Category Archives: History

East Germany and West Germany, seen from the outside

Posted on 2019-03-07 by

In the old days, before Erasmus, academic exchanges were still complicated: visa, health insurance, exchanging money. And then there was no internet, so you couldn’t start looking for accommodation before the move. The first week was usually spent at a hotel, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cold War, Education, Germany, History, Media, UK | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A Walk around Tbilisi

Posted on 2019-02-22 by

Each year for my birthday, I like to travel to a new country, preferably alone. In July 2017, I treated myself to a trip to the Caucasus (and ended up celebrating my 42nd birthday with the former president of Azerbaijan). … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Georgia, History, Islam, Military, Photography, Religion, Travel, World War II | Tagged , , , | 46 Comments

German Migration to the USA

Posted on 2019-01-07 by

Debates on migration often center on whether it is a good or a bad thing. I rather view migration as something completely normal. Migration has been a permanent component of human history. Over centuries, Germany, or rather the territories that … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Germany, History, USA | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Venta Micena – Day 26/30

Posted on 2018-10-19 by

Signs of the Civil War are everywhere in Spain.

Posted in Andalusia, History, Photography, Spain, Travel | Tagged | Leave a comment

Random Thoughts (23)

Posted on 2018-10-07 by

Sure, World War II had some bad sides to it. But at least it got the Oktoberfest suspended between 1939 and 1945. Many times as I entered Israel, I was questioned thoroughly about the origin of my last name by … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Books, Economics, Germany, History, Israel, Maps, Romania, Terrorism, UK, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Eastern Germany, the unknown Germany

Posted on 2018-10-03 by

The headline is not universally true, of course, but merely a reference to my own limited experience. But let me tell you how I came to it. Last winter, when I lived in Montenegro, I met a woman who was either … Continue reading →

Posted in Cold War, Germany, History, Travel | Tagged , | 14 Comments

“Munich” by Robert Harris

Posted on 2018-09-28 by

Robert Harris, an experienced writer of historical thrillers, has taken on the Munich Agreement of 1938, in which Germany and the United Kingdom agreed that Germany could annex parts of Czechoslovakia. At the time, people believed that such a concession, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Germany, History, UK, World War II | Tagged , , | 4 Comments