On September 13th 1913 Fritz Bühler opened the dance hall „Bühlers Ballhaus“ (Bühler’s Ballroom) in the back of Auguststrasse 24/25. It became known as Clärchens Ballhaus after Bühler was killed in WWI and his widow, Clara, took over the business. When exactly the fabled buildings were erected no one knows – official records were lost during WWII. It could be that they were commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II’s butler. But hat might be just one of the many legends that surround the house, ist inhabitants, and ist patrons. Clärchens Ballhaus is, as it were, a kind of story machine, a site of conjecture.
And there are a veritable host of stories and anecdotes to recount: In his 1929 novel Berlin Alexanderplatz, Alfred Döblin had his hero Franz Biberkopf come here for a drink with his friend Meck in between adventures (he has just been restored to health after loosing an arm): „They wander down to the Alex in their same old jogtrot, then a short way through the Gipsstrasse, where Franz takes him to the Alte Ballhaus. ‚It’s all done over, you kin watch me dance here or else take a look at me at the bar.’ Meck is agog. ‚What’s happen to you all of a sudden, say?’ ‚Righto. I’m starting over again, like in the old days. Well, why not? Any objections? Come in and look at me dance with one arm.’“
The German illustrator and photographer Heinrich Zille had his regular place at the bar, where he used to sit and draw. And Otto Dix painted the poster (1931), which is still used today.