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Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Syrian charged over Berlin Holocaust Memorial stabbing
A Syrian man who allegedly supports ISIS has been charged with attempted murder over the stabbing of a Spanish tourist at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial, prosecutors said Tuesday. The suspect, a refugee partially identified as Wassim Al M., is said to have seriously injured the 30-year-old man at the landmark in the German capital in February. It was one of a series of attacks blamed on foreign nationals that fueled a bitter debate about immigration in the run-up to Germany's general election. The suspect 'shares the ideology of the foreign terrorist organization [ISIS]' and has 'radical [extremist] and antisemitic views', federal prosecutors said in a statement. He had travelled from the eastern city of Leipzig, where he had been living, to Berlin to target 'alleged infidels, whom he regarded as representatives of a Western form of society that he rejected', prosecutors said. Shortly before the stabbing, the suspect, who was 19 at the time, sent a photo of himself to ISIS members so the group could claim responsibility for the attack, they said. The tourist, from the Basque Country in northern Spain, was wounded in the neck during the attack at Berlin's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a somber grid of concrete steles located near the Brandenburg Gate and the US embassy. The suspect, who was arrested shortly after the attack and is in pre-trial detention, has also been charged with causing serious bodily harm and attempted membership of a foreign terrorist organization. Officials said previously he had arrived in Germany in 2023. The attack was one of several which shocked Germany ahead of the general election, which saw a doubling in the vote-share for the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD). The election was won by the center-right CDU/CSU, which has since taken power at the head of a coalition and moved swiftly to introduce stricter curbs on immigration. The new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has signaled it is trying to resume deportations to Syria, which have been suspended since 2012.
Local Germany
2 days ago
- Local Germany
Five surprising things about Dresden, a gem on the Elbe River
Many people may think of Dresden, a city of about half a million in the eastern state of Saxony, as little more than a right-wing hotspot. That reputation isn't wholly undeserved. In federal elections earlier this year, nearly one-third of votes in Dresden's electoral district went to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Dresden is also the site of one of Germany's most notorious neo-Nazi rallies, held every February in commemoration of the bombing of the city during World War II. But there's more to Dresden than right-wing politics. Here are five things that might surprise you about the city known affectionately as Florence on the Elbe. Dresden has a rich cultural and artistic heritage Dresden, which was once the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony, bears plenty of reminders of its royal history. Visitors to the city's old town can tour palaces and see what remains of the kingdom's treasures, including the crown jewels of Saxony. The Green Vault, where the crown jewels are kept, made international headlines in 2019, when thieves stole jewels from the collection estimated to be worth over €100 million. Most of the jewels have since been recovered, but several remain missing. Dresden was also the birthplace of the influential German Expressionist art movement. The group of Expressionist artists known as Die Brücke , or The Bridge, was founded by a group of architecture students studying in Dresden in 1905. The movement, which was later denigrated by the Nazis as 'degenerate art,' was characterized by its experimental use of color and form. READ ALSO: Eight art galleries you have to visit in Germany this year Another famous painter with strong ties to Dresden is Caspar David Friedrich. His famous painting 'Wanderer above the Sea of Fog' depicts a man gazing out over a mountain landscape in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, near Dresden. Caspar David Friedrich's 'Wanderer Over a Sea of Fog'. Photo: Wiki Commons Nearby Saxon Switzerland National Park offers picturesque hikes Outdoor enthusiasts can easily explore the sandstone peaks of Saxon Switzerland ( Sächsische Schweiz ) National Park from Dresden. Several trailheads are accessible with Dresden's S-Bahn. Advertisement One of the most famous trails is the hike to the Bastei Bridge, a stone bridge built in the mid-1800s across a dramatic rock formation. To reach the Bastei Bridge, hikers can take the S-Bahn from Dresden to Kurort Rathen. From there, they can cross the Elbe on a ferry and hike to the bridge. The hike takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Perhaps the most famous region named after Switzerland, Germany's Saxon Switzerland. By Thomas Wolf, - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wiki Commons Much of Dresden's old town was rebuilt, some parts as late as in the 2000s Many Americans know about the bombing of Dresden from reading 'Slaughterhouse Five' in high school English class. The novel, which is based on author Kurt Vonnegut's experiences as a prisoner of war in Dresden during the bombing, has become an American classic. But far fewer probably know about the decades-long process of reconstructing the city's old town, which had long been famed for its beauty. Dresden was heavily bombed by British and American forces in February 1945. An estimated 25,000 people died during the bombings, and much of the city, including its historic center, was completely decimated. Landmarks including the Zwinger Palace, the city's opera house and the iconic Frauenkirche were heavily damaged or completely destroyed. But when Germany was divided into East and West following World War II, the process of rebuilding stalled. Though parts of the Zwinger and the opera house were restored under communist rule, much of what was once the city center lay virtually untouched for decades. It wasn't until after reunification in 1990 that the process of returning the old town to its former glory truly began. Dresden's citizens pushed to rebuild the old town, rather than to replace it with a modern city center. READ ALSO: How does Germany's 'phantom border' still divide the country? The Frauenkirche, which collapsed during the bombing and remained a pile of rubble for decades, was not reopened until 2005. Today, Dresden's painstakingly restored city center draws tourists from Germany and around the world. Advertisement Milk chocolate was invented in Dresden The earliest version of edible milk chocolate was produced in Dresden. But the way the Dresden chocolate manufacturer Jordan & Timaeus began producing the treat never really caught on. Jordan & Timaeus first advertised their version of milk chocolate, which was produced with steam power and used donkey milk, in 1839. A few years later, in the 1840s Swiss chocolatiers began producing a different – and more commercially successful – type of milk chocolate. Interestingly, the coffee filter was also invented in Dresden, by a woman named Melitta Bentz in 1908. Dresden invests in the future with semiconductor industry Though Dresden may be more well-known for its history, its burgeoning technology sector aims to bring the city into the future. Dresden was an electronics and manufacturing hub during the GDR (East German) era, and it has since become a hotspot for producing semiconductor chips. Most electronics we use every day require semiconductors, and the demand for chips has only grown as AI technology booms. Dresden has emerged as one of the most important hubs for semiconductor production in Europe. Advertisement The local government has strongly encouraged the semiconductor industry to come to Dresden. Chip manufacturers including Global Foundries, TSMC and Infineon have built plants in and around the city in recent years.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
The Far Right in Germany Wants to Soften Its Image, Not Its Policies
The leaders of the hard-right Alternative for Germany party, known as the AfD, floated a new plan last month meant to vault them into power. It had two simple parts. Divide mainstream parties with culture wars. Then, soften the AfD's image for Germans who say they'd never vote for it, turned off by its denigration of migrants and other stances. The AfD got an earlier-than-expected opportunity to put the plan in motion recently, seizing on a political rift in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government over a high-court nominee. The AfD injected disorder into the proceedings, turning it into exactly the sort of culture-war fight that its leaders say could help the party. The AfD's new strategy emerged from an internal analysis of its performance in national elections in February. It ran on an anti-elite, anti-immigrant platform that included promises of mass deportations. It also vowed to reignite the nation's industrial economy, powered by German coal and Russian natural gas. The party finished second, winning more than a fifth of the vote. But the AfD found itself shut out of government, with no other party in Parliament willing to work with it. Unable to cement its place in the Bundestag, the AfD decided that it needed to expand its appeal at the ballot box and in circles of power in Berlin. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
German regional lawmaker admits drawing swastika on ballot paper next to far-right candidate's name
BERLIN (AP) — A German regional lawmaker admitted Friday that he drew a swastika next to a far-right candidate's name in a state parliament vote and said he was giving up his post as a deputy speaker of the legislature. The speaker of the legislature in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said Thursday that someone had drawn the Nazi symbol on a ballot paper in a vote for a regional cross-border body that includes representatives from Germany as well as neighboring France and Switzerland. The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, known by its acronym AfD, had tried and failed to get nominees elected. Using the swastika is illegal in Germany and falls under a ban on the symbols of unconstitutional organizations. The speaker, Muhterem Aras, described the incident as 'a disgrace for this parliament.' But, since it was a secret vote, it was not immediately clear who was responsible. On Friday, Daniel Born, a deputy speaker of the legislature and member of the center-left Social Democrats, said that he had drawn the symbol next to the name of an AfD lawmaker. He described his actions in a statement as a 'serious mistake' and apologized. He said that he was stepping down as deputy speaker and leaving his party's parliamentary group. Born said that he had not intended to make out that a far-right lawmaker had drawn the symbol. 'On the contrary, in a knee-jerk reaction, I wanted to show that votes for AfD are always votes for right-wing hatred and agitation, no matter in what election," he said. AfD has firmly established itself as a force in German politics since it was formed 12 years ago, even as it has drifted steadily to the right. In Germany's national election in February, it finished second with 20.8% of the vote, and is now the biggest opposition party in Berlin. However, mainstream parties refuse to work with it.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
German regional lawmaker admits drawing swastika on ballot paper next to far-right candidate's name
BERLIN (AP) — A German regional lawmaker admitted Friday that he drew a swastika next to a far-right candidate's name in a state parliament vote and said he was giving up his post as a deputy speaker of the legislature. The speaker of the legislature in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said Thursday that someone had drawn the Nazi symbol on a ballot paper in a vote for a regional cross-border body that includes representatives from Germany as well as neighboring France and Switzerland. The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, known by its acronym AfD, had tried and failed to get nominees elected. Using the swastika is illegal in Germany and falls under a ban on the symbols of unconstitutional organizations. The speaker, Muhterem Aras, described the incident as 'a disgrace for this parliament.' But, since it was a secret vote, it was not immediately clear who was responsible. On Friday, Daniel Born, a deputy speaker of the legislature and member of the center-left Social Democrats, said that he had drawn the symbol next to the name of an AfD lawmaker. He described his actions in a statement as a 'serious mistake' and apologized. He said that he was stepping down as deputy speaker and leaving his party's parliamentary group. Aras called for him to give up his parliamentary seat, German news agency dpa reported. Born said that he had not intended to make out that a far-right lawmaker had drawn the symbol. 'On the contrary, in a knee-jerk reaction, I wanted to show that votes for AfD are always votes for right-wing hatred and agitation, no matter in what election,' he said. AfD has firmly established itself as a force in German politics since it was formed 12 years ago, even as it has drifted steadily to the right. In Germany's national election in February, it finished second with 20.8% of the vote, and is now the biggest opposition party in Berlin. However, mainstream parties refuse to work with it. Born said in his statement that 'it no longer leaves me a minute's peace' that people are increasingly getting used to the party.
