Munich's Nightlife Gets a Mediator to Keep the Party—and Peace—Alive
Munich's nightlife now has its own conflict resolution team to balance the needs of partygoers, clubs, and local residents. Known as Moderation der Nacht (MoNa), the initiative was launched in 2021 with just one role before expanding due to the city's complex nightlife challenges. At its helm is Andrea Ferber, a trained mediator who helps resolve disputes between venues and neighbours.
Since its start, MoNa has grown beyond Munich. At least 12 other German cities—including Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne—have set up similar offices to tackle conflicts between nightlife and communities.
Ferber's journey to leading MoNa was unexpected. The role found her rather than the other way around, thanks to her background in conflict resolution. Alongside colleague Luzia Beer, another trained mediator, she now oversees the city's nightlife conflicts. Beer also heads the awareness sector, running projects to promote a safer, more respectful party culture.
The team's work involves regular meetings with key groups: city agencies, the Association of Munich Cultural Event Organizers, DEHOGA Bayern, police, and nightlife stakeholders. A major focus is the university district, where public drinking and urination have caused ongoing tensions. To address this, MoNa recently launched Munich Urban Celebrations (MUCs), a pilot project offering young people legal, supervised spaces to party in public.
Eva Jüsten, who established MoNa, initially worked as a lawyer for the city before shifting to conflict resolution. Her passion for the field helped shape the programme, which now serves as a model for other German cities facing similar nightlife challenges.
The demand for such services has grown. Since 2021, cities like Frankfurt and Leipzig have adopted their own versions of MoNa, proving that conflict resolution can ease friction between vibrant nightlife and residential life.
MoNa's approach combines conflict resolution, awareness campaigns, and practical solutions like supervised party zones. The model has already spread to over a dozen cities, showing its effectiveness in managing nightlife conflicts. With ongoing projects and expanding teams, the initiative aims to keep Munich's—and Germany's—nightlife both lively and considerate of local communities.
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