Unhappy with the slipshod display and lack of choice at local newsstands, art director Mark Kiessling decided to open his own in Berlin's Mitte neighbourhood.

Counter culture - Berlin

A thirst for radical ideas makes Berlin our culture leader

Berlin's unemployment rate is dismal and its once-thriving industry is defunct. But the abandoned warehouses and power stations now provide a home for galleries and studios that are leading the European avant-garde.

Angelika Taschen has given more established book publishers a run for their money and turned the sexy and subversive Taschen Books into a global powerhouse. She chooses simple wurst for her last meal.

German artist Thomas Demand's talents lie behind the camera. Monocle met him for his last meal.