Berlin residents take up struggle against "Rambo Cyclists"

By Caroline Bock Jul 28, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - The German capital is not short on examples when it comes to bogeyman images; they include the 'helicopter mothers' who constantly fuss over their children and the Swabians from south-west Germany who have moved en-masse to Berlin and made it their second home.

Summer time also sees a huge influx of tourists to Berlin, which some locals resent. The two areas of the city where these phenomena can be most clearly experienced are the central districts of Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, which has just added a new cliche to the list: the Rambo Cyclist or 'Kampfradler' in German.

In recent weeks a poster has gone up around Prenzlauer Berg exhorting locals to launch a Struggle Against Rambo Cyclists - 'Kampf den Kampfradlern'. Is it a joke or another example of a social development that has raised the ire of Berliners?

I travel by bike to Prenzlauer Berg (wearing a helmet) without any incident and without being bawled at by drivers - a frequent experience in Berlin. Traffic is not exceptionally heavy along Kastanienallee, Prenzlauer Berg's trendiest street. The most dangerous thing from a cyclists' point of view are the tram lines that run the entire length of the street and which have been the cause of many a scratched knee for cyclists who have trapped their wheels in the tracks.

Local residents and business people are bemused by the yellow and black 'Rambo Cyclist' posters which shows a cyclist with a hand grenade instead of a head. Below the image are the words, 'Respect, instead of right of way, on all our paths.'

Nobody knows who is responsible for the poster. Neither insiders from the local publication nor local councillor Jens-Holger Kirchner are aware of who put the posters up. 'Anonymous actions of this sort always contain a smidgen of cowardice,' says Kirchner. However, he does think the subject of militant cyclists is a topic that should be discussed without making generalisations.

Prenzlauer Berg is one of the trendiest districts in the city. Opinion is divided on many of the developments that have taken place here over the years. For some the area's bohemian culture has been sanitised. Every change that takes place in the area is always closely scrutinised. Even the future of a fast food bratwurst stand has the potential to make the headlines.

Bar owner Till Harter has opposed development of Kastanienallee but even he is surprised by the appearance of the Rambo Cyclist poster. 'People are not talking about militant cyclists,' says Harter. 'What surprises me is the professional manner in which the poster has been produced.' he posters are of high quality and are neatly hung up.

One explanation is that the area around 'Casting Alley', as Kastanienallee is sometimes called, is more than just a home to wannabe actors and Generation X kids from west Germany. Twenty-two years after the fall of the Wall its population has become so diverse that it has attracted people who want to express all manner of opinions.

Konstantin, the manager of the Kaffeebar, has a more philosophical take on the poster. The 43-year-old says there are many people in the area searching for a meaning to their lives. 'A poster like that could only exist in Prenzlauer Berg,' says Konstantin who believes some people are getting upset about very minor issues.