Germany

Tips for doing Business in Germany
This article is intended for the entrepreneur who desires to start a business in Germany.

Historical Facts about Germany
The nation of Germany has a very eventful history. It has been involved in events that have changed the history of the world. The following article briefly points out some significant historical facts about Germany.

Black Forest in Germany
The Black Forest, is a famous tourist destination in Germany, and it attracts vacationers from all the nooks and crannies of the world. Join us as we try to explore this wonderful realm of nature.

Hamburg: Facts and Attractions
Hamburg, Germany's second largest city is one of the most popular tourist destination in Germany. Known for its scenic beauty and historical buildings, it is a must visit city. Here are some of Hamburg's facts and attractions...

Castles in Germany
The castles built by the medieval kings and rulers exhibit their magnificence and strength. This article enlightens us about some of the beautiful castles in Germany...

Germany: Travel and Vacations
From ancient architecture, castles, countryside greenery to the modern buildings and cities, Germany has it all. Visiting Germany is like touring different European countries. It has many vacation spots, having something in store, for children and adults, to the adventuresome and nature lovers, and the first-time honeymooners...

Fun Facts about Germany
Germany is well known for it's highways known as the autobahns. It flourishes with Gothic towns, medieval houses, old churches, and small villages. Let's know some fun facts about Germany.

Rivers in Germany
A hundred years ago, rivers played a vital role in the development of civilizations. Today, they play a vital role in the development of economies. Let us take a look at the major rivers in Germany, which have contributed to its economy and beauty.

Major Cities in Germany
Germany is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Its rich history slowly gave way to a modern and a technologically advanced state, incorporating the best of both eras. As it steps into a visibly bright future, there is no better testimony of its progress than its cities.

Berlin: Facts and Attractions
Berlin is the capital city of Germany. This city is dotted with attractions, some that stand witness to a violent past and others that hold the promise of a bright future. Let's learn some more about this wonderful city, its facts and attractions...

History of Germany
The state of Germany did not officially exist before the 18th century. However the region of Germany has a very long and and rich history. Today, this nation is economically, militarily and technologically, among the most powerful nations in the world.

Postwar Germany
Germany surrendered unconditionally on the 8th of August, 1945 bringing the World War II to an end. What followed in post war Germany is a tale of unrest, civic strife and re-emergence. In spite of all the odds, the undying German spirit heralded the nation to a path of growth and development. The story of a war-ravaged country and the consequent situation in it, is presented as follows.

German Culture
A beautiful land with interesting traditions, the culture of Germany is deeply rooted in its people and reflects many shades. Take a look at these interesting details associated with German culture.

Facts About Germany
A place that boasts about some of the finest artists and musicians, Germany is now considered to be one of the most progressive countries. Read on for some interesting facts about Germany, which reveal some remarkable bits of information about this land.

German Phrases
Here are some handy German phrases and their meaning in the English language. These should help to brief you with some of the common terms, used on an everyday basis.

Traditional German Clothing
Traditional German clothing is characterized by certain styles of garments. Here are a few styles and designs discussed which truly belong to traditional German clothing.

Nudist Flight ‘Taking Off’ in Germany
"Perfectly normal holiday company" OssiUrlaub.de in Germany is offering an all-nude flight this summer to a holiday destination – the flight is already booked.

Famous German People
Here is an account of some of the most famous German people.

Woman Kills Husband, Flushes Him down Toilet
A Macedonian woman living in Germany allegedly killed her husband, cut his body into pieces, and flushed them down the toilet.

Germany Facts: Interesting Facts About Germany
The land of Germany has always been known to be a rich and progressive nation. It has contributed a lot towards human progress. Here are some facts about Germany.

Germany: Rothenburg: City Council Upholds an 1898 Resolution to Follow Strict Guidelines for Planning Any New Architecture
The charms of a medieval Bavarian village await visitors to Rothenburg, a town that has withstood war and disasters for over a millennium.

Germany: Freiburg
For those interested in visiting some of the lesser-known cities in the old country, Germany's picturesque Freiburg is worth the trip.

German Billionaire Left 'broken' By Financial Crisis Kills Himself
Family tell how credit crunch left Germany's fifth richest man devastated and cost him hundreds of millions of euros

EU Giant Isolated As Merkel Puts Germany First
Economy, global warming, Nato and Afghanistan bones of contention as union's paymaster puts national interests first

Hutton to Tell Germany: Take Bigger Nato Role
More interventionist policy towards Afghanistan must be adopted, warns defence secretary

Auschwitz Blueprints Emerge on 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht
Architectural plans appear to provide clear evidence that site was purpose built for exterminations

Bus Fire in Germany Kills 20 People
Most of the victims were elderly people on a day trip to a farm

20 People Die After Germany Bus Fire
Fire is thought to have broken out after a passenger had a secret cigarette in the on-board toilet

Muslim Watershed Germany's Biggest Mosque Opens
Financed with public and private money, Muslims hail opening of Merkez mosque as sign of acceptance

Police Raid 'germany's Dumbest Bank' in Lehman Transaction Probe
State-owned bank KfW transferred €319m to Lehman brothers the day it went bankrupt

Kristallnacht Remnants Unearthed Near Berlin
Journalist discovers huge dumping ground for destroyed remains of plundered Jewish property

Booklovers Turn to Karl Marx As Financial Crisis Bites in Germany
Karl Marx is back. That, at least, is the verdict of publishers and book shopsin Germany who say that his works are flying off the shelves

The 'all-time Highlight' of German Tv
Kate Connolly: Reich-Ranicki's outburst has been hailed by those he attacked as an all-time highlight of German television

Last Stand of Berlin's Bohemians
The fight between developers and the defenders of a counterculture landmark is coming to a head

Essential Information to know about Working in Germany
Starting a career in Germany has never been as easy before. The German government has introduced schemes to make it easier for non-European citizens to follow their careers in Germany.

World's First Carbon Capture Pilot Fires Up Clean-coal Advocates
German project will burn coal in an atmosphere of pure oxygen ? producing CO2 waste which can be buried ? creating enough electricity to power 1,000 homes

European Finance: More Than 1,000 City Jobs to Be Lost in Commerzbank's €9bn German Unification
Takeover of Dresdner Bank to create genuine competitor to Germany's biggest bank Deutsche

German Government Seeks Power to Veto Takeovers By Sovereign Wealth Funds
Draft legislation widely criticized as protectionist move to frighten off foreign investors

Germany: Undertakers 'killed' Parlour Boss
Bavarian community is shattered by revelations of funeral director feud that ended in murder

Crime: German Town Shaken By Ice-cream Shop Killings
Two Turkish citizens arrested following manhunt involving 200 police with helicopters and sniffer dogs

Barenboim Saves Berlin Opera at Cost of 300 Jobs
Debt-burdened capital's three opera houses to pool facilities.

Nasty Surprise for Children As Germans Plan Kinder Egg Ban
Protests grow as chocolate treats with toys inside are labeled health hazard

East German Pub Beer, Spies and Videotape: Stasi Drinking Den Angers Berliners
Owners of new espionage-themed drinking den provoke outrage from former victims of secret police

Bulletproof Bras Issued to German Police
A new bulletproof bra has been issued to women police officers in Germany to offer a second line of defence if they are shot on duty

Cafe That Linked East and West Germans to Close
70-year-old service station is to be bulldozed to make way for an eight-lane motorway

Germany - A Stable and Safe Investment
While house prices in many industrialised countries have shot-up at staggering rates Germany’s housing market has remained stagnant; an average detached house in Germany costs virtually the same as it did 10 years ago.

German Police Investigate Serial Rabbit Killings
Some 40 rabbits have been beheaded and drained of blood in northern Germany, prompting a police inquiry

Munich For Dummies - Some travel tips
Of course, at Oktoberfest, the food is just as important as the beer. There are several specialties in the city that come out in full force. The weifswurste, or white sausages, are a specialty in Munich that are usually eaten only before noon, which is a tradition dating back to before there were refrigerators.

EC Warns Berlin It Faces Fines Over Vw Veto
Berlin could face fines of €100,000 a day for failing to remove a right of veto for the state of Lower Saxony

Germany Fears the New 'locusts'
On Europe: Proposals to take on the new demons – state-owned sovereign wealth funds – are on the agenda in Germany. By David Gow

Germans Aghast at All Being Alike
A study showing their growing uniformity has shocked a nation that prizes individualism

Dairy Farmers' Strike Spreads Across Eu
Dairy farmers vent frustration at falling profits and rising production costs by pouring milk away

German Utility Rwe May Sell Off Pipelines to Beat Eu Fines
German group and the European commission confirms talks about 'possible measures' to settle anti-trust case

RWE Bids to Settle Anti-trust Case
Germany's second biggest utility company may sell its gas-pipeline network to avoid a hefty EU fine

Germany Digs Its Heels in
The Barroso commission's agenda to liberalize markets and combat global warming could fall by the wayside - for which you can blame German politicians

Germany Remembers Gay Victims of the Nazis
Memorial unveiled in central Berlin to commemorate tens of thousands of gay men persecuted by the Nazi regime

Personal Data Fears After German Phone Giant Says It Spied on Staff
Germany's journalist association accuses Telekom of sponsoring an 'attack on press freedom' and demands full explanation

Germans Aghast at All Being Alike
A study showing their growing uniformity has shocked a nation that prizes individualism

Blaze Breaks Out at Berlin Philharmonie
Firefighters and musicians rush to save instruments after fire breaks out in roof of building

Musicians Flee Philharmonic Fire in Berlin
German firefighters battle to save home of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra as fire breaks out following welding work

A history of the German language
A brief introduction to the evolution of the German language

Berlin Property: The Boom Is Coming
The Berlin property market has become one of the most depressed in Europe, high unemployment, shrinking population and economic growth have cause continual erosion of prices.

Babies Found in Freezer of German Family
Woman hands herself into police after latest case in a wave of infanticide to hit the country

Learn To Speak German Quickly - As Easy As Going For A Swim
Going to study or work in a German-speaking country? Before you go you need to make sure that you implement the Dip and Dive. It will minimize culture shock and maximize your ability to learn German fluently during your time Europe.

Property Berlin: Your Chance to Play with the Big Boys
A little while back money week ran a story on how all the big financial institutions like Meryl Lynch, have been buying German apartments in bulk -- tens of thousands at a time.

German Minister Blames Bank of England for Northern Rock Debacle
Germany's finance minister has savaged the Bank of England for not pumping enough liquidity into money markets last year

German Finance Minister Blames Bank for Northern Rock
Peer Steinbrueck said the Bank of England's failure to act led to the collapse of Northern Rock

Brussels Warns Germany Over Blocking Stake in Vw
European commission threatens Germany with renewed legal action over failure to remove blocking stake in car maker Volkswagen

Anguish Over German 'yob' Crackdown
Merkel backs plans for 'boot camp' justice

Germany Drops 'roadmap to Biofuels' for Cars
Government climbdown after discovery that too many cars would be unable to run on proposed ethanol-petrol mix

German Military Police Officers Accused of Training Libyans
Superiors did not know about the sessions organized by a private security company

David Stanley Redfern Expands German Operation
Germany was the biggest climber in A Place in the Sun's annual top-20 chart of the top investment destinations, which is based on a survey of visitors to their road-shows.

Security Stepped Up As German Theatre Breaks Taboo By Staging Satanic Verses
Security at the theater and in Potsdam would be increased for fear of attacks by Muslim fundamentalists

Jilted Germans Sceptical About Anglo-french Love-in
Critics ask whether Paris-Berlin alliance has been pushed aside in favour of 'new brotherhood'

German Supermarket Chain Lidl Accused of Snooping on Staff
Investigation by German news magazine Stern uncovers extensive espionage system in Lidl shops across Germany

Merkel Tells Knesset of Shame Over Nazis
Germany's chancellor pledges closer relations with Israel while five MPs stay away in protest

Merkel to Address Knesset As Historic Visit Strengthens Israeli Ties With Germany
Countries agree on a closer strategic relationship, with agreements on joint investments and defence cooperation

Berlin Strengthens Ties With Israel
Israel and Germany agreed today on a new and closer strategic relationship with agreements on joint investments and defence cooperation during a visit to Jerusalem by Chancellor Angela Merkel

It Might Be Successful, But Does It Make Sense?
If you hanker for the days when football tickets were value for money, then you best head to Bradford, or perhaps Germany, writes Paul Wilson

Red Baron Recast As a German Hero
As RAF marks 90th anniversary, Germany reclaims Red Baron as national hero

Concessions to Merkel Threaten Climate Change Plan
Germany secures pledges that several of its heavy industries could be protected from international competition

Hamburg's Oldest Brothel to Close
Internet pornography, foreign prostitutes and a growing number of cheap dance clubs blamed for brothel's closure

The Joy of Six: The Epochs That Weren't
The Joy of Six: From Denmark's demolition of West Germany to Keegan's last stand, we look at the six new dawns that never were

Germany Pours Cold Water on Sarkozy Union
Sarkozy forced to back away from an ambitious scheme to launch a French-led 'Mediterranean Union'

Learn How to Speak German - Every Reason is the Right Reason
Every reason is the right reason to learn how to speak German with this interactive online course. A concise review of this course is given highlighting the many aspects that make this course note-worthy for those looking to find a product of excellent quality online to learn German.

It Might Be Successful, But Does It Make Sense?
If you hanker for the days when football tickets were value for money, then you best head to Bradford, or perhaps Germany, writes Paul Wilson

German Rail Workers Threaten to Join Strikes As Talks Break Down
Breakdown of talks between government and union leaders leads to warnings that country should brace itself for weeks of all-out strikes

Travel Chaos As Germany Hit By Strikes Over Pay
Tens of thousands of public sector workers walk out with airports worst affected

40% of German Soldiers Too Fat
German soldiers are fat, unfit and too fond of cigarettes and stodgy food, according to a parliamentary report

Germany Urges Crackdown on Tax Havens
Finance minister wins support in Brussels for campaign to get tough with cheats

Taxing Times for Germany
German authorities' revelation that top executives evade tax to the tune of €30bn has prompted national soul-searching

Tax Swindle Police Raid Companies Across Germany
Police investigating Germany's biggest tax evasion scandal raid corporate offices

US and Eu Powers to Recognise Kosovan Statehood
US, Britain, France and Germany say they will recognize Kosovo after its declaration of independence, but Spain remains opposed

Germany's Search for Home Truths Continues, 75 Years on
Jonathan Steele: The exploration of a Nazi past unveils stories of pride - such as that of my grandfather - and of shame. But it must go on

Trader's Hidden Spree Exposed French Bank to €50bn Losses
Police step up questioning of alleged bank fraudster · Big losses in Germany may have triggered the alarm

Slow Death of a Small German Town As Women Pack Up and Head West
As jobs dry up, the population in the east is falling - and a mix of economics and biology will leave thousands of young men on the shelf

Europe By Train - Germany, Austria and Denmark
Traveling to Austria, Germany and Denmark in a single trip can be one of the multiple exciting possibilities that cheap train tickets offer in Europe. Join me in this article and you will find out a detailed route you could follow in about 2 weeks time in the old continent.

England Announce Friendly With Germany
England will play Germany in a friendly at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on November 19, the FA has announced

German Railways Admits Complicity in Holocaust
German railways admits central role Nazi-era predecessor played in the Holocaust with new exhibition

German State Railway Confronts Holocaust Role
Germany's state railway company admitted the central role its Nazi-era predecessor played in the Holocaust yesterday, saying that without the cooperation of the network the systematic murder of millions of people would never have been possible

'Nazi' Claim As Germans Rebel Over Smoking Ban
Outrage greets change to the law - and drinkers forced to cross the border

Violent German Teen Sent to Cope in Siberia
Boy, 16, has to make own fire, dig toilet, pump water· Critics attack nine-month bleak exile from family

Violent German Teenager Sent to Remote Siberian Village
German authorities exasperated at the antisocial behavior of a 16-year-old boy have sent him to a remote Siberian village for an 'intensive educational experience'

Markus Söder, Germany, Turkey, Europe, and the Apostate Free Masonic, Anglo-French Elite
As heir of the Ottoman and the Eastern Roman Empires, and as premier advocate of the Enlightenment among Muslims in Europe, Turkey is more European than many other countries currently member states of the European Union.

Berlin Hotels Offers Best of Hospitality and Warmth
Being the capital city of Germany, Berlin is the administrative, financial and cultural hub of the country. Berlin is the largest city of Germany and boasts of many tourists attractions and places of interest.

Lazy Mp Brings Shame on the Bismarcks
Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck, great-great-grandson of Otto von Bismark, has been awarded the title of "Germany's Laziest MP" by the media, and provoked politicians' anger across the Bundestag for his apparent lack of interest in the post to which he was elected only in 2005

Cordial Service of Frankfurt Hotels
Frankfurt is one of the most modern towns of Germany. Being a major business hub and a busy place throughout the year, Frankfurt boasts of imposing skyscrapers. In Frankfurt art and culture are given a great importance.

Hotels in Germany and German Cities
Germany as a holiday destination is one of the most idyllic places around the world. With its pulsating life and stupendous architectural splendors, Germany provides its visitors an excellent gamut of attractions and delights.

German Communist in Hot Water After Dining Out on Lobster
By the time she had realized her mistake - that as one of Germany's top communists she should probably not be seen eating lobster - it was too late

Germans Urged to Be More Child-friendly
A multi million campaign to encourage Germans to be more friendly towards their children is being launched across television stations, billboards and the internet today in the country's biggest-ever push to improve the mood towards children and boost the birth rate

German Museum Admits Terracotta Warriors Are Fakes
Visitors to an exhibition of terracotta warriors in Hamburg are to be offered refunds after organizers admitted the figures on display are fake

Hospitality and Heidelberg Hotels
Being one of the best German Holiday destinations, Heidelberg is situated in the Neckar river valley. Since Heidelberg has the best university of Germany, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität or Ruperto Carola, the place all through the year attracts number of scholars and students from all over the world.

German Ministers Try to Ban Scientology
Germany paved the way yesterday for a ban on the Church of Scientology, with federal and regional ministers declaring that the US-based organization contravened the constitution and posed a danger to democratic order

German Mother Held After Five Boys Found Dead
Postmortem examinations were carried out yesterday on five boys believed to have been killed by their mother giving them an overdose of sleeping tablets before suffocating them with plastic bags

Bank Vault Plans Found in Bin
Germany's central bank has launched an investigation after classified plans for a vault system at its Berlin branch were discovered by a hairdresser in a rubbish bin in his backyard

Germans Go Nuts Over Knut, As Zoo Marks Bear's Birthday
Children's street parties, live TV specials and a gourmet cake for the celebrity himself. The first birthday of a polar bear who captured the hearts of millions around the world after it was reported that he nearly died at birth is being commemorated in Berlin today

Warm Hospitality of Hotels in Dusseldorf
Located on the banks of Rhine River, Dusseldorf is one the most gracious towns of Germany.

Berlin City and Berlin Hotels
On this page you will find some of the best places to visit in Berlin and about Hotels in Berlin that will make your visit to the place a memorable one.

Domenech Fumes Over Potential Euro 2008 'group of Death'
The seedings for Sunday's Euro 2008 draw have thrown up the possibility of Holland, Italy, Germany and France all being in the same group

Israel to Lure Soviet Jews From Germany
An Israeli intelligence organization is to send its agents to Germany to try to persuade tens of thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union to settle in Israel

Israeli Migration Agents Target German Jews
Soviet migrants in Nativ agency's sights· Germany's Jewish council condemns 'offensive' plan

Arrested Man Denies Meredith Kercher Murder
Suspect detained on train in Germany appears in court for extradition to Italy over British student's stabbing

Defiant Wales Show Character to Hold Back German Onslaught
Wales brought the curtain down on their disappointing qualifying campaign with a brave draw in Germany

Toshack Warns Depleted Wales to Expect No German Let-up
Germany v Wales: Injuries to six key players means John Toshack will field the most inexperienced squad of his tenure in Frankfurt

Germans Hold New Perugia Killing Suspect
Italian police release Congolese bar owner· Fugitive allegedly left city on day of killing

UN Security Council Reform: Veto Right for Germany
Thus, with larger population and stronger economy than France and England, Germany should be viewed as another convincing candidate for the UN Veto Club, after Japan and India.

German Vice-chancellor Resigns
A leading center-left figure in the government of Angela Merkel resigned today, depriving the German leader of one of the linchpins of her fractious grand coalition.

What is in a Name? German NGO accepts Aramaean Nation, rejects 'Assyrian' Misnomer!
After 30 years of mistaken predilection for the fallacious terms 'Assyrian' and 'Chaldaean' for the great historical nation of Aramaeans of the Middle East, a positive change!

Germans Hanker After Barrier
More than one in five Germans would like to see the Berlin Wall rebuilt, a study published to coincide with the 18th anniversary of its fall shows.

Germans Flush Out Loo Roll Usage
Germany's civil servants have been drawn into an investigation into how much toilet paper they use - and are being encouraged to calculate the amount by the sheet.

One in Four Sees Positive Side of Nazis, Poll Finds
Older Germans more accepting of regime · TV newsreader sacked over comments on family

German 'ghost School' Uncovered After 30 Years
Alternative primary set up by parents in Bremen· Find highlights concerns over state education

America's Creative Elite Invade Berlin, City of Cool
Affordable rents and the cultural buzz are luring top-level US talents to a reborn German capital.

German Defence Minister Ready to Shoot Down Hijacked Planes
Germany's politicians are locked in a heated debate after the defense minister signaled his readiness to shoot down hijacked aeroplanes at the risk of killing innocent civilians in order to avert a wider disaster.

German Minister Backs Downing Hijacked Planes
Defense minister faces calls to quit over stated readiness to shoot down passenger planes to avert wider disaster.

Germany's Mythic Titans
Hywel Williams: It is a brave novelist who attempts to convey how Wagnerian intensity led to Nazi catastrophe.

Scares in Turkey and Germany Add to 9/11 Jitters
An unexploded car bomb has been found in Turkey and threats have made against a US air base in Germany as jittery security forces fear terrorist action timed to coincide with the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Germany's Fourth Reich
Germans have a proven history of confusing assertiveness for malignant narcissism. Liberalism and democracy are far from being an entrenched tradition in a nation that gave the world Kaiser Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler.

German Police Hunt for Terror Plot 'back-up Team'
German police were today searching for around 10 more members of a terror cell suspected of plotting major bomb attacks, after the arrest of three men and the seizure of explosives materials.

Germany's Image of Probity Shattered By Us Mortgage Crisis
Banking sector is given a rude awakening - and faces a huge shakeup.

Raids Foil Plot to Bring 7/7 Terror to Germany
· Islamist trio had 700kg of explosives say officials· US bases, pubs and airport said to be on target list

German Arrests Expose Growing Al-qaida Network
A wider range of prospective militants are seeking out al-Qaida's middle management in Pakistan, writes Jason Burke.

Germany Arrests Three Over 'serious and Massive Bomb Plot'
Suspects arrested a week before September 11 anniversary with materials for bombs more powerful than those in London and Madrid blasts, officials say.

Nazi Victims' Greek Descendants Sue for Compensation in Italy
One of the most controversial Nazi war crime cases, arising from a massacre in a Greek village, has been reopened - not in Greece or Germany, but in Italy.

The German Heroes Who Helped Allies Against Hitler
A new book reveals the bravery of the men who joined the British forces to liberate Europe.

Historic Berlin Synagogue Reopens
Germany's largest synagogue, an architectural and historical landmark in the center of Berlin, will reopen today after extensive restoration work.

German Prosecutors Investigate State-owned Bank's Executives
State prosecutors in Düsseldorf confirmed last night that they were investigating seven current and former executives of the state-owned German bank WestLB for dereliction of duty.

Poles Furious at German 'war Booty' Claim
The Polish government is demanding billions of euros in compensation from Germany for cultural artifacts which were stolen or destroyed during the second world war, after accusing Berlin of trying to rewrite history.

Protests Over Terror Arrest of German Academic
Academics from around the world have protested to Germany's federal prosecutor about the arrest and detention of a Berlin sociologist who is accused of associating with a terrorist group.

Silence on the Streets of Calabria's Mafia Capital As Deadly Feud Crosses Borders
Escalating rivalry blamed for six killings in Germany amid fears of all-out bloodbath.

A Mafia Feud That Began With a Row Over a Firework Leaves Six Dead
· Vicious and long-running dispute moves to Germany· Calabrian crime group is Europe's top drug supplier

The Click It Or Ticket Road to Fascism
Seventy years ago in Nazi Germany an extremely popular Hitler used the law and emotional propaganda to get his people to let him make important decisions for them. "Click it or ticket" laws are similar attempts by modern governments to force us to surrender our right to make free choices.

Six Italians Shot Dead in German City
Police find victims in car and van outside Duisburg restaurant.

Under Pressure: German Diver Sets Breath taking Record
A German man has broken his own world record for holding his breath under water after managed to remain submerged for 15 minutes and two seconds.

China's New Appetite for Milk Forces Price Rise in Germany
· Cost of dairy products expected to rise by 50%· EU rules stop farmers increasing production

Germany Issues Catalogue of Missing Art Works in Push for Return of War Booty
· Donatello and Botticelli in list of 180,000 treasures · Inventory aimed mostly at Russia and Poland

Germany May End Ransom Payments for Kidnap Victims
· Number of hostages in Iraq and Afghanistan growing · Willingness to pay out believed to increase risk

Germany and Israel Unite to Film the Story of Concentration Camp's Clown
German and Israeli filmmakers have come together to tackle the subject of the Holocaust for the first time in an ambitious screen adaptation of a bestselling novel.

Elderly Germans Discover Hitler Made Them Nazi Party Members
Hundreds of elderly Germans are being confronted with the revelation that they were recruited into the Nazi party during the second world war.

Mosque Stirs Racial Passion in Germany
While Muslims see a £20m building for Cologne as test of a nation's tolerance, critics fear the rise of a parallel, repressive society.

Bach Finally Comes Home As Eisenach Reclaims Composer
Most citizens of Eisenach, a former communist town in central Germany, know precisely how their long-running Bach legacy began.

Video Suggests German Politician Killed Himself in Parachute Jump
The unexplained death of Jürgen Möllemann - one of Germany's most flamboyant politicians - was judged to be a suicide yesterday after the emergence of an amateur video showing his final fatal parachute jump.

Impact of Minimum Wage on Germany's Economy
These may be the effects of a minimum wage on the German economy.

German Anger Over Boy, 17, in Turkish Jail
Germany's foreign minister is to intervene in the case of a 17-year-old German schoolboy jailed in Turkey after alleged sexual abuse of an underage British girl.

Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski
Profile: President Lech Kaczynski came to Brussels yesterday to voice Polish fears of German hegemony over Europe, supported by his twin brother Jaroslaw's ringing accusations about Germany's "incomprehensible crimes against Poland" - the murder of six million Poles, half of them Jews, by the Nazis.

The German Gummi Bear Spreads Worldwide
We all know and love gummi bears as a yummy candy, particularly in our childhood. But, do you know where these treats came from?

The Differences Between an Eu Constitution and Germany's 'reform Treaty'
Analysis: Mark Tran examines the key differences between Germany's proposals for a 'reform treaty' and the terms of the now-abandoned EU constitution.

Germany Sets Collision Course With Uk on Rights
Germany threw down the gauntlet to Britain yesterday over one of the issues that will dominate a crucial EU summit starting today in Brussels.

Germany on Collision Course With Uk on Rights
Germany threw down the gauntlet to Britain yesterday over one of the issues that will dominate a crucial EU summit starting today in Brussels.

13 Killed in German Coach Crash
At least 13 people were killed yesterday when a tour bus carrying a group of pensioners plunged into an embankment after being hit by a truck in eastern Germany.

Former German Mp Admits Using Prostitutes Paid for With Vw Cash
A former German MP and works council chief at Volkswagen was found guilty of fraud and perjury yesterday after admitting that he used prostitutes paid for with company funds.

Proposed New German Pact for Eu Puts Uk on Collision Course
Germany insisted on a 'single legal personality' for the EU yesterday and called for a legally binding charter of fundamental rights across Europe. Both demands are anathema to the British government.

Why we still hate the Germans
"The Polish hate the Germans more than our grandfathers who actually fought Hitler. The truth is that we will never live up to their heroism," writes Joseph Benson.

German Police Deny Heavy-handed G8 Tactics
German police today defended their use of force, after a police launch rammed a Greenpeace dinghy in the first notable breach of security around the G8 summit.

Police Injured in Clashes With Protesters Before G8 Summit
Eight police officers injured in clashes with anti-capitalist protesters trying to disrupt the start of the G8 summit in northern Germany.

16,000 Police Deployed to Halt Violence
A multinational coalition of protesters will today begin their bid to physically prevent world leaders from gathering at the G8 summit despite widespread criticism of violent tactics during growing demonstrations in Germany.

Educated Women Leave East German Men Behind
Study reveals massive female exodus since 1991- Record imbalance leads to fears of male underclass

German Asparagus Farmers Left in a Pickle Over Too Few Pickers
It is considered by Germans to be one of the culinary highlights of spring and summer. But this year the asparagus season is likely to be cut short because thousands of hectares of the crop have been left to rot.

Pope Faces German Revolt As Anger Grows in Latin America
Benedict tries to row back on 'colonial' speech - Former colleagues sign petition against Vatican

German Police Use Stasi Scent Profiling on G8 Protesters
Stasi scent-tracking methods are being used to keep a check on selected protesters planning to demonstrate at next month's G8 summit.

Heinz Berggruen
Obituary: Jewish art collector who made his peace with postwar Germany.

Germany Pushes for Lifting of Eu Sanctions on Uzbekistan
Germany is pushing strongly to lift or ease European sanctions against Uzbekistan, despite the central Asian dictatorship's appalling human rights record, protests from human rights watchdogs and opposition from other EU countries.

German Police Claim G8 Terror Attack Foiled
Hundreds of German police combed offices and flats associated with leftwing activists across six northern cities yesterday, saying they had evidence that a terrorist organisation was planning to disrupt next month's G8 summit.

Germany Investigates Second Life Child Pornography
German prosecutors have launched an investigation to track down anonymous participants of the virtual computer game Second Life who are reportedly buying sex with other players who pose as children, as well as offering child pornography for sale.

Red Army Faction Guerrilla to Stay in Jail, Germany's President Decides
Christian Democrat outcry prevents early release - 30 years on, no clemency for convicted terrorist

Economic Growth Drives German Unemployment to Five-year Low
Germany marked the traditional Labour Day celebrations yesterday by announcing that unemployment had fallen below the four million mark for the first time in almost five years.

Uneasy Echoes of Berlin in G8 Wall
7.5-mile fence round resort in Germany angers locals - Thousands of protesters expected at June meeting

Protest By Kremlin As Police Quell Riots in Estonia
Estonia was yesterday in the grip of its worst crisis since it won independence from the Soviet Union, after a second night of bloody ethnic rioting shook the capital. President Vladimir Putin expressed 'most serious concern' to Germany's Chancellor about the violence in Tallinn after the Estonian government's decision to remove a Soviet war memorial, the Kremlin said.

Nine Months On, World Cup Scorers Spark German Baby Boom
German politicians have been trying to improve the nation's flagging birthrate for years. The answer, it seems, lies not in childcare subsidies or school places but in a successfully staged World Cup, with a bit of good weather thrown in.

Outrage at Army Training Video
A video depicting a German army trainer telling a soldier to imagine he was firing on three black men in the Bronx has provoked outrage in the New York district and led to calls in Germany for an investigation.

German Court Allows Screening of Thalidomide Drama After Cuts
A television drama about the thalidomide scandal which led to thousands of women giving birth to disabled children, has sparked a bitter row between the film-makers and the creators of the drug, 50 years after the anti-morning sickness pill came on to the market.

Swiss Accuse German 'job Thieves'
A huge rise in the number of guest workers and wealthy tax exiles has led to a furious backlash.

German Judge Invokes Qur'an to Deny Abused Wife a Divorce
National outcry at use of sharia law in civil court - Husband beat woman and made death threats

German Drill Sergeants on Trial for Abuse
A court case over the biggest scandal in the German army's post-war history opened yesterday when 18 training officials went on trial for abusing dozens of recruits.

German Envoy Attacks Us Policy
The Bush administration has forfeited legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of most of the world, crippling its capacity to engineer a breakthrough on the gravest problems on the international agenda, a senior German official argues today.

A Special Relationship With Angela is Just What We Need
The dialogue that Britain has with Germany is as crucial to this country's role in the world as the one with America. By Martin Kettle

Russia Displays Looted German Treasure
Exhibition fails to end row over ownership of stolen artefacts.

Germany Pushes Fast-track Strategy for Eu Constitution
Document rejected by voters in 2005 cut by 80% - Aim to have new charter in place by next February

Visit Munich for its remarkable culture, stunning sights and a stein - or more - of local beer
As Germany's third largest city, Munich has something to offer everyone - particularly if you enjoy a stein of beer every now and then!

Brother and Sister Fight Germany's Incest Laws
Siblings who grew up apart have four children - Man faces further jail term if law is not amended

Germany Plans New Eu-wide History Book
Berlin is to push for the publication of the book on the history of the EU to be used as a standard text in all 27 member countries.

Britain Shamed Over Cia Flights
The European parliament yesterday accused EU governments including Britain, Germany and Italy of turning a blind eye to CIA flights taking terror suspects to countries where they might be tortured.

Court Grants Parole for Baader-meinhof Killer
One of the last members of the former Baader-Meinhof gang still in prison is to be freed, a court ruled today in a case that has divided Germany.

Germany Braced for Release of Terrorist
Court will decide tomorrow whether a woman who murdered for the Red Army Faction must stay in jail longer than Nazi war criminals.

Travel in Germany: Great free pocket travel guide of Berlin by Flashbooking
Flashbooking chose to provide backpackers, students and families with a list of budget selected and independent accommodations worldwide, mostly run by locals, in order to promote an alternative tourism respectful of cultures and different societies.

Germany Beefs Up Afghan Presence With Six Fighter Jets
The German cabinet has made a historic decision to boost its military presence in Afghanistan, voting in favour of sending six Tornado jets for use in surveillance operations against the Taliban.

Merkel Goes in Search of a New German Miracle
Tony Blair may hang on as Britain's prime minister for a few more months but as an international leader he is already history. Almost unnoticed, Mr Blair has become an ex-poodle.

Six Shot Dead at Chinese Restaurant in Germany
Federal police called in as triad link is suspected - Husband and wife owners among dead; child spared

German Fury Over Eu Constitution 'club'
Merkel fears talks by 20 members will deepen split - Secret Berlin negotiations challenged in Brussels

German Bosnia Chief 'fired' After Just a Year
The sense of destabilising crisis gathering over former Yugoslavia intensified last night when the German official in charge of running Bosnia abruptly announced he was resigning less than a year after he succeeded Paddy Ashdown in the post.

Can I really teach English in Germany?!?
Thinking about living in Germany but not sure how to earn a living there? Have you thought about using your own language for profit? It’s possible to work as a freelance English trainer but you have to do a little prep work.

Nonni und Manni DVD Review for German Teachers and Students
German language teachers and students are always on the lookout for interesting ways to present lessons or improve vocabulary. This DVD series may be a helpful resource. The vocabulary is simple, and the episodes are only 52 minutes long.

EU Faces Split on Police Powers
Germany presses reluctant European partners to allow armed police and undercover agents to operate with impunity outside their own country.

Germany Bids to Outlaw Denial of Holocaust Across Continent
Nazi symbols and racist speech 'should be banned' - Prince Harry's fancy dress would have broken law

German Court Jails Friend of 9/11 Attackers
A friend of the September 11 suicide pilots was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a court in Germany today, for being an accessory to murder.

Germans Pull Out of European Bid to Rival Google
The war waged by French president Jacques Chirac against 'Anglo-Saxon' cultural imperialism suffered a blow today when the Germans announced they were pulling out of a rival European search engine to Google.

Germany Puts the Sluggish Years Behind It As Confidence Returns
Strong global demand for manufacturing exports has pushed business confidence in Germany to its highest level since reunification, it was announced today.

Germans Face Pressure to Revive Eu Treaty
Chancellor to sound out leaders over constitution - Netherlands says move ignores views of 'no' voters

German Gamers Face Jail for Acts of Virtual Violence
Players and creators of video games could face imprisonment for acts of virtual violence under draft legislation being drawn up by two of Germany's state governments.

German Inquiry Throws Up New Twist in Litvinenko Murder Case
Witness poisoned with polonium before meeting - Traces of material found in northern Germany

German Critic Attacks Turner Prize Winner
British critics have queued up to praise her work but yesterday Tomma Abts - the German-born winner of the 2006 Turner prize - was attacked by her country's leading art critic, who said her paintings looked like east German "wallpaper".

German Lorry Driver Confesses to Six Murders Over 30 Years, Say Police
Man reportedly strangled girl, 14, when he was 15 - Four countries look again at unsolved killings

96-year-old Blazes a Trail on the Net
Francis Bartels has a story to tell. Of his experience as a black man in Hitler's Germany and of his memories of his pupil Kofi Annan, who would become the world's top diplomat. Bartels has written his memoirs but, at 96, knows time is not on his side to get it published, writes David Smith.

CIA Tried to Silence Eu on Torture Flights
Germany offered access to prisoner in Morocco if it quelled opposition.

Poland Fires Warning Shots at German Pleasure Boat
Polish border guards fired warning shots at a German pleasure boat in the Baltic Sea after a squabble over the legality of alcohol and cigarettes sold on board.

Germany to Put Debt and Aid for Africa at Top of G8 Agenda
Germany pledged yesterday to use its presidency of the Group of Eight leading industrial countries next year to continue to push for a better deal for Africa and promote action on climate change.

Merkel Voices Concern Over Opera Cancellation
Angel Merkel today warned of the dangers of "self-censorship" in Germany after a Berlin opera house cancelled its staging of a Mozart opera because of fears that scenes in it would offend Muslims.

Berlin Signals New Tack Over Middle East
Germany is breaking sharply with its own past by deploying a naval force to Lebanon, writes Ian Black.

Constitution the Key to Future Expansion
The arrival of two new member countries, which will complete the 'big bang' enlargement of the union in 2004, will give Germany the chance to lead a debate on the growth of the EU.

Locals Had Climbed Peak Before It Was 'conquered'
Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, was conquered half a century earlier than thought, the German mountaineering association Deutscher Alpenverein admitted yesterday.

Shameful Secret of the Nazi Camp Guard Who Married a Jew
84-year-old widow sent back to Germany after dark past is uncovered.

Ghosts of Nazi Past
A regional election in Germany saw a province dip back into the darkest parts of the country's past, reports Luke Harding.

German Neo-nazis Gain a Platform By Taking Seats in Regional Assembly
Germany's neo-Nazis swept into a regional parliament in the north-east state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern last night, comfortably winning seats in the state's assembly for the first time.

German Neo-nazis Gain a Platform By Winning Seats in Regional Assembly
Germany's neo-Nazis swept into a regional parliament in the north-east state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern last night, comfortably winning seats in the state's assembly for the first time.

German Neo-nazis Set for Poll Victory
Germany's racist neo-Nazi party is poised to make a stunning breakthrough during elections this weekend, entering a regional parliament for the second time in three years, polls suggest.

Neo-Nazis Poised to Win Seats in German State Parliament
· Polls put party above 5% threshold for success · Poor economic conditions in east fuel discontent

Sixty Years After War, First Rabbis Ordained in Germany
· Ceremony marks new stage in healing process · Russian immigrants boost Jewish communities

Gunter Grass: I Needed Time to Reveal My Waffen-ss Past
Gunter Grass, the Nobel laureate whose confessions of SS membership during the second world war have shocked his native Germany, has denied lying about his past and claimed he simply needed time to tell his own story.

Merkel Joins Battle Over Tempelhof Airport
With construction under way on a new €2bn (£1.35bn) Berlin airport, capable of handling up to 25 million passengers a year, the future of the historic Tempelhof site is at the centre of a fierce new debate.

Visit Stuttgart to discover a city of easy contrast
Stuttgart is not a destination which many people would immediately think of as a getaway, but the city has a lot to offer all types of visitors.

Polish War Dead Log Challenges Germany
Poland is to name as many as possible of the more than 6 million Poles who perished in the second world war in a project aimed at countering what it sees as German attempts to rewrite history.

PM Attacks German President Over Expellees
Poland's prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, criticised German President Horst Köhler yesterday for addressing in Berlin 1,000 Vertriebene expelled from Poland after the second world war.

Why Germans become Famous
Germany is eminent because of its culture. Aside from being popular because of their many international car brands like BMW in Rover, Daimler Benz, Chrysler, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, and a lot more, the Germans are also famous because of their Oktoberfest or the Munich Beer Festival.

Germany May Block New Eu Members
Germany is threatening to derail the planned entry of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU on January 1, as fears grow over Europe's capacity to absorb new members.

Germany Threatens Enlargement Timetable
· EU entry for Bulgaria and Romania could be delayed · Concerns grow over influx of migrant workers

European Economy on the Rise
A resurgent Germany, buoyed by the football World Cup, is leading the mainland European economy in its fastest expansion for six years, figures showed today.

Germany Backs Britain's Refusal to Call for Ceasefire
Britain and Germany today watered down a strong European Union call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Lebanon conflict as foreign ministers clashed in Brussels.

EU Rejects Ceasefire Call and Un Fails to Act As Disunity Prevails
· UK and Germany achieve watered-down statement · Flurry of unilateral action leaves UN splintered

Will Germany Declare War On Iran?
With the "Hitler-like" rhetoric coming from Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his denial of the Jewish holocaust seems to have German chancellor Angela Merkel screaming for action.

Germany 'calls for Eu Ban' on Stem Cell Research
Germany is pushing for an EU ban on European funding for embryonic stem cell research, it was reported today, one day after George Bush vetoed a bill in the US to expand such research.

Unlikely Bestseller Heralds the Return of Lightness and Humour to German Literature
Author, 31, rivals Rowling and Brown with tale of two eccentric scientists.

Hamburg's magical Mile - Hamburg is more than just a World cup venue
Whatever style of holiday you are after Hamburg is a great city for any tourist to visit all year round.

German Anger at Orchestration of Visit By Bush to See Merkel
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to protest tomorrow when George Bush arrives in Germany tonight for a three-day bonding session with its chancellor, Angela Merkel.

German Anger As Bush Flies in to Bond With Merkel
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to protest tomorrow against the US president, George Bush, who arrives in eastern Germany tonight for a three-day bonding session with Germany's leader, Angela Merkel.

Polish-German Summit Halted After Potato Jibe
Poland's media was rife with speculation yesterday that the country's thin-skinned president, Lech Kaczynski, had pulled out of a top-level meeting in Germany because a German newspaper compared him to a potato.

Dismay As German Painting is Sold Abroad
· Work hid artist's family tragedy under Nazis · £2.1m canvas depicts victim of euthanasia

Leipzig welcomes fans for the World Cup 2006
As one of the 12 venues for World Cup matches, the preparations in Leipzig are being put to the test this summer as the population swells.

Kaiserslautern's population explodes as World Cup fans flock to city
Kaiserslautern reaps the rewards as host city for World Cup matches

Hanover hit by influx of World Cup fans
Hanover is receiving a massive increase in visitors, as football fans flood to the city, but advanced preparations mean that problems have been kept to a minimum.

Police Praised As German Hooligans Are Detained
Intelligence-led policing in Cologne prevented a flashpoint between German hooligans and England supporters.

Terrorist's dream - World Cup Football 2006 Germany
Soccer: Terrorist usually choose social organizations, places with big accumulation of people as their targets. So, they choose all that what will the most widely lighted up by the mass media.

German Police Face 'most Challenging' Day
· 60,000 England fans in Cologne for Sweden game · Carnival atmosphere despite arrests · Tickets selling for 1500 euros

Placido Domingo Brings Curtain Down on Wagner Opera
Placido Domingo, one of the world's greatest tenors, yesterday pulled out of three high-profile Wagner performances in Germany, fuelling speculation that he is reaching the end of his glittering career.

Menachem Begin 'plotted to Kill German Chancellor'
· Bomb aimed at Adenauer killed disposal expert · Clash over reparations for Holocaust behind attack

Car Hire in Hamburg for World Cup 2006
When you get to Hamburg for the world cup you need to think about how you're going to get about the city

Going to Frankfurt for the World Cup 2006
Now that you have tickets for the match you need to think about how you get about Frankfurt, and where you're going to stay.

Places to stay in Dortmund for World Cup 2006
If you're heading to Dortmund for the world cup you should think about where you'll stay and how you'll get about the city

Have you arranged where you are going to stay in Cologne for the World Cup
Cologne is one of Germany's big world cup venues - you nedd to think about how you'll get about, and where you'll stay

The Economy is Coming Home for Germany
There is a growing confidence in Europe's powerhouse that domestic stagnation has ended.

The Worst Thing About This World Cup is It's in Germany
The relationship Brown should be forging with Berlin is inhibited by our perverse preoccupation with its Nazi past. By Martin Kettle

Car Hire in Stuttgart for World Cup 2006
If you're going to Stuttgart this year for the world cup then you'll need to hire a car.

Car Hire in Gelsenkirchen for World Cup 2006
Do you have a car sorted for your visit to Gelsenkirchen for the world cup this summer?

World Cup Fever - How to Celebrate - Win or Lose
With the world cup set to start next week it's time to party - have you got your party plans sorted yet?

Obituary: Eberhard Esche
An eminent actor, he kept his communist faith in an 'improvable' East Germany.

"München Liebt Dich" And You Will Love It, Too – Travel To Munich
The city’s new motto, "Munich Loves You," may be a bit commercial, but it is exactly how you will feel from the very moment you find your bags at the airport.

Car Hire in Berlin for World Cup 2006
Have you thought about how you're going to get around when you go to Germany for the world cup this year?

Car Hire in Munich for World Cup 2006
How are you going to get about Munich when you go to the world cup this year?

Europe's Biggest Railway Station to Open for World Cup
It took eight years to build, cost €700m (£480m) and dominates the heart of Europe's most vibrant architectural capital. On May 26 Berlin's main railway station will open just days before the World Cup begins in Germany.

German Court Finds Cannibal Guilty of Murder
The German cannibal Armin Meiwes, who killed and ate another man, was convicted of murder and jailed for life yesterday after a court ruled that his original sentence was too lenient.

Achtung! Fun ahead in Germany!
Germany is one of those countries that have such a diverse landscape of cultures due to its size and location within Europe.

Row Over Free World Cup Tickets
Germany faced fresh embarrassment yesterday over its handling of next month's World Cup after it emerged that an official sponsor had given hundreds of free tickets to leading German politicians.

Berlin Holidays
Enjoy your Berlin weekend break with MyBerlin.co.uk offering cheap flights and hotels in Berlin. Read more about the nice Berlin holidays.

Germans Take Their Seats in the Mercedes of Public Toilets
The super-loo, which opened yesterday in Berlin, is the last word in chic public architecture and comes with a disabled lift, a unisex baby changing area and 24-hour reception.

Germany Accused of Paying Large Ransom to Free Hostages
· Two men released after 99 days in captivity in Iraq · Critics say such payments encourage kidnap gangs

Germany Accused of Paying Large Ransom for Release of Hostages
· Two men freed following 99 days in captivity in Iraq · Critics say payments encourage kidnapping

Travel to Berlin: A Cultural Evolution
It is difficult to think of a modern industrialized city that has been through quite as much upheaval and stress in recent times as Berlin. The German capital has been undergoing a massive reunification effort and cultural explosion since 1989 that has held an awe-inspired and utterly captivated audience of visitors since then.

Rights Group Backs Iranian World Cup Ban
The Simon Wiesenthal centre yesterday called on Germany to ban the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from attending the World Cup, describing his possible presence at the tournament as "mind-boggling".

Germany to Release Archive Files on Millions of Nazi Victims
Germany bowed to decades of pressure from the US and Britain yesterday and announced that it would open a vast trove of Nazi-era papers detailing the fate of millions of Holocaust victims.

Big Money Bad for Soccer, Says Günter Grass
He is better known as Germany's most famous writer. But yesterday Günter Grass attacked the commercialisation of football and revealed that he used to play himself - on the left wing for his local side.

EU Threatens Legal Action Over Tobacco Adverts in Germany
· Deadline for internet and newspaper ignored · French PM launches debate on smoking ban

Social Democrat Leader Quits After 5 Months
Germany's Social Democrats, junior partners in Christian Democrat Angela Merkel's ruling coalition, were in disarray yesterday after party leader Matthias Platzeck resigned.

Munich, the capital of beautiful Bavaria
Munich is regularly considered as one of the best cities in the world in which best overall quality of life is achieved.

Hamburg, your second home
As Germany’s second largest city, Hamburg is more than just an exciting place; its beauty is rooted in surrounding nature and an artful set-up.

Frankfurt - Germany’s best kept secret
The old European charm stands out from the rest of contemporary Frankfurt.

Travel to Germany: The Pulse of European History
Germany has long been a mover and shaker of European history, creating waves in time for the rest of the continent to ride out...

Schröder Defends Secret Gazprom Loan Guarantee
Gerhard Schrdöer, Germany's former chancellor, was battling yesterday to save his political reputation amid new revelations that his government secretly agreed to underwrite a vast loan to the Russian state gas monopoly, Gazprom.

Auschwitz May Be Renamed to Reinforce Link With Nazi Era
Poland has asked the United Nations to change the title of the Auschwitz concentration camp to remind visitors that it was built and run by Nazi Germany.

Village Cries Foul Over Plans for Fans' Camp
The 2006 World Cup slogan is "A time to make friends". But for one small village in Germany the prospect of a summer invasion by hordes of England fans has proved it to be a motto too far.

Museum Cctv Focused on German Chancellor's Sofa Moments
Yesterday embarrassed officials admitted that a security camera on the roof of Berlin's Pergamon Museum had instead been filming the chancellor, Angela Merkel.

EU's 'big Three' in Crisis, Says Third Way Guru
France, Germany and Italy are facing an economic crisis with worrying levels of unemployment, Tony Blair's intellectual guru has declared on the eve of an EU summit which starts in Brussels this afternoon.

Sex and Money Fail to Make Germans Happy
According to a new survey Germans are the most pessimistic nation in Europe, with over-50s convinced their circumstances are getting inexorably worse.

Want a German Passport? Then Get Revising, Says State Minister
The state of Hesse wants to introduce the values and knowledge test for all those applying for a German passport.

German Birth Rate Falls to Lowest in Europe
The number of children born in Germany last year was the lowest since the end of the second world war, the Federal Statistical Office reported yesterday.

Artist's Homemade Gas Chamber Angers Jewish Groups
· Deadly exhaust fumes fill ex-synagogue in Germany · Work 'is protest against banalisation of Holocaust'

German Drugs Firm Snubs £10bn Offer
· Schering spurns Merck bid to form 'national champion' · Target firm begins search for 'white knight' partner

Government to Crack Down on World Cup Hooligans
Wide-ranging plans to crack down on hooliganism at this summer's World Cup in Germany will be unveiled today.

German Politicians Claim Free Tickets for Entire World Cup
Scores of leading German politicians will be given free tickets for the entire World Cup, it was revealed yesterday as criticism mounted of the way the tournament is being organised.

German Pet Owners Advised to Take Precautions After Cat Dies of Bird Flu
· Families told to not allow cats in bed at night · Virus discovered for first time in Sweden

England Fans Miss Out on Learning the German for Penalties
They don’t exactly trip off the tongue. But Germany has come up with a novel way of educating England supporters ahead of the World Cup by ...

Germany Put on Alert As Cat Dies of Bird Flu
· Pet owners advised to not allow cats in bed at night · Virus discovered for first time in Sweden

Secret Papers Reveal German Spies Passed Intelligence on Iraq to Us Before Invasion
· Berlin denies claim but faces calls for inquiry · Documents cast cloud over anti-war stance

Poultry Taken Indoors As Germany Confirms Bird Flu
European countries began shutting away their poultry flocks yesterday as Germany and Austria became the latest countries to confirm cases of avian influenza.

Iran Demands Apology Over German Cartoon
· World Cup jibe heightens Tehran-Berlin tensions · Two killed and buildings ransacked in protests

Migrant Workers From East Helping to Boost Eu's Fortunes, Says Report
France, Germany and other members of "Old Europe" were urged yesterday to throw open their borders to migrant workers as figures showed that east European workers were contributing to high economic growth.

German Nurse Accused of Killing 29 Patients
To his patients, Stephan Letter was a kindly young man who did everything he could to relieve their suffering. Unfailingly friendly, Letter was popular at the Bavarian hospital where he worked as a nurse.

Explainer: Depicting the Prophet
As newspapers in France and Germany reprinted controversial caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, Stephen Bates looks at the issues surrounding depictions of the prophet.

German Ad Boss Apologises to Bloggers
The leader of a campaign to cheer up German citizens has been forced to apologise after dismissing weblogs as 'the toilet walls of the internet'. By Claire Cozens.

Germany Agonises Over 30% Childless Women
· Highest number in world choose not to have family · Minister highlights the threat of low birthrate

Germany's Oaks 'could Die Out'
Germany's once magnificent forests are feeling the effects of climate change, with one in every two oak trees officially sick, researchers said yesterday.

Ransomed By Rumour
Reports that Germany paid millions to free a hostage in Iraq are fuelling speculation that the move has only encouraged kidnappers, writes Luke Harding.

Shares in Boc Soar As German Rival Forced to Consider Raising £7.6bn Bid
· British group hits back by reaffirming independence · Linde plays down chances of making hostile offer

German Engineers Taken Hostage on Way to Work
Two German engineers en route to work in Baiji, 110 miles north of Baghdad, were kidnapped yesterday. The victims, identified locally as Thomas Wischke and Rebiti Draba, were forced into a car boot by up to six gunmen and driven off.

Cold Snap Reaches Germany, With Bavaria at -33c
Germany was yesterday in the grip of some of the coldest temperatures for 50 years after the recent freezing snap in Russia spread across much of Europe.

Rescuers Find Body of 15th Ice Rink Victim
The body of the 15th victim of the ice-rink disaster in southern Germany was recovered from the rubble today as officials confirmed that 12 of the dead were children.

Eleven Dead, Four Missing in Ice Rink Collapse
Dangling ant-like from giant cranes, rescue workers yesterday frantically cleared snow from the collapsed roof of an ice rink in southern Germany where at least 11 people were killed on Monday.

Merkel Tries to Broker Deal in Change of German Style
In a series of meetings at the EU summit with fellow leaders, the new German chancellor tried to broker compromises on the most contentious areas of Britain's rebate and the future of the EU's multibillion-pound budget.

CIA's Secret Jails Open Up New Transatlantic Rift
· Hundreds of flights landed in Germany over 2 years · Seizure of innocent people likely to embarrass Rice.

Fire at Hostel Kills Nine Homeless People
Nine homeless people in Germany were killed early yesterday after a fire swept through their hostel.

For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll
Luke Harding wonders how long the union of Germany's two biggest political parties will last.

VAT Deal Brings Coalition Agreement Closer
A deal between Germany's two coalition partners on VAT early today has paved the way towards a formal agreement which will see Angela Merkel finally become chancellor - nearly two months after the general election. After talks went into the early hours of the morning, negotiaters from the...

Athletics: Forgotten Victims of East German Doping Take Their Battle to Court
Nearly 200 athletes who were given drugs prior to competing for East Germany are now seeking £8m in compensation.

German Coalition Stalls As Social Democrat Leader Quits
Negotiations over a "grand coalition" in Germany were thrown into crisis yesterday when the Social Democrats' chairman, Franz Müntefering, announced that he was stepping down.

Merkel Promises to Transform Germany's Relationship With Us
· Next chancellor plans to loosen ties with France · Foreign ministry in SPD hands may limit changes

Indian Soldiers of Ww1 Remembered in Germany
For more than 80 years the German graveyard where 206 Indian volunteers are buried was forgotten. But today the war cemetery in Wünnsdorf, in a forest 40km south of Berlin, is to be officially reopened.

Four Arabs Jailed for Planning Attacks on German Jewish Targets
Three Jordanians and an Algerian linked to al-Qaida's frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, were each sentenced to between five and eight years in jail yesterday for planning attacks on Jewish targets in Germany.

Stasi Row Derails German Left Party Leader
The leader of Germany's Left party was at the centre of a damaging row last night over allegations that he worked as an informer for East Germany's secret police. Lothar Bisky, the head of the Left party, suffered a humiliating rebuff on Monday when MPs meeting for the first time since...

Schröder Bows Out With Swipe at Blair
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany yesterday announced he was bowing out of public life and said he would not serve in a "grand coalition" under Angela Merkel, despite earlier speculation he might stay on as foreign minister.

First woman chancellor in Germany
Though Germany will get the government, the going will be 'real' tough. Find out why?

Merkel Becomes Germany's First Woman Chancellor
· Schröder resigns after secret negotiations · Social Democrats emerge with key cabinet seats

Wait till your father gets home
The hot ticket in Germany this weekend was a play about the Milosevics, based on their real family life. Luke Harding reports from Berlin

German Rivals Hold Talks to Resolve Power Struggle
The prospect of a "grand coalition" in Germany between Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats and Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats grew closer last night after the rivals met for two-and-a-half hours of talks.

Suitors Circle a Poland in Limbo
Like Germany's voters one week ago, Poles opted for change in parliamentary elections at the weekend - but not too much or too fast. Simon Tisdall

Germany's New Left Mps Accused of Collaborating With Stasi
Germany's new Left party, which could play a crucial role in deciding the next chancellor, faced acute embarrassment yesterday amid claims that at least seven of its MPs had collaborated with the Stasi, the East German secret police. The head of Germany's state-held Stasi archive,...

Green Leader Resigns As Fallout From German Election Continues
· Fischer says decision to step down is personal · Party MPs support Merkel ahead of coalition talks

Keeping an Eye on the Neighbours
The fallout from Germany's inconclusive election has sparked anxious debate among French politicians, says Jon Henley.

Germany faces an autumn of intense
For long experts have been saying that country stability depends upon the nature of its political process rather than electoral process. Germany answer this question.

EU Plans Frustrated
European leaders, who had been banking on a clear victory by Angela Merkel and her allies, returned to the drawing board yesterday as hopes of a fresh start in Germany diminished.

Parties Bicker Over German Power Struggle
Bickering broke out among Germany's political leaders today after neither of the big two parties polled enough votes to form a new government in yesterday's general election.

Battle to Form German Government Begins
Germany's political leaders today began the tortuous process of trying to form a new government after Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats won yesterday's elections by a tiny majority.

Confusion As Both Merkel and Schröder Claim Chancellorship
Germany was plunged into uncertainty last night when the leaders of the two main parties claimed they could become chancellor after neither won a majority in the general election.

Germans Set to Give Merkel Grudging Win
Opinion polls suggest a majority for the CDU leader and her allies today. But voters fear she will be a lacklustre Chancellor, reports Luke Harding in Berlin.

Berlin Blues
For 40 years it basked in the glory of its postwar economic miracle, its spirit made brighter still by reunification in 1990. But as Germany goes into elections this weekend, the mood is one of fear that the good times may be past. James Meek investigates what went wrong - and whether the Germans can put it right. James Meek

Schröder in Surprise Comeback to Close Poll Gap With Merkel
· Likelihood of left-right 'grand coalition' grows · Germany in danger of drift into political instability

Right Falters in German Poll
With the opposition stymied by its 'flat tax' guru, Schroeder's stock is swinging higher, reports Luke Harding in Bonn.

Russo-German Pipeline Deal Raises Tension
Russia and Germany are on the verge of signing a multibillion pound pipeline deal that has the potential to alter Europe's political landscape and seriously aggravate the Kremlin's relations with its former Soviet neighbours.

Schröder Has Been a Disaster, So I'm Rooting for Merkel
The social democrats have nothing left to offer either Germany or Europe. Martin Kettle

Schröder Falters in Tv Clash With Rival
Germany's conservative challenger Angela Merkel last night scored a decisive victory over chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the only live debate of the German election campaign.

New Left Strikes Chord in Disillusioned East
The disillusion of many east Germans has prompted a surge of support for Germany's newest political party, the Linkspartei or Left party. It could even help determine Germany's general election in a fortnight.

Rowing: Germans Storm Through
Britain's women were convincing winners of their quadruple sculls heat in Gifu; but Germany threw down the gauntlet, storming through the other heat with seconds to spare.

Nervous, Hatless, the Pope Returns to Germany
Four months after his election as Pope, the 78-year-old former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger arrived in his native Germany yesterday for his first trip abroad as pontiff.

Pope Arrives in Germany on First Foreign Visit
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in his native Germany today on his first foreign trip since being elected four months ago.

Germany's New Left Upsets the Applecart
Helmut Scholz is up for a fight - and the political establishment is running scared. Simon Tisdall

Axel Springer Buys German Tv Group
German publisher Axel Springer is buying control of ProSiebenSat.1, Germany's biggest commercial broadcaster, for 2.5bn euros (£1.7bn). By Chris Tryhorn.

Bribes, Corrupt Chiefs and Paid-for Sex ... Corporate Germany is in Crisis
Big brands are being linked to widespread corruption.

Germany Blocks Extradition of Al-qaida Suspect
The pan-European fight against terrorism was thrown into crisis yesterday when Germany's highest court blocked the extradition of a suspected al-Qaida financier to Spain after rejecting an EU arrest warrant.

Schröder Adviser Resigns From Vw in Sex Scandal
Germany's embattled chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, suffered a major embarrassment yesterday when the architect of his controversial reform programme became the latest victim of a sex and corruption scandal.

Protest Fails to Halt End of Berlin Tribute
Workmen began demolishing a makeshift memorial at Checkpoint Charlie yesterday, dedicated to those who died crossing the frontier with East Germany, after a bank that owns the land enforced an eviction order on the site.

East German Past of Iron Lady Unveiled
Biography tells of Merkel family's links to communists.

The 'ordinary But Ambitious' Girl From the East Who is Set to Be Germany's Next Leader
Small-town origin, research chemist, religious father ... ring any bells?

Germany and France Are Struggling With a New World
Britain is coping better with the transition to a US and Asian-led economy. Martin Kettle

New German Academy of Arts Lays Ghosts of Past to Rest
Germany's most prestigious arts club, whose members include Günter Grass, Harold Pinter and Sir Norman Foster, returns to the heart of Berlin tomorrow after decades of cold war division and exile.

Statue for Postwar Czech President Reopens Wounds of Sudeten Germans
A statue of Czechoslovakia's controversial post-war president Edvard Benes was erected in Prague yesterday despite condemnation from Germans expelled by him after the second world war.

German Mps' Vote Boosts Eu Yes Campaign
German MPs voted overwhelmingly yesterday to approve the new EU constitution in a move designed to boost the faltering yes campaign in France, which faces a knife-edge referendum at the end of the month.

Tale of two skulls divides Germany
As a nation remembers Schiller, its literary giant, doubt is cast over whose remains are in his sarcophagus.

German Industrialist Hopping Mad at 'locust' Accusation
One of Germany's leading industrialists yesterday accused the chairman of the ruling Social Democrat party of "stupidity", in an acrimonious row between the country's centre-left government and big business.

German Centre Torched in Togo
Masked gunmen burned down the German cultural institute in Lomé yesterday - the first western target in the violence rocking Togo since last weekend's disputed election.

The Hotel at Hitler's Hideaway
Luke Harding samples five-star luxury in Berchtesgaden, a place that became famous for all the wrong reasons

Honour for German Major Who Saved 250 Jews
For decades, Pearl Good kept the secret of the motor repair shop on Subocz Street and of the German army officer who declared her an essential war worker when really she was just darning socks.

Divided Without a Wall, Germans Are Now Split By a Rift of the Mind
Once a malevolent partition dividing families and lovers, now the wall that cut Germany in half is a muralled tourist attraction where Glanze sells wall chippings.

School Visit Rebalances the 'biased' British View of German Life and Ways
Standing beneath a giant statue of a Russian soldier stamping on a swastika, Toby Craven-Griffiths reflected on what he had learned about Germany.

Young Germans Lose the Thirst for Beer
Brauereisterben (that's brewery death to you) strikes as sales flatten out.

German Discovers Longest Prime Number
A German eye specialist with a keen amateur interest in mathematics has discovered the world's largest prime number after a 50-day search using his personal computer.

German Landmark Tumbles Into the Sea
One of Germany's most famous landscapes, immortalised by the painter Caspar David Friedrich, has disappeared after a large chunk of white cliff fell into the sea.

Bush Jr to Mend Fences in Germany
In a tour heavily loaded with symbolism, Mr Bush will begin his odyssey tomorrow in Brussels - the institutional heart of Europe and home to the EU and Nato.

German Visa Scandal Rattles Foreign Minister
Germany's foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, was yesterday at the centre of a deepening scandal over claims that he allowed thousands of migrants into Germany from the former Soviet Union on dubious visas.

Luke Harding on the Rise of Neo-nazi Support in East Germany
Sixty years after the end of Hitler's Reich, neo-Nazis are winning alarming levels of support in eastern Germany. Luke Harding visits Königstein in Saxony to meet them - and those struggling to rid the town of its reputation as a far-right stronghold.

German Jobless Rate Soars to 70-year High
Germany's unemployment has soared to its highest level since Hitler came to power in 1933, with figures yesterday showing that more than 5 million Germans are without a job.

German States End Era of Free Study
Germany's higher education system was last night heading for its biggest shakeup in decades after the country's supreme court overturned a ban on the introduction of tuition fees.

Germany's Jobless Feel Budget Pinch
Schröder takes drastic steps to cut dole queue. Sitting on the sofa of her modest living room, Caroline Schellenberg fingered the letter she had just received from Germany's job office.

Germany Fights for Rubens
Germany renewed its demand last night for the return from Moscow of a priceless Rubens oil painting that mysteriously vanished during the second world war. The Russian businessman who is refusing to give it back was threatened with legal action.

Winners and Losers in ... Germany
In the first of a series on how countries fared in 2004, Luke Harding reports from Berlin.

Bush Plans to Visit Germany
President George Bush is to visit Germany at the end of February, the government in Berlin announced yesterday, in a trip designed to heal the US-German rift over Iraq.

Germans Love Schröder Again
Against all the odds, the next German Chancellor could well be the current one. Luke Harding in Berlin charts the fall and rise of a 'comeback kid'

Damaged Trees Sound Alarm Bells in Germany
Germany's forests are in an "alarming" condition with nearly three-quarters of all trees suffering from some kind of damage, according to an official government report.

A Beach and 900 Sunbeds - Germany's Tropical Heaven
Entrepreneur hopes indoor theme park, which boasts a lagoon, beach and a forest, will attract Berliners seeking respite from cold winters.

Germans Turn to Tabloids - But Not As We Know Them
Compacts run alongside broadsheets to lure a new audience, many of whom have never read a paper before.

German Refuge Where America Tends Its Wounded
Blood, tears and compassion fatigue at crowded sanctuary for US war casualties.

For Germany, Being Right is an Unbearable Burden
Chirac is willing to break from the US; Schröder is not so sure. When George Bush makes his triumphant post-inauguration trip to Europe early next year, the German capital will not be on his itinerary.

Press Review: What They Said About 15 Years of a United Germany
... 15 years of a united Germany. Fifteen years after the fall of the Berlin wall, which divided Germany for nearly 30 years, the papers were able to find little to celebrate.

Gloom Prevails As Germany Remembers Fall of the Wall
Germany's former chancellor Helmut Kohl yesterday admitted that 15 years after the demise of the Berlin Wall the divisions between east and west Germany ran "much deeper" than he had originally anticipated. Speaking on the anniversary of the wall's fall on November 9 1989, Kohl said that...

Doing Business in Germany
Tips and guidance on protocol and business practices when visiting Germany on business.

Chill Enters Cosy German Boardrooms
Industry chiefs want to consign to history British-inspired era of co-determination.

Minister Attacks British Portrayal of Germans in the Media
Foreign minister blames UK media for harming ties with goose-stepping stereotype of Germans.

Germany Wins Army Truck Contract
A German-owned company is poised to win Britain's biggest order for military trucks for a quarter of a century in a move the Ministry of Defence says will create and support hundreds of jobs in the UK. Man ERF, the UK arm of the Munich-based Man group, has been appointed preferred bidder...

German Car Sector at Crunch Point
Germany's car industry this week faces an historic turning point, with the supervisory board of Opel meeting in crisis session to discuss reported plans by owner General Motors to cut 10,000 jobs in its loss-making European operations and Volkswagen at the centre of a legal battle between Brussels...

Germany's Silicon Valley
Heather Stewart on state-funded attempts to turn a rusting industrial heartland into a 21st century economy.

Extremist Parties Exploit German Anxiety
Germany's most overtly neo-Nazi party secured a footing in a regional parliament yesterday, for the first time in more than a generation. The results for the state parliament elections in the eastern states of Saxony and Brandenburg dealt a further blow to Chancellor Gerhard Schröder...

German Towns Have the Gi Blues Over Troops' Exit
America's decision to close its European bases and send its soldiers home will have a devastating effect on local economies, residents fear.

Car wars test mettle of Germany
A union dispute at Volkswagen is the litmus test for a nation's economic guru. At the end of Porsche Strasse there looms the raison d'être for the Lower Saxony town of Wolfsburg. Four chimneys tower over the Mittelland Canal. Below them is fixed a giant marque. It reads VW, for Volkswagen.

Germans Bridle at Language Law
It is the language of Goethe, the Brothers Grimm and Bertolt Brecht. But an official attempt to reform German has provoked an unprecedented denunciation of the changes by writers, publishers and literary critics as 'stupid and confusing'. A committee of bureaucrats introduced the reforms...

Upturn for Germany's Top Companies Fails to Boost Employment
Germany's economic performance is too weak to boost employment despite strong showings from some of the country's top companies. Unemployment is at almost 4.4 million, according to figures released yesterday, while the latest survey suggests a third of German workers are worried about...

German Soldier's Grave Has a New Visitor - His Son, the Chancellor
Next week, Gerhard Schröder will travel for the first time to the tiny Transylvanian village of Ceanu Mare - to visit the grave of the father he never knew.

Germany to Drop 9/11 Plot Charges
Evidence against only man jailed for terror attack 'weak'.

Italy and Germany Clash Over Aid Arrests
Silvio Berlusconi's government was again at loggerheads with Germany last night after officials arrested three German aid workers who rescued a group of shipwrecked Africans and landed them on Sicily. As Italian ministers protested that they had been "duped" into accepting the immigrants,...

Dresden Church Rises From the Ruins After 60 Years
Restoration work on one of Germany's most famous baroque churches was completed yesterday nearly 60 years after allied bombers destroyed it in the second world war. In a symbol of reconciliation between Britain and Germany, the exterior of the Frauenkirche or Church of our Lady in Dresden...

Franco-German Hunt for Schoolgirl Feared Abducted
Amid mounting public and media concern, more than 250 French and German gendarmes and volunteers searched last night for an 11-year-old girl who was apparently abducted from her front garden on Friday. "The more time goes by, the more this is turning into a criminal inquiry rather than a...

Germany Has Moved on Since D-day. But Have We?
Britain's continuing obsession with Hitler is unhealthy. You can hardly blame the Germans for not thinking much about D-day. The economy is barely growing. Young people find it increasingly hard to get jobs.

'For Us Germans, the War is Finally Over'
Watershed of chancellor's part in D-day anniversary.

Germany Laid Low By a Virulent Case of Collective Angst
What it means to be a European, and what the people of Europe think of the way we are governed, are both under renewed scrutiny. In the first of a series of articles running up to the EU elections in June, we test the mood among German voters.

Germans 'will Make Trains Run on Time'
A little bit of German magic could be all it takes to make Britain's trains run on time, according to Chancellor Schröder's state secretary for transport. Deutsche Bahn, the German state-owned railway firm, has teamed up with Virgin and Stagecoach for a bid to take over GNER's...

William Cook: Why We Still Hate the Germans
The English hate the Germans more than their grandfathers who actually fought Hitler. The truth is we know we will never live up to their heroism, writes William Cook.

Fear of Islamic Assassins Halts German President's Visit
Germany's president, Johannes Rau, last night dramatically abandoned a visit to Africa following an urgent warning that an Islamic group planned to assassinate him there. In a statement, the president's office said the security services had told Mr Rau not to visit German forces stationed...

Islamic Death Threat Halts German President's Visit
Germany's president, Johannes Rau, last night dramatically abandoned a visit to Africa following an urgent warning that an Islamic group planned to assassinate him there. In a statement, the president's office said the security services told Mr Rau to cut short his visit to German troops...

The Cost of Unification - German Lessons for Korea
UPI was among the first to report a discernible shift to market principles in the North. This is coupled with thawing relations with the West, notably the United States.

German World Cup Tainted By Bribes Scandal
£2m allegedly paid by builder to win 2006 stadium contract. Germany's preparations to host the 2006 World Cup were overshadowed by scandal yesterday after it was alleged that the company that won the contract to build the stadium where the first game will be played had paid millions of euros in bribes.

Germans Puzzle Over Presidential Nominee
Germans were coming to terms last night with the prospect of having a president most of them had not heard of until yesterday. The surprise announcement that Horst Köhler was likely to become Germany's next head of state prompted the mass-selling Bild tabloid to ask yesterday: "Horst...

German Political Crisis Deepens As Schröder Quits Party Post
The future of Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, appeared to be in grave doubt last night following his unexpected resignation as the leader of the centre-left Social Democratic party (SPD). Mr Schröder, who has faced growing unpopularity over his economic reform programme,...

Germany Tests Two Women for Bird Flu
German health officials were examining two women last night suspected of having contracted the deadly bird flu disease. If confirmed, the infections would be the first in Europe and the latest in an outbreak which has so far killed 12 people and spread across 10 Asian countries...

German Press Review
One of Germany's most sensational trials came to an end on Friday when self-confessed cannibal Armin Meiwes was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for manslaughter.

German Sex Shop Chain Makes $62m Play for Penthouse Group
Guccione faces battle that could upset his rescue plan. Bob Guccione is facing a battle for control of Penthouse, the magazine he founded in the 1960s as a rival to Hugh Hefner's Playboy.

Decision to Let France and Germany Off Deficit Hook Was Illegal, Says Ec
The European commission threatened to reopen a poisonous dispute over the size of budget deficits yesterday.

Germany Raises the Stakes on Eve of Eu Talks
The German government yesterday raised the stakes ahead of this weekend's crunch EU summit by refusing to countenance any compromise on the distribution of power within the union and predicting that the meeting could end in failure. "There is no plan B. We are talking about the central...

Germany Immovable in Row Over Eu Voting Rights
Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, last night set the stage for a major diplomatic row at a summit later this week when he said Germany would not back down in a dispute over EU voting rights.

Greatest Ever German? Try a Man With a British Sense of Humour
Konrad Adenauer, Germany's grey, postwar leader, is likely to emerge as the greatest German ever, beating off stiff competition from Martin Luther, Albert Einstein, Johann Sebastian Bach and Karl Marx.

Schröder is Germany's Least Wanted
Chancellor becomes most unpopular leader as jobless lash out at welfare state cuts. They are too hard-up to afford haircuts and have to do it themselves. Most days they stay at home eating cheap liver sausage and watching television. They don't go away on holiday but sit on their balconies instead.

Germany Begins Phasing Out Nuclear Power
Germany took a major step towards ending its nuclear power programme yesterday when it shut down the first of its 19 atomic power stations. Its second oldest nuclear reactor in Stade, near the northern port city of Hamburg, was mothballed with little fanfare by the simple pressing of two...

France and Germany Return to Growth
Hopes of economic recovery in the eurozone received a boost yesterday with news that the two powerhouse economies of the single currency bloc, Germany and France, have returned to growth. Stronger exports, particularly to the buoyant US, are believed to be the source of expansion that has...

France and Germany Discuss Union
France and Germany are publicly discussing the possibility of a "Franco-German union" that would allow them to cooperate more closely in such areas as education, social affairs and the economy and even merge their defence and foreign policies, the French daily Le Monde said yesterday. The...

Germany Fires Top General
The head of Germany's equivalent of the SAS was sacked last night after he expressed support for a rightwing German MP at the centre of a growing row over an anti-semitic speech. The German defence minister, Peter Struck, announced that the commander, Brigadier General Reinhard...

German Mp's Remarks About Jewish 'dark Side' Prompt Calls to Resign
A rightwing German MP last night faced numerous calls for his resignation after he talked of "the Jews" as a "nation of perpetrators" and alleged they were responsible for the deaths of millions of people during the Russian revolution.

France and Germany to Flout Budget Rules Until 2006
The economic fundamentals that underpin the eurozone looked shaky last night after the European commission warned that its two biggest economies - Germany and France - are on course to flout EU budget deficit limits for four years running. Despite the threat of punitive fines, Pedro...

Britons As the Germans See Us - an Absolute Shower
It is a land of warm beer, cricket and unrestricted capitalism - and a place where people take the monarchy dreadfully seriously. There are plenty of eccentrics in this strange country, but no extremists. It is also a place where the showers don't work properly. We are talking,...

Germany's Forgotten Victims
Luke Harding explains why a new book about the allied bombing of German cities in the 1940s has created controversy.

Dim Outlook for Growth in Germany
Germany's battered economy is expected to show a modest comeback next year but the recovery is unlikely to cut the dole queues, according to a group of economic thinktanks. They are predicting the economy - once the power house of Europe - will stagnate this year and improve 1.7% in 2004....

German Historian Provokes Row Over War Photos
A controversial German historian is at the centre of a row over his latest book which includes gruesome photos of German civilians killed by allied bombing during the second world war. Jörg Friedrich defended the decision yesterday to publish the photographs showing the incinerated...

German Held on Spy Charges
The German government was said last night to be furious after discovering that one of its intelligence agents had been passing secret documents to a female Bulgarian spy.

US in muted call for restraint while France and Germany condemn raid
Washington yesterday called for restraint in the Middle East, warning of the threat of a "circle of violence" engulfing the region, but did not condemn the Israeli attack deep inside Syria

German welfare system balks at Florida Rolf
A German pensioner who provoked outrage after it emerged he was getting more than €1,900 (£1,330) a month in welfare benefits while living on a palm-fringed beach in Florida was last night told the good life was over.

Becker Quits Germany for Swiss Tax Haven
Boris Becker became the latest wealthy German celebrity to flee the country last night when he announced that he was moving to Switzerland to escape his homeland's notoriously high taxes. The former tennis star said he was swapping his home in Munich for the Swiss alpine town of Zug,...

German Green Leader Divorces for Fourth Time
Germany's most popular politician, the foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, has got divorced for the fourth time, the mass-selling Bild Zeitung newspaper claimed yesterday. Mr Fischer, 55, the leader of the Green party, secretly split from 34-year-old journalist Nicola Leske after four...

Uninhibited Germans Relish the Bare Necessities of Life
Luke Harding in Berlin: Plunging into the river Havel, wearing only a pair of skimpy green underpants, I had felt a bit under-dressed. It took several minutes before I noticed that the young woman swimming next to me was starkers.

France and Germany Seek Full Un Control Over Iraq
France and Germany will back the new UN resolution on Iraq sought by President George Bush only if the proposal gives the UN full political rule over the country.

Germany Complains to Italy About Hitler Wines
Germany's justice minister, Brigitte Zypries, has protested to her Italian counterpart, Roberto Castelli about the sale of Italian wines labelled with pictures of Hitler, threatening another Italian-German rift.

EC to take on France and Germany
Commissioners threaten to 'throw the book' at Europe's big hitters if they do not comply with 3% deficit rule. The European commission set the stage for an unprecedented and potentially destructive showdown with France and Germany yesterday, promising to hit both with fines unless their ballooning budget deficits are brought under control.

German Data Fails to Boost Euro
Signs of life in the recession-hit German economy failed to prevent the euro scraping new lows against the dollar yesterday as the markets bet on a sluggish recovery in the eurozone. Germany's closely watched Ifo business climate index ticked up to 90.8 in August from 89.3 in July,...

Pension Age to Rise in Italy and Germany
The Italian and German governments risked a public outcry yesterday by proposing that people should work, and make pension contributions, for up to five years longer to help pay for their ever-growing number of pensioners. The proposals come as countries across Europe struggle to defuse...

Germany in warning to freed hostages
The German government has warned 14 Europeans released last week after a hostage ordeal in the Sahara desert against profiting by selling their story to newspapers.

Germany suffers worst quarterly job loss since 1990
Germany suffered its worst quarterly job loss since being reunified in 1990, official figures showed today. In the three months to the end of June, total employment shrank by 646,000 to 38.07 million, the federal statistics office reported.

Germans aim for laid-back new image
Germans, fed up with their image as humourless workaholics, are trying to re-brand their country, emphasising the hedonism of the young and their laid-back life style.

Return of Recession Dashes German Hopes
Stagnant economy defies Schröder's reform efforts · Investment bank's fate in the balance. Germany sank into recession in the first half of this year, dragging Italy, Holland and most of the rest of mainland Europe with it, official figures showed yesterday.

Germany slides into recession
Germany, Europe's largest economy, has slipped into recession for the second time in two years, official figures confirmed today.

German Motorists Could Be Prosecuted for Braking for Animals
A recent ruling in Germany informed motorists that if they brake for small animals, they could lose their insurance claims and even be prosecuted for dangerous driving.

We were war victims too, Germans insist
The photographs show exiles, pathetic bundles of belongings strapped to their backs or clutched in their arms, in grainy black and white trudging through Europe to an unknown future.

Drug scandal fells German TV inquisitor
The German talk show host and Jewish leader Michel Friedman resigned from all his jobs in disgrace yesterday, bringing to an end a prostitute and cocaine scandal which has mesmerised the country for weeks.

Fresh Stasi files could name German MPs
The CIA has handed over to the German authorities highly sensitive files that name tens of thousands of former East German secret service agents, it emerged yesterday.

'Economic Crisis' Forces German Call for Lower Rates
Gerhard Schröder was last night piling pressure on the European Central Bank for deeper cuts in interest rates after one of Germany's leading thinktanks warned that recession and imminent deflation had left the country in "economic crisis". With his ministers scaling down their...

German MPs listed in prostitution inquiry
The German president is reported to have ordered the investigation of allegations that the phones in the offices of 38 MPs were used to order Ukrainian prostitutes.

Locked-in Workers Foil German Strike
Union action at car parts plant meets concerted response by bosses, complete with airlifts of food and clothing.

The New German Stereotype: Holiday-addicted and Out to Lunch
The German worker's reputation for being eager and industrious is under attack, not from a xenophobic British tabloid but from the country's economics minister. Far from the stereotype of being diligent drudges, employees enjoy too much time off and should work longer hours if the country...

Churchill 'betrayed East German Rising'
A German historian has accused the British of "betraying" an anti-communist uprising in the early years of the German Democratic Republic which was eventually put down by Soviet tanks. In a book published to coincide with today's 50th anniversary of the uprising, Hubertus Knabe claims...

Franco-German Deal Puts Cap Reforms at Risk
Britain was fighting a rearguard action last night to prevent France and Germany imposing their will on the issue of Europe's agriculture subsidies at a meeting of farm ministers in Luxembourg. The agriculture secretary, Margaret Beckett, insisted the European commission's radical reform...

Germany Confronts Nazi Atrocity
Reunion of war veterans intensifies calls for prosecutions over Cephalonia massacres. Mittenwald, nearly 1,000 metres up in the Alps, epitomises the wholesome face of Germany. Visitors come to hike and ski, or to marvel at the town's elaborately painted 18th-century houses.

Heart of Eurozone Skips a Beat As Germany Slips Into Recession
Gerhard Schröder's embattled government was plunged into fresh crisis yesterday when a second quarter of falling output pushed Europe's powerhouse economy into recession and caused growth to grind to a halt across the 12-nation eurozone. The Netherlands joined its larger neighbour in...

Germany Hit By Economic Woes
Germany today received a double dose of dismal economic news as manufacturing orders plunged in March, while unemployment looks set to hit 5 million. In what analysts described as shocking news, manufacturing orders fell 3.9% in March from the previous month, with domestic demand plunging...

France, Germany Deepen Uk Rift
Europe's anti-war camp risked new tensions with Britain and the US yesterday by establishing a joint military headquarters that could operate separately from Nato. President Jacques Chirac of France and Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor, insisted...

Hostages in 100-mile chase across Germany
A hijacker who seized a bus in Bremen yesterday, forcing its driver into a 100-mile chase on Germany's autobahn network, had written a letter to his parents in praise of the September 11 terrorists, the police said last night.

Germany's biggest bank takes 1bn euro hit
Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest, yesterday warned it is taking more than €1bn (£691m) in charges against the falling value of its investments - pushing it into the red.

Germany and Uk Rebuild Bridges
Tony Blair and Gerhard Schröder last night staked out a role for themselves as mediators between the US and France in the postwar world. The prime minister and the German chancellor were the two European leaders whose views on Iraq were furthest apart at the start of the war. Last...

German Radio Giant Files for Bankruptcy
Grundig, once the biggest radio manufacturer in Europe, today filed for bankruptcy after years of financial decline. Germany's best-known maker of televisions and radios said it had filed for insolvency after failing to find a partner to bail it out. "We have made an insolvency...

Germany Faces a Thatcherite Conversion
David Gow doesn't think Germany should be put through the kind of radical economic restructuring that the UK underwent in the 1980s.

Germany's Copyright Levy
Based on the recommendation of its Patent Office and following fierce lobbying by VG Wort, an association of German composers, authors and publishers, Germany is poised to enforce a three years old law and impose a copyright levy of $13 plus 16 percent in value added tax per new computer sold in the country.

Abuse scandal rocks Germany
German police are hoping the ground will thaw enough this week for them to start digging in a quarry in their hunt for the body of a five-year-old boy whose death at the hands of a paedophile ring has sent shockwaves through the country.

France, Russia and Germany harden stance
France, Russia and Germany yesterday raised the stakes in their defiance of Washington's war plans against Iraq, vowing jointly "not to allow" a resolution authorising war to be passed by the United Nations security council.

Germany: a Powerhouse in Crisis
Germany continues to pay a high economic price for reunification and it will take "an entire generation" to solve the problems of the former communist eastern states, the country's finance minister, Hans Eichel, says today. In an interview with the Guardian, Mr Eichel says that Germany is...

Germany Sells Off the Silver
In desperate need of cash, German local authorities are using byzantine and dubious arrangements to lease their assets to America, writes John Hooper.

Dutch to Plug Dyke Against Tide of German Drug Tourists
Huge illegal trade fuelled by thousands crossing border every day.

Germany's Rebellious Colonies
Invited by a grateful United States, the Czech Republic on Saturday sent a representative to meet with Iraqi opposition in Kurdish north Iraq. The country was one of the eight signatories on a letter, co-signed by Britain, Italy, Spain and the two other European Union central European candidate-members, Poland and Hungary, in support of US policy in the Gulf.

25,000 German Firms Expect the Worst
Eichel risks showdown with EU as Brown defends UK spending.

US to punish German 'treachery'
America is to punish Germany for leading international opposition to a war against Iraq. The US will withdraw all its troops and bases from there and end military and industrial co-operation between the two countries - moves that could cost the Germans billions of euros.

Nato deadlocked as France and Germany refuse to back down
Nato's plans to defend Turkey in case of war with Iraq remained deadlocked last night after France, Germany and Belgium ignored the entreaties of their fellow allies and refused to back down.

Washington to cut bases in Germany as its forces head east
Washington is planning to cut and downgrade its network of military bases in Germany and to transfer some its European military assets to the new pro-American Nato allies of eastern Europe, according to diplomats and officials on both sides of the Atlantic.

German industrial slump sparks recession fears
Germany today stood in danger of sinking back into recession after industrial output suffered its worst fall in four years in December, official figures showed today.

In a sign of growing division, Germany and France kept US in dark over plan to avert war
The Franco-German plan to intensify UN weapons inspections and step up spy flights over Iraq is both a calculated snub to the US and an attempt to derail what is seen as Washington's determination to go to war.

German shoppers rein in spending
German shoppers kept a tight grip on their spending last year, sending retail sales lower for the first time since 1997.

Barenboim saves Berlin opera at cost of 300 jobs
Daniel Barenboim's Berlin opera house appeared yesterday to have won its battle for survival, with a rescue by the state at the cost of 300 jobs.

German Owner of Powergen in 10bn Euro Takeover
E.ON, the German multi-utility, yesterday promised greater competition in Europe's biggest gas market after completing a last-minute 10bn euro takeover of gas importer Ruhrgas. The German group, which owns Powergen, Britain's second largest energy supplier, reached an out-of-court...

Germans convicted for supplying cannon drills
Two German businessman were yesterday convicted of supplying Iraq with equipment for the manufacture of a gun capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction.

Alexander Chancellor: Let's Hear It for the Germans
Almost 60 years since the end of the second world war, no traces of the old Nazi expansionism survive. The Germans have become pussycats.

German Business Shows Signs of Confidence
German business confidence edged upwards in January for the first time in eight months, but Europe's largest economy remains in trouble, economists said today. According to a key survey of company executives from the Ifo thinktank, Germany's business climate rose to 87.4 from its December...

France and Germany harden stance against war
The transatlantic gulf widened further last night after France and Germany hardened their stance against mounting US pressure for military intervention ahead of the presentation of the UN weapons inspectors' report on Monday.

Today's specials: French fudge and German whine
Today's ceremonial luncheon and historic joint session of the Assemblée Nationale and the Bundestag may mark 40 years of Franco-German friendship, but its organisation has raised more than a few hackles.

Chirac Draws Germany Into Embrace
Jacques Chirac made clear his ambition for the recently revived Franco-German alliance yesterday, saying it would be the "driving force" for the "refounding of the European project". As they prepare to celebrate the 40th anniversary this week of the 1963 Elysée friendship pact, Mr...

Brown Calls for Reforms in Germany to Help Uk Growth
Gordon Brown will today call on Germany to boost growth through structural reform amid evidence that the weakness of the European economy will prevent Britain from meeting the government's target for 3% expansion this year. The chancellor will use talks in Berlin with the German finance...

German Upset Opens Way for Ecb Rate Cuts
Prospects of growth-boosting cuts in the eurozone's interest rates rose yesterday after the German government announced that Europe's biggest economy all but ground to a halt last year, posting its weakest performance since 1993. Financial markets were braced for an early response from...

Don't Be Taken in By This Franco-german Love-in
Paris and Berlin have put aside their differences - for now, anyway. The rest of Europe has always been ambivalent about Franco-German cooperation, complaining of drift when the two countries have not been close and of being bossed around when they are strongly aligned.

German Economy Hits 9-year Low
The German economy almost shuddered to a halt last year as it grew just 0.2%, its slowest pace in nine years, official figures showed today. The figures from the federal statistics office put Europe's largest economy at the tail end of the eurozone league table and heap further...

Germany Isn't Working
A radical shake-up of the EU's stability and growth pact would help Germany find a way out of its economic crisis, writes David Gow.

France, Germany Forge New Links
Chirac and Schröder consider plan to encourage ministers to take part in each other's cabinet meetings.

Germany on Tightrope Over Election Pledge
Tony Blair arrives in Hanover today for an informal dinner with Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, at which Iraq will be at the centre of discussions.

Deal Saves Germany From Public Sector Strike
Trade union and German government negotiators announced a deal early today which should avert the threat of national public sector disruption and bring a much-needed respite to the embattled chancellor, Gerhard Schröder. The deal was reached in face-to-face bargaining between the...

Germany: Always look on the bright side of life
Instead of running a headline across the top of its front page yesterday, the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel stuck in a huge four-leafed clover.

Germany in a Muddle Over War
Gerhard Schröder's government is losing credibility over its confused policy on Iraq, reports John Hooper.

Mike Burleson: Is Germany Selling Weapons to Iraq?
For the past few months the German media has been reporting secret shipments between Sadaam Hussein and German industries. Now it seems official and the mainstream press has been stangely silent.

Germany heads for winter of strikes looms over
The prospect of rubbish piling up in the streets - that universal omen of a troubled society - loomed large in Germany yesterday after the collapse of talks between the government and public sector workers.

UK Economy Poised to Pass Germany
Germany's reputation as Europe's economic powerhouse was dealt a grievous blow yesterday when one of its most influential thinktanks named Britain as one of a group of countries poised to overtake it. With the government of Gerhard Schröder struggling to cope with a deepening...

Germany was 'key supplier' of Saddam supplier
Iraq has identified Germany as the country whose companies did most to help Baghdad in its drive to acquire weapons of mass destruction, said a German newspaper yesterday.

Franco-German show of strength puts America and friends in their place
The EU decision to delay Turkey's membership talks is a clear rebuff to the US, which campaigned long and hard for an early date, and a sobering reminder to Britain of the irresistible strength of France and Germany when they work together.

German Lessons
It is a British habit to keep on mentioning the war, but there is very little to feel self-righteous about. Where would we be without Germany? We'd have no summer headlines about lebensraum-appropriating beach towels, no TV documentaries on Hitler's pot plants/sock drawer/dental hygienists, in fact almost no...

Germany Forced to Cut Defence Spending
Germany announced cuts in its defence purchasing yesterday, in a move that will disappoint its Nato allies. Presented as a drive to adapt the armed forces for the global "war on terror", the package formed part of measures aimed at holding back the growth of Germany's burgeoning budget...

German opposition demands inquiry into 'electoral fraud'
Germany's opposition Christian Democrats will tomorrow take the unprecedented step of demanding a full parliamentary inquiry into whether chancellor Gerhard Schröder deliberately misled MPs and voters by failing to reveal the true state of Germany's public finances before September's general election.

Germany's cast iron chancellor
Schröder is determined to keep out of any US war with Iraq. Pity Germany. Usually caricatured as a country with militarist instincts, for the last few months it has been in the dock on a different charge. The Bush administration accuses it of pacifism.

East German developers say hi-di-heil
The camp was intended to be the biggest package holiday complex the world had ever seen, a totalitarian Torremolinos to keep the Aryan faithful fit, happy and productive.

German Tax Rise Evokes Weimar Comparison
Chancellor Schröder faces political and satirical backlash amid claims of broken election promises.

Soviet Pows to Sue Germany
A Berlin lawyer will today bring a suit against the German government that could end up costing it up to £300m. Stefan Taschjian is seeking compensation on behalf of two Armenian veterans of the Red Army who were held as prisoners by the Germans during the second world war...

Germany at Pains to Mollify Washington
Transatlantic allies rebuild relationship after Hitler jibe.

Law May Allow German Mothers to Give Birth Anonymously
Mothers will be able to give birth anonymously in German hospitals if a proposal to be tabled later this month wins approval. The move has reopened a debate about the rights of children that has set doctors against psychiatrists and caused rifts among political allies.

Britain's Costs Rise As Germans Cut Plane Order
Britain is facing a Franco-German deal to cut the number of new military transport aircraft that the cash-strapped Berlin government is due to order, forcing the UK to pay more for its own batch of planes. Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, is to hold informal talks with his German...

Germany Mirrors Japan's Problems
Two of the world's leading economic players are facing serious difficulties - and their troubles have plenty in common.

Deutsche figures deepen Germany's banking gloom
Germany's banking woes today deepened as Deutsche Bank announced a surprise loss in the third quarter. Germany's largest bank reported a pretax loss of 181m euros (£115m) compared to a 363m euro profit a year ago. Analysts had expected Deutsche to make a profit of 282m euros.

German Money Machine Grinds to a Halt
Germany's banking system is facing a crisis of confidence. Profits are evaporating and share prices crumbling, prompting uncomfortable comparisons with Japan's troubled finance houses. The latest indication of the German disease comes this morning from Deutsche, the country's largest and...

Germans Take to the Low-cost Skies
Low-cost airlines are limbering up for a battle for supremacy over German skies, after TUI launched a new budget carrier. The holiday firm, which owns Thomson Travel, is spending an initial €100m (£63m) on its no-frills airline, which will be called Hapag-Lloyd Express. Based at...

German Bankers in Denial
Denial is a ubiquitous psychological defense mechanism. It involves the repression of bad news, unpleasant information, and anxiety-inducing experiences. Judging by the German press, the country is in a state of denial regarding the waning health of its economy and the dwindling fortunes of its financial system.

Cuts and Taxes Repay German Voters
The German Social Democrats and Greens agreed a coalition pact yesterday that contained no exciting new projects and few rewards for the voters who re-elected them for a second four-year term. Unsurprisingly after a campaign which Chancellor Gerhard Schröder fought on a traditional...

Fischer Rejects Chancellor's 'german Way'
The German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, has taken the highly unusual step of repudiating a central plank of chancellor Gerhard Schröder's re-election platform. In an outspoken interview with the Guardian, Mr Fischer scoffed at repeated claims by the chancellor during the...

How Germany paid for the boom
Investors in Britain and the US watching their pension savings rapidly shrinking might think things couldn't be any worse. But they would be wrong - they could have invested in the German stock market.

Global Crash Fears As German Bank Sinks
Stockbrokers around the world are braced for a potentially calamitous week as alarm mounts over a looming, Thirties-style global financial crisis. A leaked email about the credit-worthiness of Commerzbank, Germany's third largest bank, yesterday increased fears of the international stock market...

German Greens start to reap poll rewards
Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats opened talks with the Greens yesterday on the shape and programme of their new coalition government.

'Fatal Error' If Germany Swings Right, Says Grass
Germany's greatest writer has warned that social democracy is at risk if Schröder loses today's poll, Kate Connolly reports from Berlin.

German Vote Set for Photo Finish
The gap between Gerhard Schröder and his conservative challenger is too close to call, say pollsters.

Cheeky German Electoral Campaigns
This year's German electoral campaigns are markedly different from those of the past, with all the parties using sex, sauciness and humour in an attempt to win support.

German Elections
Race, security, unemployment and religion are key issues in Germany's upcoming general election. Mark Oliver explains

Vote Selling Adds to German Poll Tensions
German state prosecutors are investigating several instances of attempted vote trading ahead of Sunday's knife-edge general election. Growing cynicism about politics, especially among the young, has led to an upsurge in efforts - both serious and possibly specious - to turn democratic...

Right this way your table's waiting...
Berlin is my kind of town. A modern metropolis where the past is always present. A shifting shape-changing city. Historical melange of decadence and repression that pulls you in and spits you out like a rock steady bouncer. This is an ordered city where logic needn't apply.

Ex-communists in Line to Be Kingmakers in Germany
Tübingen's PDS candidate and her comrades across Germany could hold the key to the next government.

Businessman Could Hold Key to German Elections
He does not even have a seat in parliament, yet polls show he is Germany's second most popular politician - better liked than either Gerhard Schröder or his rival for the chancellorship, Edmund Stoiber. If - as polls predict - Mr Stoiber wins the election on September 22, Lothar...

Engineers on trial for German train disaster are scapegoats, say victims
Three engineers went on trial in Germany yesterday charged with causing the country's worst train crash, a high-speed collision with a bridge near Eschede on June 3 1998 which took 101 lives.

Germany to put September 11 'banker' on trial in Hamburg
A Moroccan man arrested in Hamburg last year has been charged with taking part in the World Trade Centre attack.

German Tv Debate Ends in a Draw
The first-ever televised debate between candidates for the German chancellorship was judged a draw last night - a better than expected outcome for the right's candidate Edmund Stoiber. Up against an acknowledged media master in the form of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, the Bavarian...

German Tax Cuts Put on Hold As Cost of Flood Rises
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's government has announced a 12-month freeze on plans to introduce tax cuts next year in an effort to fund the multibillion pound reconstruction of areas in eastern Germany devastated by floods. The decision reached yesterday after an emergency cabinet...

New Surge Threatens Germany
Worst may not be over as rivers in central Europe reach record heights.

Green tax issue splits German right
The extensive flooding in Germany changed the balance of the general election campaign yesterday, raising awkward questions for Edmund Stoiber, the Christian Democratic candidate who is tryimg to become chancellor on September 22.

Sleaze Equals Snooze for the Germans
Corruption scandals permeating German politics could result in voter apathy on September 22, writes John Hooper.

Germany's Mr Charisma is losing his touch, say polls
Concern about the economy eat into Schröder's lead. Gerhard Schröder's best hope of remaining chancellor of Germany - his considerable personal popularity - is starting to come under threat, according to a new poll. It suggests that, in the past couple of weeks, the gap between him and his challenger, the austere Bavarian Edmund Stoiber, has halved.

German Foreign Minister Brought to Book Over Diet
Germany's foreign minister, Joschka Fischer of the Greens, last night became the latest in a string of politicians forced on to the defensive by claims of financial impropriety as Germany enters its hardest-fought election campaign for many years. However, the pounds in Mr Fischer's case...

Larry Elliot: Germany Should Regard Brown As Flexible Friend
Germany travails serve as a warning to the Blair government of how euro membership could blow up in its face. What went wrong?

Now Germans Win Airline World Title From Britain
After dominating the skies for decades, British Airways is set to lose its title as the world's favourite airline - eclipsed by arch-rival Lufthansa. The German carrier is on course to transport more than 32 million passengers on international flights this year, against BA's 31m...

Gary Younge on Anti-german Prejudice
Gary Younge asks why anti-German feeling seems to be the last acceptable prejudice.

German rape victims find a voice at last
After 50 years a UK author has enabled countless women to admit their ordeal at the hands of Soviet troops. Kate Connolly reports from Berlin.

Organic Scandal Halts Germany's Green Revolution
Prince Charles gives his backing to Schröder's beleaguered farming policy in an effort to restore consumer confidence in green products.

Law threatens East Germans' weekend retreats
A new law could ensure the gradual disappearance of one of the oddest by-products of the communist era in East Germany. An estimated 2.5 million lives will be affected by a new act which strips away much of the protection afforded to owners of weekend retreats or Datschen.

Germans Infuriated By Euro Rip-offs
The German government called together employers, trade unions and consumer representatives yesterday in an attempt to defuse mounting complaints that the introduction of the euro is pushing up prices. But the government's own economics minister distanced himself from the move, while...

Germany's Liberal Party Flirts With the Far Right
The Austrian far-rightist Jörg Haider extended an endorsement to the leadership of Germany's august liberal party yesterday amid claims that it is being hijacked by anti-semitic populists in the run-up to September's general election. His congratulations will be viewed with profound...

Germany Pulls Out of Recession With 0.2% Growth
Germany pulled out of recession as its economy grew by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2002, ahead of elections later this year, government figures showed today.

New zeppelin offers views of Berlin and German history
The zeppelin airship, once a symbol of German power and grace in the skies, is once again taking passengers over Berlin.

German Hardliner Buoyed By Rising Tide
Fortune favours Hamburg's Judge Merciless.

German Rightwing Candidate Builds Bridges With Uk
The man the opinion polls say could well be Germany's next leader arrives in London today with a double aim. Edmund Stoiber, the Christian Democrat's candidate for the chancellorship, will be looking to raise his international profile at talks in No 10 with Tony Blair while persuading the...

German challenger denies illegal funding
Edmund Stoiber, the opposition leader challenging Gerhard Schröder for the chancellorship of Germany, has been thrust into a funding scandal just four months before the elections after allegations that his party received illegal donations from an exiled weapons industry lobbyist.

Euro Led to Price Rises, Says German Minister
Germany's finance minister has admitted for the first time that the introduction of euro notes and coins almost five months ago has led to significant price rises across the country and left consumers feeling they are carrying the burden of the transition to the new currency. Hans Eichel...

Energis Gives Up on Germany
Struggling telecom company Energis yesterday admitted defeat in its search for a buyer for its German web hosting business, Ision, as it pushed the company into insolvency. Energis bought 75% of Ision, which employs 770 people, in December 2000 for just over £500m as part of its...

German archive reveals kaiser's plan to invade America
It was planned down to the last detail. Sixty German ships laden with tens of thousands of troops were to arrive at various points on the US Atlantic seaboard. Several thousand soldiers would land at Cape Cod and march into Boston, while heavy cruisers entered New York's Lower Bay to bombard Manhattan.

Germany moves to raise age of majority
A debate is raging in the German Social Democrat party about the legal age of majority, in consequence of the school shooting last month in which a teenager killed 16 people.

IG Metall brings German factories to a grinding halt
Employers speak of 'madness' as engineering employees take to streets in pursuit of a 6.5% wage rise.

Germans Offer Cash to Return Refugees
A German state plans to offer African countries more than £5,000 a head to accept rejected black asylum seekers - regardless of their nationality. A spokesman for the government of the city-state of Hamburg said yesterday that talks had begun with the embassies of several countries....

Germans offer Africa cash to take back asylum seekers
A German state plans to offer African countries more than £5,000 a head to accept rejected black asylum seekers - regardless of their nationality.

How Teacher Stopped the German School Slaughter
John Hooper reports on the horror and heroism in Erfurt school massacre.

German Locomotive Runs Out of Steam
Germany, once Europe's paragon of industrial and social organisation, is being pushed towards a Blairite revolution.

Germany Sees Record Number of Company Insolvencies
The number of German companies filing for insolvency soared last year with more than 32,000 firms affected, according to official figures yesterday. The economy has already been hit by a series of high-profile companies to file for insolvency this year, including construction group...

Brussels Fumes As Germany Fights Tobacco Advertising Ban
Supposedly health conscious Germany is proving an implacable foe to the European commission's efforts to curb smoking in the EU.

Germans Racist, Says Schmidt
Former chancellor Helmut Schmidt, yesterday poured petrol on the flames of Germany's impassioned immigration debate when he declared that there were far too many foreigners in his country.

ECB Warns German Unions on Pay Deals
The European Central Bank yesterday delivered a barely veiled warning to more than 5 million German workers not to push ahead with inflation busting pay deals.

Missing Billions Baffle German Logic
Missing: Eighteen billion Deutschmarks, worth around £6bn - enough to buy a half a dozen medium-sized nuclear power stations or 20 battle frigates. According to the latest statistics from the Bundesbank, this was the total amount of Germany's old currency still to be returned last...

German Business Confidence on the Rise
A jump in one of the key measures of business confidence in Germany indicates that Europe's largest economy is pulling out of its slump. Germany's key Ifo business sentiment index rose much more than expected in February, driven by improved expectations. The index is based on a monthly...

Germans Urged to Revive Banned State
A proposal for the resurrection of the outlawed state of Prussia has set off a heated debate in Germany, highlighting an unsuspected determination among today's Germans not to be influenced by ghosts from their country's past. A minister in the government of Brandenburg, the state ...

Germany Avoids Eu Reprimand Over Rising Deficit
EU finance ministers today approved a compromise that avoided a formal reprimand for Germany over its rising budget deficit, but insisted that the fudge did undermine the EU's financial credibility. "I think the credibility has been clearly maintained," EU economics and monetary affairs...

German Pay Tv Giant Falters
News that German media company Kirch is facing severe financial difficulties means the bottom may have fallen out of the TV sports rights market, write Vivek Chaudhary , Richard Williams and John Hooper.

It's No Carnival for Germany
The European commission spoils Chancellor Schröder's party to warn Berlin over the size of its budget deficit.

Germany faces EU warning as recession bites
The European commission is considering issuing an unprecedented written warning to Germany, architect of the eurozone's tough budget rules, over the deteriorating state of its public finances, EU sources disclosed yesterday. Officials in Brussels fear the rapidly widening gap between...

German conservatives look to hard right
Germany's Christian Democrats look increasingly likely to turn to the hard right in their efforts to unseat the chancellor, Gerhard Schröder. A decision on who should lead the conservatives into next year's general election is expected within the next few weeks. The natural choice...

Mattress cash worries Germany
With just days to go before the abolition of the mark, the German authorities are waging a fierce campaign to persuade countries in central and eastern Europe that depend on the 52-year-old German currency, to adopt the euro rather than abandon it in favour of the dollar. "We're trying...

Germany raids Islamist groups
A network of extremist Islamic groups based in Germany was outlawed yesterday under new legislation that lets the state act to dissolve religious organisations with suspected links to terrorism. During the day searches and raids were carried out on houses, offices and mosques in seven...

Funding row hits German right
The man thought most likely to challenge Gerhard Schröder for the German chancellorship suffered a blow to his chances yesterday when his party was caught up in a funding row. Edmund Stoiber, head of the arch-conservative Christian Social Union was under pressure to explain £2m which...

German naturists seek nude deal
Germans are becoming so happy to take off their clothes - anytime, anywhere - that the nation's much-loved naturist clubs are losing out. People now see little point in joining a club when stripping off is accepted almost everywhere from city parks to swimming pools.