20

20

Strike!

Rats are just as undesirable at bowling as they are in the damp basements of apartment buildings. If you don’t manage to hit at least one skittle, Berlin slang called this a rat. And if you care for it: with many rats you can acquire the dubious title of rat king. But you can also “push a poodle” – if your ball should get off the track and into the damp gutter. But this can only happen if, as it was common until the 18th century, you bowl outdoors.
From the 19th century onwards, bowling alleys were established in numerous popular restaurants that arose in the wake of the founding of new breweries. By adding taverns with large taprooms, these breweries created a completely new form of social get-together. The entrepreneurs knew how to combine the consumption of beer with entertainment for the crowds – like concerts, bowling alleys and steamer journeys – and the thirsty Berliners soon gathered out of town in large numbers to amuse themselves in the beer gardens on Sundays and public holidays.
Party all night long with beer, meatballs, potato salad and, of course, bowling in the classic way – you can still do that today at in the Bornholmer Hütte. This traditional pub has one of the oldest bowling alleys in Berlin with a fully functional, historic asphalt alley.