A growing wave of vandalism in Berlin-Mitte—smashed storefronts, nighttime attacks with blunt objects, paint assaults, and even arson—has created a climate that can no longer be dismissed as random mischief. Recent reporting* on multiple affected businesses, from cafés to pharmacies, shows a clear trend: attacks are increasing in central streets, motives are often unclear, and perpetrators frequently remain unidentified.
For local business owners, this is about more than property damage. It means running a business in a constant state of uncertainty. Anyone operating on Oranienburger Straße, Friedrichstraße, or around the Hackesche Höfe must now assume that the night may bring not only sales, but destruction.
And that reshapes a neighbourhood far more profoundly than rising rents ever could.
Damage, Stress, Disruption: When the City Centre Becomes a Liability
Affected shop owners speak of long repair times, drops in customer traffic following attacks, insurance disputes, and the lingering fear of being targeted again. A broken pane of glass can be replaced—but the erosion of confidence in one’s own livelihood is far harder to repair.
Berlin’s economy depends on small enterprises: restaurants, retailers, independent brands, local start-ups. Yet these very contributors increasingly find themselves exposed to politically motivated or ideologically framed acts of violence, without any credible assurance that the state will protect them.
The city benefits from their taxes, their jobs, their cultural value and their presence in the urban fabric—but does too little to safeguard those who make all of this possible.
Not an Accident—A Structural Failure
These attacks vary widely in targets and methods—from paint bombs to smashed windows to incendiary assaults—making the situation more alarming. They cannot be neatly classified as ordinary crime or as purely political agitation. Instead, they foster an environment of latent threat in which shop owners wake up fearing their business may have turned into a construction site overnight.
When existential risks no longer come from markets or competition but from insecurity in public space, the situation becomes a security-policy emergency.
The Loss of Confidence Is More Damaging Than Broken Glass
Many business owners now question whether they can remain in the neighbourhood long-term. Some consider reinforcing storefronts more heavily, while others contemplate relocating entirely. Both responses lead to the same result: retreat, hollowed-out streetscapes, and the displacement of local diversity by larger chains with greater security budgets.
This is how a city loses not just businesses, but identity.
When people can no longer assume a shop will remain intact overnight, the erosion of urban life progresses silently but relentlessly.
Conclusion: Berlin Needs a Security Shift—Now
A functioning economic center must set clear priorities. Protecting businesses and tax-paying citizens is not optional—it is a fundamental responsibility of government. Those who finance the city have the right to see their property protected, crimes pursued consistently, and vulnerable public spaces secured.
Berlin needs:
- visible police and enforcement presence in high-risk areas
- swift investigations—even when motives are unclear
- a clear political stance against ideological vandalism
- publicly supported security measures for small businesses
Without security, there is no diversity, no thriving commerce, no vibrant urban center.
Berlin cannot continue to leave committed entrepreneurs wondering each morning whether their shop still exists. Security is not a value to debate—it is a prerequisite for economic life and social cohesion. Neglect it, and those who build the city are the first to suffer—and ultimately, the city itself pays the price.
Berlin needs a politics that doesn’t relativize security, but guarantees it.
*„Man weiß nie, ob morgen alles noch ganz ist“ – Ladenbesitzer kämpfen in Mitte um ihre Existenz“, Berliner Zeitung vom 19.11.2025
