SO36

2026年8月20日

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The History and Role of SO36

SO36 is a renowned music club located in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany. The club derives its name from the historical postal code of the area, SO36, where ‘SO’ stands for ‘Südost’ or ‘South East’. Kreuzberg has historically been a hub for Berlin’s punk rock movement and other alternative subcultures.

Since the 1970s, SO36 has served as a major venue for alternative music and culture. It has hosted numerous punk legends over the years and continues to do so. In 1979, Martin Kippenberger took over the management of the club, aiming to create a crossover between punk and other genres and mediums such as New Wave and visual arts. SO36 has been compared to New York’s CBGB, being regarded as one of the finest new-wave venues in the world. Unlike CBGB, however, SO36 remains operational as of March 2023, continuing to support new artists while staying true to its punk roots.

Cultural Connections and Influence

The English rock band Killing Joke included a track titled “$.O.36” on their debut album, though it is unclear whether the song references the postal code or the club itself. The Electric Ballroom event held at the club is considered a legendary fixture in Berlin’s techno gay scene. Gayhane, founded in 1997 by Turkish performer Fatma Souad, serves as a nucleus for Berlin’s Turkish gay and lesbian community. DJ Ipek, an internationally recognized DJ, is known for the Gayhane mix of Arabic, Turkish, and Indian music. German photographer Nicolaus Schmidt created both a documentary and a fictitious portrait of the club, described as an “amalgam of western and oriental culture.”