THE GUARDIAN: Shift in relations and unpredictability of Donald Trump make it ‘risky to store so much gold in the US’, say experts
Germany is facing calls to withdraw its billions of euros’ worth of gold from US vaults, spurred on by the shift in transatlantic relations and the unpredictability of Donald Trump.
Germany holds the world’s second biggest national gold reserves after the US, of which approximately €164bn (£122bn) worth – 1,236 tonnes – is stored in New York.
Emanuel Mönch, a leading economist and former head of research at Germany’s federal bank, the Bundesbank, called for the gold to be brought home, saying it was too “risky” for it to be kept in the US under the current administration. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Saturday, January 24, 2026
HANDELSBLATT: Druckmittel für Trump? Bundesbank gerät in Zwickmühle: Wie sicher ist das Bundesbank-Gold in New York? Die Bundesbank schließt einen Abzug aus. Doch aus dem Umfeld der Notenbank und dem Bundestag kommen Forderungen, diese Haltung zu überdenken. »
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
What’s Driving Europe’s Military Build-up in Greenland? | DW News
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
The Nazi Persecution of Gay People | Reupload
What's behind Germany's Strategic Pivot toward the Global South? | DW News
Monday, January 12, 2026
Scenes from Different from the Others / Anders als die Andern (1919)
1 Jun 2019 | Excerpts from Different From the Others (Anders als die Andern) (Germany, 1919), which was preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive as part of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. Funding provided by The Andrew J. Kuehn Jr. Foundation and the members of Outfest.
Synopsis
The concert violinist Paul Koerner takes a student under his wing, much to the worry of the boy’s parents. Koerner is meanwhile being blackmailed by a former lover, since in Germany any homosexual relations at that time were punishable under the law, codified in Article 175, which was not removed from the books until the 1960s. The German film, Different From the Others is, as far as we know, the first fiction feature film to address a specifically gay audience. Fortunately, even though more than 90% of all German silent films have disappeared, this film exists today in at least half its original length. When the film was first shown in 1919, gay and lesbian audiences must have been amazed that a mainstream fiction feature film would portray their situation as a fact of nature, rather than a perversion. Today, this film celebrates the brief opening of that door, before it slammed shut for another 50 years.
The film was produced and directed by Richard Oswald, at that time one of Germany’s most prolific independents, who made films cheaply and premiered them in a Berlin cinema he owned, where his wife would often handle the office box. Oswald had earned a fortune in 1917/18 with a number of “educational” feature films about sexually transmitted diseases, which were approved by the censorship authorities, simply because syphilis was rampant in the trenches. Oswald would continue to produce controversial films, like his acknowledged masterpiece, The Captain from Koepenick (1931) based on Carl Zuckmayer’s anti-authoritarian play. The Nazis never forgave Oswald for Anders als die Andern or Koepenick, forcing Oswald into exile and eventually to Hollywood, where he directed several films and television shows. Although long underappreciated in Germany, recent critical reappraisals have valued his in-your-face aesthetic and modern subject matter.
Only a severely truncated version of the film has survived, with Ukrainian titles, as Gosfilmofond in Russia. It was restored previously to a semblance of the original 1919 release by the Munich Film Museum. The UCLA restoration is based on that Munich reconstruction, with some changes and additions made.
Credits
Richard-Oswald-Produktion. Screenwriters: Magnus Hirschfeld and Richard Oswald. Cinematographer: Max Fassbender. With: Conrad Veidt, Leo Connard, Ilse von Tasso-Lind, Alexandra Willegh, Ernst Pittschau, Fritz Schulz.
WIKIPEDIA: Magnus Hirschfeld »
Synopsis
The concert violinist Paul Koerner takes a student under his wing, much to the worry of the boy’s parents. Koerner is meanwhile being blackmailed by a former lover, since in Germany any homosexual relations at that time were punishable under the law, codified in Article 175, which was not removed from the books until the 1960s. The German film, Different From the Others is, as far as we know, the first fiction feature film to address a specifically gay audience. Fortunately, even though more than 90% of all German silent films have disappeared, this film exists today in at least half its original length. When the film was first shown in 1919, gay and lesbian audiences must have been amazed that a mainstream fiction feature film would portray their situation as a fact of nature, rather than a perversion. Today, this film celebrates the brief opening of that door, before it slammed shut for another 50 years.
The film was produced and directed by Richard Oswald, at that time one of Germany’s most prolific independents, who made films cheaply and premiered them in a Berlin cinema he owned, where his wife would often handle the office box. Oswald had earned a fortune in 1917/18 with a number of “educational” feature films about sexually transmitted diseases, which were approved by the censorship authorities, simply because syphilis was rampant in the trenches. Oswald would continue to produce controversial films, like his acknowledged masterpiece, The Captain from Koepenick (1931) based on Carl Zuckmayer’s anti-authoritarian play. The Nazis never forgave Oswald for Anders als die Andern or Koepenick, forcing Oswald into exile and eventually to Hollywood, where he directed several films and television shows. Although long underappreciated in Germany, recent critical reappraisals have valued his in-your-face aesthetic and modern subject matter.
Only a severely truncated version of the film has survived, with Ukrainian titles, as Gosfilmofond in Russia. It was restored previously to a semblance of the original 1919 release by the Munich Film Museum. The UCLA restoration is based on that Munich reconstruction, with some changes and additions made.
Credits
Richard-Oswald-Produktion. Screenwriters: Magnus Hirschfeld and Richard Oswald. Cinematographer: Max Fassbender. With: Conrad Veidt, Leo Connard, Ilse von Tasso-Lind, Alexandra Willegh, Ernst Pittschau, Fritz Schulz.
WIKIPEDIA: Magnus Hirschfeld »
Sunday, January 11, 2026
The Ordinary People Who Hid Their Jewish Neighbours from the Nazis
The Secret Lives of Gay Officers in WW2 Germany
24 Nov 2025 | During WW2 in Nazi Germany, gay officers and soldiers lived under constant fear, secrecy, and persecution. Their stories were hidden for decades, erased from official records, and silenced by a regime that criminalized their very existence. This video explores the reality they faced — from strict military laws to the brutal punishment under Paragraph 175, which targeted gay men across the country.
Many of these officers served bravely while hiding a part of themselves that could lead to imprisonment or worse. Their lives were marked by coded communication, secret relationships, and the ever-present danger of being exposed. After the war, survivors continued to face discrimination, and only much later did the world begin to recognize their suffering.
One of the strongest symbols tied to this history is the pink triangle, originally used by the Nazis to mark gay prisoners in concentration camps. Today, it stands as a powerful emblem of remembrance, resilience, and LGBTQ+ rights.
This video aims to educate, honour, and bring visibility to the lives that were hidden for so long.
Many of these officers served bravely while hiding a part of themselves that could lead to imprisonment or worse. Their lives were marked by coded communication, secret relationships, and the ever-present danger of being exposed. After the war, survivors continued to face discrimination, and only much later did the world begin to recognize their suffering.
One of the strongest symbols tied to this history is the pink triangle, originally used by the Nazis to mark gay prisoners in concentration camps. Today, it stands as a powerful emblem of remembrance, resilience, and LGBTQ+ rights.
This video aims to educate, honour, and bring visibility to the lives that were hidden for so long.
Maximilian of Baden: The Silenced Confessions of a Gay Prince | Documentary
9 Jan 2026 | In the final days of the German Empire, palace servants burned secret letters that could have destroyed one of Europe’s most powerful royal houses.
Those letters, according to historians, belonged to Prince Maximilian of Baden — a royal heir whose private life was carefully erased from history.
This documentary explores the hidden world of a German crown prince who lived under constant surveillance, whose intimate correspondence with men threatened dynastic stability, and whose secrets were considered so dangerous they were deliberately destroyed.
From whispered rumours at university to coded letters intercepted by court intelligence, Maximilian’s life reveals how power, sexuality, and silence shaped royal destinies.
As World War I pushed Germany toward collapse, the same man forced to hide his forbidden desires became the last Chancellor of Imperial Germany — tasked with ending an empire that had imprisoned him his entire life. But what exactly did those burned letters contain? And did all the evidence truly disappear?
This is a true historical documentary about royal secrecy, forbidden desire, political fear, and the deliberate erasure of LGBTQ+ lives from European history.
Those letters, according to historians, belonged to Prince Maximilian of Baden — a royal heir whose private life was carefully erased from history.
This documentary explores the hidden world of a German crown prince who lived under constant surveillance, whose intimate correspondence with men threatened dynastic stability, and whose secrets were considered so dangerous they were deliberately destroyed.
From whispered rumours at university to coded letters intercepted by court intelligence, Maximilian’s life reveals how power, sexuality, and silence shaped royal destinies.
As World War I pushed Germany toward collapse, the same man forced to hide his forbidden desires became the last Chancellor of Imperial Germany — tasked with ending an empire that had imprisoned him his entire life. But what exactly did those burned letters contain? And did all the evidence truly disappear?
This is a true historical documentary about royal secrecy, forbidden desire, political fear, and the deliberate erasure of LGBTQ+ lives from European history.
Germany’s Long History of Homophobia: Paragraph 175
6 Jan 2026 | Section 175 was a German criminal statute introduced in 1871 that prohibited sexual relations between men. It remained in force for more than a century, surviving monarchy, the Weimar Republic, the Nazi regime, the post-war division of Germany and even reunification before its final abolition in 1994. The law was radically expanded by the Nazis in 1935, leading to tens of thousands of investigations and the deportation of many men to concentration camps under the pink triangle. After 1945, prosecutions continued in both East and West Germany, and men were still being convicted under Section 175 into the early 1990s. Because the law persisted across these political systems, institutionalised homophobia became a structural feature of modern German history.
Following its repeal, the federal government issued a formal apology for the decades of persecution, and in 2008 a national memorial designed by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset was inaugurated at the eastern edge of the Tiergarten to commemorate homosexual victims of National Socialism. Its meaning has since broadened to include lesbian and trans victims, acknowledging the wider spectrum of people targeted and marginalised under the Nazi regime and in the decades that followed.
This video outlines key moments in the long history of institutionalised homophobia in Germany.
Whitlam’s Berlin Tours can be supported on Patreon here.
Following its repeal, the federal government issued a formal apology for the decades of persecution, and in 2008 a national memorial designed by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset was inaugurated at the eastern edge of the Tiergarten to commemorate homosexual victims of National Socialism. Its meaning has since broadened to include lesbian and trans victims, acknowledging the wider spectrum of people targeted and marginalised under the Nazi regime and in the decades that followed.
This video outlines key moments in the long history of institutionalised homophobia in Germany.
Whitlam’s Berlin Tours can be supported on Patreon here.
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
German AfD Courts MAGA as Europe's Far Right Surges | DW News
Trump and the MAGA movement is the most dangerous politician and movement for the West since Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. — © Mark Alexander
Friday, December 12, 2025
Is Germany's Far-right Populist AfD Party Spying for Russia?
DEUTSCHE WELLE (DW): Lawmakers accuse the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of using its parliamentary powers to gather intelligence on Germany's critical infrastructure to share it with Russia.
Allegations of espionage against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have been raised by the interior minister of the state of Thuringia. In an interview with Handelsblatt, Social Democrat (SPD) Georg Maier expressed concern that the AfD is abusing its parliamentary powers to gather information about Germany's transport infrastructure, water supply, digital infrastructure and energy supply.
"With its requests, one gets the impression that the AfD is working through a list of tasks assigned by the Kremlin," Maier told the newspaper this week.
He pointed out that the Thuringian branch of the AfD had submitted 47 such inquiries to the state parliament in the past 12 months alone — and with "increasing intensity and depth of detail."
"The AfD is particularly interested in IT and equipment used by the police, for example in the area of drone detection and defense," Maier said. Equipment used in civil protection, health care and Bundeswehr activities are also the subject of inquiries. » | Hans Pfeifer | Sunday, October 26, 2025
Allegations of espionage against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have been raised by the interior minister of the state of Thuringia. In an interview with Handelsblatt, Social Democrat (SPD) Georg Maier expressed concern that the AfD is abusing its parliamentary powers to gather information about Germany's transport infrastructure, water supply, digital infrastructure and energy supply.
"With its requests, one gets the impression that the AfD is working through a list of tasks assigned by the Kremlin," Maier told the newspaper this week.
He pointed out that the Thuringian branch of the AfD had submitted 47 such inquiries to the state parliament in the past 12 months alone — and with "increasing intensity and depth of detail."
"The AfD is particularly interested in IT and equipment used by the police, for example in the area of drone detection and defense," Maier said. Equipment used in civil protection, health care and Bundeswehr activities are also the subject of inquiries. » | Hans Pfeifer | Sunday, October 26, 2025
Thursday, December 11, 2025
How German Politicians Are Responding to the US National Security Strategy | DW News
Tuesday, December 09, 2025
Friedrich Merz Challenges US Strategy, Calls Europe Fully Independent Now
Dec 9, 2025 | Friedrich Merz Challenges US Strategy, Calls Europe Fully Independent Now
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly questions parts of the new US National Security Strategy, warning that Europe does not need American intervention to “save democracy.” His comments come after Washington referred to “civilizational erasure” in Europe, raising concerns across EU capitals. This video explains the debate, the political signals from Berlin, and what this means for Europe’s independence and transatlantic relations.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly questions parts of the new US National Security Strategy, warning that Europe does not need American intervention to “save democracy.” His comments come after Washington referred to “civilizational erasure” in Europe, raising concerns across EU capitals. This video explains the debate, the political signals from Berlin, and what this means for Europe’s independence and transatlantic relations.
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
King Charles Welcomes German President on First State Visit in 27 Years
BBC: King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales have welcomed the German president to the UK for a state visit.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender landed at Heathrow airport on Wednesday morning and will receive an elaborate ceremonial reception in Windsor, beginning with a carriage ride to the castle.
It is the first German state visit in 27 years.
Such state visits are about projecting soft power and building relationships, and the three-day visit will see a mix of pageantry, politics and culture.
Events for the president will include a state banquet, speaking in Parliament, meeting the PM in Downing Street and visiting German footballers who play in the Premier League.
German flags are flying along Windsor High Street and the visitors will be given a formal welcoming ceremony and will view a military parade on the manicured lawns inside Windsor Castle.
State visits are planned by the Foreign Office to cultivate diplomatic relations with important partners. » | Sean Coughlan, Royal correspondent, Windsor | Wednesday, December 3, 2025
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender landed at Heathrow airport on Wednesday morning and will receive an elaborate ceremonial reception in Windsor, beginning with a carriage ride to the castle.
It is the first German state visit in 27 years.
Such state visits are about projecting soft power and building relationships, and the three-day visit will see a mix of pageantry, politics and culture.
Events for the president will include a state banquet, speaking in Parliament, meeting the PM in Downing Street and visiting German footballers who play in the Premier League.
German flags are flying along Windsor High Street and the visitors will be given a formal welcoming ceremony and will view a military parade on the manicured lawns inside Windsor Castle.
State visits are planned by the Foreign Office to cultivate diplomatic relations with important partners. » | Sean Coughlan, Royal correspondent, Windsor | Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Friday, November 28, 2025
German Christmas Markets: Classics, Highlights and Special Locations
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Frederick Trump - The Immigrant Grandfather of Donald Trump | Documentary
Nov 20, 2025 | Frederick Trump was a poor German barber’s son who crossed the Atlantic as a teenager and died a wealthy American businessman. In between, he chased the Gold Rush, ran hotels and brothels on the frontier, and laid the financial foundations for one of the most controversial political dynasties in modern history. This is the story of the immigrant who started the Trump dynasty.
In this full-length biographical documentary, we follow Frederick Trump’s journey from Kallstadt in the Kingdom of Bavaria to the raw, lawless world of the American West and the Klondike Gold Rush. Long before Donald Trump entered politics or became a global celebrity, his grandfather was building the family fortune in an America of opportunity, corruption and rapid change.
In this full-length biographical documentary, we follow Frederick Trump’s journey from Kallstadt in the Kingdom of Bavaria to the raw, lawless world of the American West and the Klondike Gold Rush. Long before Donald Trump entered politics or became a global celebrity, his grandfather was building the family fortune in an America of opportunity, corruption and rapid change.
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
German Man with Alleged Neo-Nazi Links Arrested over Darknet Assassination Calls
THE GUARDIAN: Prosecutor says suspect ran platform with lists of politicians’ names and requests for crypto donations, to be offered as ‘bounties’
Germany’s chief federal prosecutor has announced the arrest of a German-Polish national with alleged neo-Nazi ties who is accused of calling on the darknet for the assassination of top politicians and seeking donations for bounties on their heads.
More than 20 people were on the list of potential targets, including former chancellors Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz as well as judges and ex-government ministers, local media reported.
On his platform Assassination Politics, the 49-year-old suspect, identified only as Martin S, is alleged to have published personal data of prominent people as well as “charge sheets” and “death sentences”.
The suspect, who was arrested late on Monday in the western city of Dortmund, where he lives with his family, faces charges including financing terrorism, inciting others to commit a serious act of violence that endangers the state and committing the dangerous dissemination of personal data. » | Deborah Cole in Berlin | Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Germany’s chief federal prosecutor has announced the arrest of a German-Polish national with alleged neo-Nazi ties who is accused of calling on the darknet for the assassination of top politicians and seeking donations for bounties on their heads.
More than 20 people were on the list of potential targets, including former chancellors Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz as well as judges and ex-government ministers, local media reported.
On his platform Assassination Politics, the 49-year-old suspect, identified only as Martin S, is alleged to have published personal data of prominent people as well as “charge sheets” and “death sentences”.
The suspect, who was arrested late on Monday in the western city of Dortmund, where he lives with his family, faces charges including financing terrorism, inciting others to commit a serious act of violence that endangers the state and committing the dangerous dissemination of personal data. » | Deborah Cole in Berlin | Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Sunday, November 09, 2025
Book Burnings: How the Nazis First Burned Books and Then People
May 7, 2023 | Book burnings - in the past and the present - stand as one of the most powerful symbols of intolerance and censorship. On May 10, 1933, only a few months after Hitler's rise to power, tens of thousands of books were burned in more than twenty German cities. Most books were works by Jewish authors. But works by political dissidents were also blacklisted. Numerous writers were forced to go into exile, while many of those who stayed in Germany were imprisoned or murdered. The Nazis replaced the Weimar Republic’s once vibrant culture with Nazi propaganda and a carefully tailored concept of what they wanted “German culture” to be.
In this episode of "Arts Unveiled", DW History Reporter Susanne Spröer sets forth to investigate why the idea to burn books took hold of universities across Germany in 1933. What role did the symbolism of fire play? Which authors were blacklisted? What happened to them afterwards? And what do young people today think about these acts of cultural destruction?
In this episode of "Arts Unveiled", DW History Reporter Susanne Spröer sets forth to investigate why the idea to burn books took hold of universities across Germany in 1933. What role did the symbolism of fire play? Which authors were blacklisted? What happened to them afterwards? And what do young people today think about these acts of cultural destruction?
November 9: A Day of Destiny?
Nov 8, 2025 | Why is November 9th such a significant date in Germany and what does it have to do with German democracy? In this History Story we explore the questions: Why did the Nazis choose November 9th, of all days, for marches, festivities - and for their first major violent attack on Jews, known internationally as "Kristallnacht" or "The Night of Broken Glass"? How did the date come to symbolize new beginnings, and freedom? And why is November 9th a day of mourning for so many people? The date, known in Germany as “Schicksalstag” or “Day of Destiny”, has been instrumentalized to overwrite history and decide the fates of German citizens.
We talk to historian and author Wolfgang Niess, who in his book "Der 9. November - Die Deutschen und ihr Schicksalstag", explains the background and historical context of this day. Israeli filmmaker Yael Reuveny shares the feelings and associations that November 9th evokes and how Jewish people feel living in Germany. For many years, Berlin was a refuge for Israelis dissatisfied with their home country's politics. However, since the October 7th multi-front terror attacks on Israel by the militant group Hamas and the ensuing Israeli bombardment of Gaza, Germany is experiencing a wave of antisemitic crimes. Although state policy upholds the protection of Jewish life, antisemitism is nonetheless deeply rooted, and on the rise.
German democracy - a fragile achievement. It's been fought for time and again in Germany. On November 9th, we are reminded of the need to remain vigilant in its defence.
We talk to historian and author Wolfgang Niess, who in his book "Der 9. November - Die Deutschen und ihr Schicksalstag", explains the background and historical context of this day. Israeli filmmaker Yael Reuveny shares the feelings and associations that November 9th evokes and how Jewish people feel living in Germany. For many years, Berlin was a refuge for Israelis dissatisfied with their home country's politics. However, since the October 7th multi-front terror attacks on Israel by the militant group Hamas and the ensuing Israeli bombardment of Gaza, Germany is experiencing a wave of antisemitic crimes. Although state policy upholds the protection of Jewish life, antisemitism is nonetheless deeply rooted, and on the rise.
German democracy - a fragile achievement. It's been fought for time and again in Germany. On November 9th, we are reminded of the need to remain vigilant in its defence.
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