Freedom of expression

Freedom of expression is one of the cornerstones of an open society. It does not mean that every statement has to be correct, clever or free of contradictions, but that thoughts, doubts and criticism can be expressed without fear of sanctions or social exclusion. Especially in complex times, freedom of opinion is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for social learning processes to take place at all. Where opinions are pre-sorted, morally evaluated or only accepted within narrow corridors, public discourse narrows - often insidiously, but effectively. Freedom of opinion does not develop its value in a comfortable consensus, but in the respectful treatment of uncomfortable positions. It requires composure, the ability to differentiate and the willingness to endure arguments, even if one does not share them.

What our grandfathers told us about the war - and why these voices are missing today

by
War memories of the grandfathers

There is a lot of talk about war. In the news, talk shows, commentaries, social media. Hardly any other topic is so present - and at the same time so strangely abstract. Figures, maps, frontlines, expert assessments. We know where something is happening, who is involved and what is at stake. What is almost completely missing are the voices of those who have experienced war rather than declared it.

Perhaps it is because these voices are slowly falling silent. But perhaps it is also because we have forgotten how to listen to them.

Read more

What was Syria like before the war? Who rules today? What does this mean for refugees in Germany?

by
Syria and Damascus

For me, Syria is not an abstract news country, not just a crisis concept in the headlines. I have been following this country - from a distance, but continuously - for around twenty years. Not out of political activism, but out of genuine interest. For me, Syria has always been an example of how the world is more complicated than simple good-and-evil narratives. A country in the Middle East that was secularly organized, relatively stable and socially much more modern than many would have expected.

An additional point that aroused my interest early on was the person of Bashar al-Assad himself. A man who had studied in Switzerland, trained as an ophthalmologist, knew the realities of life in the West - and then stood at the head of a Middle Eastern state. That didn't fit the usual mold. It was all the more irritating for me to observe how quickly public perception narrowed, how a complex state became a pure symbol of violence, flight and moral simplification within just a few years. The shock for me was not so much that Syria ended up in a war - history knows many such ruptures - but how little room there was left for differentiation afterwards. This article is therefore also an attempt to bring order back to a topic that is often only presented as chaos in the media.

Read more

Is killing undignified? A sober question about murder, terror and war

by
Is killing undignified?

We live in troubled times. War, terror, violence - all of this is very present again. In the news, in political debates, in conversations on the sidelines. Decisions about war and peace are being made, often quickly, often with great determination. Arguments are being put forward, weighed up, justified. And yet I am left with a feeling of unease.

Not because I believe that everything is easy or because I dream of a conflict-free world. But because I notice how rarely a very specific question is asked. A question that is neither legal nor military. A question that doesn't ask about guilt or justice, but about something more fundamental. This question is: What does it do to a person when they kill another person?

This article is an attempt to pose this question calmly and soberly - without accusation, without moral pathos and without instrumentalizing current events.

Read more

More than punk: Nina Hagen, Cosma Shiva and the art of not letting yourself be taken in

by
Portrait of Nina and Cosma Shiva Hagen

When you approach a portrait of Nina Hagen, it's tempting to talk about music first. About punk, provocation, shrill performances. About everything that is loud and visible. This portrait deliberately begins differently. Not with songs, not with styles, not with images. But with something quieter - and more important: attitude.

Attitude is not a label. It cannot be put on like a costume, pasted on afterwards or explained with marketing. Attitude is evident in early behavior, long before someone becomes famous. It can be seen in how someone reacts to limitations, to contradictions, to power. And that's where Nina Hagen becomes interesting - not as an icon, but as a personality.

Read more

Understanding Iran: Everyday life, protests and interests beyond the headlines

by
Understanding Iran

Hardly any other country conjures up such fixed images as Iran. Even before a single detail is mentioned, the associations are already there: mullahs, oppression, protests, religious fanaticism, a state in permanent conflict with its own population. These images are so familiar that they are hardly questioned. They seem self-evident, almost like common knowledge.

And therein lies the problem. Because this „knowledge“ rarely comes from personal experience. It comes from headlines, from commentaries, from stories that have been repeated for years. Iran is one of those countries about which many people have very clear opinions - even though they have never been there, don't speak the language, don't know everyday life. The picture is complete, cohesive, seemingly free of contradictions. And that is precisely why it is so convincing. But what happens when a picture becomes too smooth?

Read more

Nord Stream demolition: sabotage, power politics and the uncomfortable unanswered questions

by
Nord Stream blasting

When people talk about energy, many think first of electricity - of light, of sockets, of power stations. In reality, however, Europe's everyday life depends on a quieter foundation: heat and process energy. Over the decades, natural gas has become a kind of invisible backbone. Not because it is particularly „beautiful“, but because it is practical: it is easy to transport, relatively flexible to use and can be reliably supplied in large quantities. For private households, this means heating and hot water. For industry, it means one thing above all: predictable production.

Particularly in industries such as chemicals, glass, steel, paper, ceramics or fertilizers, energy is not simply a cost factor that is „optimized“. Energy is an integral part of the process. If it fails or becomes unreliable, it is not just one machine that comes to a standstill - often an entire plant, sometimes an entire supply chain. This is the point at which „energy policy“ ceases to be an abstract controversial issue and begins to have a very concrete impact on jobs, prices, availability and stability. Anyone who understands this also understands why Nord Stream was far more than just an infrastructure project on the seabed for Europe.

Read more

Dieter Hallervorden - More than Didi: Portrait of an uncomfortable free spirit

by
Dieter Hallervorden and the Wühlmäuse in Berlin

There are figures that stick to you for the rest of your life. Some like an ill-fitting suit, others like an old friend who keeps popping in without being asked. In Dieter Hallervorden's case, this friend is called „Didi“. And he doesn't ring, he bangs. On an imaginary gong. Palim, Palim! - and almost everyone knows who is meant.

But this is where the misunderstanding begins. Because anyone who reduces Dieter Hallervorden to this one moment, to the slapstick act, the stumbling face and the exaggerated naivety, misses the real person behind it. The joker was always just the surface. Underneath was a mind that was more alert than many gave him credit for - and a character who never liked to be told where to go. This portrait is therefore not a nostalgic look back at the television entertainment of past decades. It is an attempt to take seriously an artist who deliberately did not want to be taken seriously for decades - which is precisely why he was so effective.

Read more

Greenland, Trump and the question of belonging: history, law and reality

by
Greenland in the crosshairs: USA and Trump

There are topics that you don't actively engage with, but that simply force themselves on you at some point. For many people - including me - Greenland has long belonged in this category. A large, remote island in the far north, a small population, lots of ice, lots of nature. Not a classic everyday topic, not a political hot topic. That has changed noticeably in recent months.

The increasing number of reports, comments and headlines about Greenland - and especially Donald Trump's repeated statements - have suddenly put the island at the center of an international debate. When a former and possibly future US president speaks publicly about wanting to „buy“, „take over“ or take control of an area, this inevitably attracts attention. Not because such statements should immediately be taken seriously - but because they raise questions that should not be ignored.

Read more

↑