• The Signature That Didn’t Count – Finding My Voice in Berlin

    The Signature That Didn’t Count – Finding My Voice in Berlin

    When I moved to Berlin in the spring of 2022, I was approached one sunny afternoon by people carrying clipboards under their arms. Would I like to sign a petition? I was pleasantly surprised by this request – such a sense of community in Berlin, what a place to have come to live. With a Spätibier in my hand and surrounded…

  • StimmlosTrend: A New Survey Wants to Hear Berlin’s Missing Voices

    StimmlosTrend: A New Survey Wants to Hear Berlin’s Missing Voices

    Can’t vote in Berlin? There are a million people like you. We’re giving them a voice. That’s the message of WahlheYmat’s new StimmlosTrend campaign, which launches today. Modern democracy is built on elections. In Berlin, the House of Representatives is elected every five years by eligible German citizens (EU citizens can only vote in district elections). But Berlin has changed. Today,…

  • What is Germany’s greatest asset?

    What is Germany’s greatest asset?

    “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and, in the end, the Germans always win,” said Gary Lineker after England lost the 1990 World Cup semi-final on penalties against Germany. Times are changing. Germany no longer always wins at major football tournaments. And England now has a German coach. Today, everyone is talking about renewal.…

  • No True German — What It Means to Be German in 2026

    No True German — What It Means to Be German in 2026

    Is there really one German identity that defines all Germans? One German identity to rule them all? We’re going to get into this question, but bear with me for a few paragraphs. I want to take a moment up front to provide a little context, tell you where I’m coming from.  We’re going to dip into some culture-war nonsense and talk…

  • Finding Trauma Instead of Belonging: A Review of I Keep My Shadow Light 

    Finding Trauma Instead of Belonging: A Review of I Keep My Shadow Light 

    TL;DR “I Keep My Shadow Light” is the self-published debut novel by Fionnuala Kavanagh. This challenging work follows a cast of four characters from different backgrounds as they try to find a home in Berlin. Very dark in places, the book gives us a chance to read something that would probably never come out of any publishing house. Its uniqueness alone…

  • “Das Volk” in 2026: Time to Redefine the People

    “Das Volk” in 2026: Time to Redefine the People

    “Do you behave as the person you truly want to be?” I ask myself this question in moments when I clearly fall short. Yes, it is hard to live up to one’s ideal self—I’m probably not the only one who feels this way. The same applies for societies. Over the past ten years, I have learned a lot about German society.…

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