Tresor founder Dimitri Hegemann awarded Berlin Order of Merit
Hedemann was awarded the Verdienstorden des Landes Berlin for his contributions to the city's techno and club culture
The city of Berlin has awarded Tresor's founder Dimitri Hegemann the Berlin Order of Merit for his significant contributions to techno and club culture.
Established in 1987, the title is awarded each October as Berlin’s highest state honor, recognising “outstanding contributions” to the city and German culture.
Previous recipients of the Order of Merit include Paul van Dyk, pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, human rights advocate Marianne Birthler, and former Mayor of Berlin Eberhard Diepgen.
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In a post on Instagram, Tresor said: “Dimitri Hegemann has been awarded the Verdienstorden des Landes Berlin, the Berlin Order of Merit, in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the city’s techno and club culture.”
“As the founder of Tresor, he has been at the heart of Berlin’s club landscape for more than three decades, shaping spaces, ideas, and communities that continue to inspire new generations.”
Tresor’s origins date back to 1988. Over the past 37 years, its influence has shaped Berlin’s club landscape, with founder Dimitri Hegemann guiding it from the start. Hegemann’s original venue, UFO Club, was opened by Interfisch record label just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. However, the venue closed after only a year due to financial difficulties.
Undeterred, Hegemann and his partners reopened in 1991 in the vaults beneath the former Wertheim department store, establishing Tresor - soon to be a defining space for Berlin’s electronic scene.
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That same year, Tresor Records was founded, and has since released music by artists such as Jeff Mills, Drexciya, Stewart Walker, Blake Baxter, James Ruskin, Matthew Herbert, Zenker Brothers, Peter Van Hoesen, DJ Stingray 313, alongside others, cementing its role in global techno culture.
Today, Tresor operates from an abandoned power plant in central Berlin, where it has been based since 2005. It remains a leading force in the international techno scene and has expanded with a sister venue in Dortmund, Tresor.West.
See Tresor’s full announcement below.
Annabel Craddock is a freelance journalist, follow her on Instagram
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