“I don’t have anything against Christians or Buddhists or Jews,” Kathrin Oertel said. “They don’t demand I observe certain rules so as not to offend them.”
Germany
Germany’s crooked path over the past century is a tale of depravity followed by penance and redemption. When I was growing up, Germany’s division seemed like just punishment for the crimes of Nazism.
When I arrived in Germany as an exchange student in 1990, nobody could fully grasp the implications of the country’s sudden reunification. Today we know the European Union’s extraordinary expansion eastward would have been unthinkable without it.
Even though I know it better than any other European country, Germany still amazes me with its conservatism. An emphasis on tradition translates into attention to quality and a healthy skepticism toward technology. But it also means inflexibility and a reluctance to change.
Barbarians at the Gate
There’s a refugee camp in the center of Berlin filled with people who have fled conflicts around the world. They sleep in tents and eat donated food. Almost all of them are breaking German law just by being here.
Germany and Drones
Military experience gained in the Balkans, the Horn of Africa and Afghanistan has made Germany more, not less, assertive. One of the clearest signs is Angela Merkel’s pursuit of weaponized drones.
The Little Witch and a Big Problem
Germany’s most beloved witch has been making mischief for more than 50 years, but now she’s caused an uproar that goes to the heart of what it means to be German in the 21st century.
At Peace With the Past
Seventy years ago, Soviet forces surrounded and crushed Hitler’s Sixth Army at Stalingrad. Now an exhibition in Dresden returns to that wintry hell on the Volga.
Taking on Merkel
Bespectacled and balding, Peer Steinbrück has the charm of a bank manager. The only moment I saw him betray any emotion was when he punched the air at the end of the delegates’ 10-minute standing ovation.
Hands Off Germany’s Neo-Nazi Party
Far-right parties are a scourge of many European democracies. But trying to prohibit them does nothing to uproot chauvinism or stop racist violence. It only creates the illusion that politicians are taking action.
Party Like It’s 2012
The ritual extravaganza to celebrate Germany’s fourth estate would have been a great night out — were the country’s media not facing their biggest crisis since World War II.
We Were Victims Too: The Rediscovery of German Civilian Suffering in World War II
For decades, the Third Reich could be reduced to the most basic formula: Germans = perpetrators, Jews = victims. Two bestsellers published in 2002 allowed Germans to recognize World War II victims among their own.
Germany’s Soccer Team Scores a Multiracial First
Gerald Asamoah kicked his way into sports history last month, when he became the first black player to wear the jersey of Germany’s national soccer team.
