Just look at this subversive mob of reprobates, gathered around a den of iniquity (aka a Trinkhalle, this one in the Lessingstrasse in Mainz) and planning whoknowswhat..
Trinkhalle.
In the mid 19thC, unboiled tap water posed a serious health risk. Workers drank beer and schnapps instead, the consumption of which was initially encouraged by colliery and factory owners through so-called ‘schnapps donations’. In order to curb widespread alcoholism, towns promoted the establishment of kiosks such as this one where mineral water and other non-alcoholic beverages were offered. These were mainly set up outside the gates of collieries or factories, and later also in other public places. Most were run by former miners or miners who were no longer able to work, or by war veterans. Their offering still included alcohol, but gradually expanded to include smokes, sweets, newspapers and – these days – lottery tickets, phone cards, bus tickets and sundry other stuff
And they’re still a community focus point in much the same way as the coffee houses in London in the 17th and 18thC were and village pubs in the UK are.
Adolf and his crew in the 1930s got really dark on them, given that a) they attracted working class folk who – justifiably – moaned about pretty much everything (and were highly likely to be left wing at best and probably Communists) and b) that gatherings (except Nürnberg rallies and the like…) of THESE PEOPLE were NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
(Just like this bunch above. Not.)
So they pretty much bowled the lot, except those belonging to the Jöst family, well-aligned to the regime as they were.
Post-war, they reappeared immediately, tacked together from whatever was left lying around after the tender mercies of the allied bombing and performing a critically needed social function.
Even today.
In 2019, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia recognised Trinkhallen as intangible cultural heritage.
“Social cohesion plays a central role in the Trinkhalle culture in the Ruhr area: as typical meeting places, Trinkhallen fulfil an important function for the neighbourhood and represent places of integration and exchange.”
This one in the Neustadt/New City (new around these parts being 150 years old…) has been here forever and a day, owned by the city and in various guises, 10 years ago housing an outpost of the Eulchen brewery and most recently abandoned and looking for a new family.
Enter Paul Bonna, barista extraordinaire, friend and with a track record of doing GOOD STUFF.
Here’s the story
To celebrate their 15th anniversary, he made a pitch to the city which rolled over with joy and here we are.
Or were. Yesterday.
Grand opening at 11am and by the time I rolled up at noon, there were more people than you could shake a stick at.
Not subversive at all, least of all these two – Malu Dreyer and Doris Ahnen, ex-Prime Minister of the state and Doris Ahnen, Finance Minister.
In fact, the same sort of people you meet at Paul’s espresso bar in the Altstadt/Old Town (“old” as in 2000+ years.
Such as Mateo
Foodie extraordinaire, top shelf barista, Instagram hero https://www.instagram.com/_justjaime_/ , flight attendant par excellence and just the nicest guy. We’ve bumped into each other at Paul’s a couple of time but never really had a longer chat until yesterday.
I believe a good time was had by all.
Mainz Daily Photo 
Interesting post! Those look like friendly faces.