Tonspuren Illustration: © Hanka Sedláček
Illustration: © Hanka Sedláček

German popular music & society in the course of time
 Soundtracks

(Pop) culture is closely connected with the socio-political circumstances of its time. With eight German-language songs from eight decades, music journalist Mario Lasar sheds some light on important cultural and social phenomena in (West) German post-war history.
Tonspuren 1990er Illustration: © Hanka Sedláček

Soundtracks of the 1990s: Blumfeld – “Tausend Tränen tief” (Thousand Tears Deep)
Of new possibilities

After the end of the "Neue Deutsche Welle" (New German Wave; NDW), interest in German-language bands that feel vaguely committed to an "indie" concept was rather limited for a long time. This only changed again in the early 1990s with what was known as the "Hamburg School", which included the band Blumfeld.

Mario Lasar

Tonspuren 2000er Illustration: © Hanka Sedláček

Soundtracks of the 2000s: Die Goldenen Zitronen – “Wenn ich ein Turnschuh wär” (If I were a sneaker)
When things are worth more than people

“Wenn ich ein Turnschuh wär” by Die Goldenen Zitronen from 2005 pre-dates the massive migration movements of 2015, which became known as the Refugee Crisis, by a whole ten years.

Mario Lasar

Tonspuren 2020er Illustration: © Hanka Sedláček

Soundtracks of the 2020s: Christin Nichols – “Bodycount”
A new power structure of gender roles

Christin Nichol’s track “Bodycount” (2024) is meant to be understood as an outlook on what the 2020s could one day stand for. Good, glamorous pop music in step with the times, with a progressive, emancipatory claim.

Mario Lasar

Harbor Stories

Their seas may be the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean or the Atlantic, yet they are united by a shared love of their home harbors. Individuals from nine countries share stories that reveal what binds them to the harbors they call home. Read about storms, lugworms, colourful cargo containers and banana boats – stories of homecoming and departure from Egypt, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Yemen, Canada, Kenya, Colombia and Libya. Happy reading!
Halifax Harbour © Shutterstock
Bishoy Kamel Talaat looks into the camera. He weres his workers uniform in bright yellow and a blue security hat. Behind him you can see the ocean and the silhouette of the Canal. ©Privat

Port Said
 Port Said: A Life Shaped by the Sea

For Bishoy Kamel Talaat, the Suez Canal is more than a hub of global trade; it’s the place where he found a sense of belonging and purpose. From childhood awe to his daily life as a worker, the Port of Port Said has forever captured his heart.

Ahmed Dahaby

Bishoy Kamel Talaat

Jakob Gürtler 1922 © Kailuppke

Halifax
 Never look back

The excerpts from Jakob Gürtler's notes from 1922 describe his immigration story from Wismar to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Michael Krell

Santa Marta
 ”The Port Made My Life Project Possible“

Óscar Leonardo Henríquez Linero worked for many years at the port in Santa Marta, in the Colombian Caribbean. Today, he remembers his life among goods, ships and the sea with nostalgia, humor, and immense gratitude.

Juan Martín Fierro

Still from “Trümmermädchen”: Through Gloria's lessons, the young women realize that they can only stand together, as a union of sisters, against the oppression of a male-dominated society. © Artkeim2 / UCM.ONE

Double Exposure
 Simultaneities and solidarities

The film series “Double Exposure” deals with ambiguity, consonances and dissonances and what belongs together in what is different.
Portrait: Tatiana Braun

Tatiana Braun

Issue 4

Belonging

How far has a radically open society been realized in the face of growing nationalist narratives on both sides of the Atlantic? The issue “Belonging” of Gegenüber magazine tells of life in a different homeland to one's grandparents, of cultural reproductions and mutations from one place to another, of new roots and aspects of exclusion that should not be alien to anyone, but which weigh differently. And it asks whether the concept of “native” vs. “migrant” is still valid.
Belonging? School of fish version Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton at Unsplash
Alone in a crowd – just one of the consequences of Covid-19: since the pandemic, younger and middle-aged adults have been more likely to be affected by loneliness and feel excluded. Photo (detail): © Adobe

The Invisible Consequences of the Pandemic “Loneliness Can Affect Anyone”

According to a study, around one in three Germans between the ages of 18 and 53 feel lonely nowadays, and in some cases excluded. In our interview, the study’s author Lena Frembs explains the reasons why and proposes some possible solutions.
 

Midjourney Illustration. Prompt: Goethe-Institut Los Angeles. Showing two men walking towards a metropolitan city in a rainbow colored downpour. © Goethe-Institut

From Russia in Love Kalifornski

In the past few months, tens of thousands of Russians have fled Putin's regime for the USA, many of them gay – like Dmitrii and Max, who are determined to find happiness in the country of their former class enemy.

The Importance of Belonging © Goethe-Institut

Postmigration Societies The Importance of Belonging

Issues of migration have become the dominant social question of the 21st century. How are German and North American societies dealing with them?

Serienfieber Illustration einer Hand mit Fernbedienung © Colourbox / Image editing Goethe-Institut Los Angeles
© Colourbox / Image editing Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

German Series in the USA
 Binge Fever!

Television “Made in Germany” is having a golden moment with the rise of international streaming services. In our dossier, we highlight binge-worthy German serials and fill you in on where to watch them in the USA.
Key art from the Netflix Germany Series "The Signal" showing Peri Baumeister in the ISS © Netflix, Photo: Anika Molnar

German Series in North America
 The Signal

How many people still believe in extraterrestrials today? The new Netflix Germany series The Signal, starring Peri Baumeister, Florian David Fitz, and Yuna Bennett, explores the possibility of non-human life in space—and aims to do much more. 

Sascha Ehlert

Hanno Koffler as Hans Fittko, Deleila Piasko as Lisa Fittko, Cory Michael Smith as Varian Fry and Amit Rahav as Thomas Lovegrove in Transatlantic, Courtesy of Netflix © 2023 © Anika Molnar / Netflix

German Series in the USA
 Transatlantic

The series “Transatlantic” was inspired by the true story of American journalist Varian Fry and the Emergency Rescue Committee, which, during the time of the Vichy regime in France, aided over 2000 refugees, including numerous artists and intellectuals, in escaping from the Nazis.

Friedel Schmoranzer

Key art from the Netflix original series “Kleo” shownig the title character portrait by Jella Haase in a red tracksuit jacket holding a pistol ©Netflix, Photo Svenja Terjung

German Series in North America
 Kleo

1987: Shortly after liquidating a businessman in West Berlin on behalf of a secret Stasi commando, top East German spy Kleo is arrested, denounced by the Stasi and even betrayed by her own grandfather.

Josef Markus

Newsletter

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Anna Erhard © Noel Richter

Current Music from Germany
 Popcast #12/2024

Listen to the latest tracks from Germany. This month with Anna Erhard, Jichael Mackson and many more!
Portrait Michael Krell

Michael Krell

Special Editions

Belonging? School of fish version Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton at Unsplash

Belonging

How far has a radically open society been realized in the face of growing nationalist narratives on both sides of the Atlantic? The issue “Belonging” of Gegenüber magazine tells of life in a different homeland to one's grandparents, of cultural reproductions and mutations from one place to another, of new roots and aspects of exclusion that should not be alien to anyone, but which weigh differently. And it asks whether the concept of “native” vs. “migrant” is still valid.

Immanuel Kant Illustration by Antje Herzog

Kant Today

The philosopher Immanuel Kant was born in Königsberg 300 years ago. Kant’s work is considered the pinnacle of the philosophy of the Enlightenment. What lessons can we learn from Kant? Where did Kant fall short? This is what our special edition on Kant is all about — and it is also about the philosopher himself: his companions, quirks, and surprising skills.

Why do we still find Kafka so modern and current? Illustration by Roberto Maján

Being Kafka

Why does Franz Kafka’s spell remain unbroken a hundred years after his death? Why do we still perceive Kafka as so modern and contemporary? Because Kafka wrote such beautiful letters? Because we love drama queens? Because we feel that the world has never been more Kafkaesque than it is today? Join us as we step into Kafka’s world! Be Kafka!

A robot paints a natural landscape prompt by Lord Jim @ Midjourney AI

Synthetic Truth: The Great AI Swindle

Is truth a personal opinion in the digital age? Experts, artists, and thinkers weigh in on the ways artificial intelligence is shaping society, from enabling creative collaboration to threatening democracy as we know it. Journey into the heart of the debate in this issue of Gegenüber.

Too Much, Enough, and Next to Nothing Collage: Tobi Schrank

Too Much, Enough, and Next to Nothing

The world is grappling with the consequences of unbridled expansion. As continued growth becomes increasingly untenable, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Is a healthy balance between excess and scarcity possible in today’s world? This issue delves into the intertwined narratives of growth and degrowth in society. Join us as we question the notion of progress and envision a sustainable future together.


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