Overview
- The Allensbach poll, conducted Aug. 1–13 and reported Friday, Aug. 21, interviewed 1,039 people and found only 31% now call Berlin a "fascinating metropolis" while 36% call it a "capital without charisma."
- Responses show Berlin has slipped behind Hamburg and Munich on city appeal, with 34% saying it has special charm versus 48% for Hamburg and 47% for Munich.
- Nearly half of respondents (46%) said they would "definitely not" want to live in Berlin, making it almost as undesired as Frankfurt in the survey.
- Journalists link the shift to long-term changes in the city: large worker inflows, rapidly rising rents, visible gentrification and pressure on clubs and cultural venues that once shaped Berlin's image.
- The poll quantifies a reversal from 2007, when 66% called Berlin fascinating and only 14% said it lacked charisma, a change that could affect city branding, housing policy and cultural preservation efforts.