Germany’s pubs, kiosks and corner stores aren't just a place to pick up a late-night beer. They're a social hub that helps create a sense of community.
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00:00Bodegas, bars, kiosks and corner stores. People in Germany visit them almost every day, often on their way to or from work.
00:14It's like a little family here.
00:18You leave feeling good inside.
00:20You don't have company like this at home. It's here.
00:24Places for social interaction are more important than ever.
00:27More and more people in Germany are feeling isolated and lonely.
00:30Society seems to be splintering.
00:32Hostility growing.
00:34Do these small shops build community?
00:36What challenges do they face?
00:52In Berlin, the convenience store has become something of an institution.
00:56Germany's capital is filled with over a thousand of these small shops, often on every corner.
01:01They offer the basics of daily life and often much more.
01:09Tönscher Karabalut has run his convenience store for four years.
01:12He's well-known and well-liked in the neighborhood.
01:18We also do a bit of social work for the people in the neighborhood.
01:27Berlin's convenience store concept originated in the former East Germany.
01:30The idea was to give workers on their night shift a chance to pick up a few necessities on the way home.
01:35Tönscher keeps his store open until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends.
01:40Supermarkets in Germany often close at 8 or 10 p.m. and are closed on Sundays.
01:48Shopkeepers always get the short end of the stick.
01:51They sometimes work 14, 15 or 16 hours a day.
01:56Many convenience stores offer more than just drinks, snacks and cigarettes.
02:00Their owners have to stay flexible to get by, so they keep finding new ways to make money.
02:05As more post offices close in Germany and mail-order shopping grows,
02:08offering postal services can bring in some extra income.
02:14You get about 30 to 40 Euro cents per package, depending on its size, weight and where it's going.
02:20About 30 to 40 percent of postal customers also pick up something else, so it pays off.
02:26But the postal business by itself wouldn't pay off.
02:31How's it going?
02:34Hey, this is the best man. The best man here.
02:41They call him Uncle on the streets.
02:44You always meet friends here. That's what I love so much about this place.
02:49It has a homey feel. You know all the employees and they know you, so you end up talking.
02:56If you want a late-night snack, you just pop in here.
03:01Beverage sales, especially beer, are crucial to the convenience store's survival.
03:08We got new merchandise today. Our shop is known for having over 250 brands of beer.
03:14A chilled beer after work was what these stores offered in East Germany, too.
03:18In the summer, they almost turned into pubs.
03:25If you're on your way to a party, you might grab another one for the road.
03:30Or people gather outside, sometimes 30, 40 or even 50 people.
03:37Even in winter, when it's freezing, people come in for a bottle of beer.
03:41Not always because they're thirsty.
03:47It's a social occasion.
03:50You meet people.
03:52Sometimes really nice people.
03:59When I just want to have a quick drink before the party, like we're doing now.
04:04Things like that, you know, just quick and dirty.
04:07Everyone in the neighborhood depends on Tunca Karabulut and his team.
04:12Sometimes I want to go home, but I can't because people want to chat.
04:18They come here with problems, maybe with their partner, the kids or the neighbors,
04:23and they just need to talk it out.
04:28It happens all the time.
04:32I think it's the same at other convenience stores.
04:34The kiosk, also known as a refreshment stand or snack bar,
04:37is the counterpart to the convenience store in many Western German cities.
04:41Many people have childhood memories of them.
04:43Their numbers are dropping, but thousands of kiosks are still open in the Ruhr region.
04:48Mansoor Faraji divided his Dortmund kiosk into sections.
04:53This is the German side, the other side is the Persian side.
04:57On weekends, one side does better.
04:59Usually because of a soccer game.
05:01Sometimes when a family from the home country shows up, the other side does better.
05:07Mansoor Faraji is from Iran.
05:09He's had his shop for 10 years.
05:12Three years ago, he added a Persian delicacy section
05:15and made his kiosk a hub for cultural exchange.
05:23I enjoy selling home-made food.
05:26I enjoy selling things from our culture.
05:30Many people don't know much about us.
05:32Many people mix up our countries, thinking Iran is Iraq.
05:37Many under 20 don't know about our country.
05:40I want to show our country and culture to as many people as I can.
05:44That will take time, it won't happen overnight.
05:47Two or three years aren't enough.
05:52Excuse me, I've got customers.
05:55He works in just over 20 square meters of space.
05:58Mansoor is proud of his selection of over 360 items.
06:02And his customers like them too.
06:08Since he has everything, I can get cake on Fridays.
06:11I can get groceries. Everything.
06:16I come here a lot because the atmosphere is very friendly.
06:19It's nice. There's always something new, always something to try.
06:26Once a year, Mansoor travels to Iran to check on merchandise and suppliers.
06:30He knows he'll never get rich from his business,
06:32no matter how much work he puts in.
06:36I only take Mondays off because I work 12 hours a day.
06:40We're open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
06:43I only take short vacations.
06:45I can't close for more than a week or four or five nights
06:47because people wouldn't accept that.
06:50These days, most kiosks are run by immigrants like Mansoor.
06:54He lives right next door.
06:56Sometimes his daughter comes by after school.
06:59He feels close to many people in the neighborhood.
07:04I deal with lots of people.
07:06Kids under 10 buy chewing gum, gummy bears and other things.
07:10Then there are the 70 to 80-year-olds from many cultures.
07:14Lots of foreigners I recognize as neighbors.
07:17Doctors, engineers and so on.
07:19Educated people, school children, college students.
07:23That's what I like most, having contact with so many people.
07:27I enjoy coming to work every day.
07:32Sociologist Paul Eisewicht knows why kiosks, corner shops and snack bars are so important.
07:39Their basic function is simple, convenient shopping nearby.
07:42This was especially true for kiosks in the past,
07:45before the internet or television.
07:47These were places that traded in information.
07:50Newspapers, of course.
07:52But also the gossip exchanged between the sellers and customers.
07:57He's often amazed at how flexible kiosk owners can be.
08:00They have to constantly adapt their offerings to meet changing times, needs and tastes.
08:07The business is always under pressure from delivery services,
08:11online shopping and supermarkets with longer hours.
08:15So the conditions for the business are tough.
08:20And that presents a real challenge.
08:27The Ruhr region's kiosks have even been declared an Intangible World Heritage.
08:34Like the kiosk and the convenience store,
08:36Germany's pubs are another hub for daily social interaction.
08:40People usually come here after work.
08:42But between 2012 and 2022, the number of pubs in Germany dropped by about 30%.
08:50A pub evening in Wechmar.
08:52In the past, a crowded pub on a Friday night was the rule.
08:55Now it's more an exception, one that happens just once a month.
09:02We've been open for half an hour and the pub is packed.
09:05I don't think it'll slow down now.
09:07They enjoy it.
09:08Word has spread and people are coming from other villages.
09:11That's great.
09:12Just as we imagined it.
09:16Wechmar, with a population of about 3,000, is in Thuringia in eastern Germany.
09:20Jörg Fallstich was born here and he wants to see a lively community.
09:24He's also president of the soccer club.
09:28We used to have eight pubs. Now we have none.
09:31And it's the same in the surrounding towns.
09:35The disappearance of pubs, especially in rural areas, is a big problem.
09:39Inflation, Covid, a shortage of workers – there are many causes.
09:44Wechmar's last pub closed in 2022.
09:47It's missed by many.
09:49Looking for a solution, local people came up with a new idea.
09:53Now, the former inn Zum Goldenen Löwen comes back to life once a month.
09:5815 people teamed up to launch the Wechmar Pub Evening initiative.
10:02They do all the work themselves, on a voluntary basis.
10:06We divide up the jobs differently each time, depending on who's available.
10:11Serving customers, pouring beers, washing up or helping in the kitchen.
10:16And there's all the prep on Thursday and the clean-up on Saturday.
10:20So we're back here early in the morning at 9 o'clock.
10:24Wechmar has held 22 pub evenings since 2023.
10:28Zum Goldenen Löwen opens for business every last Friday of the month.
10:36For us it was important for it to be an event that happens once a month.
10:41Something that would work for everyone.
10:43Something everyone could look forward to.
10:52It brings more life and togetherness to the town.
10:55Since we don't have a real pub anymore, it's nice to have one every four weeks.
10:59It's really nice. It's a feeling of togetherness and it's fun.
11:03You don't have company like this at home. It's here.
11:09And what do they talk about?
11:12Not politics. That would go in the wrong direction. It doesn't belong here.
11:16Ultimately, we come here to forget our daily routines.
11:20For chitchat.
11:22We don't argue here, that's the important part.
11:25You can have differences of opinion, but in the end, everyone comes together.
11:28With everyone working as volunteers and the town providing the space,
11:32the drinks cost very little.
11:34That helps bring people together.
11:41Prices in regular pubs are relatively high.
11:44A beer costs 4 to 5 Euros these days.
11:47Partly because of payroll costs.
11:51But we're selling drinks for 2 Euros.
11:54And people really appreciate that.
11:56The Vechmar pub evening is a huge success.
12:00Now two neighboring towns are adopting the volunteer-run pub concept.
12:06Actually, I just do it for the fun of it, because it's our town and because I live here.
12:12It's not a burden. We enjoy it. And that's what makes it so nice.
12:25Vechmar pub