Bike friendly cities germany

The bad news reached Petra Fischer (name changed) and her husband on New Year's Eve 2019, of all days. After 36 years, they were told they'd have to move out of their apartment in Berlin's downtown Schöneberg district. The owner needed it for his daughter. Since that day, the couple — both employed, she part-time — has been looking for a new place to live. They say they are prepared to pay a maximum of €800 ($965) in rent a month, about a third of their joint income and considerably more than before, for something close to what they have now: two rooms, along with a kitchen and bathroom, and a balcony. They've taken legal action against their imminent eviction, and must document their search effort. So far, they've made 120 applications — without success. "We would like to be nearby, because we are of course very rooted in our neighborhood. That's understandable after so many years here," Fischer told DW. "My family also lives in the area and I have to care for a relative." … [Read more...] about COVID worsens Germany’s housing shortage

With over 200,000 members and counting, Germany's Jewish community is the only one in Europe with a rapidly increasing population — a surprising reality given the near-complete extermination of Germany's Jews during the Holocaust . Today's growing numbers are even more remarkable given that in 1945, most of the world's Jews considered the idea of rebuilding their ruined communities — on the very soil where Hitler plotted and carried out a genocide — to be unthinkable. Some 15,000 German-born Jews were liberated by the Allied forces after the war; most of them had survived in hiding, others in concentration camps. Many of those who stayed had a non-Jewish spouse or parent who connected them to the country and perhaps facilitated recovery and integration to some degree. Allied troops that liberated Nazi concentration camps set up displaced persons' camps for Holocaust survivors, such as this one on the site of the former Bergen-Belsen 'The history of Jews in Germany has … [Read more...] about How Jewish life developed in Germany after the Holocaust

She broke the heart of Prince William’s best friend Thomas van Straubenzee. Now, just a few weeks after her divorce, Lady Melissa Percy, 28, ‘Missy’ to pals, has been enjoying the company of notorious ladies’ man Otis Ferry, eldest son of rock star Bryan Ferry. Otis, 33, who split with his model girlfriend Edie Campbell last summer, posted a picture of Missy smiling radiantly as the couple rode quad bikes in the Northumberland countryside. Lady Melissa Percy - 'Missy' to pals - has been enjoying the company of notorious ladies' man Otis Ferry, eldest son of rock star Bryan Ferry. Otis posted a picture of Missy smiling radiantly as the couple rode quad bikes in the Northumberland countryside Otis (pictured), 33, who split with his model girlfriend Edie Campbell last summer, has been getting close to fun-loving Melissa just a few weeks after her divorce Fun-loving Melissa, the youngest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, is described by her … [Read more...] about Frolicking with Otis Ferry on quad bikes: The naughty aristocrat who broke the heart of Prince William’s best friend after divorcing him over his ‘unreasonable behaviour’

Luna Watfa has already spent more than 60 days in court. They were days searching for answers, for justice - and days of painful memories. "I remember what happened to me," she says. "When I have to hear the same details about torture from witnesses, it is very difficult for me." This happened, for example, when a witness talked about severe abuse by a prison guard who also tortured Luna. As Luna Watfa talks about these things, she is sitting in her small living room in Koblenz, a city on the banks of the Rhine. She is talking about her life in Syria during the revolution that gripped her homeland ten years ago, her descriptions contrasting with the idyllic view of the Rhine flowing by. She reports on the miserable prison conditions, about how she was crammed into a cell no larger than 10 square meters with up to 20 other women. Luna did not miss a singe day of the trial Crimes against humanity On the opposite bank of the Rhine is the courthouse that the mother of two … [Read more...] about How a Syrian torture victim found justice in Germany

Rail and road traffic across swaths of Germany were disrupted on Monday as snow blanketed the country's transport network. Winter weather also disrupted travel in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with more snow predicted across much of northern Europe. Hundreds of emergency calls Police in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia responded to some 720 calls within 24 hours after the extreme weather hit on Sunday. According to the state control center, officers were called to 507 weather-related accidents from 6 a.m. on Sunday to 6 a.m. on Monday. The accidents resulted in one fatality and 37 minor injuries. In Duisburg, a car had run off the road and landed in a stream, killing the driver. Police in the city of Dortmund said they had been inundated with calls and pleaded for people to stay at home. "Take advantage of home office and other possibilities not to add to the traffic," a police statement said. Germany snowed in by extreme winter weather Snow blankets … [Read more...] about Germany: Winter storm wreaks havoc in north and east