The Local's top ten features of 2012

The Local's features in 2012 have been as varied and colourful as the year itself. Whether stepping into an age suit or diving into a dumpster, or following the plight of asylum seekers arriving in Germany, there has been something for everyone.

• The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek dies at 74 (21 May 13)
• 'My friends call me travelling x-ray salesman' (21 May 13)
• Cooler and wetter week ahead (20 May 13)

Pink stinks, says toy marketing campaigner

A campaigner from the Pinkstinks pressure group told us how advertisers are forcing gender stereotypes onto Germany's children, after Kinder Surprise released a new “just for girls” egg this year, wrapped in pink foil and advertised by fairies in push-up bras.

'German hooligans look up to the English'

The Bundesliga may be booming, but violence at matches is growing. In an interview with the editor of No Dice football magazine, we explored the rising tide of hooliganism among the country's fans.

How Germans are turning to dumpsters for dinner

After reporting that each Germans throw out, on average, 82 kilos of food each year, we literally dived into Berlin's bins in the middle of the night to see what we could find.

Pixelhead - the ultimate in anonymous?

A Berlin-based artist caused a stir with a pixellated balaclava aimed at disguising a person's identity in a society increasingly rife with CCTV. We tried it on, and had a think about the role of social media in Germany.

Boozy dieters shed kilos the 'Schrothkur' way

Heavy drinking might not be the first thing that comes to mind when trying to lose weight. But as we discovered, dieters deep in Bavaria are rushing to enrol in the “Schrothkur” weight-loss programme – perhaps because it involves lots, and lots of schnapps.

I've been to the future and it really aches

Germany's population is ageing and in order to get a taste of things to come, The Local slipped into a special suit at the Berlin Charite hospital which makes the wearer feel very, very old.

Scientist seeks deposits for elephant sperm bank

We spoke to a scientist so dedicated to making sure that bull elephants in captivity didn't become too inbred, that he was tracking down wild ones and using an electrifying method to gather their genetic material.

Police take refugees' blankets despite cold

In September a group of refugees walked from Bavaria to Berlin, protesting against their living conditions. We tracked their progress and went down to their camp at the Brandenburg Gate shortly after the police confiscated their blankets.

‘The euro is still a brilliant notion’

In the first instalment of a new series, we sat down with the US ambassador to Germany Philip Murphy, and chatted about all things politics and business.