history
Communist-themed film reviews: Kawasaki's Rose vs Portrait Of The Fighter As A Young Man
Having buried the past, it is almost impossible to hear a public discussion on communism in either the Czech Republic or Romania. The Berlin film festival screened a film from both countries in the hope of raising public awareness of their vigilante secret police services
history, cinema, communism, romania, berlinale, culture, stasi
Berlin film festival: 60 years of masterpieces
The Berlin international film festival (or Berlinale) has been fraught with political struggles. Created by the allies of west Berlin right under the noses of communist dictators, it was a way of opening a window to the 'free' world. Over the years, it has developed into an unmissable world cinema event
history, cinema, cold war, berlin, jean-luc godard, nouvelle vague, rainer werner fassbinder
John Demjanjuk: one of Europe's last Nazis takes the stand
Undoubtedly one of the last acts of de-nazification in history has been playing out inside the appellate court of Munich since 2 December. International media is closely tracking the case against the accused, a former executioner at the Sobibor concentration camp. Trial hearings have resumed after being halted due to the poor health conditions of the 89-year-old defendant and US extradite; we hear opinions from young people in Germany
history, germany, second world war , neo-nazis, holocaust memorial day, society
Credit crunch: a fistful of pounds and zlotys
‘It’s the financial crisis!’ We’re surrounded by numbers on all sides: it’s becoming a real obsession! Almost makes you wish you were a numismatist. Weekly plunge into - the world of currencies
L.U.C: 'Poland is not just vodka and pretty girl exports'
Rather than rapping on his new album, producer Lukasz Rostkowski, 29, mixes in historical soundtracks, including the voice of ex-Polish president Lech Walesa. The jazz, trip hop and electro musician explains how a sometimes pessimist view of his country's past has inspired him in his musical projects, for which he has just picked up a 2009 'Passport award' from the journalists at Polityka
history, warsaw, reunification, poland, identity, brunch, music
Mulled wine across Europe
Sugarloaves, Swedish punch and grog: how Europe drinks to stay warm in the chilly run up to christmas
history, cinema, christmas, germany, northern eu, gastronomy, film
Holocaust Polish boy speaks from the dead on Facebook
'Winter’s here. Every Jew must write their name on the Star of David that is sewn on their clothes...' In the same way that Anne Frank documented her experience day after day in her journal, a young victim of the Holocaust is being virtually revived through Facebook, where he has 2, 279 'friends'
history, germany, second world war , poland, internet, holocaust, jews
European bloggers describe their Berlin walls
Monday is 9 November, the day when the Berlin wall was brought down. To reflect on this iconic modern historical event for the eurogeneration, citizen journalists from five cafebabel.com local teams - Sofia, Budapest, Turin, Strasbourg and Istanbul - simultaneously blogged one day about the walls they see in their cities
history, germany, communism, event, architecture, budapest, blogs
Picture that: it's only been 20 years since the Berlin wall fell
For its twentieth anniversary Europe will euphorically celebrate the fall of a wall that didn’t just split Berlin in two, but an entire continent. At 6:57 pm on 9 November, the GDR's Politbüro member Günter Schabowski announced that from now, east German citizens could travel freely. Hours later, Berliners were hugging each other from the east to the west. Another 20 years later, and the eurogeneration have made their motto out of this freedom of movement - eastern working girls invade Europe’s labour market, symbolic walls come to a fall in Paris, or exist in people’s heads. Does the spoiled post-89 generation know how lucky they are? Perspectives
- 20th anniversary: go and see the 'Berlin wall' be destroyed in Paris
- Jean-Christophe Bas: 'the erasmus generation doesn’t know how lucky it is'
- What communism means to three central and eastern European women
- Czech internet forums, KSCM: disillusionment and nostalgia for communist past
- Twenty years on: why Berlin is not Germany
- 9/11 - the fateful day of German history
Comparing Paris and Berlin 20 years after the Berlin Wall
On 9 November 1989, Romy and Niklas were little more than children. Twenty years on, they have grown up between Paris and Berlin. They remember the divided city and think of a modern Berlin 'standing alone and free'
history, germany, iron curtain, berlin, commemoration, mur de berlin, society
How to seek the Holy Grail one hour from London
As American author Dan Brown's follow-up to 'The Da Vinci Code' is released on 16 September - 'The Lost Symbol' focuses on the Freemasons - we uphold tradition and go questing for the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper at its rumoured location in Hertford
history, tom hanks, books, holy grail, hertford, conspiracy, religion
Europe 70 years after the outbreak of WWII
The German invasion of Poland seventy years ago on September 1, 1939, marked the start of world war II. The repercussions of the war are still felt across Europe today. The Estonian, Austrian, British and Portuguese media comment
history, germany, cold war, second world war , poland, austria, gdansk
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