People visit the city for its history, infamous rave or night life and quirky punk-rock identity… They choose to see what they want to see and ignore the increasingly visible “uncomfortable” sightings , such as the homeless… Nonetheless, an accurate census of this group is not easy to come by. Old estimates put the population at 10,000 individuals in Berlin alone.
Like other sister European cities, the homeless community in Berlin make up a core part of the urban dwellers. Visibly, they can come from any background and many struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. Albeit being a frequent sight on the streets, under bridges and on trains, it is very common for them to go completely unseen by the rest of the people in those spaces.
On the other hand, tourists flock Berlin in large numbers, and in recent years, they are also frequently seen crowding the streets almost all year long. People visit the city for its history, infamous rave or night life and quirky punk-rock identity. Just like typical tourists though, visitors don’t really see the city. They choose to see what they want to see and ignore the increasingly visible “uncomfortable” sightings , such as the homeless.
In this image, the abandoned item is a sink, that seems to have been left for so long that graffiti artists included it in their works that cover the wall in the background.
Titled “Tourist Attraction”, we decided to tackle the issue of the highly visible yet invisible homelessness and ignorant tourism in one frame. A homeless man is featured sitting on the side of the pavement with his scarce belongings while tourists focus on the graffiti on the wall. They directly ignore his presence that he almost seems a part of the graffiti, a typical Berlin “tourist attraction”.
Many civil society organizations work to support the homeless population around the city. Hot meals, donations and psychosocial support are regularly offered. Shelters are also available. Nonetheless, an accurate census of this group is not easy to come by. Old estimates put the population at 10,000 individuals in Berlin alone. Activists also report a visible increase in homelessness among migrants. State sponsored shelter options are hardly enough.
When we asked a few Germans what they thought about the homeless population, their general replies usually took an accusatory tone, stating that people choose to be homeless. Drug or alcohol addiction and mental illness enhance negative stereotypes. While kindness is present among some, reflections among others reek of white privilege.
Living on the streets is a harsh reality and each homeless person has a story behind their reality. As Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish wrote “Think of others”. The privileged have a roof over their heads to do just that.
Image taken in Friedrichshain, Berlin (2023).
