Latest news with #Thuringian
Local Germany
4 days ago
- General
- Local Germany
Regensburg vs Erfurt: Why a battle over Bratwurst has broken out in Germany
You've probably eaten it everywhere; at Christmas markets, festivals and cafes – both in Germany and abroad. It's fair to say that the humble Bratwurst, usually served in a bun and often with mustard or covered with sauce and fried onions, is Germany's most famous snack, not to mention a cultural icon. But now a fresh dispute has emerged over its roots. And the question is: is it a Thuringian or Bavarian invention? The ' Wurst' origins Until recently, the Regensburg restaurant 'Wurstkuchl' has boasted the title of "oldest bratwurst stand in the world". The first documented mention of a cook preparing Bratwurst at this location dates back to 1378. But now researchers from Erfurt claim to have found evidence of a Bratwurst stand that dates back more than 100 years earlier. A document from 1269 mentions a hut ( Hütte ) and a roasting pan ( Bräter ) at the famous Krämerbrücke bridge, according to Martin Sladeczek, World Heritage Project Manager for the Thuringian capital, and historian Karl Heinemeyer. The document was found by chance during research into the history of the bridge. Experts have pointed out, however, that the document does not mention the item of food that was fried there. But Sladeczek said: "We know what people ate in the Middle Ages: sausages and fried meat." A collection of German sausages on a grill. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sophia Carrara What does Regensburg think about it? The city of Regensburg pointed out that the oldest documented evidence of Bratwurst dates back to 1378. They said that there's a possibility it existed before this time, and could have been eaten by workers building the bridge in Thuringia. "After all, the many workers had to be fed," said the city spokesperson. They added: "However, there is no written or archaeological evidence for this as yet." Meanwhile, regional German broadcasters BR24 asked staff at the Wurstkuchl restaurant to comment on the latest discovery. "To be honest, it doesn't bother us at all," said Wurstkuchl's manager Alexandra Meier. She added that she's proud her family makes the sausages and that people come because of the quality of the products. Meier said: "I don't think people will say, 'I'm not going there anymore because it's only the second oldest.'" READ ALSO: Beer to Bratwurst - how stereotypes about Germany are changing over time Advertisement Thuringia vs Bavaria There have been plenty of debates over the origins of the famous sausage over the years. The Bavarian towns of Regensburg and Nuremberg both used to claim they had the oldest Bratwurst stand. But Regensburg was able to defend its title. Yet, according to Thomas Mäuer from the German Bratwurst Museum in Mühlhausen, an invoice in Thuringia dating back to 1404 is actually the first evidence of a Bratwurst. The invoice states that "1 groschen" was paid for Bratwurst casings in the city of Arnstadt. Mäuer argues that a Nuremberg document from 1313 which, he says, describes loin meat being chopped up for sausages makes no mention of the word 'Bratwurst'. Advertisement For Mäuer, the case is straightforward: the first recorded appearance of the word Bratwurst is in the Arnstadt document. As for the recent discovery in Erfurt, he's sceptical. 'I think it's very risky to conclude that Bratwurst was fried there,' he said. Expect the debates to continue...
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wagenknecht fails to unseat party official amid BSW power struggle
Firebrand populist politician Sahra Wagenknecht failed to unseat a regional official of her Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at a key conference Saturday in the eastern German city of Gera amid a power struggle over the party's direction. The BSW's leadership in the state of Thuringia - where it forms part of the regional government - faced re-election at the meeting. Thuringia's deputy premier and finance minister, Katja Wolf, sought another term as chair of the state party, but faced a contested election and opposition from Wagenknecht. In a letter to party members ahead of the vote, Wagenknecht had called for delegates to support another candidate, state lawmaker Anke Wirsing. However Wolf prevailed and beat Wirsing. Wolf received 61 votes in the vote in Gera. Wirsing, who has hardly appeared in state politics to date and sees herself as a Wagenknecht supporter, received 35 votes. The Thuringian BSW members discussed a separation of offices in future in Gera, but no motions were voted on. Wolf is part of the fragile coalition government in Thuringia, made up of the BSW, along with the Christian Democrats and the centre-left Social Democrats. The party power struggle is also emblematic of the BSW's wider struggles since it burst onto the German political scene last year. The anti-immigration party broke off from The Left party and had success in state elections in eastern Germany in September. "We would have found a different decision smarter," BSW Secretary General Christian Leye told dpa after Wolf's selection. But he stressed that the decision in favour of Wolf was made democratically. Despite its regional success in regional elections, the BSW - which has been highly critical of German support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion - narrowly failed to reach the 5% threshold to enter the German parliament in February's national election. The poor result has led to calls for reform and restructuring within the party, which said this week it is challenging the results of the federal election.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Suspected murder-suicide in Germany leaves family of four dead
Four people from the same family have been found dead in a house in the German state of Thuringia, in what police suspect was a murder-suicide carried out by the father. The 49-year-old man, a policeman, apparently killed his wife and two children and then himself in the small town of Klettbach. All the bodies had bullet wounds, police and prosecutors said. Police received a call at about 6:30 am (0430 GMT) and arrived at the scene about 20 minutes later. The house where the bodies were found remains cordoned off. The bodies have been removed from the scene. While briefing reporters, visibly shocked police officer Christian Hackbart said that he knew the dead policeman personally. Investigators did not reveal the age of the woman or the children, and neither did they comment on the background to the crime. Klettbach is located some 12 kilometres south-east of the Thuringian state capital Erfurt. About 1,300 people live in the town. The mayor of Klettbach, Franziska Hildebrandt, said she was "shocked" at the news.
Local Germany
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
German state of Thuringia to open central immigration office
Beate Meißner, of the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), said the new office in Weimar would both streamline integration of skilled foreigners and facilitate deportations of people whose requests to stay in Germany have been denied. "We in Thuringia will be - and are even now - reliant on skilled workers from abroad," Meißner explained. "That's why we should make it as easy as possible for everyone working in this field to get to work as quickly as possible." Meißner said the new office would relieve the burden of administrative casework on municipal authorities. 'Our aim is to be able to repatriate or deport people from the state's initial reception facilities,' she said. Some tasks are set to begin at the new authority on April 15th. But the proposal was criticised by opposition politicians and refugee charities. The Refugee Council charity told the DPA news agency that cases being dealt with on a municipal level meant decisions could be taken on a case-by-case basis, allowing caseworkers to 'respond to the realities of life and needs of those seeking protection'. READ ALSO: How delays to get a residence permit impact foreigners' lives The far-right Afternative for Germany (AfD) said the new office would not go far enough in facilitating 'remigration', the mass deportations the party pledged to undertake in its 2025 election campaign. Thuringian migration minister Beate Meißner (CDU) arrives at the state parliament in Erfurt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Martin Schutt Some states, including Berlin, have opened centralised immigration authorities in recent years. These are intended to process tasks including naturalisation more efficiently than at the municipal level, where local offices often became overwhelmed and waiting times could be years. In the case of Berlin, a centralised naturalisation office took over from the boroughs in January 2024, increasing staff numbers and introducing a digital application procedure. Since then, the number of applications being processed per year has almost tripled . Advertisement The creation of Thuringia's new immigration authority was agreed in last year's coalition agreement between the CDU, centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and leftwing conservative Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). Like many states in eastern Germany, Thuringia has faced an enduring demographic crisis since reunification. The state's population has dropped by about a fifth since 1990. However, the number of foreigners in the eastern state has been increasing gradually in recent years. At the end of 2023, around 170,000 foreign nationals lived in Thuringia , accounting for 8.3 percent of the population.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eastern German leaders meet to discuss future of the region
The premiers of the five states in eastern Germany are meeting in Berlin on Thursday to discuss the future of the region, which still lags economically behind the former West Germany. February's parliamentary elections also showed a huge lurch to the far-right Alternative for Germany party among eastern Germans. A paper published last month which will serve as a basis for the talks calls for investment into research, less bureaucracy, lower energy costs and a "strong voice" for the former East Germany in the new federal government in Berlin. The conference of the eastern German premiers will be chaired by the premier of Thuringia, Mario Voigt. In addition to Thuringia, the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are also involved, along with the current commissioner for eastern Germany, Carsten Schneider. Representatives from the business world have also been invited to the meeting at the Thuringian state representation in Berlin, including the president of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Eastern Thuringia in Gera, Ralf-Uwe Bauer. The five eastern states were formerly part of East Germany, which fused with West Germany in 1990 and saw an at-times rocky transition from a communist command economy to a Western market economy. Voigt said in advance that eastern Germany is already a key business location and a centre for innovation. "Our goal is to set the economic, infrastructural and social course in such a way that the east not only catches up but leads the way," Voigt explained.
