Times Literary Supplement (June 2, 2023): The Last Days of Weimar – Lesley Chamberlain on German culture before the catastrophe; Michel Houellebecq in the buff; Death by Dementia; The Art of Sex and Champagne socialist guilt.
An early Flemish painter’s claim to greatness
An abstractionist artist who was guided by the spirit world
Germany is the leading or “framework nation” in what is called the NATO Battle Group Lithuania. With its alliance partners, German forces are serving “on the front line” – right on the Russian border. They’re guarding NATO’s northeast flank against any possible incursion and ensuring the Baltic states are supported during times of crisis and, if necessary, conflict.
In the spring of 2023, Germany’s military is in Rukla and Pabrade, among other places, for maneuvers. There it is practicing with NATO partners from Croatia, the Czechia and the Netherlands to handle a Russian attack on the Baltic states. In full agreement with the NATO motto “train as you fight,” practice and training are closely-oriented to a genuine threat.
The leader of the German contingent, Colonel Wolfgang Schmidt, points out the special historic significance and perceived peril in the Baltic. He says, “From historical experience, of course the perception of possible aggression – be it Russian or Belarusian – is far more intense here than in the Federal Republic of Germany.” He adds that not everyone has grasped the defense of “all that we stand for – modernity, freedom of opinion and speech and everything we describe as Western values begins here.” For a year, Schmidt says, the Ukraine has been fighting far more than their Russian attackers – they’re defending “our freedom,” too. This report follows a major exercise called “Griffin Lightning.” A platoon commander with the Dutch Armed Forces emphasizes the importance of maneuvers and cooperation among the multinational forces.
First Lieutenant Bent S. says, “We’re taking part in different exercises. Last week we were with the Norwegians. In a few weeks, the whole Battle Group will come together and we’ll train again with the Norwegians, Germans, Czechs and Croats. Nobody wants war, but if it really comes to it, we’ll be ready.” This documentary provides an exclusive look at NATO maneuvers in Lithuania, which are unfolding closer than ever before to a genuine military threat.
0:15 Why we need to consider AI development – Berkeley professor Stuart Russell is one of the world’s leading experts on AI, and one of more than 1,000 experts who recently signed an open letter calling for a 6-month pause in the development of AI systems for safety reasons. “I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding about the letter. Some people say it bans AI research and so on but what it really is saying is: we have developed this technology that’s pretty powerful, but we haven’t developed the regulation to go along with it. At the moment, the technology is moving very fast. Governments tend to move very slowly. So we need a pause on the development and release of still more powerful models so that, in a sense, regulation can catch up.”
5:43 Germany’s first 3D printed house – It took just 100 hours to print the walls thanks to a nozzle that moves at 1 metre per second. The fireplace, kitchen island and bathtub were all printed too. The house contains 160m2 of living space over 2 floors. It was designed by architects Mense Korte. Its walls are comprised of an inner and outer shell with insulation filling the gap between them.
7:11 Ocean search for 100,000 species begins – They’re launching dozens of explorations deep into the ocean to build a huge catalogue of as-yet-unknown marine life. An estimated 2.2 million species live in the ocean but just 10% of them have been discovered and named by scientists. It’s a race against time to document endangered marine animals before overfishing and climate change drive them to extinction.
8:56 How kids learn through play – These 3 to 5-year-olds are taking part in a programme called Play Labs. They spend their day on puzzles. Games outside playing with others and learning about the world. The programme boosts kids’ physical, social, cognitive and language development and helps them close the education gap with their peers.
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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
5/24–9/17/2023
“This summer, our visitors will have the opportunity to encounter an exciting artistic medium—the relief: an art form between painting and sculpture that literally breaks through the confines of the frame and bursts the boundaries of our sense of sight! We are devoting a major exhibition to this sometimes underacknowledged medium.”
Is it painting or sculpture, surface or space? Hardly any artistic medium challenges our sense of sight like the relief. And that is what has always made it so appealing for the most famous artists. From 24 May to 17 September 2023, the exhibition will present prominent works spanning some 160 years by Bertel Thorvaldsen, Jules Dalou, Auguste Rodin, Medardo Rosso, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Archipenko, Jean Arp, Kurt Schwitters, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Yves Klein, Louise Nevelson, Lee Bontecou and others.
Leipzig is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig’s population of 624,689 inhabitants as of 2022 places the city as Germany’s eighth most populous, as well as the second most populous city in the area of the former East Germany after Berlin.
Arguably it transformed the way other collectors think about cars being “just cars”. Mercedes made two of these coupés for a race that never happened, and after press testing and high speed VIP rides chauffeured by race team boss Rudolf Uhlenhaut (that’s him in pic 7) they lived a sheltered life in the factory museum with rare appearances at historic events: ‘Red’ (nicknamed for its upholstery, as opposed to ‘Blue’) had covered just over 5,000km when it was sold.
The Globalist, May 5, 2023: As Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, heads to Kenya, we check in with journalists in Nairobi and Berlin, Chatham House’s Quentin Peel outlines how King Charles III’s coronation will be covered outside the UK, and Nato plans to open its first office in Asia.
Plus: Monocle Radio’s Andrew Mueller offers an irreverent round-up of the week’s news.
0:15 Germany tackles skill gap with on-job training – Jakob Kasperidus joined wind power firm SL Naturenergie 2 years ago despite having no experience in the field. Previously, he managed an organic food shop. Now, he’s training to become a senior project developer as he works. “The first months were not that easy. It has to be said that we actually had quite a nice concept. That is, we had former or senior project developers who have been in the profession for some time now, who were always assigned a tandem junior project developer. That means I’ve had a mentor, if you will, for 2 or 2.5 years now, who then trained me bit by bit, so to speak.”
2:24 New documentary explores endometriosis – This director has endometriosis, along with millions of women. She made a movie about it. Endometriosis is a condition where cells similar to the uterus lining grow outside of the uterus. It causes severe, life-limiting pelvic pain and affects 190 million women of reproductive age globally. That’s 1 in 9 women. Yet many struggle to get their condition recognized and treated.
5:08 Scientists test honey for antibiotic potential – Honey is a traditional remedy for wound-healing due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Now, scientists at Cardiff University are going back to this ancient cure to search for the next wave of bacteria-fighting medicine. The honey works as a ‘drug discovery tool’. Researchers test samples of honey for antibacterial compounds, then follow them back, using technology, to the plant species the bees visited. Many of these plants would otherwise be dismissed as weeds.
6: 32 Student designs plastic windows for Ukraine – The plastic windows can be built in just 15 minutes at a cost of €13.60 per square metre. The windows combine 4 layers of polythene sheeting with PVC piping and an ‘insulating noodle’ to create an immediate triple-glazed window which lets in enough light to live by. Millions of Ukrainians are living in bomb-damaged homes in a country where temperatures can drop to -20°C. The plastic windows were designed by Cambridge student Harry Blakiston Houston who took a break from his biotechnology PhD to start an NGO, Insulate Ukraine.
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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
But the prestigious building in the reconstructed Berlin Palace has itself been the subject of controversy from the start. Not least because art from former colonies in Africa is on display. DW’s Hannah Hummel checks out the Humboldt Forum to see whether is worth a visit. We can tell you one thing in advance: The great view from the roof terrace is a must-see.
The Humboldt Forum is a museum dedicated to human history, art and culture, located in the Berlin Palace on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. It is in honour of the Prussian scholars Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt.
Discover Germany, Switzerland and Austria – April 2023 Issue: The April issue of Discover Germany, Austria & Switzerland puts a special focus on the sustainable tourism approach of Berlin. While the German capital is leading in many areas, Berlin also knows how to reconcile sustainability and tourism in a clever way. We further travel to Bavaria to try out some adventure holiday option. Other topics covered are an interview with actor Langston Uibel, a special theme on art, culture and museum highlights, design and lifestyle trends, fashion items that combine modernity with tradition, great museums and destinations for a spring getaway, and much, much more.
Discovering the arts in Germany
Germany has much more to offer than just beer, pretzels and famous football teams. It is a paradise for artists as well as art lovers. Paintings, architecture, literature, music or design – the country’s art scene combines different backgrounds and cultural influences. The cities of Germany are home to numerous museums, galleries and theatres showcasing fine art and culture.
Germany’s culinary scene is one of the world’s best – for many reasons. Not only does the country lay claim to many award-winning chefs and restaurants, the sheer diversity of restaurants in the country is also one of a kind.
Boomers Daily 