Lovable lettering around Berlin

Storefront window with colorful paper letters "Freitags ist was los"

Tomorrow is Martina’s lettering workshop and I’ve been collecting more Berlin lettering to mentally prepare. Above, the window of an after-school activity center in a Neukölln storefront, painted paper letters proclaim “On Fridays, it’s really happening!

Old green storefront with window lettering in blackletter

Meanwhile, in the quiet Viktoriastadt area of Lichtenberg, old-fashioned gilt Fraktur letters advertise stucco figures and ornaments within a lovely storefront that’s a study of shades of green.

Facade of restaurant with hand-painted sign reading "Jelänger Jelieber"

Nearby, the sign on this cozy-looking bar looks appealingly hand-painted, if a bit hard to read. I think it says “Je länger Je lieber” (the longer, the better) but visually, it’s not quite clear if the last letter is an “r” or an “n.” What is clearly legible: this bar shows Tatort, the classic German murder mystery movies, on Sunday.

Building facades with sign reading "Leder Fuchs"

Meanwhile, on Neukölln’s bustling Karl-Marx-Straße, a sideways sign combines script and sans-serif, as well as two somewhat incongruous words: “Leder Fuchs” means “leather fox.”

Neon sign reading "Honolulu" over doorway; man with suitcase standing in front of the door

And around the corner from my studio, a hotel guest waits with his suitcase in front of the Hotel Michelberger’s bar, Honolulu. The name may be Hawaiian, but I think I see a bit of German soul in the script, with its almost indistinguishable n’s and u’s. This bit of neon is definitely another jewel among the city’s signs. They are there if you look for them!

Here are five more signs I like, all in East Berlin, that I posted last week.

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