A shadow lies over the town made famous by the Bauhaus arts movement. Dessau was spared any serious incidents of right wing terror – until the night Alberto Adriano walked across the park where he often played with his children.
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.
‘Old Bull’ and Friends Honor Culture an Ocean Away
Saxony is a long way from the badlands of the American West, and most of the Germans decked out in native American tribal gear have never set foot in the United States. They draw a curious crowd of onlookers as they dance to traditional Sioux drumming.
Embattled German Conservatives Try ‘Girl’ Power
Angela Merkel is the most unlikely personification of the conservative political party she is trying to save.
German Currency Leaves its Mark Across the Balkans
Thanks to Germany’s central geographic location, its economic might, and the presence of millions of foreign workers sending money home, the deutsche mark – not the dollar – is king in many parts of Europe.
Germany Sheds Its Pacifist Role
“For the first time since the end of World War II, German soldiers are on a combat mission,” Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said. “We cannot exclude dangers to life and limb for our soldiers.”
Beetlemania Comes Home
“The Beetle has as many shortcomings as a dog has fleas,” Volkswagen executive Carl Nordhoff once joked. “But who would think of getting rid of his dog because of that?”
German Village Refuses to Let Its Future Turn to Coal Dust
Bernd Siegert is leading a last-ditch fight to save his 650-year-old village from destruction by a mining company.
Russian Deserters Languish in West
Rif Akhmetganeyev, a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel, says he is no longer afraid. When he deserted from his unit and applied for German political asylum, he thought he had reached safe ground. But the reasons for his fear have hardly disappeared.
