What’s the story behind Berlin nightclub’s huge mural?

Curious City

WBEZ Chicago

Investigation, Chicago, Radio, Arts, Society & Culture, Public, Education, Curious, City

4.6 • 661 Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2026

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The large mural hung over the main bar at Berlin. Painted in the Art Deco style, the masculine and feminine figures in the painting watched over the nightly revelry at the storied nightclub until it closed in 2023.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This WBEZ podcast is supported by the Poetry Foundation with a reminder that Chicago is the Pulse of Poetry.
0:08.4	Visit the Poetry Foundation on the corner of Superior in Dearborn to explore their library of 40,000 books, attend public events, and view Frenta Alavita facing life, a striking multidisciplinary art exhibition by Chicago artist Victoria Martinez.
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0:44.1	that can wait a day or two, flexible hours and online scheduling make it possible to find a primary
0:49.2	care provider partner. Learn more at you-Chicagoland.org. How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living longer?
1:01.4	Ted Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers.
1:06.4	They will surprise, challenge, and even change you. Listen to NPR's TED Radio Hour wherever you get your
1:12.6	podcasts. My name is Donald. I live on the southeast side of Chicago. There are many people
1:19.5	who are with me when listening to WBZ. My children in the car, but also my students in the classroom.
1:27.2	We have listened to reports.
1:29.7	And so I think that affects not just what I'm getting out of it,
1:33.0	but also I think to see what we each take from it.
1:39.4	It's Curious City, where we take your questions about Chicago and the region,
1:43.9	and investigate, report,
1:45.8	explore from WBEZ.
1:48.7	What's up, Chicago?
1:50.2	I'm Erin Allen.
1:51.8	Berlin Nightclub played a big role in Chicago's queer nightlife scene, and it was an anchor in the Lakeview neighborhood.
2:00.7	Berlin shut down in 2023, and it's still unclear in the Lakeview neighborhood.
	...

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