Stories from Germany

Cultural manager Gitte Tschok is set to become the Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut this summer. Her appointment follows her work addressing migration, flight, and social change in Europe. The Goethe Medals will be awarded in Weimar on August 28 during a festival celebrating the birthday of Jürgen Wolfgang von Goethe. The 42-year-old previously served as the founding director of the Goethe-Institut in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2015 to 2018. Her role will involve developing skilled professionals and advancing the institute's development. The appointment aims to further develop the institute through foreign cultural policy and professional training.

An accomplice aged 20 received a sentence of two years and six months in prison. Two other perpetrators received suspended sentences. The group targeted men aged 16 to 20 by contacting them through dating apps and luring them to remote locations to commit robbery, assault, and humiliation. The group reportedly filmed their crimes.

Construction crews successfully installed a 105-ton central section and two-ton steel components to reconstruct the Landgrafen Bridge in the Ahr Valley. The installation process using two cranes took approximately 3.5 hours to complete. This bridge was among more than 100 structures heavily damaged or destroyed during the Ahr flood disaster nearly five years ago. The flood resulted in 135 deaths and the loss of property for 17,000 people. Two cranes successfully lifted and placed a 105-ton center section and two-ton steel parts onto the bridge pillars on the north side of the Ahr river. Project lead Peter Wildt expressed satisfaction with the progress. The new three-span structure is 15 meters longer than the previous bridge. The design aims to ensure that trees, cars, or washed-away materials slide off the rounded pillars rather than snagging.

TSV Hannover Burgdorf has signed national player Sebastian to strengthen their backcourt. Sebastian joins from Rhein-Neckar-Löwen and is expected to potentially replace Renas Uschins, who is likely to leave the club. He is expected to serve as a long-term replacement for Renas Ustschins. The signing comes as Rhein-Neckar-Löwen faces personnel changes this summer, including the departure of sports director Ralf Kellermann. Heimann has signed a three-year contract with the team. The move follows reports that player Renas Uschins is expected to transfer to Paris Saint-Germain for Champions League competition.

Eva Beringer has been nominated to run for mayor in Wilfershausen following a local election fraud scandal. The previous mayor resigned and left the CSU after admitting to falsifying ballots during the March municipal elections. A new election is scheduled for July. Ruth Marker, a 52-year-old specialist, will run for the Free Voters Association. She is running for the Freie Wählergemeinschaft.

The CDU submitted its own list of election proposals that does not include the AfD. This move follows a joint list submission by both parties that included candidates for various positions, including the municipal council. CDU Mayor Markus Rana witnessed the proceedings, which have caused political friction. The separate submission occurred during the constituent session. The CDU submitted a separate list proposal that excludes the AfD, according to reports from Frankfurt. The session was interrupted for 10 minutes due to formal errors in the proposal. This led to tumultuous debates within the municipal council. SPD member Tomaschell, a former mayor of Bibelsheim, expressed concerns that the move could damage the municipality.

Hamburg is considering a bid to host the Olympic Games. The proposal is currently a major political topic within the city.

Scientists at the Institute for Animal Production in Dommersdorf are investigating conditions that allow hens to be kept longer. The research specifically examines mobile chicken housing, which resembles construction trailers and is moved from meadow to meadow. Researchers are studying how stocking density affects the prevention of behavioral issues such as feather pecking and cannibalism.

Prosecutors have leveled a second charge in the investigation of a planned attack on a Teleswift concert in March 2024. An Austrian national of Turkish descent, identified as Ardakar, has been charged alongside Beren A. and was involved in the plot. The group also reportedly included a third individual, Hassan E., a school friend from the Netherlands.

The German cabinet is expected to consider a new levy on sugar-sweetened beverages tomorrow. The final amount of the levy is expected to be 3 billion euros less than the amount initially proposed by Health Minister Niener Waken. The health reform bill regarding a sugar levy on sweetened products is expected to undergo changes during the parliamentary process. Any proposed changes to the levy must be accompanied by alternative measures to ensure the planned savings volume is not reduced. The Consumer Association of Germany described the move as good news for preventative healthcare. No specific tax rate or implementation date was provided in the report. The government is also planning to gradually increase state coverage for healthcare costs incurred by Bürgergeld recipients, which were previously largely covered by health insurance providers.