Crisis in the EU
With its ongoing bailout strife and Denmark's recent decision to erect border controls, the EU is mired in the biggest crisis yet. As leader of the EU's most powerful country, it's high time for Angela Merkel to breathe new life into the idea of a united Europe. A commentary by Ralf Neukirch more...
Half Empty
A massive exodus is causing cities across Germany to swell while draining rural areas of people, money and life. While funds are needed elsewhere, should more be done to save dying communities? By SPIEGEL Staff
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The End of Innocence
She was cute, charming and wildly successful. In 2010, Lena Meyer-Landrut won the Eurovision Song Contest for Germany. Now she's back to defend her title. But after a year of constant media exposure, she's not the same Lena she once was. Which might not be a bad thing. By Charles Hawley more...
Five Years for Helping the SS
John Demjanjuk insisted that he himself was a victim of the Nazis. But on Thursday, a court in Munich found otherwise. The former guard at the Sobibor death camp was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday for abetting the killing of 27,900 people -- but is to be set free despite the sentence. more...
Opinion
The Danes bring back border controls, France fears waves of refugees: Germany's neighbors have started to show rampant EU skepticism, but German attitudes toward Europe are no less alarming. A new study shows Germans from across the political spectrum are falling victim to right-wing populism. By Jakob Augstein more...
Schengen Zone Dispute
Denmark's decision to reintroduce permanent border controls has met with criticism from the European Union, which sees the move as a challenge to the principle of freedom of movement. Copenhagen insists the new checks are compatible with Schengen rules. more... [ Forum ]
Baltic Sea Expedition Photos
A research expedition in the Baltic Sea has yielded spectacular photos of surprisingly colorful life below the calm surface. But the images also reveal a more sinister reality -- the alarming spread of "dead zones" threatening aquatic life. more...
Two Scalps in One Day
The online community of anti-plagiarism activists in Germany are going from strength to strength. Their efforts to uncover academic cheating caused a leading FDP politician to resign on Wednesday, and also led a German university to strip the daughter of a former state governor of her Ph.D. more... [ Forum ]
Mao on Your Mobile
Bo Xilai, who is in charge of the city of Chongqing, is one of the rising stars of China's Communist Party. His recipe for popular success? A crackdown on corruption, patriotic songs and the sayings of Chairman Mao -- delivered directly to your mobile phone. By Wieland Wagner more... [ Forum ]
The World from Berlin
A draft report on the future of nuclear energy in Germany has come to the conclusion that all the country's reactors should be shut down by 2021. But while setting a deadline might be a political necessity, German commentators argue that Chancellor Angela Merkel's government should focus on the changeover to renewables. more...
An Inside Look at Apple Supplier Foxconn
Secretive electronics giant Foxconn, which makes products for Apple and other Western firms, attracted unwanted publicity in 2010 when 13 workers committed suicide. In a visit to its plants in China, SPIEGEL ONLINE saw how the company has responded, including measures such as appointing counselors and installing anti-suicide nets. By Hannes Koch in Chengdu, China more... [ Forum ]
The World from Berlin
Angela Merkel's junior coalition partner, the business-friendly FDP, carried out a major reshuffle on Tuesday in the hope of reversing its current disastrous fortunes. German commentators compare it to a game of musical chairs, saying that people may have switched places but nothing has really changed. more...
'A Stairway Going Higher and Higher'
For over three decades, Gilles Jacob has presided over the Cannes Film Festival, turning it into the world's top celebration of global cinema and himself into the most powerful man in European film. He is not always universally admired in the US, but when he calls, the stars come flocking. By Lars-Olav Beier more... [ Forum ]
Trabis and Refugee Camps
A new photography exhibit called "On Living," which opens Wednesday at the German Historical Museum in Berlin, takes a look at life before and after the collapse of Communism. Half of the exhibit focuses on daily life in socialist East Germany, while the other half looks at changes in the 1990s in countries that used to be behind the Iron Curtain. more...
Daimler Wants Out
Daimler wants to sell its shares in the European aerospace corporation EADS. But some are concerned that, without a significant stake in German hands, domestic jobs could be lost. Berlin is faced with a choice: Should the government buy a stake in the Airbus parent company? By Dinah Deckstein, Dietmar Hawranek and Alexander Neubacher more... [ Forum ]
Froggy Went a Courtin'
A German man faces criminal charges this week for silencing his neighbor's pond frogs with an air gun after he'd had enough of their nocturnal croaking. The frogs' owner kept one of the dead animals in the freezer for evidence. more...
Aesthetic Energy Autobahns
Europe is undergoing a revolution in energy production that requires massive new infrastructure to support the shift to renewables. But do new power lines always have to result in blight? Some utility companies are hoping that designer power masts can help overcome local opposition. By Christina Schmidt more...
Malta Hunt Hits Protected Birds
A protected raptor, wounded by bird hunters in Malta, has been flown to Berlin for medical treatment. The case highlights large scale disregard in Malta for European Union wildlife conservation guidelines. By Kristen Allen more...
Pen and Paper Jihad
For two years, the Taliban terrorized the beautiful Swat Valley in northern Pakistan. Now that Islamabad has regained control, it is trying to resocialize those who supported the Islamist radicals. In "deradicalization" courses, they learn how they can be good Muslims without killing non-believers. By Hasnain Kazim in the Swat Valley, Pakistan more...
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Germany hopes to duplicate last year's Eurovision Song Contest victory by sending bubbly Lena Meyer-Landrut to the stage for a second time. But other countries are also trying to harness her winning formula. A number of contestants bear an undeniable resemblance to the wide-eyed pop starlet. By Jenni Zylka more...
The World from Berlin
What is the euro zone planning to do about Greece? A host of theories, denials and accusations have dominated the headlines this week, but no clear path has yet emerged. German commentators say that Athens needs more than aid -- it needs massive European investment. more...
Rösler to Become Economy Minister
The FDP, the junior partner in Germany's ruling coalition, is hoping to put its recent woes behind it with a big reshuffle. Incoming party leader Philipp Rösler looks set to take over as economy minister from Rainer Brüderle. But will it be enough to satisfy embattled Chancellor Angela Merkel? more...
Rise of the Rupee, Real and Renminbi
The dollar is losing its position as the world's leading currency, but it's not only the euro which will benefit. In the future, economists predict, up to five different currencies will dominate the global financial system. By Christian Reiermann more... [ Forum ]
Ottrando's Tears
It didn't take long for John Ottrando, a New York fireman, to arrive at the north tower on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Now, almost 10 years later, images from that day have become his constant companion. But he has mixed feelings about the death of Osama bin Laden. By Ullrich Fichtner more... [ Forum ]
