Tag Archives: German history
Why is German reunification celebrated on 3 October?
Today, Germany celebrates the 30th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany on 3 October 1990. The history buffs among you will know that the Berlin Wall fell almost a year earlier, on 9 November 1989. So why … Continue reading
History Lessons in Bolivia
In a remote jungle school in Bolivia, I am surprised by what the children learn about Germany. Continue reading
Our Prisoner of War
Recently, I stayed with my father in Bavaria, where life is informal and one can put the feet on the table and smoke inside the house. We were both preoccupied with reading, my father with the newspaper and me with … Continue reading
Does the Federal Republic of Germany even exist? A discussion with a “Reichsbürger”.
They are the people who deny the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany. But what about their legal and historical arguments? I took the time to delve into them. Continue reading
East Germany and West Germany, seen from the outside
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
Eastern Germany, the unknown Germany
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
Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler
After Donald Trumps’s speech at the Republican National Convention, I made this joke, inspired both by the plagiarism in the current Mrs Trumps’ speech and by the speech itself: As with all my other Donald Trump jokes however, it turned out … Continue reading
What is the SS Marching Band doing in Bolivia?
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. On average, you are awoken by marching bands in Bolivia twice per week and at least once per week you will be prevented from falling asleep at night by a marching band and fireworks. I generally like … Continue reading
German history follows me all the way to Bolivia
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. A few days ago in Santa Cruz, in eastern Bolivia: The Orient Express on which I had come from San José de Chiquitos, even further in the east of the country, was delayed by an hour. Thus, I had … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 