(Mis)Understanding Berlin - Times Media
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
A global local newspaper in cooperation with
October 2016
(Mis)Understanding Berlin
A dictionary for our city
All Berliners know the most so that he actually said he was a
memorable four words spoken by pastry. This is, however, a two-fold
John F. Kennedy during his 1963 misunderstanding. While in some
visit: *Ich bin ein Berliner. He aimed German-speaking regions Berliner is
to express that all free citizens of the indeed the term for a certain sweet
world, no matter where they live, are cake, Kennedy’s correct use of ein
citizens of Berlin, and that as a free only strengthened his much-needed
man he is proud to consider himself words of solidarity. Those keen to
one of them. Some sneered, and understand Berlin must speak Berlin.
still do, that the president’s chosen The Berlin Times alphabet explains the
© CHALABALA / FOTOLIA
phrase was grammatically incorrect city from A to Z, helping readers learn
for including ein before Berliner, what it means today to be ein Berliner.
2 2016
BERLIN IS A ...
Wundertüte
City of jobs
[ˈvʊndɐtyːtə]
Berlin is on a roll
Bag of marvels
By Michael Müller, Mayor of Berlin
Wundertüte is a wonderful German
word. It is wonderful to be given a
B
Wundertüte as a child, as on your erlin has become a strong lure for people from all over the Berlin is a center of science and learning that is unique in Europe.
very first day of school. It customar- world. In recent years, Berlin’s population has grown by more This environment gives rise to new businesses with sustainable jobs
ily contains all sorts of sweets and
toys. Of course, today there are few- than 40,000 people annually. As early as 2025 the city could every day.
er sweets, as most parents feel the be a metropolis with a total population of 4 million. The focus of our economic policy must stay on creating the
long-term health of their children The upcoming coalition talks will surely center around the necessary framework conditions for developing and apply-
is more important than one fleeting key issues for Berlin in the coming years: the question of ing the technologies of the future. With a strong concentra-
feeling of joy. So, more toys it is, the “growing city,” creating affordable housing, integrating tion of scientific, academic and research institutions, labs
and today that means smartphones refugees, budget consolidation, social justice and participa- and startups, we are poised to become both a test bed
and tablets.
Berlin is also a Wundertüte. tion for all our residents. and a production site for Industry 4.0.
Upon opening this edition of The key to a city committed to the principles of solidarity We need to prepare for different industries; for instance,
The Berlin Times you’ll find all will remain education and the good jobs that education results the solutions that worked for traditional sectors will not
sorts of treats: We say goodbye to in. A prerequisite for good jobs is a strong economy. be adequate for startups. And since startups in
President Obama, who has twice Thanks to our goal-oriented policy-making in Berlin employ more than 60,000 people,
visited the city, and ask wheth- recent years, we were able to rebuild Berlin as that’s a big issue. There will be 50 new
er Angela Merkel can again be
elected chancellor this coming a business location. In 2015 we saw stronger IT professorships in the field of digitiza-
year; We welcome refugees while economic growth than any other German state. tion. The professors will be appointed
also learning that the silent major- In 2015 alone around 50,000 new jobs by Technische Universität Berlin,
ity of German-Turks will not speak generating social security contributions were Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin,
up for fear of the fanatical follow- created, which makes 300,000 of these new Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-
ers of Turkey’s President Erdoğan;
jobs since 2005. Universität zu Berlin, Universität der
We look into our future (startups)
and discover old Berlin novels; We Employment now stands at less than Künste Berlin, Beuth Hochschule für
climb steep walls (in a city without 10 percent – the city’s lowest figure since Technik and Hochschule für Tech-
hills) and take a twirl on the tango reunification. nik und Wirtschaft Berlin and will
floor; We grill with a penchant for This economic success is the precondi- constitute part of the new Einstein
meat, but it is not too warm to con- tion for further investment and, in turn, Center Digital Future. Over the next
template twelve men fighting over
a black disk on a patch of ice. for being able to shape a growing city 10 years we will invest an additional
committed to solidarity. €100 million annually in strengthen-
Reach inside your Wundertüte, every Our policies will therefore continue ing Berlin as a center of science and
page a surprise – it would be a to ensure that the economic upswing learning.
shame not to read it. and the resulting tax revenues will Our economic policy is also facing
be used to make investment possible. many challenges. What’s most impor-
Detlef Prinz
Publisher Thanks to Berlin’s positive devel- tant here is that we understand eco-
opment we were able to invest an nomic and labor policy as a shared
additional €500 million in our city in responsibility of policy-makers and the
2015 alone. business community, as well as, of course, the
The coming years will be all about trade unions and business associations.
making sure this trend continues. We In order to make Berlin a better business
The Berlin Times is an international registered
trademark of Times Media GmbH. want to show the people of this city that location we must also continue to recruit skilled
All rights reserved. we will use the economic upswing to improve staff for our civil service, thereby creating the
This edition has been produced in cooperation with everyone’s prospects. Above all, that means necessary conditions for attracting more business.
DIE WELT and Berlin Partner for Business and Technology.
Publisher & liable for editorial content: Detlef Prinz creating additional jobs. To me, the motto “Berlin as a city of jobs” will
Printed in Germany by Axel Springer Druckhaus Berlin is now home to a myriad of thriving remain one of the guiding principles of the new
E / DPA
Spandau GmbH & Co. KG, Brunsbütteler Damm 156 – 172,
13581 Berlin industries and business sectors, meaning that our legislative term.
PICTURE ALLIANC
© Times Media GmbH, Tempelhofer Ufer 23 – 24, economic development rests on a much broader
10963 Berlin, Germany. foundation than was the case a few years ago. A
www.times-media.de
new business is started here once every 20 hours!
Millions of farmers across the world rely on the soil for their livelihoods.
And we’re helping them to keep it fertile for future generations. CLAAS is one of the world’s leading suppliers of farming technology.
Our ultra-reliable machines are designed to meet the needs of farmers across the planet.
The future of sustainable harvesting.
claas.com
2016 3
German: Arbeit
[ˈaʁbaɪ ̯t]
English: Work
STANDING STILL
Berlin: Sitting in the
park and e-mailing
from your iPhone.
If we just let things carry on as they are, we are risking a dangerous new arms race
By Frank-Walter Steinmeier
T
he Berlin Wall came down 27 hopeless. These are all examples of success- the world. When they start work with us, is, of course, our main focus. We managed
years ago. Walking around Berlin ful diplomacy. the world’s new crisis mode is their default to get aid and supplies to 110,000 people
today, there are many spots where It is important to draw attention to setting. They know the Cold War only from in Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria via airdrops.
I can still see the remains of that these successes, because images of crises their history books. That is why they need However, we are not only concerned
inhumane border: the concrete, the metal and disasters often stay in memory longer a different range of tools than we used to with alleviating acute suffering; we also
plates in the ground, the occasional iron think about what happens afterwards. One
struts still jutting out of the ground. The illustration of this is our reconstruction
PARWEZ
Wall divided not only Germany, but Europe work in cities such as Ramadi and Tikrit,
and the world as well. where – after they were liberated from ISIL
What is left of the Wall today looks like control – we rapidly ensured that the people
the skeleton of a vanished world. A few could once again make their homes there.
corners are crumbling away and the gray Ninety percent of the population has now
concrete is covered in colorful graffiti. But returned to these cities.
despite the bright colors, the old heaviness Our cultural relations and education
and inhumanity remain. What has changed, policy also forms part of our work in crises.
even more than the Wall itself, is the world Together with the Federal Agency for
around it. Technical Relief, we are providing practical
Beyond any doubt, the fall of the Berlin training for young Syrians so that they can
Wall, the reunification of Germany and finally one day rebuild their country.
the collapse of the Soviet Union marked an Of course, the overarching goal is to find
historic watershed. All at once, the Cold a political solution to the conflict.
War and the bloc mentality that had divided Parallel to these crisis instruments, we
people were things of the past. Back then, are also working to create structures for an
many people thought “everything will be improved international order, as Germany
better now.” Some even spoke of the “end of is one of the beneficiaries of a rules-based
history.” Almost everyone hoped for a new world. That is why we assumed the OSCE
order that would bring peace and stability to Chairmanship in 2016; that is why Ger-
all corners of the globe. many is standing for election to a seat on
We have to acknowledge that much of the the UN Security Council in the 2019/20
new normality we thought the end of the term; and that is why I have suggested that
Cold War would bring now seems anything we go back to talking about arms control,
but certain. The world is in disarray. The with the West and with Russia. If we just
denseness and intensity of the crises and let things carry on as they are, we are risk-
conflicts raging around us are greater than ing a dangerous new arms race, and in the
anyone would have predicted 27 years ago. end there will be no winners, only losers
New and old actors are fighting for influence on all sides.
in a world that has become increasingly com- At this time, when peace is not guaranteed,
plex. A new order to replace the bloc-based Germany must give impetus to finding solu-
confrontation has yet to be found. The end Frank-Walter Steinmeier on top the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. The Social Democrat
tions for instilling new order in a world that
of history? Absolutely not. has been serving his second term in office since December 2013. is out of joint. Germany should be sending a
A brutal civil war has raged for years in signal and giving hope that life in the age of
Syria, dragging an entire region down into a than tough negotiations producing lengthy have. It is a matter of learning to identify globalization consists not only of constantly
spiral of violence. The ISIL terrorist organi- agreements. We cannot simply swing the small steps that can be taken, and to stop defending one’s own ground, but also of
zation is committing atrocities from Iraq to wrecking ball and get rid of all the world’s focusing on the great wall that we could shaping the world. I would even say that,
Nigeria. With the bitter result of the British problems overnight. We need to keep never pierce with a single blow. with patience and willingness to approach
referendum on whether to remain in the EU, taking small, laborious steps towards solu- In recent years, we have therefore others, this world can be made a little more
what was long unthinkable has become a tions, sometimes working more with a file reviewed and revitalized our foreign policy, peaceful and a little more just.
reality. And the annexation of Crimea and than with a wrecking ball. This is often and we are increasingly looking at the entire As there is no use in just hiding and with-
the situation in eastern Ukraine have even time-consuming and sometimes frustrating, cycle of a conflict, ranging from humanitar- drawing, we need to tackle the problems.
brought the issues of war and peace back to but it is important that we have the right ian aid and crisis prevention to stabilization Standing still is not an option.
Europe. Given the numerous trouble spots, instruments to counter the feeling of having and expanding our urgently needed media-
one has to say that today’s world has become lost control. tion capacities. Frank-Walter Steinmeier is
more chaotic, more complex and much more The Berlin Wall fell 27 years ago, and For example, Germany has now become foreign minister of Germany.
unpredictable. that is the age of many of our young dip- the world’s third-largest provider of
IS NOT AN OPTION
Nevertheless, diplomacy still has chances lomats going out to represent Germany in humanitarian assistance. The crisis in Syria
of success. Despite all the crises, we
have seen concrete instances of this
in recent years: the nuclear agree-
ment with Iran; the Minsk agree-
ment in the Ukraine crisis, despite
all its shortcomings; the gradual
success in managing the refugee
crisis; and the peace agreement in
Colombia, which has brought an
end to a conflict that long appeared
4 2016
Bargeld
[ˈbaːɐ̯ ˌɡɛlt]
Cash
THE END OF
The only way to
pay the check at
most restaurants in
the city
THE AFFAIR
Angela Merkel’s refugee policy has lost her the trust of many voters.
Her party is seething. Will she stand for another term? | By Günter Bannas
T
he political situation in Germany selves verbally from her. The cries of their refuses to make one publicly, repeating her to stand, she holds a strong hand: no one
is more uncertain than at any time municipal officials who felt overwhelmed mantra that she will make an appropriate in the CDU is positioning themselves as a
since Angela Merkel was elected by the refugee influx had consequences. announcement when the time is ripe. She potential successor.
German chancellor in 2005. The But the SPD’s change of tack is being seen has refrained even from committing herself Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble
parties currently represented in the Bund- simply as a campaign tactic, rendering it within her party’s most exclusive body, the will turn 75 next year. Party sources say
estag – the CDU, CSU, SPD, Greens and the less credible. In nationwide surveys the SPD CDU presidium, while senior CDU figures that while Interior Minister Thomas de
Left Party – are losing voters’ trust. Doubts continues to languish at about 25 percent claim to know nothing of her plans. As Maizière may be a good cabinet official,
are growing that “those up there” or “those of the vote – a figure far too low to capture the CDU/CSU parliamentary party leader a party leader he is not. Ursula von der
in Berlin” can still govern Germany. the chancellery. Volker Kauder has done, they may indeed Leyen, Germany’s defense minister, is not
Figureheads of the establishment parties Meanwhile, the once revered role of chan- go public with their party’s wishes for a especially well liked within the CDU’s
are finding it increasingly more difficult to cellor candidate is being tossed around like fourth Merkel candidacy. Thus far, how- leadership committees or parliamentary
communicate their positions – a problem a hot potato. Promising figures, especially ever, mum’s the word. group.
pronounced most explicitly in Germany’s Hamburg Mayor Olaf Schulz, are maintain- Kauder recently stated that in the election Even Merkel critics, including CDU law-
refugee policy, where the conflict over faster ing a dignified silence. Sigmar Gabriel, the campaign the conservative parties would maker Wolfgang Bosbach, admit that she
deportation of undocumented immigrants party chairman, will probably step up to the fight to lead the federal government fol- still commands high respect within the
has become a permanent issue. plate. In fact, the perceived wisdom – not lowing the 2017 vote, yet stopped short party. No one wants to be the one to topple
The loss of voter confidence suffered least due to hints from the SPD – is that of saying that the campaign’s goal was to her and all candidates for her succession
by the CDU and SPD has very real conse- Gabriel will have to take on Merkel. He continue Merkel’s chancellorship. have supported her refugee policy. More-
quences for the achievement of stable gov- would otherwise lose the party leadership. With their constant criticism of Merkel, over, Merkel takes advantage of her strong
erning majorities. Three-party coalitions And as for Angela Merkel herself? Many Horst Seehofer and the entire CSU leader- position, refusing to back down from her
now govern four German states: Thuringia factors indicate that she would run for yet ship in Munich are acting as if they no stance. The most she concedes is that things
(Left Party, SPD, Greens), Saxony-Anhalt another term at Germany’s helm. However, longer want to see this chancellor from must get “better.”
(CDU, SPD, Greens), Rhineland-Palatinate her continued lack of commitment one way eastern Germany as their head of govern- Her rivals, meanwhile, are groaning and
(SPD, FDP, Greens) and Schleswig-Holstein or the other has been striking. At least she ment. However, in the case of her choosing clenching their fists, but that’s the extent of
(SPD, Greens and the ethnic-Danish South it. Perhaps Merkel will share the fate of all
PICTURE ALLIANCE/AAPIMAGES
Schleswig Voters’ Association). These her forerunners. From Konrad Adenauer
conditions are also reflected in Cologne, to Gerhard Schröder, none have left the
Germany’s fourth-largest city, where the chancellery voluntarily; each was toppled
independent Henriette Reker governs as either by his party, coalition partners or the
mayor with the support of the CDU, Greens German electorate.
and the FDP. The success of the AfD in regional elec-
First and foremost it is the mass influx tions and opinion polls is a harbinger for
of refugees that has permeated Germany’s the Bundestag elections. A new, right-
political landscape over the last year. Even wing populist rival has emerged in German
among the ranks of her own CDU, Chancel- politics. Merkel, acting like a president
lor Merkel’s “We can do this” has drifted above the inter-party fray, recently tried
far from the consensus. in the Bundestag to form an anti-AfD
The conservative wing of the party, which alliance stretching from the CDU/CSU to
has seen itself marginalized into the role the Left Party. In election campaigns, this
of misfit, is seething, yet has no clout to sort of thing is doomed to failure, yet
challenge her authority within the party. her attempt betrays her concerns that the
Its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, is in AfD’s advances will come mainly at the
rebellion, but it too lacks the power to expense of her own party. Merkel and the
force its demands on the chancellor’s power CDU have yet to repeat the experiences
machine. of the SPD and its last two chancellors. It
While they may voice loudly their was during Helmut Schmidt’s tenure that
demands for a ceiling on migration and the Greens emerged. The Left Party arose
a burqa ban, these measures are probably during Gerhard Schröder’s chancellorship.
unconstitutional. The SPD initially sup- Each time, the SPD hemorrhaged voters.
ported the chancellor’s policy – and quite Merkel’s legacy for the conservative parties
proudly, not least because they believed goes by one name: AfD.
Merkel would be lost without the Social
Democrats. They are now distancing them-
MAKE LOVE, NOT BORDERS.
The Volkswagen Sustainability Programs.
Brilliant minds have always wanted to push frontiers in order to make the world a little better.
Therefore, today we too are at home in 31 countries on four continents and ensure growth
and employment, regional development as well as high social and environmental standards in
all those places. Furthermore, Volkswagen engages together with partner organizations in
about 200 projects for education, sport, youth, health, art, nature conservation and environment
protection. And in this way demonstrates: entrepreneurial success and social improvement
can be linked – with this thought in mind we want to be pioneers.
VWK_Industrie_247x370_14556_BT.indd 1 14.09.16 15:07
6 2016
GOODBYE, Charme
[ʃaʁm]
Charm
Tough love
MR. PRESIDENT
Barack Obama failed to meet some of his goals. But perhaps his
presidency will be remembered less for what it achieved than for
what it avoided | By Peter H. Koepf
B
ack in July 2008 when Senator Barack Obama start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving
spoke at Berlin’s Victory Column, 200,000 perspir- around or being utilized.” A year later, hundreds of
ing people assembled to hear the man they believed people died in a poison gas attack in Ghouta, a region
could make the world a better place. They took on east of Damascus. Obama did nothing. Assad remains
board that as president he would demand more from the the head of a rump state where the self-proclaimed
Germans than in recent memory: more money, more arms Islamic State has long since also made its mark.
and more soldiers. “In this new century, Americans and It was not only the trigger-happy hawks among the
Europeans alike will be required to do more – not less.” Republicans that decried Obama’s silence. Hillary Clin-
Had George W. Bush uttered these words, the reply would ton also railed against Obama’s inaction, saying it had hurt
have been a chorus of boos, jeers and whistles. America’s credibility and deterrent potential. Clinton’s
Eight years later, in the twilight of the Obama Era, more outspoken rival for president recently remarked that the
than a few people, including Germans, are disappointed in withdrawal from Iraq allowed the jihadists to gain strength;
the US president, who – it seems – has managed to keep Obama was therefore the “founder of ISIS,” which could
just a handful of his promises. He took up the fight for gay then spread far and wide through Syria.
marriage and pushed through his health care reform that has Lest we forget, it was George W. Bush who invaded
brought affordable health insurance to more than ten million Iraq on the basis of untruthful arguments. The 2003
Americans. The country has also managed to overcome the attack is now recognized as the starting point for all
effects of the financial crisis; the economy is back on track. the region’s upheavals, not least because there
However, Guantánamo prison – a human rights fiasco was no power-sharing plan for the region’s
– remains in operation. Gun violence in America is still groups. The eclipse of the Sunnis in Iraq’s
rampant. Tensions between whites and African Americans political and military hierarchy led to their
have grown worse, a fact attested to by more than just the radicalization, providing IS with plenty of
lopsided statistics of police violence. And let us not forget specialized fighters.
that eavesdropping on the German chancellor’s phone Obama, however, refused to be drawn
conversations was not exactly polite. into a war – especially not alone. That
The big questions have to do with foreign policy. One was why he left the visible air strikes in
accusation holds that, as the Syrian regime of Bashar al- Libya to the British and French when
PICTURE ALLIANCE/DPA
Assad committed one atrocity after another in the country’s strongman Muammar Gaddafi pledged
civil war, Obama sat on the fence. to drive the Benghazi rebels from their
“We have been very clear to the Assad regime,“ Obama hideouts “like rats.” US Air Force drones
explained in the summer of 2012, “that a red line for us is we destroyed Libya’s air defenses before the
From Fast Patrol Boats and OPVs to our logistic support services –
Lürssen has more than 140 years of experience in building naval vessels of all
types and sizes. We develop tailor-made maritime solutions to answer any of
your requirements, whatever your international focus! Whenever the need
arises, our logistic support services and spare parts supply are always there
to help you. Anywhere in the world. All across the seven seas.
More information:
+49 421 6604 344 or defence@luerssen.de
www.luerssen-defence.com
LUER-0280_AZ_Berlin_Times_2016_2478x120mm_V02.indd 1 16.09.16 10:24
2016 7
Europeans flew their sorties. But, just like at Obama’s greatest achievement – would be
eight years earlier in Iraq, there was no plan climate change.
for the time after Gaddafi. Obama admitted The Clean Power Plan of August 2015 Doppelgänger
as much in a Fox News interview when asked will require America’s coal-fired power sta- [ˈdɔpl ̩ˌɡɛŋɐ]
about his worst mistake. War heroes Nicolas tions – which provide almost 40 percent of Look-alike
Sarkozy and David Cameron quickly turned the country’s electricity – to cut their CO2
their attention to other matters. Since then, emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels. Every bearded, retro-dressed,
Libya has also become a failed state where IS Most Americans support Obama’s climate bespectacled hipster in Neukölln
has gained a foothold. According to Jeffrey objectives, but in February 2016 the Supreme
Goldberg in the April issue of The Atlantic, Court suspended the targets until lawsuits M E RC URY
Obama now refers to the Libya intervention filed by multiple states are decided. And yet,
The Olympic Village from the 1936
PICTURE ALLIANCE/UNITED ARCHIVES/WHA
as a “shit show.” Obama’s change of direction, as well as agree-
games, in Elstal, 30 kilometers from
Obama is the first US president to recog- ments with China and India on reducing emis- Berlin, exudes the dark charm of decay.
nize that “the West” could not help rule the sions, enabled world leaders to sign a historic Several buildings have been demolished;
Middle East and North Africa. Yet, as he climate pact that would limit global warming the gymnastics hall is home to a lone
could not leave that task to the terrorists, to a maximum 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above rusted pommel horse; the swimming pool
he ordered drone strikes that killed not only pre-industrial levels. The US, once an obstruc- is bone dry. Not much remains from the
targeted individuals but hundreds of civil- tive force on climate issues, has joined the propaganda show put on for the Nazi
games 80 years hence. With one excep-
ians as well. Criticism from Germany for activist vanguard.
tion: Jesse Owens. The star sprinter,
this morally dubious activity has not been New thinking also informed the US approach who won four gold medals in Berlin (top),
nearly as strident as that which George W. to its bitter foe, Iran. The 2015 Vienna nuclear has been honored at the grounds with
PICTURE-ALLIANCE/AKG-IMAGES
Bush could have expected. accords only became possible by rethinking his own museum, which alone is worth a
Obama has a motto: “Don’t do stupid outdated diplomatic strategy. The same is visit. Owens’ room in the Olympic Village
shit.” In foreign policy, Obama has avoided true for the thaw in US-Cuban relations. And has been reconstructed, with beds, foot-
stupidity. And it would have been stupid to Obama’s “pivot to Asia” has proven to be a stool and wooden table. Adjoining rooms
chart his rise from college athlete to
follow the “foreign policy establishment and prescient strategy to contain China’s hege- Olympic champion and emblematic proof
its cruise missile playbook,” as Goldberg calls monic ambitions. The Transpacific Partner- of Hitler’s delusions: a black man faster
it, as well as the “demands of America’s frus- ship, a free-trade agreement without Chinese than all Aryans. As it happened, Berlin
trating, high-maintenance allies in the Middle participation, is a key element of these efforts. spectators cheered him on, even then.
East – countries, he complains privately, Barack Obama failed to attain all his goals The German Luz Long, Owens’s big-
seeking to exploit American ‘muscle’ for their because even “the most powerful man in the gest rival in the long jump and eventual
silver medalist, became his good friend
PICTURE ALLIANCE//HIP
own narrow, sectarian ends.” world” eventually reaches his limits. War and
(middle), much to Hitler’s chagrin.
Obama’s caution had other grounds. He terrorism render some foreign policy objec- Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, where his
believed the US had become overstretched tives obsolete. And an opposition Congress name was inscribed on the monument
in its role as world policeman, which is an has dashed many a presidential dream – yet listing gold medal winners (bottom),
enormous burden on the country’s finances. considering who may next take office, that today houses a Jesse Owens Lounge;
He decided to weigh costs and benefits more may be a comforting thought. the street running alongside the arena
finely – especially toward Syria and IS, which is Jesse Owens Allee. Nonetheless, the
runner’s home is still where it always was
he did not consider the greatest threats to the
– the Olympic Village.
US and the world. That – and here we arrive
Our brand is a promise.
MENNEKES presents its multi-faceted approach:
with a wide-ranging service portfolio and solutions for
www.MENNEKES.com industrial plugs and connectors as well as electric mobility.
Berlin_Times_247,8x180mm_AMAXX_OurBrand_160916_Neu.indd 2 16.09.2016 08:18:17
8 2016
Ehrgeiz
[ˈeːɐ̯ ɡaɪ ̯ʦ]
SILENT MAJORITY
Ambition
Clubbing at
Berghain from
end-of-work Friday
to start-of-work
Monday
In Berlin, tens of thousands of German-Turks demonstrated in support of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Yet, to believe the entire community stands by the AKP would be a mistake. Erdoğan’s detractors are many;
they just don’t dare take to the streets. An assessment of the situation by Güner Yasemin Balci
T
urkey is transforming into a dic- which willingly sought the support of Turk- types of German-Turks: the enlightened denunciation has been known to react with
tatorship before our very eyes ish-German citizens, even known members of ones who found the Bundestag’s Armenia trigger-happy glee.
and anyone, be they Turkish or the “Gray Wolves,” a nationalist group that resolution well over due and would like to Turkey is a multi-ethnic state that since its
Turkish-German, who denies it defined itself as a pure race and nourished live in an open democracy, and those who founding as a republic has sought by force to
is taking a risk. Even those who live here hopes of someday becoming a world power. only act as if they are part of this society, transform itself into a country of one people,
in Germany have quite a bit to lose. At a But most Germans can only imagine German- but in the depths of their heart harbor with the goal of Turkey for the Turks – the
minimum they would face a travel ban to German Nazis as real Nazis. dreams of the great Turkish empire that Sunni Muslims – who should all be ready to die
Turkey, and this would mean not seeing However, the possibility that one of them would be Sunni Muslim, know no borders for the fatherland. Despite genocidal campaigns
family and friends for an indefinite period. may be named Ahmet or Betül has been lost and where dissenters would have no, or against Armenians, Arameans and the Zazas
While a statement in the German public on most German citizens not of Turkish at most a very limited voice. Although in Dersim, despite the ongoing pogrom-like
about current conditions of Turkey may origin. And then there is these greater Turkish visionaries may not atmosphere concerning the Kurds, the forced
breeze by with nary a retort, on the the fatal multi-culti represent the majority of German-Turks, resettlements, forced Islamizations and language
Bosphorus it can unleash a tornado reflex. When Betül they are well established prohibitions, Turkey remains multi-ethnic, com-
of reaction. Ulusoy, an activist prising various cultures, languages and religions.
The people are afraid, thus the rau- in a headscarf who While the majority of Turks ascribes to Sunni
cous tens of thousands of Erdoğan belongs to Ditib Islam, this group can be rather nuanced, ranging
supporters fill our streets without (the Turkish- from atheist to agnostic to ultra-orthodox, not
encountering hundreds of thou- to mention the diversity of political tendencies.
sands of counter protestors, Sure, many Turks stand behind Recep Tayyip
also with Turkish roots. To Erdoğan and his party, but an absolute majority
conclude that “the Turks” they are not, despite regular statements to the
all stand behind Erdoğan contrary. The elections of Nov. 1, 2015, were
OTO
SEF
would be a mistake. The manipulated, a fact attested to by
RES
ER-P
others are experiencing not only countless independent
IBN
a feeling of powerless- journalists, who now sit in pris-
CE/E
IAN
ness in the face of a ons in Turkey, but also by elections
ALL
development in which observers from the Council of
URE
PICT
systematic injustice is Europe and the OSCE. Hardly
declared just – for the any German politician has
moment, the struggle spoken out against the
for a free, democratic fraud, as Turkey is
Turkey appears lost. too important as a partner for
Martial law will pre- Europe, NATO and Germany’s
dominate for an indefi- refugee policy.
nite amount of time, Perhaps it is good that these
opposition parties are hordes of Islamist headscarved
nothing but extras in women and flag-waving Turk-
Erdoğan’s sultanate, ish nationals are finally visible on
and anyone not wishing to be persecuted the streets of Germany; perhaps the
simply shuts up. Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, the in Ditib communities, other nationalist- German school curriculum concern-
The failed coup attempt has made it easier umbrella organization for Turkish-Islamic religious organizations and billion-dollar ing Islam – which is organized by
for Erdoğan to implement his dream of con- mosques in Germany, which is adminis- corporate coalitions with structured net- Ditib – will now be taught more critically, and
verting Turkey’s parliamentary democracy tered by the Turkish prime minister) as works in all areas of public life. With their perhaps this display of Islamist-Turkish self-
into an authoritarian presidential system awareness is an occasion to rethink the Federal
faster than he could have hoped. And those
still campaigning for the persecuted Fetullah
“Turkey remains multi-ethnic, Constitutional Court verdict that even public
employees may wear headscarves, along with
Gülen should not forget that Erdoğan and
Gülen were once good friends, and that it is
comprising various cultures, the other concessions we have made. These are
particularly inconsistent with an open, demo-
a verifiable fact that it was Gülen supporters
who, beginning in 2007, stripped countless
languages and religions.” cratic and secular society.
Hundreds of thousand of German-Turks
dissidents of their jobs under false pretenses well as a German law graduate and blogger, two-pronged strategy of reaping all the would be grateful. Perhaps for the first time they
and incarcerated them without trials. uses historically problematic rhetoric to benefits Germany has to offer without sur- would feel they are not alone.
Many are now asking themselves what praise the mass arrests in Turkey as a long- rendering their orthodox-Muslim national
happened as they ponder the masses of Turk- awaited “cleansing” that is sure to have identities, they can always count on the
ish-Germans who so fervently demonstrate Allah’s blessing, she can be certain that a support of elected German representatives. Güner Yasemin Balci is a
for Erdoğan, against freedom of the press, German colleague will spring to her side However, all other critical lone warriors, filmmaker and author. Her most
against civil rights and for the reinstatement to protect the supposedly misunderstood for whom no lobby exists either in Turkey recent book, Das Mädchen und
of the death penalty. The answer is simple: Muslim woman from the allegedly Islamo- or Germany, are left out in the cold – for die Gotteskrieger (The Girl and the
nothing. Nationalist Turks, with their ortho- phobic witch hunt. Were she not a Turk in example the Islamic reform theologians who Jihadist), was published in June of this
dox interpretation of Islam, have been part a headscarf, she would have zero chance teach in Germany but will remain unnamed year. Her film Der Jungfrauenwahn
of the Federal Republic of Germany since the of ever becoming a lawyer or journalist in this newspaper for fear that they may lose (The Virginty Obsession) won the
early 1960s; it is only now that people have in Germany. And that would be just fine. their university jobs or suffer some other 2016 Bayerischer Fernsehpreis.
taken notice. An exception over the years has People whose forbears immigrated from indignity. After all, the arm of Erdoğan is
been the Antifa activists and the radical left, Turkey learn early on that there are two a long one, and this country’s culture of
2016 9
Furcht
[fʊʁçt]
Fear
Winter is coming
Shake it off
Does Berlin need a monument to German reunification? | By Harald Jähner
S
ome call it a disgrace, others are ton’s bat, Myotis Daubentonii, had found gate was the international icon of German reconciliation process is truly over. There
relieved; most couldn’t care less. For a suitable nesting place in the dignified old separation and, thanks to the hammers is really no need for a monument here – at
the time being, Berlin will not receive masonry and set out evening after evening and chisels that people put to the Wall least not yet.
a monument to German unification. on the hunt for mosquitoes swarming over in its shadow in November 1989, the It would make more sense to erect one
Planning for a memorial on Schloßplatz the Spree. These creatures of the vesper bat icon of German reunification as well. No in the middle of the former East Germany,
recalling the peaceful revolution in East family, weighing all of ten grams each, are new monument could equal the expressive in Leipzig, perhaps, to honor both the
Germany and subsequent reunification has under official wildlife protection and would power of the Brandenburg Gate. So why popular uprising that brought down the
been stopped. The German parliament’s have had to be resettled at considerable try to build one? Wall and the subsequent vote to reunify.
budgetary committee recommended all work effort and expense. So, with the help of Berlin, if we look at it more closely, is But there, too, plans of the sort have sput-
its own living, breath-
PICTURE ALLIANCE/DPA
PICTURE ALLIANCE/AP PHOTO
ing monument to
reunification, which
people are reminded
“The city still of with practically
every step they take
needs some time through the city. This
before the is especially true in
Berlin’s central dis-
reconciliation tricts, where the Wall
often bisected densely
process is inhabited, built-up
neighborhoods, where
truly over.” its former path can still
be surmised, and some-
times even felt.
The people’s seesaw: just an amusing idea. Thank goodness. It is not only the dif- The Brandenburg Gate, 1961.
fering styles of postwar
on future construction be broken off, due these tiny mammals, the seesaw of unity construction in the city’s East and West, tered – after all, the reunified capital and
to cost. will hopefully remain just an amusing idea. but also the divergent residential profiles the Brandenburg Gate belong to the people
Even before the first shovel hit the soil, cost And thank goodness. For all the fun and the social atmosphere in the streets of Leipzig, as well.
estimates for the project had climbed from 10 this kinetic sculpture might have been, it that remind pedestrians, even 25 years after
to 15 million euros. But the sudden financial would never have matched the symbolic reunification, where the communist capital Harald Jähner has been the
scruples revealed other, deeper reasons to significance of another, existing edifice that ended and the urban capitalist island began. feuilleton editor of the Berliner
stop the planned monument. That is, the long ago entered the popular consciousness Thanks to the antagonistic social systems Zeitung since 2004.
otherwise tolerable rise in price would almost as the encapsulation of Germany’s divi- that stubbornly faced one another during
certainly have been deemed acceptable if only sion and reunification: the Brandenburg the Cold War, Berlin still needs some time,
the planned design had been more convinc- Gate. Closed for decades by the Wall, the and a little more creativity, before the
ing or the basic idea an innate necessity.
The Bundestag vote reads as a thinly veiled
suggestion that Berlin needs no unification
monument. And certainly not this seesaw. Discover more
Five years ago, after a chaotic competition, db.com/madeforgood
a jury had finally given the nod to a design
by choreographer Sasha Waltz and Milla &
Partner, a “agency for spatial communica-
tion.” While the monument design’s official
name was “Citizens on the Move,” it quickly
became known as “the people’s seesaw.”
The object would have been an accessible,
50-meter-long gold-colored bowl that could
be set in motion, but only if a large majority
of the visitors atop the object shifted to one
of its sides, thereby tipping it. The process
would playfully express the power of the
people – by the people themselves. Though Business means
it initially convinced some politicians and
observers that the people’s seesaw could more when it’s
become the “monument to joy” that politi-
cal leaders had wanted, over time the doubts
piled up. The plans excluded disabled people.
made for good.
The wheelchair-bound could only have tra-
All around the world, a new breed of entrepreneurs are combining business with
versed the middle of the bowl, and the strong social purpose. Our global enterprise programme Made for Good adds the business
damping of any movement – which would know-how to help them succeed. We work with small and early-stage ventures
be necessary to maintain safety – would have who want to regenerate communities and improve livelihoods, and charities who
taken all the fun out of it. need to adopt more entrepreneurial business models. Made for Good provides
what they need to be commercially viable – business advice and support, access to
And finally, in the foundation of the former sources of funding and connections to others who can help. Microenterprise, social
equestrian memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm I on start-up, charity and commercial business, we’re working with the mall to show
which the new structure was to stand – sym- how much good business can do.
bolizing the progress of history – crews dis-
covered another, special little folk. Dauben-
1609_8774_DB_ANZ_MFG_BUSINESS_180x123.indd 1 12.09.16 09:01
10 2016
Größenwahn
[ˈɡʀøːsn̩ˌvaːn]
Continental drift
Megalomania
Owning a car in Berlin
W
hen Britons voted to leave the family firms, our small and medium-sized Straight after the vote, many London start- the pie. Valérie Pécresse, the councilor of the
European Union in June, they businesses are the backbone of our country.” ups made the call to Berlin to ask about the Île-de-France capital region, sent out 4,000
unwittingly handed an advan- She added that the UK would never be fully pros and cons of a move to the city on the letters to British companies as soon as the
tage to the cities on the conti- cut off from the European market. Spree. Berlin Senator of Economics Cornelia referendum result was announced. Her words
nent. Brexit – a horror scenario for the entire But at the moment, with the conditions for Yzer reported that more than 100 companies were blunt: “The battle of the cities has begun.”
European economic zone – would neverthe- the UK’s departure not yet negotiated and the had made enquiries by late July. “There was In Berlin it seems that the early eupho-
less create endless opportunities for startup consequences unpredictable, it is a danger- a real flood of them at the start,” says ria has faded. Stefan Franzke claims
locations like Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and ous time for London and a tempting one for Stefan Fran- zke, manager of Berlin Part- that interest has waned. And he never
Stockholm. Even if the British government Berlin. The battle to be seen as the most fertile ner GmbH. Franzke’s public-private called it a battle to begin with. “The
is not in official talks with the EU about the ground for startups is underway. Fearing legal partnership comprises the Berlin Senate startup scene is far too internation-
country’s departure, one thing is clear – ever uncertainties, more and more investors may and more than 270 enterprises while offer- ally connected and interdependent
since the vote, the startup capital of London simply keep their money out of Britain, or ing support for companies of all sizes and for people in it to want to hurt one
has been facing tougher competition from invest it in cities that have a more predictable shapes, but especially for startups. another,” he says. But there are
other cities in Europe for talent, ideas and political and economic climate. When inves- Other cities such as Paris eight companies making concrete
innovations. tors hesitate, startup companies get nervous. are also look- plans to move to Berlin,
As Europe’s most important financial New companies in particular rely on cash and ing for a he adds. According
center, many of London’s advantages will trust from investors in order to grow quickly slice to Franzke, many
remain even if the UK does leave the EU. in a competitive environment. of are in fintech, or
There are good reasons why the British capital London may also be facing an uphill battle finance technol-
provides the current headquarters for some to attract the smartest minds and best ideas. ogy, specializ-
275,000 startups. If anything, London, with The government has yet to answer the ques- ing in transac-
its business-friendly tax laws, will be able to tion of how tightly it will restrict immigration tion technolo-
offer even bigger tax breaks in the future. in the future. But at the very least it seems gies to ensure
The country’s new prime minister, Theresa that freedom of movement for workers from the swift and
May, is well aware of the importance of the EU will come to an end in the foreseeable
innovative new companies. A few weeks ago future. More than half of those working at
she underscored this fact at a meeting at 10 startups in London come from outside the
Downing Street, where she addressed repre- UK. Many interpret Brexit as the UK saying
sentatives of small and medium-sized enter- “You are not wanted here!” Smart people are
prises: “From dynamic startups to established thinking of packing their bags.
CHAPEAU SWITZERLAND
PIONEERING
PROJECT PAR
EXCELLENCE
Congratulations to Switzerland and all pioneers on
jointly completing and opening this groundbreaking
project of the century in June 2016. A year ahead
of plan, the iconic Gotthard Base Tunnel represents
record progress set in stone.
herrenknecht.com/Gotthard
16-09-16_044_IDxxx_eAz_Gotthard Sonder_BerlinTimes_247x180_01fo.indd 1 16.09.16 15:112016 11
Höflichkeit
[ˈhøːflɪçkaɪ ̯t]
Brexit poses a big opportunity for European cities wanting to attract startups. Politeness
If Berlin wants to profit from Britain’s brain drain, it must stay cheap, livable Waiting until dark before
and open | By Bastian Brauns pissing in the street
secure flow of money around the world. Bank- Yet this is just one snapshot of Europe’s After all, the German capital is home to more be face to face when the contract is signed. This
ing apps are just one of many fintech fields. financial development. One-off deals bringing than 6,000 startups, including around 100 can often be exceedingly impractical when it
BrickVest, a British-German property invest- a big investment to a single company – as was fintech companies. comes to digital processes, he says. Bartz sees
ment startup, has officially announced that its the case with Spotify in Stockholm – can make Chris Bartz, is a venture partner at FinLeap, it as Germany’s task to push forward further
headquarters are moving to Berlin. But the online it seem that the location overall is enormously one of Europe’s key fintech firms, and chairman unification of the European market. “Brexit
platform will continue to be run from its London valuable. Yet the number of financing rounds of the FinTechs, Insurance & Banking Innova- will hurt everyone in the long run, even if
office (see interview p. 12). must also be considered, for they show how tions working group at the digital industry startup cities benefit in the beginning,” Bartz
For the moment, Berlin as a business location many startup projects the investments are association, Bitkom. “Here in Germany we says, because it is ultimately essential to have
appears to have been weakened rather than distributed across. mustn’t think too small when it comes to uniform rules and a long reach, without borders
strengthened. According to the Ernst & Young In 2015 Berlin was well ahead of London financial technologies,” he says. or barriers.
startup barometer, the German capital is ranked in terms of these financing rounds. Inves- He compares Germany’s current digital But he believes Berlin is on the right path.
not number one, as it had been in the past, tors put money into Berlin startups on 205 economy with how it looked around the year “A city’s feel-good factor is more than just a
but only number four, with invest- occasions, compared to 132 for London 2000. Back then, no one managed to establish a fringe benefit,” says Bartz. The framework
ment volumes of €520 million. startups. In the first half of 2016, however, German Apple, Facebook or Google. “My first has to be right not just for the entrepreneurs,
London is back on top with Berlin was no longer number smartphone was a Siemens. No one talks about but also for employees and their families. With
investments of €1.3 bil- one; with 117 financing Siemens in that context any more,” Bartz says. its international outlook, welcoming culture,
lion, followed rounds – including an He does not want to see a repeat perfor- openness, freedom, well-trained IT technicians
by Stockholm, estimated €62 million mance. “There’s a good chance right now that and affordable cost of living, Berlin has got
which attracted of invest- ment in the we will end up empty-handed once again, and it all. According to Bartz, entrepreneurs ask
a cool billion, Sound- cloud music it’s up to us to change the situation.” He points themselves two primary questions: “Where
and Paris, at platform – it came in at out that digitalization has led to an enormous can I get the people I need?” and “Where do I
€673 million. number three. Paris shift in the value-creation chain. Bartz believes myself want to go?”
topped the list we need more political will so that we are not Berlin’s two coalition parties, the SPD and
with 178 rounds too content with what appears to work well CDU, as well as other parties, are competing to
of financing, fol- enough. “We have to stop being so complacent come up with the best startup proposal for the
lowed by London and instead realign ourselves according to the city. In September Berlin even opened its own
with 157. current state of the technology,” he says. recruiting office in London’s creative startup
What has to Bartz talks about the discouraging effect district of Camden. Working together with
happen for Berlin German laws can have. For instance, there are the consulting firm KPMG, Berlin officials aim
FOTOLIA/ANTIKWAR1
to get back on top? rules stating that two parties in a contract must to be on the spot to advise startup companies
continued on p. 12
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG –
WHERE PEOPLE LOVE TO LIVE AND
DISCOVER
@ Nowhere else can inventors work – and live – so well. L-Bank plays its part, by promoting a climate of innovation with various programmes for small and
medium-sized enterprises. We also promote quality of life with measures aimed at families, infrastructure and climate protection. This is how we ensure that
Baden-Württemberg’s many inventions continue to find their way around the world – whilst their inventors like to stay firmly put! Find out more at www.l-bank.de12 2016
continued from p. 11
White-collar refugees
eager to move to Berlin. Simultaneously the
Berlin Senate announced that it would create
50 new IT professorships for Berlin, although
they would not be tenured positions.
“Companies follow the talent,” says Stefan
Franzke. A first wave of educated arrivals Find out why the fintech company BrickVest moved from London to Berlin
I
came to Germany and its capital city fol-
lowing the 2008 financial crisis. “We benefit n mid-September of this year, the online investment plat- To what extent is the system heavily bureaucratic?
tremendously from the skilled labor that form BrickVest was one of the first companies to make the In London, fintechs have more flexibility and face much less
has come here, from Spain and Greece, for post-Brexit move from the British to the German capital. regulation. This is why all the startups are in London. Take
example,” Franzke says. This international Founded in London two years ago, this financial technology for example the AIFM license, which we need wherever we
movement has siphoned talent to Germany, company manages a portfolio of €20 million, drawn from inves- do business. The same way a driver’s license is more difficult
giving a boost to our entire startup culture. tors with capital ranging from €10,000 to €5 million. Seven of to get in Germany, so is the AIFM.
News like the results of the state election the company’s 15 employees – their so-called back office – were
in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – in involved in the move. The Berlin Times talked to co-founder What would you recommend Germany do?
which the anti-immigration AfD party placed Thomas Schneider about the reasons for the relocation. The first thing would be to solve the language problem. If I
second – are unhelpful, Franzke says, because were the BaFin or a politician, I would
“people in the business talk about how Ger- THE BERLIN TIMES: Why Berlin? introduce English as an official
many is so welcoming to newcomers.” THOMAS SCHNEIDER: We’d been thinking of doing it for a language. Young entrepreneurs
Finleap’s Chris Bartz agrees. “It’s up to while. Then the Brexit vote gave us that extra incentive to actu- all speak English. I would also
us to develop and communicate a positive ally do it. Now, if and when Brexit comes, we’ll already have a set up a regulatory agency that
outlook for the future,” he says. “Fear comes basis here in Berlin. takes an open and cooperative
all by itself.” approach to new concepts. If
Is the Berlin market really so interesting? these things were in place, Berlin
The entire German market is interesting; all of Europe is, too, and Germany would have massive
for that matter. We’re a European platform. Office space and opportunities in a growing market.
the cost of living are highly affordable in Berlin, and that’s
PRIVATE
important for a young company like ours, where the salaries
aren’t as lavish as you might think.
Did government agencies support your move?
Yes, but I would have expected more in that regard. For
example, the BaFin banking supervisory authority is very
bureaucratic. They’re overly cautious and focused on investor
Ideologie protection, which is, of course, important, but it’s counter-
[ideoloˈɡiː] productive to be suspicious of everything new – especially
for us, seeing as our entire business model is based on “the
Ideology new.” For example, we do the real estate business differently
and better than any bank could. If we did everything the way
A word not used since they do, there would be no need for us anymore.
the fall of the Wall Thomas Schneider
Language T
he German Institute for Economic Research of the working refugees finding their first jobs in Germany
(DIW) and Humboldt University in Berlin have via friends or relatives.
analyzed the data from surveys of refugees in For children, early education is vital. Refugees seem to
Germany between 1990 and 2010. The find- know this – their children are just as happy as other kids
ings revealed low levels of qualification, a low propensity to participate in voluntary activities at school. Yet activities
Training
to finish school (refugees: 20 percent,
PICTURE ALLIANCE / ZB
migrants: 10 percent), poor knowledge
of German upon arrival, and a tendency
to start their first job later than non-refu-
Work
gees. “But unlike work-seeking migrants,
refugees are hardly able to prepare for the
country they go to,” says Martin Kroh of
DIW Berlin.
Refugees are more often unemployed
and earn less. About two-thirds of male
More than one million refugees refugees but only one in four women
came to Germany in 2014 and found a job within the first five years of
being in Germany – primarily in small
2015. While this year’s numbers businesses, processing industries and the
are far lower, the refugees now catering industry.
here are in need of places to live, Some results provide grounds for hope:
refugees had a better track record on
jobs and prospects for the future. school attendance and higher levels of
How can we make integration education than other immigrants. The
researchers were optimistic about the
work? latest wave of refugees, a result of there High potentials: Young refugee children, actually happy to be in school.
being far more integration measures today
than in the past: “The many measures and social initiatives outside of school – for instance in sports clubs – are not so
give us hope that the most recent refugees will be integrated popular. It is comparatively rare for refugee children under
quickly,” says Kroh. The researchers recommend that the age of three to attend a kindergarten or parent-child
German authorities be quicker to recognize qualifications group. Katharina Spiess of the DIW says that is a shame:
from abroad. They conclude that refugees need better “Early education holds especially great potential, which
information on how to obtain degrees, training certificates we should better utilize in the interests of successful inte-
and work experience recognized in Germany – something gration.” As a solution she recommends an intercultural
only one in three has managed so far. approach and targeted recruiting of volunteers and integra-
As for language – a vital criterion for integration – making tion workers who themselves have roots outside Germany.
work and training options available earlier may quickly
improve refugees’ German-language skills. Social contact
plays a big role in success in the labor market, with halfYou can also read
