Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts

Sunday, July 05, 2026

German Riot Police Clash with Protesters Hoping to Block Far-right AfD Conference

THE GUARDIAN: Thousands of police deployed to Erfurt in central Germany as party holds conference on key Nazi date

Riot police have clashed with opponents of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on the streets of Erfurt in Germany, where thousands met to block roads and prevent AfD delegates from attending the party’s biennial national conference to elect its leadership.

Police reported 20,000 protesters were demonstrating in the eastern city, where Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected as the party’s co-leaders in the run-up to crucial regional elections in which AfD could win power at state-level for the first time.

The protesters, led by the “Resistance” alliance, staged sit-in blockades in the city centre in an attempt to prevent the AfD’s approximately 600 delegates from reaching the conference grounds, with some abseiling from a motorway bridge and others gluing themselves to tram tracks to cause disruption. » | Donna Ferguson | Saturday, July 4, 2026

Ironically, Hitler was not a German, but an Austrian. His soul, however, lives on particularly in Germany. In fact, it lives on and on and on! Will it ever die? Will Germany ever be able to shake off Hitler’s deplorable and disgusting legacy, once and for all? Will Germans ever be able to purify their image and souls of that despicable man’s ghost and cruel legacy? For truly it seems that Hitler’s ghost keeps coming back to haunt Germans, generation after generation. — © Mark Alexander

Thursday, July 02, 2026

Weaponizing Civil Death to Crush Dissidents (w/ Hüseyin Doğru) | The Chris Hedges Report

July 1, 2026 | Western states test the limits of their expansive repression of free speech in cases such as the sanctioning of German journalist, Hüseyin Dogru.


Support Chris Hedges’ independent journalism at substack here.

Sunday, June 28, 2026

How Nazi Germany Invented Television Propaganda I SLICE History | Full Documentary

Jun 28, 2025 | Long before television became a household staple in the 1950s, Nazi Germany was already experimenting with live broadcasts and state-controlled programming. From news reports and entertainment shows to propaganda and speeches, the Third Reich built one of the world's earliest television networks. Thanks to newly uncovered archives, this documentary reveals a forgotten chapter in media history and offers a rare glimpse into everyday television under Hitler's regime.

Documentary: Television Under the Swastika*
Directed by Michael Kloft
Production: Spiegel TV (1999)



FYI: The original, Das Fernsehen unter dem Hakenkreuz, was in German.

Saturday, June 27, 2026

The Rise of the Third Reich | Full Documentary

March 19, 2025 | Explore the chilling rise of the Third Reich in this gripping documentary, tracing Germany’s journey from the devastation of World War I to the horrors of Nazi rule.

Uncover how a nation crippled by economic despair and political instability became fertile ground for Adolf Hitler's radical ideology.

Through powerful storytelling, rare footage, and expert analysis, witness how propaganda, fear, and ambition manipulated a nation, leading to the creation of one of history’s most ruthless dictatorships and a tragic descent into war and genocide.

Contributors: Lisa Pine, Guy Walters, Mick Sumner
Director: Sarah Findley



This all sounds very similar to what has been, and still is, going on across the Pond right now! — © Mark Alexander

How Nazi Membership IDs Are Rewriting Family Histories

Jun 27, 2026 | The Nazi Party membership records are published online by the U.S. National Archives, easily accessible to anyone. 

Files that had long lain hidden are now giving answers to the question of millions of Germans: Were my grandparents Nazis? These documents are upending families across Germany, as long-held narratives, omissions, and repression begin to break down.

We are following a grandson uncovering dirty secrets in his family’s Nazi past.


Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Merz Backs Plans to Raise Germany’s Retirement Age to 70 in Pension Changes

THE GUARDIAN: Recommendations from commission propose gradual rise in retirement age by the early 2090s

Screenshot taken from this article. | ‘No citizen needs to worry,’ said the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Germany will gradually raise its retirement age to about 70 by the early 2090s under recommendations backed by the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, as a means of future-proofing the pension system for an ageing population.

Presenting its findings on Tuesday, an expert commission set up to explore reforms to the pension system said retirement age should be linked to rising life expectancy and early retirement should be scrapped.

“No citizen needs to worry,” said Merz, as he said the measures would prevent the collapse of the creaking pension system and strengthen the social contract between generations. Young people, he argued, would be given a “reason for optimism” by the measures, which would “lift a tremendous burden” from their shoulders.

The commission of experts sat for long daily sessions from January until its 33-point plan was presented on Tuesday.

Among its key recommendations are for the obligatory contributions made by workers and employers to be invested in the stock market in order to increase and safeguard the fund’s value for future generations. It also proposed expanding compulsory pension contributions to include civil servants and self-employed workers. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Die armen Deutschen! Von nun an müssen sie sich bis zur völligen Erschöpfung abrackern! Wenn sie Glück haben, erhalten sie dann als Gegenleistung eine staatliche Rente, für die sie ihr ganzes Leben lang eingezahlt haben. Doch wie lange werden sie diese Zahlungen wohl beziehen können? Meiner Meinung nach wäre es besser und gerechter, die Milliardäre stärker zu besteuern. Auf diese Weise könnten hart arbeitende Menschen ihren Ruhestand noch einige Jahre lang genießen. – © Mark Alexander

Monday, June 22, 2026

Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union: Operation Barbarossa (1/2) | DW Documentary

Jun 19, 2026 | On 22 June 1941, the German Wehrmacht launched a war of aggression against the Soviet Union. Under the code name ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the campaign aimed to bring the vast country in the east to its knees. Millions of people died as a result.

At the beginning of the Second World War, the Nazi regime celebrated a series of military successes: boosted by rapid victories in Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, the Wehrmacht prepared a secret manoeuvre in the east, firmly convinced that troops would be back home after a few months. But the period of unimaginable violence unleashed by Hitler would claim millions of lives.

Without declaring war and with more than three million soldiers battle-ready, the Wehrmacht attacked on a broad front between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. In the first hours of the meticulously prepared military invasion, the Luftwaffe rained bombs on Soviet bases near the border, catching the Soviets completely off-guard.

The force of the attack was seen as a continuation of the German troops’ successful ‘Blitzkrieg’ campaigns. In his instructions to the Chief of Operations in the Armed Forces High Command, written in March 1941, Hitler had already stated: ‘This upcoming campaign is more than just a battle of arms, it’s also a clash between two worldviews. The Jewish-Bolshevik intelligentsia, as the previous oppressor of the people, must be eliminated.’

Another aim: the economic exploitation of conquered territories. Many of those involved and affected by this tragedy - Germans and Soviets, soldiers and civilians alike - recorded their harrowing experiences in amateur films, letters and diaries. These vivid descriptions of the German war of aggression in the East are a far cry from official war reporting and state propaganda. These accounts, by men and women fighting for survival, document the horror on both sides of the conflict.

Monday, May 18, 2026

Germany's Multi-billion-euro Plan for Shelters, Hospital Beds and Emergency Vehicles | DW News

May 18, 2026 | Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Berlin has spent around €300 billion Euros on its military — but critics warn the country is still not ready to defend itself.

Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Nazi Database Takes Germans on Personal Journey into Their Families’ Dark Pasts

THE GUARDIAN: Die Zeit’s online database of individuals’ Nazi membership is prompting a reckoning as people uncover ties to regime

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | A 1930s Nazi rally in Nuremberg, Germany Photograph: Shutterstock

Olaf Köndgen is 64 years old, a German citizen and a senior European human rights expert who has lived and worked in France for several years. Last month, Köndgen learned that he is also the son of a Nazi.

Despite a strong interest in history and its lessons, Köndgen is typical of many 21st-century Germans in having had only the roughest outlines of his own family’s complicity with Hitler’s regime.

That began to change in early April, when the newspaper Die Zeit launched an online search engine for the vast archives of the National Socialist German Workers’ party (NSDAP), making information about individuals’ Nazi membership easily accessible for the first time.

Die Zeit has described an extraordinary response from the public, reflecting intense interest in unearthing long-buried family secrets more than eight decades after the end of the second world war.

The tool has been accessed “millions of times” and shared “by the thousands”, with more than 1,000 reader comments appearing on the site, according to Christian Staas, the newspaper’s history editor. » | Deborah Cole in Berlin | Monday, May 4, 2026

Sunday, May 03, 2026

Republicans ‘Concerned’ after Trump Threatens to Withdraw More US Troops from Germany

THE GUARDIAN: US announced withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers last week after German chancellor said US was being ‘humiliated’ by Iran

Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw more US troops from Germany after stunning European leaders and some senior members of his own party by last week announcing the withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany.

The move left 30,000 US troops still in the country, according to CNN. But Trump threatened on Saturday that more cuts were coming. “We are going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” he told reporters on Saturday.

Trump’s initial move to reduce US personnel in Germany came after German chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was being “humiliated” by Iran.

The Pentagon then announced on Friday it was withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany. The decision came after a “thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground”, a spokesman said. » | Sam Levine | Sunday, May 3, 2026

Saturday, May 02, 2026

U.S. to Withdraw 5,000 Troops From Germany, Pentagon Says

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Officials announced the decision after President Trump expressed annoyance with the German chancellor’s remarks about the Iran war.

Pentagon officials said on Friday that they were pulling 5,000 troops from Germany and would redeploy them to the United States and other posts overseas.

The Defense Department is also canceling a plan developed under the Biden administration to place a missile-equipped artillery unit in Europe.

The moves will return U.S. forces in Europe to the level they were in 2022, before Russia began its war in Ukraine, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the planning process. Last year, the Pentagon redeployed a brigade in Romania and did not send replacement forces.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement that the withdrawal would be completed over the next six to 12 months. » | Julian E. Barnes and Helene Cooper | Reporting from Washington | Friday, May 1, 2026

Trump has had yet another temper tantrum! So, what’s new? Friedrich Merz spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Obviously, Trump doesn’t like to hear the truth. — © Mark Alexander

READ ALSO:

How Germany Misjudged Trump’s Anger on Iran: After Chancellor Friedrich Merz upset President Trump with criticism of the war, he offered no public sign he believed Mr. Trump’s threats to pull troops were serious. »

À LIRE AUSSI :

Le Pentagone annonce le retrait de 5000 soldats américains stationnés en Allemagne : Cette décision, ordonnée par le secrétaire à la Défense, doit être mise en œuvre dans un délai d’un an. »

LESEN SIE AUCH:

Streit mit Merz eskaliert: Trump zieht 5000 Soldaten aus Deutschland ab – Pistorius reagiert: Nach dem angekündigten Abzug von 5000 US-Soldaten aus Deutschland gibt sich die Bundesregierung gelassen. Verteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius nennt den Schritt „absehbar“. »

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Trump Tells Merz to ‘Fix His Broken Country’ in New Attack on German Chancellor

THE GUARDIAN: US president’s latest outburst comes a day after he suggested a ‘possible reduction’ in US troops in Germany

Donald Trump has again lashed out at Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, saying he should focus on “fixing his broken country” and trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war – and spend less time “interfering” in Iran.

“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!),” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Merz should instead focus on “fixing his broken Country,” he wrote, “especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!”

Trump’s latest outburst came a day after he suggested the US military presence in Germany was being reviewed, with a “possible reduction” of troops under consideration. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin and Jakub Krupa | Thursday, April 30, 2026

Trump Threatens to Reduce Troop Numbers in Germany amid Growing Row with Nato Allies

THE GUARDIAN: US president’s threat comes after Germany’s Friedrich Merz suggests Trump team is being outplayed in its negotiations with Iran

The US may reduce its number of troops deployed in Germany, Donald Trump has announced, days after the country’s chancellor said America was being “humiliated” by Iran.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said his administration was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time”.

On Monday, Friedrich Merz suggested the Trump team was being outplayed in its negotiations with Iran to secure an end to the ongoing war and a reopening of the strait of Hormuz.

“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” the German chancellor said.

Merz reiterated his criticisms on Wednesday, saying Europe was “suffering” from the consequences of the closure of the strait. » | Jonathan Yerushalmy | Thursday, April 30, 2026

Lire la suite ici.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Pope Opposes German Bishops, Says Church Shouldn’t Bless Same-sex Couples

LGBTQ NATION: LGBTQ+ Catholic groups welcomed the Pope’s comments as an overdue clarification of the Church’s priorities.

Pope Leo XIV has suggested that the Catholic Church should focus more on matters of justice and equality than on sexual morality. He made his comments while responding to a question about blessing same-sex couples.

Speaking with reporters aboard a flight back to Rome last Thursday, following an 11-day tour of Africa, the first American pope was asked about German Cardinal Reinhard Marx’s recent guidance on formalizing blessings for same-sex couples and couples that include people who have been divorced, Reuters reported. » | John Russell | Monday, April 27, 2026

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Exploring Hitler’s Munich: The Birthplace of Nazism I SLICE History | Full Documentary

Apr 17, 2026 | Munich was more than a backdrop to Hitler’s rise. It was the city where the Nazi movement took shape, where party ritual, propaganda, architecture, and repression were embedded into the urban landscape.

Documentary: Exploring Hitler's Munich
Directed by: Frank Gensthaler, Michael Kloft
Production: Spiegel TV (2007)


Wednesday, April 08, 2026

Germany Triggers Debate by Requiring Men under 45 to Get Permit for Trips Longer than Three Months

Apr 7, 2026 | The new military service law requires all men under 45 to seek approval from the Bundeswehr to leave the country for longer than three months. It also obliges the military career center to issue it.

Friday, March 27, 2026

Top German Soldier Warns Russia Threat Is More Urgent Than Ever | BBC News

Mar 27, 2026 | Germany’s most senior soldier has told the BBC that western leaders must “join the dots” on the war in Iran and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, because they can no longer be seen "in separate boxes".

General Carsten Breuer, the head of the Armed Forces also warned that the threat from Russia had never been more urgent.

The General is overseeing a rapid expansion of Germany military might, which is turning the country into the most powerful conventional force in Europe, as our Special Correspondent, Allan Little reports.


Thursday, March 26, 2026

Iran War Widens Rift between US and Germany | DW News

Mar 24, 2026 | The Iran war is putting further strain on transatlantic relations. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has now spoken of a 'deep rift' with the United States. In unusually strong comments, he said that 'there will be no going back to before January 20, 2025', when Donald Trump began his second presidential term. And President Steimeier slammed the US administration for starting the war against Iran. DW’s head of German politics Max Hofmann analyzes the impact of Steinmeier’s remarks on relations with Washington.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Why Germany Struggles with National Identity

Mar 22, 2026 | Nationalism in Germany carries a weight it doesn’t in many other countries.

This video explores why German national identity remains so fragile and why this issue can no longer be ignored.