Collective Belonging and Solidarity Versus Individual Lifestyle and Responsibility During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Berlin: The Dual Effect of Moral Ideals

This article examines the social, political, and moral challenges faced by long-term residents of Berlin-Kreuzberg during the initial months of the pandemic, when they were confronted with conflicting ideas and norms regarding accountability, morality, solidarity, and personal responsibility. Local networks and concepts of solidarity and mutual aid, conceptualized as Kiez -culture, provided an infrastructure and routine to support community members experiencing hardship. Using the concept of “extraordinary local moral worlds,” ( Ali, 2023 , International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology , 7, 20), I examine the emergence of new moral classifications (e.g., “responsible” vs. “selfish”) and the resulting moral frameworks. Using an ethnographic lens, I analyzed how changes in expected hygiene behaviors and social interactions impacted existing social relationships and reevaluated everyday interactions. I argue that the state of emergency and its regulations provoked reactions based on prior political positions. This resulted in viewing the regulations as either protective or authoritarian, leading to polarization and conflict that extended beyond the pandemic.