illustration: Guen Douglas.
After 16 years in office, our chancellorette Angela Merkle has stepped down just a few days ago. Her departure from her position as head of state of Germany was preceded with several photos of her in very private settings that prompted many memes, such as the iconic one of her with some tropical birds at Vogelpark Marlow, or the recent photo spread in Bunte magazine of her in casual clothing with her husband. In all those photos she looks really happy and relieved, probably looking forward to the time where she doesn’t have to deal with the Trumps, Putins, and Erdogans of the world. For some reason, her release into the private life seems to be the vibe of our time. It doesn’t take a lot to imagine under what pressure this woman must have been.
Despite being part of a very conservative and capitalistic political party that has basically blocked any kind of progressive or social movements in the last decades she was an icon of the liberal world and respected worldwide. It’s a mystery to many, why she was even in this dreadful party and her internal quarrels with her more conservative male colleagues were no secret. But she managed through all of that and because of her more social policies in recent years she even had voters on her side that might have voted green or red this year. In a way, the fact that she didn’t run again this year, was a relief to many that might have been torn between her and more liberal/social/environmentally friendly parties.
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by Frank | Design, Products
illustrations: Berk Karaoglu
Expats arrive in the city with varying levels of life experience and capacities to adapt. Everyone is anxious to speed up the initiation process and finally become a true Berliner, but few are aware that this noble title comes at a price. First off, you have to learn to live with extremely capricious Internet and the general reluctance to accept cash payment. But that’s merely the beginning. Read on…
by Michalina | Stories
With this year’s election results and the failing coalition negotiations you would think that Angela Merkel has more reasons than ever to roll her eyes. All that on top of all the megalomaniac male presidents she has to deal with on a daily basis. I think the occasional eye roll is totally understandable. However, it’s not so practical when in fact you want to maintain a serene pokerface…
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by Frank | Videos
© BBC, photo: Rory Lindsay
I love the British sense of humor! Most of my favorite comedies are actually from the UK. They just have a way of being so unabashedly politically incorrect and hilariously self-ironic. But in their latest comedy out-put they are less about self-irony, as the joke is on our chancellor Angela Merkel. For the new Tracey Ullman show the titular comedienne portraits Merkel from a side, that we haven’t seen her yet: Off the record, and often breaking out in song. Merkel is known for always having a straight face when exposed to the public eye, but this new set of sketches shows how the Brits imagine her when no one is listening. And it’s quite genius…
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by Frank | Videos
We Are Sailing – Goetz Valien
Have you ever wondered who is responsible for the giant painted movie posters that you can see on some movie theaters here in Berlin, for example at Kino International or at Cinema Paris? I always liked those and I think it’s sad that you see them less and less. Goetz Valien is the artist who painted all of them, and since 1992 he is the last one of his kind. After the jump you’ll find his alternative work from the movie posters with takes on Angela Merkel, Kylie Minogue, Titian’s Venus and more nudity…
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by Frank | Art
