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Current Affairs 

Oktoberfest 2020 cancelled
 
Oktoberfest 2020 has been cancelled after fears that the festival would become a breeding ground for coronavirus in the absence of a vaccine. 
 
Despite Germany’s low death rate, Merkel warned that states rushing to ease lockdown restrictions were moving too quickly and risk ‘gambling away’ the early advantages gained by the country.
 
German biotech company BioNTech was given the green light to begin vaccine trials on 200 volunteers in Germany.
 
Police were sent to disperse gatherings on Saturday in Berlin and Stuttgart protesting against lockdown restrictions, which included far-right populists and conspiracy theorists. More here (German).
 
However, the vast majority of Germans still view the coronavirus restrictions as acceptable, according to Der Spiegel
 
The Independent reported on the experience of Heinsberg in North-Rhine Westphalia, known as ‘Germany’s Wuhan’, as the German epicentre of the virus. 
 
Elsewhere
 
Leipzig is among 10 European cities which has pledged to shelter vulnerable migrant children from Greek island camps.
 
Merkel highlighted the ongoing threat of climate change during her weekly video message, warning that Germany’s forests are struggling from exceptionally dry weather.

Weekly

Follow the latest opinion polls here.
Protests against the coronavirus lockdown gather in Berlin. Source: Dw.com
Weekly Poll

Should Bundesliga football matches be allowed to resume, provided they are played without fans in stadiums?

YES          NO          NOT SURE

Last week, we asked whether data privacy concerns would deter you from using a coronavirus contact-tracing app?

51% of you answered 'yes', while 45% answered 'no'.
Arts & Culture

Art from Home Week 5: Tillmans rouses artists worldwide to charitable project

German artist Wolfgang Tillmans has started the project ‘2020 Solidarity’, which produces posters of artworks for cultural organisations and community projects that they can sell as part of their fundraising efforts. Tillmans was the first photographer and first German to win the Turner prize and he became an Academician at the Royal Academy in 2013.
 
Tillmans has rallied over 40 international artists to create posters for the project, which he then prints and distributes to the organisations, subsidising the costs himself. Beneficiaries include struggling venues such as Salon Zur Wilden Renate and Griessmühle, both key cultural hubs in Berlin. U.K. charity Hospital Rooms, which creates artwork for mental health facilities and works with the NHS, is also selling posters by Tillmans, Marlene Dumas, Andreas Gursky and Nicole Eisenman, check them out here.
Wolfgang Tillman’s poster for ‘2020 Solidarity’, still life (Bühnenbild)
Sport

Bundesliga to return in two weeks?
 
DFL President Christian Seifert has given hope to football fans across Europe by earmarking the 9 May as a realistic return date for the Bundesliga. Following successful meetings with representatives from all 36 teams in Germany’s top two leagues to agree a proposed resumption date, the DFL is now awaiting government approval before confirming any fixtures. With clubs back in training, RB Leipzig and USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams has claimed that he and his team are in good shape and ready for competitive football to start again.
 
For this to happen, matches would inevitably be held behind closed doors. With the aim to have as few people in the stadium as possible, the potential matches have been touted as ‘Geisterspiele’ – ghost games. Ticket holders in Germany may feel alienated by the decision, but potential fan backlashes, eerie atmospheres, and any financial repercussions of games behind closed doors are risks the DFL seem willing to take. By being the first major league to return to play, it is likely that the Bundesliga will attract more viewers across Europe than ever before, providing much-needed relief to starved sports fans during the coronavirus pandemic.
Website Reads
 
Opinion: Has Germany hacked coronavirus?

Nach Mitternacht Review – Irmgard Keun’s novel is a compelling account of life in Nazi Germany
 
Love in lockdown as elderly German-Danish couple defy Covid-19 border closure keeping them apart
 
Comment: How will history judge Angela Merkel?
 
Opinion: Why Germany doesn’t want to talk about its colonial past

Sofa sightseeing: tour Germany’s cultural institutions from home

Sofa Sightseeing: part two
Austria
 
Coronavirus
 
Minister of Education Heinz Faßmann (ÖVP) has declared that most schools will re-open in the upcoming weeks: final-year students will return to school on 4 May, followed by all students between 6 and 14 years old in mid-May and over 15-year-olds on 29 May. However, according to a survey published in the newspaper Profil, only 53% of parents are in favour of the government’s decision.
 
Chancellor Kurz is aiming at re-opening the borders to less impacted countries, such as the Czech Republic and Germany.
 
Culture
 
Vienna’s exhibition hall Secession will open its virtual doors on April 29. The first exhibition will feature the photographs of Viennese artist Sophie Thun in a work conceived ‘specifically for the digital space’.
 
Lifestyle
 
The Strudel is so much more than just a sweet dessert! Der Standard presents some of the countless, salty recipes of the popular Austrian dish, from lamb and trout strudels to vegetarian fillings with spinach and vegetables.
Germany in the UK
 
  • The German Ambassador to the UK, Peter Wittig, is leaving his role after two years. In a tweet, he thanked Britain for its continued support and friendship.
  • The Goethe Institut has launched its calendar for digital events, listing the best cultural offerings from cinema to poetry competitions. This week they have ‘Improtheater, Krisencomics und Judith Schalansky.’ See the weekly list here.
  • Apply by Monday 27 April for the New Books in German Internship. Details can be found here. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!
  • The latest German Netflix series and films coming out in May can be found here. These include Nur die halbe Geschichte and Mrs. Serial Killer.
Music

Song of the week is: ‘Troy’ - Die Fantastischen Vier (2004)
Word of the Week 

(der) Spaßvogel
            Noun: joker/jester
 
This colloquialism literally translates as ‘fun bird’, but actually refers to somebody who always likes to amuse and entertain others with jokes and funny ideas – essentially someone that is a joker: a funny, witty person.
  • Wir sind eben nicht nur Spaßvögel, wir sind auch sehr fleißig. = We’re not just jokers, we are also very diligent.
  • Mein Bruder ist so ein Spaßvogel - er ist immer zu Späßen aufgelegt. = My brother is such a joker – he’s always in the mood for jokes.
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