One of Berlin’s oldest rugby clubs is based in Siemensstadt. In August 1923, Siemens workers founded the company sports club, which today belongs to SC Siemensstadt and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023. The club grounds are close to the district border of Charlottenburg. Here Tagesspiegel reader Maximilian Rösner talks about his passion, about beach rugby in Siemensstadt and on the Baltic Sea, about holiday tips and his wishes for the town hall – and sunsets in Kladow and Siemensstadt. This text also first appeared in the Tagesspiegel district newsletter for Spandau. It is available in full and now free of charge at tagesspiegel.de/bezirke
Dear Mr. Rösner, you asked me a wonderful question… “Yes, where there are particularly beautiful places for sunsets in Spandau.”
I am happy to pass the question about the tips on to the readers. But where is your favorite place for sunsets? “In fact, I enjoy the view best from Bootshaus Kladow. Even if you can only guess the final sunset behind the trees, the sky is colored in the most beautiful colors and wraps the lake in a sea of colors. The atmosphere there makes it easy to forget that you live in a big city.”
Where is your Spandau in everyday life? “I ended up in Kladow. Once here, of course, it offers a great quality of life. Surrounded by water, forests and meadows, you have plenty of opportunities to switch off here. Of course, I would be happy about an improved infrastructure and a greater concentration of cafés and bars.”
Are you from Spandau? “I was born in Spandau 38 years ago and grew up in Siemensstadt. I also went to school there, first to the Hermann-Löns elementary school and later to the Carl-Friedrich-von-Siemens high school.”
And your sports club? “I’ve always been closely associated with the Sport Club Siemensstadt. I’ve played rugby here for 30 years. By the way, the restaurant terrace also offers a great place to enjoy the evening sun in all its glory. Maybe that was always a reason to motivate me to train twice a week.”
Who are you in the picture above? “The long-haired one with the white Vodafone jersey. Professionally, I work for Mercedes-Benz AG and realize my potential there in a digitization project.”
You are a member of SC Siemensstadt and play – beach rugby? Is it like rugby without shoes on hot sand? “Yes, in fact, beach rugby is a pure summer love of our team. As soon as the last game of the season is played, nothing can stop us and we conquer the beach volleyball court in the Sport Centrum Siemensstadt barefoot.”
How do you play beach rugby? “Five against five, two times five minutes each, substitutions are allowed at any time. Without the classic rugby standards, you will find an extremely intense team sport here that is physically demanding, but always lets you fall very softly.”
Classic holiday question: Your tip if the sand is too hot? “If the sand is particularly hot, there is only one thing to do: start the game very quickly. After a very short time, the playing field is dug up and the hot top layer mixes with the lower, cooler layers.”
Do you also play by the sea? “Recently we were at the beach rugby tournament in Warnemünde and just missed the podium – fourth place. Do you know the film about it from the NDR? Of course, it’s particularly beautiful on the beaches, but the Berlin beach rugby tournament on the “Beach Mitte” grounds is always a highlight.
If you’re curious now: What does a layperson need to bring with them to get to know the sport? “Everyone is welcome here, regardless of previous experience and current physical fitness. We are a colorful rugby team, a great reflection of our society. Having fun is always our top priority, paired with sporting ambition, of course. It’s not for nothing that we’ve often been German champions in the past.”
Can children participate? “Our kids start at the age of five and the men at 16. A face mask and a well-filled water bottle are always helpful. When it comes to training gear, you should pack everything that can break. Just to avoid prejudice – rugby is a very fair, physical-intensive team sport that comes well behind football according to official accident statistics. And Che Guevara, Prince Harry and Daniel Craig all found their passion in rugby.”
The town hall is reading along: Three things that belong on the Spandau agenda after the summer holidays? “I would like to name the expansion and improvement of our Spandau infrastructure three times. There is an unbelievable amount of construction and densification going on than in any other district at the moment, so the connection must not fall by the wayside. Not to forget that the neighbors from Potsdam are also stepping on the gas when it comes to housing construction. Subway. Trams, gondolas, bicycle superhighways, additional ferries, bicycle parking spaces, bus lanes, etc. the list of ideas and challenges is almost endless and awaits implementation in the near future.”
And finally, a little holiday tip for families? “Jan’s ice cream parlor in Wilhelmstadt is my real favourite. Opposite at Földerichplatz there is also a nice playground with benches.”
[Once a week, lots of news from your neighborhood: The complete Spandau newsletter is available at tagesspiegel.de/bezirke]
Here is a quick overview of some of the topics in the current Spandau newsletter.
– This is how deep Lake Glienicke sank this summer
– End of vacation: teacher Jenny Grethen from Gatow writes novels, talks about books and wishes
– Staaken-West: Bathing season in Berlin’s smallest outdoor pool is extended
– Where is Spandau’s new rescue station in Wilhelmstadt? Now the fire brigade is answering
– Memorial plaque to Spandau’s last rabbi damaged – why isn’t it being repaired? That’s what the city council says
– First details on the popular Wilhelmstadt festival
– The forest service in Gatow is approaching
– Church of Grace on the Scharfen Lanke gets Jewish artwork
– Falkenhagener Feld: Anger about Deutsche Wohnen
– These children’s playgrounds are to be modernized
– Riddles in the sky by Kladow and Staaken: What are these helicopters?
– New theater project at Spandau station – in 7 freight cars
– Promenade concert in Kladow, literature festival in Wilhelmstadt
– Triathlon at Wannsee, company run at the Olympic Stadium
– 30 years Saatwinkler Steg in Haselhorst
– Altstadt cinema: Dirty Dancing, James Bond and dogs in the cinema
– Tip for extending your holiday: the famous ferry from Wasserstadt to the islets on Lake Tegel
– Sweet greetings from Denmark
Our Tagesspiegel district newsletters, which we send you once a week, district by district, already have almost 270,000 subscriptions. Try us out, we look forward to seeing you!
