Watch rare footage of Ostgut before it became Berghain

Rare footage of the Berlin venue Ostgut, the precursor to Berlin’s world-renowned nightlife destination Berghain, has been recently uploaded via technohistory.org.

Open between the years 1999-2003 in Berlin’s Mitte borough by the River Spree, Ostgut served as a heavy techno hotspot with eclectic crowds, a solid reputation and ordinary lines which pale in comparison to its successor's today. A austere and grey warehouse originally intended for train repairs, the venue’s minimal layout was carefully outlined with a heavy emphasis on the dance floor and many of the same features found in Berghain. Two years after the club's opening, Ostgut's directors Michael Teufele and Norbert Thormann decided to later expand their venture by opening Panorama Bar - an upstairs portion to the club with wider selection of music.

Ostgut was shut down in 2003 and later demolished to make way for the O2 World Arena and Teufele and Thormann were able to miraculously recreate a similar version of Ostgut’s layout, aesthetic and vibe with what is today’s Berghain/Panorama Bar.

The grainy and rugged-sounding video of this historically significant techno location was shot in the summer of 2000 during a show which featured Dave Angel, Johannes Heil and UK artist The Advent: the man responsible for filming the video itself.

Watch this essential techno artifact in the video below.

Check out these 28 tips of how to get past the bouncers at Berghain here.