Tom Müller wrote the novel Die jüngsten Tage in Tempelhof’s central district library. It was published by Rowohlt. He talks about the library and the setting.

“Finding a place where you can really write can be crucial for a book’s success. That’s because whenever you slip out of the flow of writing, you immediately become aware of your surroundings. One day I was too fidgety and couldn’t concentrate on the next scene. What helped me was the view of the tall trees and the play of light. Another day I was too tired, but the clicking of other people’s keyboards and the whispering voices helped me pull myself together and keep going. It’s a great sense of freedom to walk in here with just a simple “good morning” and take a free seat somewhere, surrounded by people and books, with a view onto the park. I’ve come to know some of the other visitors over time, helped a refugee to Berlin write his CV, and have often sat next to an elderly probably African-American man who was learning French on his own with great dedication. I would arrive late in the morning, write until the early evening, and go home with a sense of satisfaction. It didn’t matter whether I woke in the morning feeling confident or pessimistic about my book – I always knew that everything would work out when I got to the library.”

“My name is Boryano Rickum and I’m the director of the public libraries in the district of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. I live in Pankow myself, but work here in Tempelhof-Schöneberg, which includes Tempelhof. Even before I started working here, I had a lot to do with Tempelhof professionally during my training at the main library for the state of Berlin – and also during the time when it looked like Tempelhof’s central library would get a new building on the Tempelhof airfield. That didn’t happen. But I’m all the more pleased to have the chance to help shape the new library and cultural centre in Tempelhof. We know that a sense of togetherness, a neighbourly quality, and good relations among residents depend in large part on the types of public spaces a district or a neighbourhood has. That’s what’s guiding our plans for the new building set in Tempelhof’s “Neue Mitte” or new centre. It’s really important for us to create a public space here for everyone. We’re calling it a “third space” in the sense that it’s a place everyone can go to in addition to their homes and wherever they work or go to school.”

“My name is Marianne Schinski and I work at the library. I like the fact that our library in Tempelhof is in a park. For the new cultural centre, I’d like it to be an open and welcoming space – also surrounded by trees and plants – where the people of Tempelhof can give shape and wings to their ideas.”

Two questions for Michael Ruhnke, director of the central district library in Tempelhof.

What will remain from the old building?

“I’d say the new place will keep everything that has always made this library worthwhile. That means its contents (we’re taking the furniture and plants with us), and the services which will also be expanded. And of course the approximately 90,000 items that people can check out. We also still have an original model of the building from 1978, which was the year it was built. We want to bring that along as a memento. Last but not least, we can’t forget our team. All of our co-workers are delighted about having a modern, contemporary building with many, many more possibilities, much more space, and many more rooms to put their ideas and plans for a new library into practice. And of course we’re all looking forward to a brilliant new start.