Germany’s Record Debt In 2010
Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was approved for the borrowing of 80.2 billion Euros ($109 billion) for 2010, making it the highest borrowing figure in record. The government blames this accumulating debt on the global downfall of the economy. However, there are plans to reduce the budget deficit and a bill known as the “debt brake” […]
“Sarrazin vergrault tuerkische Waehler” (Sarrazin Scares Away Turkish Voters)
The article “Sarrazin vergrault tuerkische Waehler” (Sarrazin Scares Away Turkish Voters) discusses how SPD member Thilo Sarrazin recently made inappropriate, racist comments about integration, more precisely about German-Turks. An example of a comment he made is “kleine Kopftuchmaedchen” (small head scarf girls). People cannot understand how Thilo Sarrazin can still be allowed to be part […]
Mouthpieces for Turkish Interests
Recently leaders of Turkish decent around Europe have been enticed to join in all-expense paid events in Istanbul. These events were organized by the Turkish government and led by the conservative-religious Justice and Development (AKP) party with a wide array of speakers. The conferences outraged the Turkish-German politicians present who felt the agenda of these […]
US-Turkey relations
This article summarizes the crucial role Turkey plays in a diverse set of important areas, seen form the US point of view. “Given Turkey’s history as a secular democratic stat that respects the rule of law, but is also a majority Muslim nation, it plays a critical role…in helping to shape mutual understanding and stability […]
Young Germany
This website, much of it in English, some in German, is pretty interesting. It publishes articles on pretty much anything young people are interested in, from fashion to climate change, sports to education. Under the “Life in Germany” tab there are articles and resources for people from Italy, Latin America, Russia, and so on. Check […]
new synagogue built in herford.
This Sunday, a new synagogue was opened in the German town of Herford, which had been without a synagogue since its last one was destroyed over 70 years ago during Kristallnacht. There had been a pressing need in the community for a genuine place of worship, as the prayer room in a Jewish school nearby […]
WWII Compensation: Ghetto Laborers Still Waiting for German Pensions
Germany passed a Ghetto Pension Law in 2002 that would give a small amount of money to Jews who held steady jobs in concentration camps, in order to “close a gap in the country’s Nazi-era compensation.” However, over 90 percent of applicants are being denied, and each day more and more Holocaust survivors are dying […]
Turkish culture club firebombed in Münster
A recent string of attacks on a Turkish consulate and a Turkish culture club in the city of Münster are believed to have been carried out by individuals of Kurdish background. This article mentions some of the tensions between Kurds and Turks living in Turkey which continues to be the subject of international concern from […]
Entschädigung: Im Zweifel gegen die Opfer
This article revolves around reparations paid to survivors of the Holocaust who had been forced to do labor during the second World War. Now they can receive a pension for the labor rendered. However, since the approval of this program there have been complaints of bureaucratic mishandling of the cases presented, that by reviewing cases […]
Traveling to Germany ‘breaks down prejudices’
This article states that vacationing in Germany has significantly increased recently, and with this, German stereotypes of “cold and impatient” people have been proven false. It attributes the recent influx of tourism to the cheap cost of hotels and the quick city tours. One thing this article fails to mention is that perhaps some of […]