Translating Tawada: A Workshop with Susan Bernofsky
Thursday, Februrary 11, 5:00-6:30pm UC Berkeley, Dwinelle Hall, Room TBA Susan Bernofsky has translated the work of such authors as Robert Walser, Jenny Erpenbeck, and Yoko Tawada from German into English. This workshop will address practical, linguistic and theoretical perspectives on translation, with a particular focus on the inventive wordplay of Yoko Tawada.
Was wir alleine nicht schaffen
About a year ago Xavier Naidoo’s song, “Was wir alleine nicht schaffen” (What We Can’t Do Alone) was posted on YouTube, since then over 400,000 people viewed the video and over 200 commented on it. Xavier Naidoo is a german pop/soul singer with a South African mother and Indian father who enjoys a very successful […]
Fast jeder fünfte hat ausländische Wurzeln
The article “Fast jeder fünfte hat ausländische Wurzeln” is a quick glimpse into the current demographic statistics in Germany with a focus on citizens with foreign roots. The article highlights the recent growth in this sector of the population by percentage of the German population at large; stating that since 2007 the percentage of foreigners […]
Gentrification in Hamburg – Can Ikea Save a Run-Down Neighborhood?
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,673016,00.html This article illustrates the views of those for and against the construction of an Ikea complex to replace the dying Grosse Bergstrasse shopping center in Hamburg’s Altona district. Those in favor of the multicultural company believe that the revenue and jobs provided by Ikea would breathe new life into the neighborhood. Those against the […]
Islamist Violence in Europe – We Shouldn’t Exaggerate the Danger
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,670050,00.html The recent attack on Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard has left much of Europe in fear of continued Islamic attacks against various communities. The article interviews Islam scholar Peter Heine on his views of the continued perception of terrorist danger in Germany. Peter Heine does a wonderful job of illustrating the viewpoints of parties on […]
“Architektur des Mordes”
This is an article about the recent rediscovery of the architectural plans of Auschwitz that are now on display in Berlin. The Israeli Premier commented that the reminder of the catastrophes of World War II are critical in preventing similar horrors in today’s world, particularly in terms of the Israeli-Iranian tensions. Original article can be […]
Debate on Feminism and Islam
In a recent election in Switzerland, most citizens voted to ban the construction of minarets. Among those who voted for the ban were many Swiss feminists. Claudia Pinl asks whether it is fair to label the fears Western feminists have about Islam’s view of women as xenophobic, or if those Westerners who are afraid to […]
More people seeking asylum in Germany
In 2009 Germany saw an increase in asylum seekers, most from war-torn Afghanistan. Though this number is up 25% from 2008, the number of people seeking asylum in Germany is quite low compared to previous decades. In the 1990’s, the number of people seeking asylum in Germany was significantly higher than the 27,700 plus in […]
Workplace bullying trial begins
It is interesting to note that there are quite a few recent articles about discrimination in Germany, particularly if the victim is a member of a demographic minority in Germany. However in my opinion, it does not say that due to this high occurrence of similar discrimination cases that Germany is unwelcoming to foreign workers, […]