As COVID-19 restrictions threaten nightlife across the globe, one Berlin club appears to have fallen by more nefarious means. [ipsə] (pronounced ipse) burned down starting around 5:00 AM on Monday. Local authorities believe the blaze resulted from an arson attack.
“As police confirmed today, [ipsə] was the victim of arson, leading to the complete destruction of the entire indoor area and parts of the outdoor area,” reads a Facebook post from the club on Tuesday. “We are still speechless. Standing in the ruins of what dozens of people put years of energy and passion into is almost excruciating—and it is unbearable to imagine that this happened purposefully. And to make it worse: due to the specific situation insurance companies won’t compensate the damage to our entire inventory, including the technical equipment.”
[ipsə] holds roughly 700 and caters to fans of house and techno. The club had recently called off all events for the foreseeable future amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Music fans hoping to see ipse renovate and resume operations can donate to the club via their Start Next page.