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GASLIGHT IS AN OBJECT OF CULTURAL VALUE

More than half of the worlds existing gas lamps are standing in the streets of Berlin. Many areas of the city are completely illuminated by their yellow-golden light. The Frohnau quarter alone is host to the world's largest uninterrupted gas-lit area. Gas lamps are silent witnesses to the eventful history of Berlin. They have overcome the good as well as the bad times unharmed. Maybe that's why they are a firm component of the city's identity. They have become an inofficial landmark, because they are unique. There are still 44.000 gas lamps left. True Berliners, whose personal memories are often attachted to them, call them "their" gas lamps. In our section Gaslamps you can read about the various types of gaslanterns you can find in the streets of Berlin .

 

EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE FLAIR OF GAS LAMPS

A large newspaper put it this way: "Gas lamps - Berlin's glittering treasure of the night!" And he who has once passed in full awareness a completely gas-lit street knows what is meant by that. The quality of the light, which no electrical lamp can match, makes the difference. Gas light is purely nature, it has a relaxing effect und creates atmosphere. And that can be felt when strolling down the streets at night, taking a little break in one of the many Cafés or living with gas lamps in front of the own door. Immerse yourself into the world of this unique light! Chamissoplatz in Kreuzberg, Sophie-Charlotten-Straße in Charlottenburg or side streets of Kurfürstendamm: No matter where, you will always feel good and at ease!

 

BERLINS GAS LIGHTING IS THREATENED BY ABOLISHMENT!

Dismantling of the world wide unrivaled gas lighting started in the summer of 2008 in Fischerhüttenstraße in Berlin. 8400 gas lamps of a certain type are due to be replaced by electrical lighting until 2014. Read further information in our category News. After that, the senate plans envision to to remove all other gas lamps from the cityscape. In the past, a political consensus to maintain the gas lighting existed. In the early nineties, the Berlin parliament, assisted by Gaslicht-Kultur (former Gaslichtinitiative Berlin), still passed an act that guaranteed to basically preserve all gas lamps. But since maintainance of street lighting in Berlin was privatized, investors are calling heavily to replace gas lighting completely by electrical lighting. They do not care about the appearance of the city or about cultural or historical matters. This is simply about getting the most profit from Berlin's street lighting. Gaslicht-Kultur e.V. lobbies on a political and social level to prevent such a desastrous demolition of Berlins nocturnal cityscape.

 

WHAT ARE OUR AIMS ?

Without a doubt, Berlins gas lighting is unique in the world and worth to be protected. But laws to conserve historically important landmarks usually only apply to buildings, not to large-scale lamp ensembles. Also, laws only protect individual forms of lamps, but not the technology that creates the light itself. A gas lamp and an electrical lamp that creates clinically cold light have, if their form is equal, the same value to the law. We advocate that gas lamps, including their unmistakable light, are categorized as cultural and historical heritage. Also, Berlins gas lighting must not be regarded only in terms of costs and expenses. Because that doesn't even come close to giving justice to its true value. We are working to get lighting planners and those who have political responsibility to adopt this way of looking at gas lamps. But we can succeed only on the basis of a broad social and political consensus. If you want to support us in any way, have stimulating ideas or criticism or simply wish to receive further information about this issue, please contact us.

 

GASLIGHT IS SUPERIOR TO ELECTRICAL LIGHT IN MANY WAYS

You probably ask yourself why we put a picture of a poorly tendered lamp on our homepage - especially since it is an electrical street lamp. Unfortunately, shabby electrical lamps are not uncommon, because they degenerate a lot faster than gas lamps. Here you can see, for example, how dirty they get by dead insects. Thousands of them are being lured toward electrical lamps each night and burn. Electricals lamps are real insect killers, which in turn is a serious threat to animals like birds that feed on insects. Gas lamps, on the other side, make no trouble because there are no ultraviolett shares in the spectrum of gas light. Insects simply don't perceive it. Also, the reproduction of colors is unmatched. The electrical sodium odor lamp which you see here reproduces about 65 percent of the original colors - gas light 100 percent! That means, gas lamps reproduce colors as authentic as natural daylight. Read more arguments pro gas light in our section facts and figures.