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Category Archives: Politics
Mobilization in Russia
After the Russian government’s call for mobilization, many Russians, especially young men, spontaneously discovered their patriotic urge to become very mobile indeed. Considering that mobilization kicked off World War I, this is a bit disconcerting, though.
Naughty Towns and Sin Cities
Have you also been wondering why some towns in Germany have to put a “Bad” before their name? Well, this happens when a town misbehaves. If they are found to have done so, they need to put the “Bad” before … Continue reading
Posted in Germany, Politics
19 Comments
King and Peasants discuss the British Monarchy
The following clip from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) is still one of the best contributions in the debate about (not only British) monarchy: I found the following transcript of the dialogue: [ARTHUR and PATSY riding. They stop and … Continue reading
Posted in History, Politics, UK
Tagged British monarchy, democracy, government, Monty Python
16 Comments
One Hundred Years Ago, Sweden almost gave up on Booze – August 1922: Prohibition Referendum
Zur deutschen Fassung. Before I went to Sweden last summer, I received a lot of well-meaning advice from friends in Germany who had already been to Scandinavia: “Take enough beer with you, it’s prohibitively expensive in Sweden!” “As an EU … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, History, Politics, Sweden
Tagged alcohol, democracy, Health, referendum
6 Comments
A Walk around Odessa
Zur deutschen Fassung. Usually I write about cities to motivate you to visit them yourself. In the case of Odessa, the Ukrainian port city on the Black Sea, which, as you will see, is so much more than a port … Continue reading
New Government Eases Path to German Citizenship
As much as I would like to think that most of you are on this blog to follow my adventurous life, to indulge in my insights into history, to shed tears about my romantic mishaps and to revel in my … Continue reading
The Situation on the German-Polish Border
Zur deutschen Fassung. As you know, I consider timeliness to be overrated, which is why my report from Guben will be written sometime in the next few weeks or months. But I do not want to withhold the current dramatic … Continue reading
Driving a Lorry for Brexit
In Germany, a driving license is not comparable to an ID card or a passport. Instead, it is considered something like a birth certificate: once issued, it never expires. That’s why I can still drive with this old pink slip … Continue reading
One Hundred Years Ago, Countries were established that have been all but forgotten – August 1921: Baranya-Baja and Tannu-Tuwa
Zur deutschen Fassung. Attentive readers of this series know that the maps of Europe and the Middle East were shaped in the years following World War I. For some states, however, you needed a magnifying glass to even find them … Continue reading
Posted in History, Hungary, Politics, Ukraine
Tagged Mongolia, Soviet Union, Trianon, Yugoslavia
6 Comments
One Hundred Years Ago, Belgium became the most Complicated Country in Europe – July 1921: Language Border between Wallonia and Flanders
Zur deutschen Fassung. The inability to form a new government quickly after an election is usually associated with failed states such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya or the USA. However, the record for the longest time needed to form a government … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Germany, History, Language, Politics, World War I, World War II
Tagged elections, Louvain-la-Neuve
14 Comments
The Happy Hermit 