Facebook in Berlin, also known as the guide to finding your people in this city. I would have gotten to know way less people, and be much less informed about current events in Berlin without these communities. I don’t know why so much scheduling, socializing, and networking in Berlin seems to stem from Facebook, but it just does.

Berlin still has the reputation of being a bit of a cold city where it’s difficult to make friends and find your people. Although I won’t deny that some of the residents here live up to the grumpy stereotype (we’ve all been scoffed at by a judgmental elderly German woman at least once), overall people here are open to making new friends and happy to connect with others.

So whether you’re looking for English speaking jobs, wanting to find friends to practice German with or go clubbing with, interested in adopting a cat or getting free plants, in need of the latest COVID guidelines or wondering how to connect with artists in the city, believe me, there is a group for that.

You don’t need to become a member of every group you’re interested in, but you can join a few, browse some others, and bookmark this page in case your interests or needs change. Also once you’re more settled in the city definitely interact with posts you’re knowledgeable about to keep these groups helpful and active.

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Berlin Basics

Berlin 4 Beginners - The group’s head admin Afropunk Carol started this group amid the earlier months of the pandemic, and it has since grown to over 8,000 members. Regarding the COVID crisis, it really is an excellent news source. Carol does a breakdown of COVID stats and a news summary every day, translates German news to English, updates us on the ever-changing COVID restrictions and rules in Berlin, and does a Sunday round-up post of all the questions that didn’t get properly answered throughout the week.

Most topics covered by members are not pandemic related however, and you’re welcome to ask most Berlin-related questions as long as you’re respectful and not spammy. This is possibly the most useful Berlin-based Facebook group to join during the current times, and the only group I check every day.

Free Advice Berlin - This group exists to seek and give advice to Berlin residents, although sometimes the posts center around story-telling or ranting. Most questions are allowed, but be sure to use the search filter to seek information about your question because it might’ve been answered before.

Berlin Expats - This is a group for internationals living in Berlin to ask questions, give advice, present recommendations and events, and talk about Berlin-related happenings and news. A lot of stuff passes through here from upcoming meet ups to information about protests and demonstrations.

This German Life was created by local Dianna Verry in companionship to her YouTube channel and website where she talks about moving to Germany from Canada, and acclimating in Berlin. She created this group for her viewers who are interested in sharing tips, thoughts, and their stories involving moving to and settling in Germany.

Navigating German Bureaucracy

Problems and Challenges with Ausländerbehorde and Einbürgerungsamt (Berlin) - Many foreigners in Germany dread going to any kind of immigration office. From the hassle of actually getting an appointment to the sometimes anxiety-filled period leading up to the appointment, it can be a bit scary, especially for first-timers (although things typically work out). This group offers plenty of advice! You can read about other people’s experiences, receive resources, or just vent a little.

German Freelance Visa Help - Most visas in Germany can be a bit of a headache, and this is especially so with the freelancer’s visa. Here you can find answers to practically every niche freelancer visa question, advice from those who went through the application process, and recommendations for resources (free and paid) that help make the process a little more hassle-free.

Job Seeker / Visa / Blue Card / Work Permit / (Germany) - A group to help job seekers in Germany and clarify visa related questions.

Expat Tax Online Help is not a Germany specific group, but there are many helpful tax-related resources here for US citizens living and working abroad.

Supporting Berliners

Support Local Business Berlin - As the name states you can find local businesses to support in Berlin, or share your own business and Berlin businesses you’ve had good experiences with.

Food Sharing Berlin - 30% of all food ends up in the garbage, and this group seeks to narrow that gap. This German-language based group and their website connects food sharers, garbage divers, and other activists who are against food waste with people, whether they’re in need or just don’t want to see food go to waste.

Zero Waste Berlin - Similar to the previous group, but this group is English language based. You can also discuss ways to live more environmentally-friendly in Berlin.

Mental State in Berlin - Find support and resources among your fellow Berliners. This group is an open space to talk about mental health barriers, trauma, and mental illness. You can create a post (anonymously if you’d like) about something you or a loved one is going through, share your troubles, and be directed to resources and crisis hotlines.

Homeless Veggie Dinner - Planning on continuing their tradition post-pandemic, this group normally meets one Saturday a month to give under-privileged people living in the city a home-cooked three-course meal and drink. Their team cooks, while volunteers from the group help invite displaced members of the community, serve the food, and clean up.

The dinner is open to everyone, not just those who volunteer and those without homes, and that’s part of what makes it special. It creates opportunity for diverse members of the community to be able to sit together and break bread. People who can afford the food can leave a donation to help fund this ongoing event.

Found in… Berlin - People are always looking for their comforts in the city. Join this group to either ask or share when you find sought after food in Berlin like name-brand American ranch dressing or quality Canadian maple syrup.

POC Support Berlin - A group for People of Color in the city to provide resources, talk about their experiences, and support one another in a non-judgmental environment.

Americans in Berlin - This group is a virtual way for US American citizens to connect in Berlin. You can get tips for finding American food and ingredients for when you’re missing home, or visa help and Berlin related advice. This group was also a great resource during election season!

If you’re not from the states your home country likely has a Berlin or Germany related group too if you search for it!

Latinos en Berlín & Latinas en Berlín/Alemania - These groups are great for fellow Latinxs in the city to connect with one another, find Latin American food and ingredients, and make friends.

If you’re not Latinx, but want to connect with people from your culture there is likely a Germany based group if you search Facebook.

Networking / Finding Jobs

English Speaking Jobs in Berlin & English Speaking Jobs in Berlin, Germany - These two groups are just as they sound. I’m sure some job offers overlap in both groups, but if you’re actively looking for a job it can’t hurt to check out both.

Berlin Freelancers - This group acts as an English language resource for Berlin based freelancers. You can share your services, talk about your experiences, ask for help with something work-related, and find freelancers for specific work.

Berlin Startup Jobs - Job offers from Berlin startups.

Find A Job in Berlin - Run by local blogger Cheryl Howard, here you can find resources, tips, tools, and leads for finding a job in Berlin.

Housing

Berlin Housing - A group to help with your apartment/room search. Plenty of people use Facebook to find their apartment or room, but be careful with scammers! Never send a deposit or any amount of money before seeing the place in person, and always make sure to visit the flat (or have a friend visit the flat for you) before committing to anything. Also try to visit with a friend, or let a friend know where you are before you visit. Safety first!

Flats in Berlin - Same as above.

Berlin Apartments - Rent - Share & Sell Flats & Apartments in Berlin - Same as above.

Berlin Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets - Same as above. This group seems to especially try hard to delete spam and scams!

Berlin Property Forum - Some people evade the tricky apartment hunting process completely by skipping over the rental process entirely and buying an apartment here. I don’t know too much about this process, but this seems like a good place to learn more.

Meeting People

Coffee Walk Berlin was created in November 2020 to help Berliners meet people in a way that’s suitable for the times. Many of us are working from home, living far from our families, and not able to see people or even have a normal conversation the way we used to.

With Coffee Walk Berlin, you can simply write a post (or respond to one), state what neighborhood you live in, how you spend your days (work or otherwise), and note what you like to talk about. Then schedule a meet up, bring a coffee from home or pick one up at a local cafe, and enjoy your time walking and talking with a neighbor outside and socially distanced. You can also meet people via their website. The admin of the group stresses that this is not a dating app, people are looking for friends and fresh air. :)

Language Tandem Berlin - A place to connect with Berliners who would like to practice talking in and learning specific languages.

Berlin Language Exchange - Similar to the former, this group works to bring people together to exchange language skills.

International Friends Berlin - Their goal is to connect people from all over the world, and create a friendly space to help people have fun and make friends. They typically organize several events throughout the week including pub crawls, cycling meet ups, walking and hiking in and around the city, sports clubs, barbecues, happy hours, and more.

Finding Events

Local Advisor Berlin - Previously Open Air Berlin. Here you can find out about open airs, parties, and more.

Latinos en Berlin - Guia de Eventos - Events for Spanish speakers in Berlin and those who want to celebrate Latin culture. Fiestas, lecturas, conciertos, encuentros y más.

Techno Events Berlin gives a platform for posting and learning about streaming events, concerts, and club events. You can also share new local techno releases, and your favorite DJ sets/ SoundCloud mixes/ music podcasts.

English Events (Berlin, Germany) shares entertainment events taking place in English in the city. So things like theater, comedy acts, and cinema nights.

English Activities (Berlin, Germany) - This group is for interactive activities in English in and around Berlin. So things like workshops, classes, and seminars can be proposed here.

Foodies

Berlin Food Stories - Not a group, but a great page to follow for finding food recommendations and food events in the city! You can also subscribe to be notified of food industry job openings.

Berlin Foodies - Community based food recommendations, feel free to promote any restaurant you’ve recently enjoyed and information about them.

Vegans Eat Berlin - A place where plant-based people can connect and talk about their favorite vegan eateries, dishes, and grocery items in Berlin.

Restaurants in Berlin - Here you can ask about, review, and suggest restaurants in Berlin.

Artists

Berlin Creatives Network is a networking group for creative freelancers who would like to connect, collaborate, hire, and learn from one another.

Berlin Film Community is a welcoming group that helps small passionate filmmakers out. This includes getting advice on entering the film-making world, getting assistance with developing your talents, discussing your screenplay with other members, getting access to a network of crew makers, and even being able to borrow film equipment.

Musicians in Berlin - Here local musicians can schedule jam sessions, propose collaborations, and learn how to grow in Berlin’s music scene. They also have a great Spotify playlist that updates weekly and features only Berlin based artists. I’m working my way through the whole playlist, and discovering plenty of artists I like along the way. I think I might even dedicate an upcoming post to the new artists I find.

Artists in Berlin - A place of discussion for artists in Berlin.

English Speaking Writers in Berlin - Their bio states: Write in English? Live in Berlin? Join us! Pretty straightforward.

Womxn

The following thirteen groups are for womxn only, unless otherwise noted.

Womxn Freelancers - Berlin is a community based support group for womxn to collaborate and learn how to grow their businesses together.

Freelancing Womxn Germany recently rebranded and expanded from being just based in Berlin to welcoming freelancing women from all around Germany. They share multiple reoccurring weekly posts where you can share your business, content, and career wins. Their values include personal growth, connection, and development.

Side note: Their head admin, Irene Yu, who I’ve previously interviewed, is currently developing a platform to help women increase their quality of life by optimizing their time and health. They’re looking for feedback so if you have two minutes and experience a recurring menstrual cycle, definitely submit a form.

Conscious Women Berlin - I love this group! I’ve connected with so many wonderful women, and made a couple of close friends from this group. The mission of this group is to foster a safe space for women to expand their consciousness together. They work to make modern spirituality accessible to all women, provide a platform where women feel comfortable to express themselves and create meaningful connections, and offer support and guidance to women in the community.

Many women also create events solely for the members of this group, and although this is happening less frequently currently, I’ve really enjoyed previous group events like their writer’s workshop.

International Women in Berlin - A place for everyone who identifies as a woman and lives in Berlin. Discussions, advice, support, empathy, and more! I believe they’re the largest women based group in Berlin so they’ve also created a few sub-groups for more niche topics.

Creative Womxn Berlin - An intersectional space where women and non-binary creatives can talk about their artistic endeavors and projects while connecting with one another. Keep an eye out for IRL events too!

Berlin Boss Babes is a multi-cultural group that gives space for women to share and learn about career and personal development topics.

Berlin - Girls Going Outdoors welcomes members to plan and organize outdoor events together from hiking to swimming to skiing and everything in between.

Social Women (30+) in Berlin - If you’re tired of being surrounded by twenty-somethings you can join this group to make friends and meet people.

Berlin - Girl Gone International - This is another group I’ve made a few friends from! The GGI community is present in over 200 cities around the world. They are a volunteer powered global and local community with a mission to connect and empower womxn who live and travel abroad. People in this group love meeting up and forming friendships; just make a post about yourself or send a message to someone after reading their post!

Swap Your Skills Girls (Berlin Only) - A place to grow and swap your skills. You might need specific skills to grow in your industry or need help with a project, or just want to improve yourself. An example of a typical post is, “I need help learning Spanish. I can offer Photoshop skills, guitar lessons, or teach you how to make dumplings.” Sounds super niche, but people always respond and generally seem very happy to exchange skills.

Feminist Food Club - They welcome womxn and non-binary people, and hope to turn their growing food group into a professional gastronomy network in Berlin.

Language Tandem Berlin (Girls Only) - For self-identifying women to grow their language skills. Just write a post stating which language(s) you speak and which one(s) you would like to improve.

Girls Sell Stuff Berlin - Women and girls can safely sell their things without harassment.

LGBTQ +

Queer Life in Berlin - A place to connect queer locals beyond online interaction, and promote queer businesses and events.

Queer Exchange Berlin - An exchange group for items, apartments, and information. You can treat this group like other Berlin exchange groups (sell furniture, look for apartments, etc) or for queer-specific asks like needing to find a trans-friendly psychiatrist or a lesbian-friendly apartment.

Queer Beer Berlin hosts pub meets for queer Berliners and allies to get together for casual drinks. Currently happening on a rotating basis.

GMF Berlin is Berlin’s only mixed LGBT party. Three floors feature several music genres including techno, hip hop, rap, urban, and pop! You can keep up with the club’s parties here.

Homes for Queers Berlin - Find safe and queer friendly housing.

Families

International Families Berlin - A group for international families to help and support one another. You must be a parent, an expecting parents, or a future parent planning/trying to expand their family (including adoption). They ask that you live in Berlin or are planning to move there soon.

Expat Family Berlin - A place for international families to share information and exchange resources.

Berlin Kids - A group for families in Berlin who have children three years or older, or teenagers. You can discuss topics like schools and multilingualism, or arrange play dates and meetups.

Plants

Let’s Talk About Plants, Baby - A space for plant lovers to come together to discuss plants, plant issues, and help identify pests.

Free Your Plants Berlin - A place to give away plants, seeds, and cuttings for free, or swap your plant with someone else.

Pets

Pet Friendly Berlin & Dog Owners Berlin - Provide pet information or arrange play dates with other cat and/or dog owners in the city.

Kittens and Cats Need Homes Berlin - Help cats find their forever home, or find a kitten or cat to adopt.

Cat Advice Berlin - Get advice from other cat owners in Berlin regarding vets, food, products, and more.

Dog Sitting and Cat Sitting Berlin - A group that pairs pet owners with animal lovers who are open to pet-sitting for free purely because they want animal companionship or don’t mind helping out.

Selling Groups

Sell Your Stuff Berlin - Sell your things or make a request for something.

Free Your Stuff Berlin - Everything is free. Offers and requests may be posted.

Sell Your Furniture Berlin - Use this group to sell your furniture or find second-hand furniture.

Sell Your Books Berlin - Sell your books or adopt a second-hand one.

Sell Your Clothes Berlin - Online thrifting for the win!

Sell Your Bike Berlin - Sell or find a bike.

Facebook Groups to Join If You Live in Berlin

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