Laptop and lederhosen – for many, this image of Bavaria has turned into a cliché. Oktoberfest costume and Alpine idyll – a multi-billion euro business? Bavarian cultural and religious traditions – only for show? One may be tempted to think so. Or are they right who think that “Heimat” is alive and well, in keeping with the times, and more than ever a much-needed antidote to the homogenizing tendencies of globalization?  ... more

Making decisions or putting them through on the nod? Are our elected representatives still in control or have the really important decisions long since been made elsewhere: by the EU Commission, the Federal Constitutional Court, or in the boardrooms of banks? The decisions about the euro bailout fund, the landmark rulings on basic issues such as Hartz IV and counter-terrorism, and the consequences of the financial crisis raise the question of how  ... more