal kurz zum Leben, als die internationale Bauausstellung “IBA vor Ort” mit ihrem Zwischenbericht einzog. Fünf Wochen nach Eröffnung der Ausstellung wurde das “Kuckuck” geräumt. Die Besetzer zogen ein und warfen die Aussteller raus. 1985 wurden erste Pläne entworfen, um aus dem baufälligen Saal ein Kulturzentrum zu entwickeln. Immer wieder zogen Kunstprojekte in die Halle. Doch die Kritik am baulichen Zustand, die manchmal wilden Verhältnisse vor dem SO36, und die Lärmbelästigung für die Anwohner rissen nicht ab. Die Räumung durch die Polizei 1987 war der endgültige Höhepunkt dieser Auseinandersetzung.

Nach dem Umbau eröffnete 1990 das SO36 unter neuer Trägerschaft des Sub Opus 36 e.V.

SO 36 looks back at a history of over 100 years.

In 1861, the place started as a beer garden. 80 years ago, the „Cinema at Heinrichplatz”, with 660 seats, moved in as one of the first movie houses of Berlin. At the start of the 70s, a group of artists squatted the then-abandoned space and used it as a studio. 10 years later, the musicians of the „Neue Wilden” (the New Wild Ones) used the space as a concert hall. Underground acts like Einstürzende Neubauten and Die tödliche Doris played here, putting an end to the stagnancy in popular music with their provocative forms of expression.

The first Atonal Music Festival opened its doors here in 1978 and offered the legendary „Fischlabor” (Fish Laboratory) the proper space for countless projects. The first show by the Dead Kennedys made SO 36 THE punk club in Berlin. In 1983 this came to a sudden end, when the last property manager, which had called the hall „SO36 Merhaba”, went bankrupt and the hall was closed. In 1984, the hall returned to life briefly when the International Architectural Exposition moved in. „IBA on Location” presented their exhibition in the space, which was now called „ESSO”. When the squat „Kuckkuck” (Art and Cultural Center at Anhalter Bahnhof) was evicted by police five weeks after the opening of the Architectural Exposition, the squatters claimed the right to a space and threw the exhibitors out of the SO36 and moved in themselves. A remnant of this episode is that S.T.E.R.N., Inc., presenter of the IBA, remained the main tenant of the hall.

In 1985, plans were developed to turn the building into a cultural center. Again and again, art projects opened in the venue. But critics of the building’s physical condition, as well as the frequently wild conditions outside the SO36 and the noise pollution for the neighbors, did not give up. The evacuation of the space by the police in 1987 was the final climax of these confrontations. In 1990, after renovations, SO 36 was reopened, run by the organization Sub Opus 36 e.V., which still runs the space today. SO 36 is an exception in the Berlin club landscape, which is known for constant fluctuation: while new clubs always open, are „in” for a while, only to shut down, used up after a while, SO 36 has a rare continuity as an innovative place rich in its tradition through its integration in a vibrant district.

SO 36 today

The greatest strength of SO 36 remains the diversity of people and topics inside the venue at Heinrichplatz and inside the organization. Still a concert hall, SO 36 has developed in recent years into an event site with programming changing daily. These events are not productions for imaginary target audiences, but are organized by teams that collaborate from preparation to completion and thus put their ideas into practice. The enthusiasm and the sense of belonging to a scene make these events vibrant and usually successful. Even during the day creative work is taking place: set designers and the sound, light, and video technicians give the space a new face for the night. Artists and musicians use the stage for rehearsals. Different scenes meet here and work hand in hand.

Communication and coordination work via regular committee meetings. Representatives from these committees coordinate overarching issues such as work with the community, the direction of programming, and event booking. Here we pay special attention that SO 36 remains open both during regular and special events to new artists and experimental acts beyond the mainstream. In this way SO 36 was often a springboard for currently popular acts and bands that remain associated with the hall, like Die Ärzte or the Beatsteaks.

SO36 the business

The organization Sub Opus 36 e.V. has reached a point where the nearly exclusively volunteer staff is not sufficient to carry out the work of the organization. Since 1994 the organization has decided to pursue another path:

1) to create permanent, paid positions

2) to professionalize the event planning at the highest level

3) to run the bar as its own business and not to outsource to other businesses.

4) to offer education in the professions sound & light engineering and event management

In the meantime we have developed into a complete event planning organization, including organizing, light and sound, press and P.R., advertising, and online presence.

Economic efficiency is the prerequisite for the goals of our organization, supporting cultural initiatives and carrying out a wide spectrum of socio-cultural projects.

SO 36 is open 5-6 days a week and last year had more than 120,000 visitors.