Tanit Koch
11 December 2024
How Thomas Mann taught Germans to chill out
First published in 1924, his masterpiece Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain) is a highbrow ode to chilling
Read the full article04 December 2024
How universities can avoid cancellation
Academic institutions, such as Leipzig University, must learn how to stand firm and not let intimidation become routine
Read the full article25 November 2024
The return of Merkelmania
The former German chancellor has played it smart again by shrouding her memoirs in secrecy ahead of their release
Read the full article20 November 2024
Misunderstanding Dietrich Bonhoeffer's legacy
Bonhoeffer fought against exclusion and for those who couldn’t fight for themselves
Read the full article13 November 2024
Olaf Scholz cracks under pressure
As the coalition falls, the chancellor was pushed to call an election earlier than he planned
Read the full article07 November 2024
Why the German coalition government has just collapsed
German politics is now a dysfunctional mess and it’s all Olaf Scholz’s fault. With Trump looming, the timing couldn’t be worse
Read the full article07 November 2024
Are ‘trusted flaggers’ reporting hate or erasing debate?
Germany is issuing licences to groups who will report (what they think is) illegal and detrimental content on social media platforms
Read the full article30 October 2024
Germansplaining: Bauhaus and the Nazis
The art school embodied a renewed liberal spirit in the Weimar Republic but also had complex intersections with the Nazi Party
Read the full article23 October 2024
Can Thomas Tuchel end 60 years of hurt?
His appointment as England manager has raised eyebrows in Germany, but he is a world-class coach who x-rays his opponents like no one else
Read the full article09 October 2024
Germansplaining: The Greens are in trouble
All eyes are on vice-chancellor Habeck as his plans for the party fail to pay off
Read the full article02 October 2024
German democracy tastes further mayhem
In Thuringia’s parliament, what should have been standard protocol was turned into a farce, engineered by AfD
Read the full article25 September 2024
Austria’s far right rises again
Despite neo-Nazi and antisemitism scandals, the Freedom Party FPÖ won the European elections in June
Read the full article18 September 2024
‘A battle for the soul of Israel’
Netanyahu and his extremist administration have pushed the country to the brink. It needs a new government and a new plan
Read the full article18 September 2024
Germany is losing the infowar
The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) is finding it hard to keep up with espionage's identity crisis
Read the full article11 September 2024
Why Volkswagen has broken down
Old mistakes are catching up with the German industrial colossus
Read the full article02 September 2024
What's behind AfD’s election surge?
German voters are not becoming extremists. They are just fed up
Read the full article28 August 2024
Germansplaining: the extreme East
The far right AfD is poised for major wins this weekend’s eastern state elections amid rising discontent
Read the full article21 August 2024
Welcome to “Das Adele Dorf”
During the singer’s 10-night residency in Munich, she understood exactly what Germans need to hear
Read the full article07 August 2024
The prisoner swap worked in Putin's favour
Vadim Krasikov is a free man. Putin wanted his hitman back
Read the full article31 July 2024
Olaf Scholz is in Biden-esque trouble
The chancellor’s political standing is putting him in danger of having his own ‘Biden moment’
Read the full article24 July 2024
Does banning Compact magazine help German democracy?
Germany’s Weimar lesson showed democracy must be combative. But banning magazines may not be the best weapon
Read the full article17 July 2024
Miss Merkel investigates
A German-made, Agatha Christie-inspired series depicting Angela Merkel’s crime-solving adventures is proving a hit
Read the full article10 July 2024
Germansplaining: How to tackle political insults
With the Faragists taking their seats in Westminster, Britain needs to brace for rougher rhetoric
Read the full article03 July 2024
Long live Gelsenkirchen
The Ruhrgebiet, Germany’s most densely populated region, is often seen as dirty and decrepit, but it has a rich history and an underrated charm
Read the full article26 June 2024
Germany's very own Rwanda plan
Not one single asylum seeker has been deported there, but the UK’s ‘plan’ is seemingly now also an option for Germany
Read the full article19 June 2024
German coalitions are becoming extremely tricky
Majorities are increasingly difficult to come by. However, the worst is yet to come this autumn
Read the full article12 June 2024
A visitor’s guide to the Euros
As the country prepares to host Europe’s biggest footballing extravaganza, here are my insider tips for navigating Germany like a local
Read the full article05 June 2024
There's trouble in paradise for Mallorcans
In Mallorca, native islanders are turning against tourists
Read the full article05 June 2024
Campaigning with the politics of Germany’s past
While the European Parliament looks set to take a turn towards the right, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the AfD will gain influence
Read the full article29 May 2024
Germansplaining: Where is Michael Schumacher?
The elusive F1 legend’s 10-year silence has fuelled a media frenzy in Germany
Read the full article22 May 2024
Germansplaining: Time for Bayern’s coach hunt
Germany’s most successful club finished third in the Bundesliga and ended the season without a trophy – despite Harry Kane’s best efforts
Read the full article15 May 2024
Could conscription return in Germany?
The army has lost its allure as a career for young Germans and as a result, numbers are dwindling
Read the full article