The Week In Germany
The Week In Germany
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The Week in Germany Presented by The German Information Center Headlines Caucasus: European Union calls for Implementation of Six-Point Plan Immediately At the Extraodnary European Union Council in Brussels on September 1, leaders called on the parties in the Caucasus conflict to implement the six-point plan immediately. "They clearly call on the two sides not to continue the spiral of escalation," Foreign Minister Steinmeier said of the Council conclusions. Denmark to Build Bridge to Germany Across the Baltic Denmark signed an agreement with Germany on Wednesday to build a mega-bridge between them, over an arm of the Baltic Sea, and complete the Danes' dream of linking their main islands to the European mainland to the south. Cash Rebates Could Boost Sales of Energy Efficiant Appliances in Germany "Our biggest potential energy source within the nation is the energy we can save", said State Secretary in the Economy Ministry Peter Hintze at the IFA Consumer electronics fair in Berlin. Current Affairs Germany Aids Flood Victims in India The Federal Foreign Office has made up to 500,000 euro ($718 million) available for flood victims in the Indian state of Bihar and neighboring regions. Denmark to Build Bridge to Germany Across the Baltic Deal: Tiefensee and Christensen signed the German-Danish agreement to give the bridge the green light in Copenhagen on Sept. 3. (Copyright-alliance/dpa) Denmark reach agreement with Germany on September 3 to build a massive bridge connecting the two countries via an arm of the Baltic Sea. The 19-kilometer (nearly 12-mile) suspension bridge will give traffic a clear, straight-line run from Copenhagen to Hamburg and southern Europe. It completes the Danes' dream of linking their main islands to the European mainland to the south, and will also benefit Sweden. Danish Transport Minister Carina Christensen and her German counterpart Wolfgang Tiefensee signed the bridge accord in Copenhagen. Connecting Countries: A computer rendering of what the new bridge will look like. (Copyright Picture-alliance/dpa Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012. The first trucks and trains are predicted to drive across the Fehmarn Beltm a strait between the Danish island of Lolland and the German Island of Fehmarn, in 2018. These islands already have bridge links to the mainland. Denmark's government will pay most of the costs, but hopes to ulftimately recoup the credits from a toll, predicted to be about 60 euros ($88) per car per crossing, similar to current ferry fares. The project closes one of the last bridgeable gaps in the landmass occupied by the European Union. Fixed links already exist, but they involve a detour via Denmark's Jutland peninsula, which is part of the European mainland. The bridge will also provide Sweden with direct road access to the European heartland. Sweden already has a link the the Danish island of Zealand, where Copenhagen is located, over the vast Oresund bridge. replacing car ferries that currently depart half-hourly across the strait round the clock will reduce the four-and-a-half hour moterway drive between Copenhagen and the German city of Hamburg by about an hour. The inter-city route goes by way of five islands. The bridge will cross the narrowest part of the strait, between the little Danish port of Rodby and Puttgarden on Fehmarn. The bridge itself is just part of a larger infrastructure project which the Danish parliament approved on September 2. Total costs are estimated at 5.6 billion euros ($8.1 billion). The Danish government is to contribute 4.8 billion euros. Germany's part will be confined to upgrading its road and rail approaches to the bridge. Germany Aids Flood Victims in India and the Carribean The Federal Foreign Office has made up to 500,000 euro ($718 million) available for flood victims in the Indian state of Biharmand neighboring regions. According to the latest reports 55 people have lost their lives in the floods and over 350,000 have had to be evacuated. Up to 2.5 million people are in danger as the river's water level continues to rise. Therew is an urgent need for emergency shelters, food, drinking water and basic medical cupplies. The allocated funds will go to German aid organizations on the ground who, due to years of experience i n the region, can distribute the supplies most quickly to those who have been directly affected by the disaster. India and the bordering states of Nepal and Bangladesh regularly experience severe flooding during monsoon season. In addition to providing emergency humanitarian aid, the Federal Foreign office supports disaster reduction projects in order to minimize the effects of such events. Germany also promised relief aid Wednesday for Caribbean victims of Tropical Storms Hanna and Gustav. The Foreign Officed reserved up to 200,000 euros ($290,000) from its emergency relief budget for German relief groups helping homeless people through local partner agencies in Haiti and Cuba. The money is likely to be spent supplying clean water, food and basic medical care. Sources: Federal Foreign Office/dpa Cologne Mosque to Become City Landmark Landmark: A computer rendering of plans for the new Cologne mosque. (Copyright picture-alliance/dpa) One of Germany's main Islamic groups, Ditib, won planning clearance to build a much-discussed new mosque expected to become a landmark in the western city of Cologne. The mosque will have a dome reaching 120 feet ugh and two 180-foot minarets. Ditib, a foundation funded by Ankara to build mosques for Turkish-speaking Muslims, said Friday it would build the mosque as a "symbol of co-existence in peace and trust without fear" and open it as a place of communication with non-Muslims. "We are building this for all the people of Cologne, not just Muslims," said Ditib in a statement. Its head office is in Cologne. The mosque will go up in the city's multi-ethnic Ehrenfeld district. Cologne's city council approved the building plans, with center and left parties joining Mayor Fritz Schramma to vote in favor of the new house of worship. An estimated 3.3 million people of Muslim background live in Germany, 1.8 million of them Turkish citizens. About 65,000 turkish citizens live in Cologne among 1 million inhabitants. Source: Dpa German President Kicks Off One-Week Asia Tour in Kazakhstan Kazakh steppe on September 3 (Copyright picture-alliance/dpa) German President Horst Koehler began a one-week official tour to Asia on September 2 with a two-day visit to the central Asian country of Kazakhstan.'= Talks with Kazakh Presidcnt Nursultan Nazarbayev began on September 3 in the capital Astana. Nazarbayev spontaneously invited Koehler to visit his summer residence, which brought considerable disorder into the protocol of the official state visit - though it appears that the president and his wife, Eva Luise, enjoyed the impromtu hospitality. Germany and Mongolia to cooperate on UN peacekeeping The president's trip is also taking him to Mongolia and through China, where he will take part in the opening of the Paralympics, the Olympic games for athletes with disabilities, which began on September 6. In Mongolia on September 5 Koehler met with President Nambaryn Enkhbayar and the two leaders agreed on a comprehensive military partnership. Both countries said they want to collaborate in the future on UN peacekeeping missions and agreed to regular meeting mbetween their governments. President Enkhbayar said there would be a "new level" of relations with Germany that would further foster Mongolian-German cooperation. German's government is also interested in investing in Mongolia's mining sector and sent a delegation there last month. Mongolia, with a population of 2.6 million, is sandwiched between Russia and China and has large reserves of raw materials, such as copper, gold, uranium and coal. Business, Technology & the Environment Marine Researchers Discover Rare Giant Clam Bigmouth: The clam, this specimen is shown with its valve (or 'mouth') clearly visible, was once widespread in the Red Sea but its population began to decline some 125,000 years ago, according to the scientists who just discovered it, probably as a result of very early overfishing by humans (copyright AWi) Together with their Jordanian and Philippine colleagues, scientists from Bremen and Bremerhaven have made an historic discovery of a heretofore unknown giant clam species. Testing has shown the Clam's near extinction was likely the result of marine overexploitation. The Tridacna costata specdies lives in the shallow waters and coral reefs of the Red Sea. They can grow up to 40 cm long according to the Alfred Wegener Institute3 for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), part of the Helmholtz Society network of researdh centers in Germany. The discovery of the species, the first find of a new clam variety in 20 years, was coincidental. Scientistys collected the giant clams for cultivation and molecular-genetic experiments in order to discover their determining characteristics in comparison with the common Tridacna maxima and squamosa varieties. They conducted similar experiments on various clam varieties, determining that the new species comprised more than 80 percent of the giant clams in the Red Sea waters. Researchers estimate the Tridacna Costata began decreasing in number around 125,000 years ago, the first evidence of overfishing in the history of humankind. The species was likely spread tothe Mediterranean Sea by Europeans. A Mollusk not on the menu: The clam, seen here from the side, is considered highly endangered. (copyright AWI) Culture und Zeitgeist Frankfurt's Museum Festival Brings Culture to its River Banks Bright Lights, Big City: A ferris wheel and myriad food, crafts and music booths entertained throngs of people both day and night at the city's 17th annual museum funfest. (copyright picture-alliance/dpa) Frankfurt's annual Museum Embankment Festival (Museumsuferfest) converged on the banks of the Main River with art and cultural events from August 29 to 31. Millions of visitors flooded the more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) along both sides of the river brimming with musicians, artists and chefs preparing a host of international cuisines. This year's theme was "Fascination Turkey - Culture between East and West." Grand Finale Fireworks lit up Frankfurt's famous skyline, which has earned the nickname 'Mainhattan', at the conclusions of the festival. (copyright picture-alliance/dpa) Events ranging from poetry readings, lectures and workshops to open-air bands, theater and folk dancing were on offer - there was even a dragon boat race on the river. The purchase of a single ticket granted entry into all of the city's art, film and cultural museums, which boast distinguished national and international collections. Known as the "cultural mile," this riverfront area running through the center of the city is a treasure throve of institutions active in the arts. At a cultural crossroads with Turkey In connection with this year's theme, special events were held celebrating Turkey's culture and historical connections with Euroope, Arabia, Byzantium, Persia and Asia. Two minarets marked the entry into the Turkish exhibition area featuring glass painting, flute playing and traditional foods. Germany is home to mat least 2.5 million people of Turkish origin, weaving a vibrant tapestry of cross-cultural influences, as exemplified for instance through the award-winning films of German-Turkish director Fatih Akin. The Museum Embankment Festival, which came to a close with a nocturnal fireworks display, is one of the largest such cultural festivals in Europe. Beethovenfest in Bonn: 1900 Artists, 60 Concerts and 24 Venues Native Son: A modern memorial to Beethoven outside of Bonn's Beethovenhalle concert hall. (copyright Beethovenfest) Bonn's annual Beethovenfest kicked off this passed August 29th, enticing fans of the great German composer with over 60 concerts a 24 venues across the charming former German capital and its Rhineland region suburbs. Every year in early fall, between the end of August and the beginning of October, Beethoven's native city of Bonn hosts a festival with top international orchestras, soloists, major ensembles and promising young performers. Macht Musik: (Power Music) is the central theme of the Beethovenfest Bonn 2008. It seeks to explore Beethoven's legacy in ideological movements and the misappropriation and marginalization of composers and their works in the 20th century. Works written by Beethoven with a socio-political intention will be performed. These will be contrasted with compositions written as a reaction to political movements. Festive: The city of Bonn, which features several charming squares and cozy downtown pedestrian shopping streets, gets decked out every year for the festival. (copyright - Beethovenfest) The Beethovenfest makes an effort to appeal to a younger audience. Since 2006 it has included the "Look at Beethoven" project in its program, in which young media creatives visualize their own approach to Beethoven through short films, installations and videoclips. This year, the clips made in the context of the 2008 project will be presented by the director and documentary filmmaker Enrique Sanchez Lansch, after which they will be discussed. From August 29 to September 28 guests will be able to watch a number of different performances throughout the city. These include some eminent orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, who are giving their last concert in Europe under Lorin Maazel. The gewandhausorchester Leipzig is performing with its 19th Gewandhaus capellmeister, Riccardo Chailly, the London Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Harding is performing with pianist Helene Grimaud, Andras Schiff is giving concerts with his chamber orchestra Cappella Andrea Barca, and the final concert will be held by the Bamberger Symphoniker under Jonathan Nott. More than two-thirds of the concerts represent projects exclusively made for the Beethovenfest Bonn. Many of the concerts will be broadcast by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk, the Deutschlandfunk/DeutschlandRadio Kultur and Deutsche Welle. Visitors can learn more about Beethoven's life, times and music any time of the year at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, located in the heart of the charming former German capital and university town nestled in the lush Rhineland valley. With its cozy squares, historic structures, charming rivrside pathways and al fresco venues, international flavor and close proximity to bustling Cologne with its world-famous cathedral, Bonn is well worth a visit on any tour of western Germany. Wagner Sisters Picked to Run Bayreuth Festival Sister Act: Half-sisters Eva Wagner-Pasquier and Katharina Wagner (at right) held a press conference on September 1 at Bayreuth's city hall. (copyright picture-alliance/dpa) Half-sisters Katharina Wagner, 30, and Eva Wagner-Pasquier, 63, have been chosen to run the renowned Wagner opera festival in Bayreuth, Germany, board chairman Toni Schmid announced on September 1. They are to succeed their father, Wolfgang Wagner, 89, who officially retired on August 31 after running one of the world's most eminent high-culture events for 58 years. Competing with the two half-sisters was their estranged cousin, Nike Wagner, 63, who applied for the job in conjunction with an impresario, Gerard Mortier, 64. The festival was set p by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner to showcase his own work. Though the board is mainly appointed by government agencies which subsidize the festival, by tradition Wagner descendants always run the event. Source: dpa _______________________________________________________ |
