Germany edition

Wowereit

The following articles have been tagged with "Wowereit":

Frederick the Great celebrations kick off

Society: 24 Jan 12
Germans marked the 300th birthday of Prussian king Frederick the Great’s on Tuesday. His admirers visited his grave in Potsdam to lay flowers and potatoes in honour of the enlightened monarch. READ »

Berlin minister resigns after 11 days in office

Politics: 12 Dec 11
Berlin’s newly sworn-in Justice and Consumer Affairs Minister Michael Braun has been forced to step down following revelations about bad property deals during his previous job as notary. READ »

City of Berlin gets 'grand coalition' government

Politics: 16 Nov 11
A left-right coalition is taking shape in the city state of Berlin, after the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats agreed to form a government in Germany's capital on Wednesday. READ »

SPD and Greens drop Berlin government talks

Politics: 5 Oct 11
Talks between the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens on forming a coalition to govern Berlin collapsed on Wednesday – over disagreement over a three-kilometre stretch of motorway. READ »

Government throws spanner in SPD/Green Berlin coalition talks

Society: 27 Sep 11
The German Transport Ministry said Tuesday that federal investment in Berlin’s controversial A100 motorway could not be moved to another project, hampering coalition negotiations between Mayor Klaus Wowereit and the Greens. READ »

SPD and Greens see coalition hope in Berlin

Politics: 24 Sep 11
Nearly a week after the Berlin state election and hours of talks, all the indications point towards the incumbent Social Democrats (SPD) forming a coalition with the Greens. READ »

Pirates shake up German political landscape

Analysis & Opinion: 19 Sep 11
Free wireless internet and public transport; voting rights for over-14s: just some of the policies of the Pirate Party, which Sunday spectacularly won its first seats in a German state parliament. READ »

SPD wins Berlin vote as Pirates celebrate

Politics: 18 Sep 11
The centre-left Social Democrats won Berlin’s state election on Sunday, setting up a likely coalition with the Greens. The upstart Pirate Party sailed easily into parliament. READ »

Berlin goes to the polls

Politics: 18 Sep 11
Voting began in Berlin on Sunday for a state election expected to yield yet another setback for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her governing coalition. READ »

Berliners look leftwards as Pirates set sail

Politics: 16 Sep 11
Berliners go to the polls on Sunday, with indications they will re-elect Social Democratic Mayor Klaus Wowereit yet force him to ditch coalition partners The Left for the Greens. The Pirate Party might also sail into parliament. READ »

Klaus Wowereit: the mayor Berliners deserve?

Politics: 14 Sep 11
The colourful mayor of Berlin for the last decade, Klaus Wowereit, famously dubbed his city "poor but sexy" - critics and fans alike say he bears an out-sized responsibility for both attributes. READ »

'Berlin is change, Berlin is the place to be'

Politics: 13 Sep 11
As Berliners prepare to go to the polls this Sunday, The Local spoke with Mayor Klaus Wowereit about his re-election campaign and his priorities for the German capital. READ »

Another car arsonist arrested in Berlin

Society: 7 Sep 11
Berlin police on Wednesday arrested another suspect in their investigation into the spate of car arson attacks in the German capital. Over 540 road vehicles have been burnt out since the start of the year – including six more overnight. READ »

Berlin's mayor welcomes Pope through gritted teeth

National: 26 Aug 11
Berlin’s openly gay Mayor Klaus Wowereit has extended the Pope an official welcome for his visit next month, but said he could understand those planning to protest against the papal visit. READ »

Fourth night of car arson prompts terror debate

National: 19 Aug 11
Arsonists set fire to cars in Berlin for a fourth straight night, destroying at least 11 vehicles in the early hours of Friday morning. The ongoing attacks have raised the spectre of leftist terrorism. READ »

Social Democrats warn leftists after Wall praise

Politics: 16 Aug 11
Germany's centre-left Social Democrats have warned members of the hard-line socialist Left party they would be rejected as state coalition partners unless they condemn the building of the Berlin Wall. READ »

CSU flags Left party ban, sparking war of words

Politics: 7 Aug 11
A bitter dispute has erupted between the Christian Social Union, sister party to the ruling Christian Democratic Union, and the Left party, after CSU General Secretary Alexander Dobrindt called for an investigation into banning the leftists. READ »

Betraying Berlin

Analysis & Opinion: 19 Jul 11
Roger Boyes, the Berlin correspondent for the British daily The Times, is going back to London. In his last column for The Local, he explains why he had to end his stay in the ‘narcoleptic’ German capital. READ »

Berlin mayor wants to make Olympics bid

Sport: 13 Jul 11
Less than a week after Munich’s Winter Olympics bid was defeated, Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said he wants the German capital to host the Summer Games. READ »

Berlin hopes show will boost contemporary art scene

Lifestyle: 14 Jun 11
The new art exhibition 'Based in Berlin' highlights 80 emerging artists working in the German capital. But as Amrit Naresh reports, some have criticised the city's failure to provide a permanent space for its contemporary arts scene. READ »

Health politician calls for free Berlin condoms

Society: 25 May 11
Moves are afoot to give away thousands of condoms for free around Berlin – once a willing sponsor is found who would pay to have their logo on the packaging. READ »

Greens' rise muddies political landscape

Politics: 23 May 11
Germany’s politicians are struggling to get a grip on the country's changing political landscape after Bremen's state election confirmed the continuing surge of the environmentalist Greens at the expense of other parties. READ »

Lahm says gay footballers better off in the closet

Sport: 18 May 11
Germany football captain and Bayern Munich star Philipp Lahm has advised gay professional footballers against outing themselves, in an interview with German celebrity magazine Bunte. READ »

Tacheles demonstrations to continue at least once a week

Society: 8 May 11
Demonstrations to try to save the art and culture house Tacheles in central Berlin will continue at least every week, the group of artists fighting to keep it running, have said. READ »

Berlin’s legendary boulevard Ku’damm turns 125

Society: 5 May 11
Berlin on Thursday kicks off celebrations for the 125th anniversary of Kurfürstendamm, the German capital’s answer to the Champs-Élysées. Special events will highlight the history of the legendary boulevard all summer long. READ »

Politicians driving 'climate killer' cars

Politics: 19 Apr 11
Despite Germany‘s recent tilt towards clean energy, most politicians are still being ferried around in gas-guzzling government cars, according to a survey by environmentalists which grades individual leaders. READ »

Berlin artists protest against Tacheles closure

Society: 16 Apr 11
The remaining artists of the art complex Tacheles organized a protest Saturday against the impending clearance of Berlin's trendy tourist trap and former squat. READ »

Künast seen as Greens' best hope for chancellor

Politics: 10 Apr 11
Green parliamentary co-leader Renate Künast, just confirmed as the party's choice to take on Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit in September elections, is the top pick for a Green chancellor candidate among respondents of a new poll released Sunday. READ »

Polar bear star Knut dies

Society: 19 Mar 11
Knut the polar bear, who became a global media sensation as a cub after being rejected by his mother and reared by hand, died suddenly for unexplained reasons on Saturday, the Berlin Zoo said. READ »

More than 100,000 protest nuclear power

Society: 15 Mar 11
Organisers of anti-nuclear demonstrations in Germany said Monday that more than 100,000 people had turned out to call for the closing of the country's nuclear power stations after the disaster in Japan. READ »

Berlin's Kreuzberg decries tourist swarms

Society: 4 Mar 11
Berlin ranks just behind Paris and London when it comes to the number of overnight visitors. But not everyone in the German capital is happy about it, especially in the Kreuzberg district, traditionally a haven for alternative lifestyles. READ »

Water utility referendum a 'cold shower' for Berlin

National: 14 Feb 11
Berliners pushed through the city-state’s first successful referendum on Sunday, with almost everyone at the polls voting in favour of complete disclosure of the German capital’s water utility contracts. READ »

Thousands protest industrial agriculture during Green Week

National: 22 Jan 11
With about 80 tractors leading the way through central Berlin, thousands of people gathered Saturday to protest factory farming and GM technology, a day after the Green Week food and farming trade fair opened in the German capital. READ »

From euro crisis to Eurovision

National: 3 Jan 11
What will be the big stories in Germany in 2011? The Local breaks down what could be a difficult year for the government but a triumphant one for the economy, music and women’s football. READ »

The Greening of Berlin

Analysis & Opinion: 23 Nov 10
The popular Greens aim to take over Berlin's city hall in 2011. But Roger Boyes, Berlin correspondent for British daily The Times, warns they must implement the necessary “eco-dictatorship” on a tight budget in the debt-ridden capital. READ »

Mario Gomez tells gay footballers to come out

Sport: 10 Nov 10
German national footballer Mario Gomez on Wednesday encouraged fellow players to come out of the closet if they are gay – something no active professional has yet done publicly. READ »

'Degenerate' sculptures found beneath Berlin

Society: 8 Nov 10
Sculptures thought lost after the Nazis confiscated them for being “degenerate art” have been discovered right in front of Berlin's City Hall during excavation work for a new metro line. READ »

Künast to run for Berlin mayor in 2011

Politics: 6 Nov 10
A leading light of Germany's opposition Greens said Friday she was ready to stand for mayor of Berlin next year. Opinion polls show she could become the party's first state premier – pitting her against Social Democratic incumbent Klaus Wowereit. READ »

'Festival of Lights' begins in Berlin

Society: 13 Oct 10
More than 60 of Berlin’s landmarks will be lit up on Wednesday night to kick off Berlin’s sixth annual “Festival of Lights.” The colourful event electrifies the city from October 13-24 and features one-off events alongside the illuminations. READ »

Düsseldorf to host Eurovision Song Contest

Society: 12 Oct 10
Public broadcaster ARD announced on Tuesday that the western German city of Düsseldorf will host the next Eurovision Song Contest, beating out its more cosmopolitan rivals Berlin and Hamburg. READ »

Berlin opens Boulevard of Stars to honour German cinema greats

Society: 11 Sep 10
Germany got its own version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with the Friday evening opening of the Boulevard of Stars in Berlin to celebrate German-language films. READ »

Berlin buskers break record for longest street concert

Society: 9 Sep 10
A group of German musicians broke the world record for busking on Thursday, logging 24-hour street concert in Berlin to kick off the city’s Popkomm international music trade show. READ »

Public support for Sarrazin puts politicians in spin

Politics: 5 Sep 10
Nearly a fifth of Germans would vote for a political protest party headed by Thilo Sarrazin, a poll revealed on Sunday, as mainstream politicians argue about how best to react to his statements on Muslims, immigration and Jews. READ »

SPD vows to fight Greens if challenged for Berlin mayorship

Politics: 4 Sep 10
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has vowed to fight the Greens should they challenge Klaus Wowereit for the office of Berlin mayor in the election scheduled for next autumn. READ »

Sarrazin sparks calls for new integration debate

Politics: 3 Sep 10
With President Christian Wulff expected to announce soon the dismissal of central banker Thilo Sarrazin over inflammatory race and immigration comments, leading politicians called on Friday for a renewed integration debate. READ »

SPD buries hatchet over pension age hike policy

Politics: 18 Aug 10
The two top Social Democrats, chairman Sigmar Gabriel and parliamentary leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have reached a compromise after months of battling over the question of raising the retirement age, media reported Wednesday. READ »

What's on in Germany: August 12 - 18

Lifestyle: 12 Aug 10
This Week's Highlights: Horse racing in the Rhineland, classical music at the Hamburg zoo and fireworks over the Bodensee. READ »

Germany commemorates failed anti-Hitler plot

National: 20 Jul 10
Germany on Tuesday marked the 66th anniversary of a failed attempt by army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler in his "Wolf's Lair" military headquarters in a daring bid to end World War II. READ »

New Berlin airport to open seven months late

National: 25 Jun 10
Berlin’s new international airport will open seven months late, Mayor Klaus Wowereit announced on Friday. READ »

Berlin celebrates gay pride parade

Society: 19 Jun 10
Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade drew thousands of people in Berlin on Saturday, as around 50 trucks and marchers round their way around the city to end up for the first time at the Brandenburg Gate. READ »

New capital airport up to nine months late

National: 12 Jun 10
Berlin Schönefeld's relaunch as the German capital’s only airport is likely to be delayed by up to nine months, it was reported at the weekend. READ »

Berlin Airlift remembered at Tempelhof

National: 12 May 10
Just days after Berlin's Tempelhof Airport was turned into a giant city park, people gathered on Wednesday in the German capital to commemorate the Berlin Airlift. READ »

Whistles for Wowereit at Tempelhof park opening

Society: 8 May 10
Around 50 demonstrators whistled through Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit's speech at the opening of a new park on the former Tempelhof airfield on Saturday. READ »

Documenting the heart of Nazi terror

National: 6 May 10
On the eve of the 65th anniversary of the end to World War II in Europe, Berlin this Friday opens a sombre new museum documenting the heart of the Nazis' terror regime. READ »

New Topography of Terror museum to open

Society: 6 May 10
After two decades of planning, the new museum “Topography of Terror”, marking the site of the Nazi SS and Gestapo headquarters, will be unveiled on Thursday. READ »

Lesbian Holocaust memorial plan upsets historians

National: 25 Mar 10
Holocaust scholars on Thursday attacked a bid to include images of kissing lesbians in a monument dedicated to the thousands of homosexuals persecuted by the Nazis, saying it distorted history. READ »

Berlin's 'historic gem' shines with new light

Society: 25 Mar 10
Berlin’s oldest church, the 800-year-old Nikolaikirche, reopened to great fanfare this week after two years' reconstruction work returned it to its former glory. READ »

Marlene Dietrich the first star on 'Berlin Walk'

Society: 7 Feb 10
Berlin-born Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich will be immortalised on the streets of her home city on a new "Walk of Fame" to be unveiled during the Berlin film festival this week, promoters said Saturday. READ »

Fashion Week brings visitors and their cash to Berlin

Society: 20 Jan 10
Despite the decidedly inelegant snow and icy temperatures that continue to bedeck Germany’s capital, more than 130,000 style-savvy visitors descended on Berlin Wednesday to trek through the 2010 Autumn/Winter Fashion Week. READ »

Berlin's Green Week begins amid GM controversy

Society: 15 Jan 10
German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit on Friday opened the the 75th International Green Week food and farming trade fair amid protests against genetically modified crops. READ »

Bavarian interior minister wants Left party watched

Politics: 1 Jan 10
Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann has declared his intention to continue having the Bavarian Left party observed by Germany's constitutional protection office. READ »

Allied Museum angles for space at Tempelhof Airport

National: 11 Dec 09
Berlin’s Allied Museum has unveiled a proposal to move from its remote location in the city's Zehlendorf district to Tempelhof Airport by 2014. READ »

High court deems Berlin shop hours unconstitutional

Society: 1 Dec 09
Germany’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled Berlin’s liberal opening hours for shops were unconstitutional, agreeing with Christian churches that Sundays must be protected from allegedly wanton consumerism. READ »

ZDF editor shown the door amid political row

National: 28 Nov 09
The conservative Christian Democratic Union won its bid late Friday to force out broadcaster ZDF’s editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender in a move journalists, unions and opposition parties branded a major blow against media freedom. READ »

New SPD leaders flag fresh tax approach

Politics: 15 Nov 09
The centre-left Social Democrats will rebuild their reputation as a Volkspartei – or “people’s party” – new chairman Sigmar Gabriel announced Sunday, wrapping up an SPD conference with a clear signal that a new generation is in charge. READ »

Wall anniversary celebrations kick off

National: 8 Nov 09
Berlin warmed up Sunday for the 20th anniversary of the Wall's fall with celebrations throughout the city, as crowds gathered to relive the ecstatic scenes that heralded the demise of European communism. READ »

Berlin school offers German-language guarantee in immigrant heavy district

Society: 15 Oct 09
An elementary school in Berlin’s multicultural Wedding district has announced it will offer a class with a “German guarantee” to keep the overwhelmingly immigrant student body from deterring enrollment. READ »

Berlin S-Bahn debacle may cost Deutsche Bahn dearly

National: 10 Sep 09
Berlin’s mayor sharply criticised the operators of the city’s crippled S-Bahn transport system on Thursday amid reports Deutsche Bahn faces losses of several hundred million euros for the botched commuter rail service. READ »

'World's longest TV show' features a day in Berlin life after the Wall

Society: 4 Sep 09
Billed as the longest programme in television history, a 24-hour panorama of work, fame, sex, the arts and poverty in Berlin two decades after the fall of the Wall will premiere on Saturday. READ »

Scandals besmirch end to world athletics championships

Sport: 24 Aug 09
The IAAF Athletics World Championships concluded with two scandals over the weekend when six athletes were arrested for attacking nightclub doormen and a ZDF sports journalist insulted Berlin’s scruffy Marzahn district. READ »

Poor, sexy and incompetent in Berlin

Analysis & Opinion: 21 Jul 09
Berlin is facing months of public transport chaos caused by a near-total shutdown of the city’s S-Bahn commuter train network. Portnoy's Stammtisch asks what the mayor is doing to end the mess. READ »

Buttering the bread of Berlin's fashion scene

Lifestyle: 29 Jun 09
Exberliner Magazine talks to Karl-Heinz Müller, the man behind this week's Bread & Butter fashion show taking place at Berlin's iconic former airport Tempelhof. READ »

CSD parade fills Berlin amid calls for gay rights

National: 28 Jun 09
More than half a million people watched and took part in the Christopher Street Day gay pride parade in Berlin on Saturday, bringing large parts of the city to a halt. READ »

Merkel says EU vote boosts reelection hopes

Politics: 8 Jun 09
Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday her party's strong showing in European elections has boosted her chances of winning a second term in power when Germany holds national elections in September. READ »

Berlin thanks airlift pilots 60 years later

National: 12 May 09
The city of Berlin on Tuesday kicked off celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Soviet blockade of West Berlin. READ »

Berlin votes to keep religion classes voluntary in schools

National: 26 Apr 09
Ethics classes imposed after an "honour killing" in Berlin's Muslim community will stay compulsory after supporters of religion lessons failed on Sunday to force a change via referendum. READ »

Deutsche Bahn boss stubborn despite resignation calls

National: 29 Mar 09
Hartmut Mehdorn, head of national rail service Deutsche Bahn is ignoring calls for his resignation, despite coming under increasing political pressure at the weekend over new revelations in an ongoing data scandal. READ »

Saving Berlin's tatty temple to art

Analysis & Opinion: 10 Mar 09
Berlin’s legendary artist collective Tacheles has long had a tenuous relationship with the building’s owners. Gert-Andreas Oberfell explains why the group is hoping to raise €3.5 million to secure its future. READ »

Berlin raises teacher salaries by almost half

Business & Money: 19 Feb 09
In a bid to keep Berlin’s teachers from escaping to higher paying jobs in other cities, the city government has decided to increase their salaries by almost 50 percent each month, daily Der Tagesspiegel reported this week. READ »

Talking straight with gay filmmaker Jochen Hick

Lifestyle: 12 Feb 09
German director Jochen Hick has helped redefine a genre he hardly identifies with: gay cinema. Exberliner Magazine talks with him about his seventh official Berlinale selection premiering this week, "The Good American." READ »