report
There are still hundreds of thousands of chewing gum machines in Germany. But there is another way – for example in Berlin. Pizza Margherita and fishing bait are also available from the vending machine there.
A bicycle tube for a broken tire, ice cream even at a late hour, bee food or seeds – and recently even art. There is the right machine for all of this in Berlin. The advantage: always available, never closed. So take your change and off you go on a tour of the ATMs through Berlin.
At the beginning of the classic: put a coin in, turn it, and then a ball that is often much too hard comes out at the bottom. For many people, the gumball machine is a real childhood memory. The Association of Vending Machine Specialists (VAFA) estimates that there are still 500,000 to 800,000 of them in Germany. Many of them are also in Berlin. But they are slowly becoming fewer.
The reason: more and more exhibitors are quitting for reasons of age. And given the move away from cash, hardly anyone is willing to invest in gumball machines. The classic is slowly disappearing from the cityscape. The new vending machine ideas are currently booming.
Art at the push of a button
The “Mauersegler” bar and beer garden is located directly at the entrance to Berlin’s Mauerpark in the Prenzlauer Berg district. And just before the toilets there is a second, unusual machine hanging above a cigarette machine. There are no cigarettes, condoms or chewing gum here, just art at the push of a button. The former pantyhose vending machine was converted and is now a pilot project for the Berlin Art School.
The project is even supported with money from the European Social Fund and the state of Berlin. A group of Berlin artists came together around the idea of art from vending machines. The challenge: The works can be a maximum of seven by twelve centimeters in size.
For Isabelle Spicer, one of the artists, it was immediately clear that she wanted to be part of the project: “I lived in America and know these machines from there. It’s a bit like a surprise egg for me. And exactly the idea of art as Surprise, I liked it.”
Kunst2Go: For just eight euros you can become an art collector – and support the Berlin art scene at the same time.
Go to the collector with eight euros
And she also likes one thing: “The machine is a great way to get to people. At eight euros, the price is also quite low. That means everyone can now start their own art collection with eight euros.”
The machine is a new source of income for the 15 artists in the group – but also as an opportunity to develop further, as Sinaida Feinstein explains: “I work with paintings, drawings and also sculptures myself. And to look at it: what actually fits in a small box? That was a lot of fun. I don’t feel limited, but rather that I have gained a new freedom to try things out.” There are now four art machines in Berlin. A fifth is coming soon.
Margherita, Speciale or Prosciutto: The pizza is baked in the machine and paid for with a credit card.
Snack for night owls
Despite such ideas for unusual machines, Germany is of course nowhere near the numbers of Japan, the number one vending machine country. There are more than 4.05 million in the Asian country and they are very popular among the population.
The constant availability is the advantage – also with the pizza machine, which is located in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin on Köpenicker Straße. Right in front of a hostel in an area where there are also a lot of night owls.
There are nine pizzas to choose from, including Margherita, Prosciutto or a vegan pizza. The Pizza Speziale costs 9.90 euros, payable by credit card. After about four minutes it comes out of the machine hot and packed in a box at the bottom. The test result: of course not as good as the Italian around the corner. But better than expected.
Known to anglers for decades: the maggot machine in Berlin-Wedding.
Popular with hobby anglers
The last machine on the Berlin tour is even more bizarre than the self-baking pizza machine. He is standing in front of a fishing supply store in the Wedding district. “Angelhaus Koss has almost everything,” is the slogan on the bike rack in front of the shop. And actually, there it is on the wall of the house: the maggot machine. Someone scribbled the word “Iron” over the maggot lettering. A reference to the British heavy metal band “Iron Maiden”.
The shop is a real traditional business and is now owned by Alexander Koss. His father founded the business in 1960: “The maggot machine grew on my father’s manure. I don’t know exactly why he converted the old cigarette machine in 1963,” says Koss. But he still remembers: “We used to live right behind the shop. Maybe he was often rung to get out of bed on Sundays or something and that’s how he came up with the idea.”
A can of live maggots is available for one euro – and has been for decades. The most purchases are made at the weekend: “The shop is closed then. But people who decide to go fishing at short notice can quickly get a few maggots. They are the perfect all-round bait for all kinds of fish.”