Discover Germany | Issue 2 | April 2013

Issue 2 | April 2013

PLUS GERMAN ARCHITECTURE GUIDE

DIANE KRUGER “Who doesn’t want to fly?”

CULTURE IN GERMANY 2013 HAMBURG “STAYING ON COURSE”

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Discover Germany | Contents

Contents APRIL 2013

The Reichstag and the Reichstag Presidential Palace in Berlin

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COVER FEATURE 6

REGULARS & COLUMNS 9

Time to go topless Car manufacturing is one of the things the Germans do best. Sophisticated engineering, efficiency and technological superiority are terms often used to describe German cars, which are considered to be comfortable, reliable and, more recently, even sustainable. The latest convertibles, or cabriolets as the Germans say, add a fun factor to the mix.

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Culture in Germany 2013 Germany is an exciting cultural hub right in the heart of Europe. It offers a mixture of old and new, and culture-wise it is continually evolving in

Hotel of the Month After 140 years, the majestic Frankfurter Hof Hotel shines in new splendour. The iconic flagship hotel of the Steigenberger Group was given a complete makeover leaving nothing to be desired, even for the most discerning guests.

SPECIAL THEMES

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Fashion Finds Spring fashion takes many different directions this season, from the simple and classic monochrome looks to daring top-to-toe neon outfits and raw animal prints.

German Architecture Guide The well-known label “Made in Germany”stands for quality, perfection and reliability. Does contemporary German architecture reflect this image as well? Turn to our guide to find out.

Dedicated to Design The German design scene is more vibrant than ever, with an array of new inventions and beautiful objects now available in stores.

DESIGN FEATURE

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many ways across music, literature, visual arts, theatre, design, food and drink.

Diane Kruger The German-born former model Diane Kruger on fashion, Hollywood and Los Angeles, her latest role as an alien in the film The Host, and why a second marriage is out of the question.

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Audi RS5 Cabriolet

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Attraction of the Month It is reputedly ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s favourite dish, and the singer Herbert Grönemeyer dedicated a song to Germany’s best-loved takeaway: the Currywurst. The award-winning Currywurst Museum in Berlin is designed to explore the world of the famous delicacy through all the senses.

46 Frankfurter Hof

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Restaurant of the Month If you happen to be a Londoner with a thing for German cuisine, then it’s time to celebrate as the popular Bavarian restaurant and bar Stein’s has recently opened a new branch in Kingston upon Thames.

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Business Key note, columns, news stories and features on German companies and business development.

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Culture Features, updates and news on German culture and lifestyle.

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 3

Dear Reader, Discover Germany

We’re pleased to present to you the second issue of Discover Germany, a magazine dedicated to promoting Brand Germany and which appeals to all those who have a relationship with or a connection to Germany.

Sales & Key Account Managers Lena Meyer

Issue 2, April 2013 Published 02.04.2013 ISSN 2051-7718

Gudrun Klein Emma Fabritius Nørregaard Mette Tonnessen

Published by Scan Magazine Ltd. Design & Print Liquid Graphic Ltd. Executive Editor

Advertising info@discovergermany.org.uk Discover Germany is published by: Scan Magazine Ltd. 4 Baden Place Crosby Row London SE1 1YW

Thomas Winther Creative Director Mads E. Petersen

Phone +44 (0)870 933 0423 info@discovergermany.org.uk

Copy-Editors Nia Kajastie Mark Rogers

For further information, please visit www.discovergermany.org.uk

Graphic Designer Svetlana Slizova Contributors

This time around, we wanted to introduce you to German architecture companies, which are known around the world for their reliability, the high quality of their work and a constant striving for perfection. Read more on the subject in our “German Architecture Guide”.

Germany is of course well known for its car manufacturing industry. Accordingly, in this issue, we present you with the latest convertibles, or cabriolets as the Germans say, from the biggest German auto brands.

Turn to our “Culture in Germany 2013”theme for an excellent selection of museums, as well as festivals and other great events taking place around Germany this year. From a celebration in honour of the onion to one of Berlin’s most popular modern art galleries, we have covered both the unique and the sophisticated.

Francesca Orsini Julie Guldbrandsen Tina Awtani Nia Kajastie Signe Hansen Cordelia Makartsev Jessica Ridder Emelie Krugly Hill Barbara Geier Stephen Clements Helena Whitmore

Do not forget to check out our choices for the hotel, attraction and restaurant of the month. We’ve once again found some lovely gems in Germany and the UK. In our business section, Stephen Clements delves into how Germany’s leading port, Hamburg, is reacting to the news that Barack Obama gave his go-ahead to extensive negotiations between the United States and the European Union to create a “Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership”, while columnist Helena Whitmore sheds more light on the UK’s statutory residence test.

Gracing our cover this month is none other than model-turnedHollywood-star Diane Kruger. In our interview she talks about fashion, the Los Angeles lifestyle and her latest role playing an alien in the film adaption of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s novel The Host, as well as revealing why a second marriage is not on the cards for her.

Adelina Ibishi

With spring greetings, © All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of Scan Magazine Ltd. This magazine contains advertorials/promotional articles

4 | Issue 2 | April 2013

Thomas Winther Editor

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Diane Kruger at the premiere of Amour at the 65th Festival de Cannes, 2012.

Photo: Paul Smith / Featureflash

Discover Germany | Cover Feature | Diane Kruger

Diane Kruger:

“Who doesn’t want to fly?”

The German-born former model Diane Kruger on fashion, Hollywood and Los Angeles, her latest role as an alien in the film The Host, and why a second marriage is out of the question.

TEXT: FRANCESCA ORSINI / THE INTERVIEW PEOPLE | COVER PHOTO: HENRY HARRIS / FEATUREFLASH

Q: You’ve spent a long time living in Germany, France and the US. Do you sometimes feel that you don’t have one country that you identify with?

When I first arrived in France, I was 15 and a half; I didn’t speak a word of French. Even though I loved Paris, it’s a completely different culture. I felt so isolated for six months, even if people tried to speak English with me. But then they’d go back to French. And I felt I was by myself at 16 in this world of adults, where I became a model. I had no friends, no means to communicate, my English was so-so.

Q: But you still seem to live according to the etiquette of a model, always looking fabulous. Do you still carry that model in you?

I don’t think so. I like fashion, to me it’s not something to put on to be in magazines for, but it’s something that is a direct reflection of your personality.The way you would like to be perceived, you can manipulate that. I am not afraid of it. It’s part of who I am. It’s

such a personal thing. It’s not even fashion.

It’s like what kind of hair colour you wear.

Q: Talking about fashion…What’s your red carpet style like?

Whenever you go on the red carpet, it’s not like you wear your long gown to dinner every night. It’s a reflection of the mood of your character. For example, I wouldn’t wear a miniskirt for the premiere of a Marie Antoinette movie.

ple to have a discussion about it. I don’t ever want to make movies where you just spend two hours with popcorn in your seat and forget the movie the minute you walk out of the theatre.

Q: But Inglorious Basterds was quite successful.

I know a lot of people who didn’t like the movie. I helped kill Hitler - that should be controversial.

Q: Do you live in LA? Part-time Paris, part-time LA.

Q: What do you want from your career?

That. I want to make movies that push some buttons. I want to make movies that are fun and some that are unwatchable because they are talking about something that is so difficult.

Q: How important is it for you how well received your movies are?

It’s not that it is important. If everybody loved it, I would be suspicious. Because I would feel like it is too slick.You want peo-

Q: How different is your approach to Hollywood movies and French-European movies?

It’s the same. In America, generally speaking, a lot of the characters are larger than life. But it’s so fun to create these outra-

Q: What’s the Hollywood community like?

The truth is: My friends are not like that. I don’t hang out with those people.

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 7

Discover Germany | Cover Feature | Diane Kruger

Q: Liking material like X-Men, do you consider yourself a bit of a nerd?

I don’t know if that makes me a nerd, but I am the first one to go and see The Avengers.

Q: You also did an episode of Fringe...

I only have two scenes.

I wanted to be dead. I wanted to have some horrible death; I have never done that in a movie. And they said “We have this”, and so I said “Great”. But six hours in make-up cured me for life. I will never make a zombie movie.

Q: Do you sometimes Diane Kruger in the movie The Host. Photo ©: Open Road Films, LLC do projects because your agents suggest it is good for your career?

In America, they try to tell you: Don’t do geous characters. Right now I play an alien European films; nobody will see a French in a human body. I would never accept a movie. movie like that in Europe. I don’t know why. It’s probably stupid, but that’s what’s Q: How about projects in Germany? so great about America. You can be a suStill no offers. What can I say? I’m being perhero. Who doesn’t want to fly? asked every year.

Q: What can you tell us about your new Q: What is the reason? movie The Host?

I have no idea. You should ask German I am a big fan of director Andrew Niccol. He film-makers. I would love to make a Germakes cool movies, and I really like the man film. script. And the concept of sci-fi – I am a huge fan of X-Men and X-Files. And Q: What is the difference between your life Stephenie Meyer wrote the novel. in Los Angeles and your life in Paris?

It’s very different. Paris feels like home. I Q: With Stephenie Meyer as author, does am much more at ease in the European that create pressure? culture. I like three-hour lunches and cockNot for me. I am not the girl who is in the tails before dinner. LA is more – you take love triangle. the car to get coffee. Not that it’s bad. I don’t mind it. Ever since I bought a place Q: How did you prepare for playing an there it’s a lot better for me because I feel alien? it’s home and I can have dinner parties. But They inhabit our souls and make the world it’s a different way of life. I don’t know if I perfect. So you dress nicely and are kind all could live there full-time. Even NewYork is the time. But my human soul is fighting different to that. I love living in New York. inside of me. So I get corrupted by my huLA is a little slow. manity.

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Q: Do you live near the beach?

No. In Hollywood. Right underneath the Hollywood sign.

Q: Do you feel like playing another queen after Helen of Troy and Marie Antoinette?

Yesterday in the car my mom said: Maybe you could play Angela Merkel in ten years.

I was like: I’m sorry… Also I don’t have the physical resemblance.

Q: Does it make a difference presenting a film in Germany?

It’s my home country, so obviously I feel more pressure. Also, I understand everybody, so I feel I am at home. My family usually comes. And their opinion is important to me.

Q: Do you dub your movies into German?

I try when I can. Not always.The same with French.

Q: Would you want to have children?

Not at this minute. But I definitely want to have children.

Q: And how about marriage?

I have been there, done that, don’t need to do it again. It’s beautiful for people who want to have the party and so on.

Q: Why is it not for you anymore?

I am not religious. So that takes part of that away. And out of experience, signing that paper made me realize that that’s not going to make me stay. The commitment you make in your heart is stronger than anything else. A party I can have any way I want.

Q: Does Valentine’s Day mean something to you?

I want to say no, but if I don’t get flowers, then... (laughs) Q: How does Joshua (Jackson) like living in Paris?

I think he loves it.You should ask him. He seems very content.

Q: And you could live anywhere?

Yeah, I could. And he would have to follow suit. (laughs)

Discover Germany | Design | Dedicated to Design

Dedicated to Design...

The German design scene is more vibrant than ever, with an array of new inventions and beautiful objects now available in stores. Check out these imaginative and inspiring design pieces that we have fallen in love with this month.

BY JULIE GULDBRANDSEN | EMAIL: JULIE.GULDBRANDSEN@DISCOVERGERMANY.ORG.UK

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An amazing chair by Weishaupl, which can be used indoors as well as outdoors. The organic feel of it makes it a gorgeous choice for the terrace. £368. www.connox.com The Poggibonsi shelves by Atelier Hausmann form a smart shelving system that fits into most spaces and looks incredibly contemporary and cool. Available in various colours and sizes. From £76. www.germandesignshop.com

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Uniic creates timeless designs made of natural, beautiful wood from local trees in Berlin and the surrounding area, such as this elegant peppermill. £52. shop.gestalten.com Designer Tobias Reischle has turned the old-fashioned cuckoo clock into a sleek contemporary design ingenuity. £205. www.germandesignshop.com The new pedal bin TIP designed by Konstantin Grcic for Authentics has an innovative and simplified lid-lifting mechanism. Made of polypropylene, it is super hygienic, washable and 100% recyclable. Available in 7 colours. From £20. www.connox.com

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Discover Germany | Design | Fashion Finds

Fashion Finds Spring fashion takes many different directions this season, from the simple and classic monochrome looks to daring top-to-toe neon outfits and raw animal prints. Let your inner stylist loose and mix and match as you please.

BY JULIE GULDBRANDSEN EMAIL: JULIE.GULDBRANDSEN@DISCOVERGERMANY.ORG.UK

10 | Issue 2 | April 2013

The monochrome look is easy to pull off and a stylesafe choice. Work this biker knit jacket with black and white or team with colourful trousers. £300. lalaberlin.com

Silk tanks add effortless luxury to an outfit in a snap. We love the gorgeous black and blue print of this one by Lala Berlin. £136. lalaberlin.com

This beautiful set of three metallic rings by Hanna Pordzik will work as the perfect accessory to any outfit. £137. hannapordzik.com

Animal print lends a trendy edge to an outfit. Embrace your inner wildcat with this handmade leopard print cap

by Rike Feuerstein. £155. www.fashion-locals.com

Neon colours are a strong trend for SS13. They really make an impact, whether you dress in them head-to-toe or simply pick a single item. This dress by barre|noire will give you instant style credentials. £249. www.pretalouer.de

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 11

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Left: “Testify! The consequences of architecture” at the DAZ. Photo: Till Budde Below: Exhibition “In der Zukunft Leben. Die Prägung der Stadt durch den Nachkriegsstädtebau“ at the DAZ. Photo: BDA

Special Theme

German Architecture Guide

Architecture

Made in Germany The well-known label “Made in Germany” stands for quality, perfection and reliability.

Does contemporary German architecture reflect this image as well?

BY THE ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN ARCHITECTS (BDA)

In contrast to other European countries, where most of the newly built architectural projects are gathered in the capitals, modern German architecture is quite widespread over the whole country. Not only Berlin, Hamburg and Munich are worth visiting from an architectural point of view, but also cities like Dresden and Leipzig in the former east. With the new Albertinum, the architect Volker Staab enriched Dresden’s museum architecture, while in Leipzig, Peter Kulka added an annex to the museum of contemporary art in contrast to an existing building that he refurbished.

Transformation is one of the key issues in German architecture nowadays. It seems to be a German speciality to analyse the ex-

isting built environment and to combine it with a new interpretation. This gives the projects a connection to their setting and a social relevance.

Key attributes in German architecture are its high energy and climate standards. Especially for the abovementioned modernization projects or building types like schools and other public buildings, energy saving is a great challenge.The goal is to reduce the energy consumption in an efficient yet aesthetic way. The iconic Städelmuseum by schneider + schumacher in Frankfurt, for example, is achieving green building standards. For the façade of the art museum Ravensburg, Lederer Ragnarsdót-

tir Oei from Stuttgart used recycled bricks.

And Meixner Schlüter Wendt reconfigured the viable parts of a derelict church, while creating a community centre and a new public church yard.

Many exhibitions and panel discussions at the German Centre for Architecture DAZ Berlin, as an initiative of the Association of German Architects BDA, the German Architecture Museum Frankfurt or the Architecture Museum Munich, promoted the connection between existing and new buildings, low energy use and aesthetics, as well as social and regional aspects. www.en.bda-bund.de

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 13

Discover Germany | Special Theme | German Architecture Guide

The Search for the Code Unique The quest for the perfect definition of place and space often leads to issues of individuality and character. Code Unique architects are constantly developing new solutions for complex coherences in a truly unique way.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: CODE UNIQUE

Code Unique was founded by German architects Martin Boden-Peroche and Volker Giezek in 1998. Based in Dresden, the Code Unique team is creating sleek and functional buildings with a strong personality.

The company has grown significantly after having won several design competitions, and today 40 creative team members are responsible for the Code Unique signature style.“To us the process of design and planning stands for an extensive search for the only right solution of a building project.

We develop an individual proposal based on the peculiarities of the requirements,

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the situation and the location. Every location, every room, every house offers more

Volker Giezek (left) and Martin Boden-Peroche.

Photo: Jan Gutzeit

than just easy-to-gather surface and cubage data; the key is to identify the unique and complex code,”Mr Giezek explains.

Code Unique are constantly thriving to set new standards, and the company portfolio is bursting with impressive constructions.

Among the most challenging projects is the CityCube Berlin. “The creation of the new congress and trade fair hall CityCube Berlin turned out quite challenging in terms of planning and building within a tight time frame, while keeping control of the budget and architectural requirements,”Mr Giezek

Discover Germany | Special Theme | German Architecture Guide

Main picture: CityCube Berlin From top to bottom: Festhalle Plauen. Photo: Michael Bader Park Arena. Photo: Sven Otte HafenCity Hamburg University Below: Rhein Main Hall

says.The project will be completed in 2014.

“Immediately after opening, the CityCube Berlin will already be attracting international public attention.The 2014 calendar is already packed with international medical conferences, the annual general meetings of major companies, supporting exhibitions and other events. We can justifiably say that even before its completion, the CityCube Berlin has taken up its position on the market for national and international events,” Dr Ralf G. Kleinhenz, Vice President Conventions & Guest Events, Messe Berlin, announced.

Other prime examples of Code Unique’s winning creations are the rejuvenation of the Plauen Festival Hall, the multifunctional hall ParkArena Neukieritzsch and the new HafenCity Hamburg University building. The university explains what made Code Unique’s proposal the winning formula: “With the proposal the office [Code Unique] achieved an exemplary blend of public space and university environment, which programmatically gives the educational and scientific society of the 21st century a new appearance.”

Code Unique also holds a strong track record for frequently being ranked amongst the top three design competition entries.

Their striking proposal for the new Rhein Main Hall in Wiesbaden reached the third place in 2013. www.codeunique.de

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 15

Discover Germany | Special Theme | German Architecture Guide

EUROGATE Terminal House. Photos: Olaf Mahlstedt

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Discover Germany | Special Theme | German Architecture Guide

Where heritage meets innovation For more than half a century, Oldenburg-based architects Angelis & Partner have been creating award-winning projects, ranging from the restoration of UNESCO World Heritage buildings to the most sophisticated international seaport terminal.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI

With office locations in Oldenburg, Berlin, Herzberg and Wismar, Angelis & Partner are not only developing new buildings from start to finish, the service portfolio also includes energy consulting, corporate and interior design, due diligence, project management, urban planning and restoration.

Historically, Angelis & Partner have been renowned for successfully restoring and preserving listed buildings, such as the monumental St. Georgen Church in Wismar, which dates back to 1404 and serves as a prime example of typical northern German red brick gothic style architecture. Another historic site maintained by the architects is the medieval Cistercian monastery Chorin Abbey in Brandenburg near Berlin.

Both premises are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. But Angelis & Partner are also dealing with the restoration of more recent buildings of architectural value.They successfully restored the Galeria Kaufhof department store faรงade, which was origi-

Onno Folkerts, Alexis Angelis, Horst Gumprecht and Joachim Finke (left to right). Photo: Sven Seebergen

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 17

Wismar St. Georgen. Photo: Olaf Mahlstedt Waffenplatz

Galeria Oldenburg. Photo: Olaf Mahlstedt

Alte Schönhauser Straße Berlin. Photo: Werner Huthmacher

Rostock St. Marien. Photo: Olaf Mahlstedt

Discover Germany | Special Theme | German Architecture Guide

18 | Issue 2 | April 2013

nally created by iconic German functionalist architect Egon Eiermann. Built in the 1960s, the conspicuous Galeria Kaufhof buildings with their white façades have become architectural landmarks across Germany’s city centres; but 60 years later, a rescue mission, accomplished by Angelis & Partner, was essential in Oldenburg.

“We have created a new dress for an old building,”Mr Angelis, managing partner at Angelis & Partner, explains.

historic town centre, and the premises suffered from neglect before Angelis & Partner launched a complete sustainable revitalisation process. The new Quartier am Waffenplatz will feature a beautiful and elegant blend of residential, office, retail and gastronomy units right in Oldenburg’s pedestrian zone, while the project itself is regarded as a new high point in sustainable and energy-efficient urban revitalisation.

More recently, Angelis & Partner architects have repeatedly succeeded in urban project, building and interior design competitions.“On the one hand, our company strategy is based on a strong foundation of long-term acquired knowhow of four generations of architects, and on the other hand, our quest for innovation has gained us tremendous success in the industry over the past ten years,”Mr Angelis says.

Another Angelis & Partner milestone has been laid by the development of a new superstructure project. Angelis & Partner won the design competition to create the Terminal House of the EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven at JadeWeserPort, which is part of Germany’s largest infrastructural harbour project. The construction of the sophisticated landmark building was not only large in terms of size; the construction process also required a significant amount of seamless communication and mutual understanding of corporate and architectural requirements between the client and the Angelis & Partner creative team. “We have worked closely together with our valued client, and the efficient dialogue led to the development of new solutions regarding the office layout.

Vice versa, the new building structure had a huge impact on future corporate procedures and the daily life of the people working inside the building,” Mr Angelis says.

Highly personal customer relationships across the hierarchies, scrutiny and expertise are the corporate cornerstones ensuring that every project outcome meets the highest expectations in terms of creative and holistic solutions, while remaining within carefully planned budgets.

New buildings developed by Angelis & Partner include a blend of residential and commercial premises, such as the awardwinning Alte Schönhauser Straße in Berlin or the Quartier am Waffenplatz in Oldenburg. The Berlin project scooped the International Architectural Award for Future Living and serves as a prime example of contemporary and sustainable urban architecture. Both projects are a substantial part of the new corporate strategy focussing on product development.“We have developed new concepts and ideas for neglected urban areas, and we sparked a prosperous future development by bringing the place to new life. Our passion for urban quality products had to be combined with an economical way of thinking, and we successfully created a sustainable and positive development for the whole neighbourhood.”

The Quartier am Waffenplatz, due to be completed in 2014, is part of Oldenburg’s

From the client’s point of view:“The design from AP was the most functional, with a logical separation between classic office requirements and changing rooms/blue collar area. It was the suggestion where we could best implement our philosophy of open communication and quick decisionmaking,”Mr Mikkel E. Andersen, director of EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven, says.

The EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven is literally a gateway to the world; it rises in the air and seems to look out to the horizon ready to greet and farewell the large container ships from and to international waters. www.angelis-partner.de

O.A.S.E. Medical Library Düsseldorf © Ralph Richter

Dreischeibenhaus Düsseldorf © Arno Wrubel

Eighty Years of Timeless Perfection Since 1933, German architects HPP GmbH + Co. KG have created an impressive portfolio of over 1,000 construction projects across the globe. The continuous development of timeless edifices defined by understated elegance has obtained HPP an exceptional architectural global track record.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI

Three hundred and twenty employees are constantly mastering the challenges of blending contemporary town planning, architecture and interior design for the most discerning customers. German locations include Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig and Stuttgart, while internationally HPP has its offices in Istanbul, Shanghai, Sofia and Washington. Mr Joachim H. Faust, managing partner at HPP’s Düsseldorf headquarters, explains the unique company philosophy: “HPP’s approach to architecture is all-inclusive: we deliver answers to the diversity of architectural topics, such as function, materiality, context and spiritual identity of a building in regard to its users. Above all stands the goal of long-lasting architectural value without short-term fashionable expressions.”

The Dreischeibenhaus (Three-Slice Building) in Düsseldorf represents one of the company’s milestones. Originally com-

pleted in 1960 for the Thyssen AG, the project won various industry awards such as the BDA Badge in 1969. This showpiece of post-war German architecture recently served as a movie set for Tom Tykwer’s new Hollywood blockbuster Cloud Atlas, starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Mr Faust describes the authentic architectural landmark as follows:“Its slenderness and clarity in form, the lightness and fine façade structure will remain, while the modernization project will meet today’s state-ofthe-art ecological expectations.” HPP's state-of-the-art projects are numerous.

Only recently HPP won the design contests for the Shanghai EXPOVillage and the Europe Tower Sofia. The Grand Hotel Heiligendamm project secured the MIPIM Award for Hotel & Tourism Resorts, and the construction of Germany’s famous football stadium AufSchalke Arena scooped the IOC/IAKS AWARD Special Distinction.

Another trophy in the HPP hall of fame is the new O.A.S.E. Medical Library at Düsseldorf University. Towering at 38 metres, the building epitomizes the architectural interpretation of a capillary system. The project has been a bespoke service from start to finish and offers students a sophisticated and inspiring work environment.

“The O.A.S.E. expresses the free spirit of education at the medical campus of the Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf.

The interiors are spacious libraries and study rooms with open space qualities.This is reflected in the organic form of the façade signalling openness and the free flow of information,”Mr Faust concludes. www.hpp.com/en DUS | BER | FRA | HAM | IST | CGN | LEJ | SHA | STR | WAS

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 19

Say Yes to Client-Focused and Interdisciplinary Design Founded by highly accomplished partners Ruth Berktold and Marion Wicher in 2002, yes architecture has since then worked on a large range of interdisciplinary architectural and design projects of varying scales with a strong client-focus.

TEXT: NIA KAJASTIE The partners have worked together in the fields of urban planning, architecture, interior design, sustainability and energy efficiency, and product and media design. Accordingly, today, boasting a solid track record, yes architecture’s work portfolio comprises everything from conference centres and single-family homes to a crazy collapsible wedding chapel at the Oktoberfest.

The firm also has a lot of experience working for large brands and well-known German companies. In 2011, for example, as part of the World Ski Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, yes architecture created facilities for the main sponsor Audi, which showcased the brand and its values of dynamism, sportiness and innovation through architecture.

Together with Häfele GmbH and the German Youth Hostel Association (DJH), the firm has recently helped realise the“Youth Lab”student project, which is a youth hostel room of the future that has been successfully presented at different trade fairs.

Two large projects that yes architecture is currently still working on include a 40 million euro project to create a hotel and shop-

20 | Issue 2 | April 2013

ping centre complex in Moosach, and the World Conference Centre in Bonn, a project that has been delayed by funding issues.

Ruth Berktold, who works out of the firm’s Munich office, explains how they approach all their projects: “We concentrate on the client, the required programme and economic factors very strongly; we try to understand the company's philosophy and behaviour. It’s naturally very different to work for Audi than for a jewellery design company who do design for Cartier. When it comes to buildings, we look at the site and analyse everything first. We create a project that fits the piece of land and the surroundings, and what the client is looking for in terms of sustainability.”

From top to bottom:

Yes architecture has also created the “Yes House”, a house that you can configure yourself like a car; you can pick between different finishes, room sizes and energy properties. “It’s a cool, sexy house,” enthuses Berktold. “We love it. Go on our website and see how you can configure it.”

By the end of April, you will also be able to visit an online shop for home accessories and furniture designed by yes architecture.

Audi Ski World Championship 2011, Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Rendering: Form3d Youth Lab. Photo: Häfele Hotel and Shopping Centre Moosach.

Rendering: yes architecture.

Yes House. Rendering: yes architecture.

World Conference Centre Bonn.

Photo: Bonn.de

www.yes-architecture.com

House of Astronomy. Photos: Swen Carlin

Bernhardt + Partner:

vanced Training Centre (ATC) which is located in Heidelberg. The state-of-the-art research centre is part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and features an innovative and unique symbiosis of form and function. The building’s structure was based on a double DNA helix, which runs through and around the breathtaking construction.

It’s in the DNA Founded as Hempelt + Bernhardt in 1989, the architects Manfred Bernhardt and Martin Skaliks formally established Bernhardt + Partner in 1994, while still working closely together with the original founder Prof. Rolf Hempelt.

Offering an inspiring surrounding for scientists from all over the world today, Mr Hammer explains the tricky parts the project development involved: “Transforming a microscopic biological building brick designed by nature to a never-before-seen scale has been a truly unusual task. Apart from the structural and geometric challenges we experienced, the implementation of the wound double helix cords wasn’t always easy in terms of mutual communication on and off site.”

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: BERNHARDT + PARTNER

Besides offering a classic architectural service portfolio, versatile Bernhardt + Partner specialise in institutional research and science buildings, day-care centres, municipal buildings, mixed use edifices as well as churches and the rejuvenation of listed buildings.

Max-Planck-Institute, this spectacular building was inspired by the nucleus and the arms of a spiral galaxy and today serves as a prime location for pupils, teachers and members of the public who are eager to learn about the basics of physics and mathematics.

Bernhardt + Partner architects are constantly striving to create functional, sustainable and futuristic solutions for their clients. Reliability and mutual trust have gained the architects many returning clients over the years.

“This building has been a huge challenge for the whole team as it was based on a completely new way of planning and execution, and we felt truly humbled to receive such positive feedback from all sides.

The project won two prestigious industry awards right after the construction was finished,” Andreas Hammer, architect at Bernhardt + Partner, says proudly.

www.bp-da.de

Another prime example of pioneering Bernhardt + Partner architecture is the AdAdvanced Training Centre. Photos: Thomas Ott

The outstanding creation of the House of Astronomy (Haus der Astronomie) in Heidelberg just scooped the coveted gussAward 2012 and the ISOVER Energy Efficiency Award 2013. As part of the

For the future, Bernhardt + Partner architects are looking forward to sustainably changing the parametric realisation of building projects not only in terms of time and budget, but also in the way of tackling new architectural challenges.

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 21

The community centre in the City of Selb designed by Beer Architektur. The site’s spatial potentials are maximised by a permeable timber-frame construction which links the indoor and outdoor space.

Connecting People and Spaces Human space, light, materials and openness are at the core of the work of Beer Architektur Städetebau. Whether planning a waterfront in Tripoli, Libya, or designing a tailor-made family home in Munich, architect and Professor Anne Beer strives to live up to the responsibility and opportunities inherent in her field.

TEXT: SIGNE HANSEN | PHOTOS: BEER ARCHITEKTUR STÄDETEBAU

Having worked as an independent architect since the 90s, Anne Beer is today practising within the field of architecture and urban design with her Munich-based firm Beer Architektur Städtebau. Most of the projects undertaken by Beer and her team are won through competitions and are, though very diverse, all built on a conscious respect for the seriousness of the possible impact of her profession.

“I am truly appreciative of what we can contribute as architects, and I am deeply aware of the responsibility that is embedded in that influence especially when creating public spaces. It is a very classical view of my profession, but when I get the

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opportunity, I always try to develop concepts and architectural projects on that foundation.That is why I select our projects with great care; I believe you have to provide an adequate team constellation on a solid knowledge base to make an adequate contribution,”explains Beer.

Apart from practising with her firm, Beer has been teaching architecture at Regensburg University of Applied Sciences since 2004.

International scale As a young graduate Beer spent one and a half years in NewYork City studying Urban Design at City University and working for

Steven Holl Architects NYC. Today, Beer’s work reflects a reawakening of her original ambitions and interests within urban design and international projects. One of the projects exemplifying this is the Gargaresh Waterfront, an ambitious new waterfront project in Tripoli and one of several urban design projects Beer worked on in the city.

“What we did, which is our general approach when contributing to urban design, was to propose the project as an interdisciplinary planning strategy concept including, for instance, sustainability strategies such as urban ventilation utilizing the wind direction from the sea, district cooling systems based on sea water and water collecting

Discover Germany | Special Theme | German Architecture Guide The Gargaresh Waterfront is one of several urban design projects Beer has worked on in Tripoli, Libya.

cistern systems. Having enjoyed the opportunity to work with renowned consultants within these areas, such as Transsolar and MIC, I understand how vital a proficient consultation team is to the success of the project,”stresses Beer. “I do not organise or approach it solely as a design project: it is not about pure format, it is about analysing and identifying the existing values on site and embedded in the cultural context and securing and developing them, incorporating them into the functional and aesthetic project and in that way finally providing an inviting platform for participation in public life.”

Through her teaching job at Regensburg University of Applied Sciences, Beer also

regularly participates in international educational projects in, for example, Spain and Jordan.

Home sweet home Over the years, Beer has created a string of homes, from low-budget concepts to exclusive single-family homes. “For me it’s all about human scale, social interaction and creating an adequate, inviting and light spatial framework for that purpose.”

The focus on creating a space that at once protects its interior purpose, opens up to the outside and welcomes people inside not only permeates Beer’s work with residential buildings but also public buildings such as the Community Centre in the City of Selb, that was recently completed.

As a supplement to a historic villa with a colourful clinker facade, the new building was developed as a timber frame construction which, through its permeability, links indoor and outdoor space thereby maximising the spatial potential of the site.

This family home was designed by Beer Architektur to blend into the surroundings of the garden suburb of Harlaching.

“I have an interest in offering spaces that invite people to come inside and facilitate factual or social exchanges. It’s about bringing public spaces to life through accessibility while at the same moment framing and enveloping a human scale and crafting a nice, calm and self-explanatory space,”explains Beer. www.beerarchitektur.de

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 23

Discover Germany | Design Feature | Time to Go Topless

Time to go topless Car manufacturing is one of the things the Germans do best. Sophisticated engineering, efficiency and technological superiority are terms often used to describe German cars, which are considered to be comfortable, reliable and, more recently, even sustainable. The latest convertibles, or cabriolets as the Germans say, add a fun factor to the mix.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: PRESS PHOTOS

systems, lower CO2 emissions and sustainability are constantly worked through research, improvement and redevelopment.

Germany is a world leader in registering new patents in the automotive sector, ensuring that no new technologic achievement slips through the net. We have picked a few contenders in the convertible sector from the cute smart fortwo up to the powerful Porsche 911 Carrera to illustrate the variety of the German convertibles available in the UK for the upcoming season.

Audi Almost 6 million passenger cars are produced by German car manufacturers every year, of which 77 per cent go for export. The

24 | Issue 2 | April 2013

German automotive sector accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the German industry.

Issues like efficiency and alternative drive

Constantly thriving on the edge of technology, Audi features an impressive 13 passenger car ranges with 52 different models, including four convertibles, four roadsters

and the top of the range R8 Spider. The new star for spring 2013 is the RS5 Cabriolet featuring 444bhp with a 4.2-litre V8 engine and a top speed of 174mph. The new RS5 Cabriolet is the open top incarnation of the RS Coupe, one of Audi’s most exciting high-performance models. The Audi philosophy “Vorsprung durch Technik” (advantage through technology) has once again been proved successful by the launch of this powerful and refined convertible. Prices start at £68,960.

BMW was founded in 1916 and is today the number one premium car company in the UK, achieving its best ever national sales result in 2012. The current product range includes nine different passenger car ranges from the 1 Series to the Hybrid. Five convertible vehicles in 46 varieties are available to choose from in the UK, ranging from the entry-level Series 1 to the top-of-therange M6. But the star in 2013 is the Z4

BMW Z4 roadster

Audi RS5 Cabriolet

BMW

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 25

Discover Germany | Design Feature | Time to Go Topless

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, Model Year 2013

new design and tech specs. Prices start from £27,610.

Mercedes Benz

roadster which went on sale in March and is the first BMW constructed with a “twopiece, electro-hydraulically operated Retractable Hard-Top roof”. Features include a new entry-level sDrive18i and plenty of

26 | Issue 2 | April 2013

Karl Benz registered the first “vehicle powered by a gas engine”in 1886 and ever since the brand Mercedes-Benz kept evolving, always a step ahead of time in terms of technology and vehicle security. Convertible models include the E-, the SL- and the SLK-Class, as well as the top-notch SLS AMG Roadster, currently the world’s most

powerful naturally aspirated productionV8.

In 2013, the stylish new E-Class Coupé Convertible will reach the UK, featuring a sleek design that appears bolder and sportier than in its previous version.“Captivating, athletic, passionate,”that is how Dr Joachim Schmidt, member of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, describes the new E-Class. Price: TBA Porsche Porsche boasts of heritage and horsepower.

Hollywood icon James Dean was passionate about his legendary 550 Spyder. This year the iconic 911 series celebrates its 50th anniversary and the latest soft-top addition to the 911 portfolio is the Porsche Carrera 4S Convertible boasting a mere 400bhp 3.8-litre engine and reaching 62mph in just 4.7 seconds. A top speed of 187 mph makes this model probably more suitable for Silverstone than for a German Autobahn. But boy – this is one sexy model.

From ÂŁ91,763.

Porsche Carrera 4S Cabriolet

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 27

Discover Germany | Design Feature | Time to Go Topless

Beetle Convertible drops its top in only 9.5 seconds, so the unpredictable British weather is no problem at all, and a bigger boot allows plenty of space for a weekend trip to the countryside. The Beetle Convertible starts at £18,150.

www.audi.co.uk www.bmw.co.uk www.mercedes-benz.co.uk www.porsche.com/uk www.thesmart.co.uk www.volkswagen.co.uk

VW Beetle convertible

Volkswagen VW offers various convertibles such as the Golf Cabriolet and the Eos, but it is the Beetle that oozes heritage. Originally manufactured from 1949 to 1980, a modern version of the Beetle was developed due to its massive popularity and iconic status, which again conquered the world by storm. The latest 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible will hit British roads in spring with a new sporty silhouette and three limited edition retro-style models which pay homage to the glorious past of the Beetle, including a classic 1950s-inspired model, another sleek one referring to the 60s and a third model elegantly resembling the 70s era. The new

Smart fortwo cabriolet

Smart Smart came up with a brand new smart fortwo electric drive which is now available in the UK. Emission-free and full of clever technology, this electric convertible offers a different kind of driving experience. Via smartphone the owner gets all the info he needs about the battery status, charging spots, etc. Prices start from £12,275 + £55 per month ‘peace of mind’ battery lease.

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Your Shortcut to Germany Bergen

NORWAY

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SWEDEN Aalborg bo org

UNITED KINGDOM

G enburg Goth

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DENMARK K

Billund Manchester

London City

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WINNER OF DANISH TRAVEL AWARD 2012 “BEST EUROPEAN AIRLINE”

S na c ks

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ba.com

Dr inks

Pap ers

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Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

30 | Issue 2 | April 2013

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

Special Theme

Culture in Germany 2013

What makes Germany an exciting cultural hub?

Q&A WITH KLAUS LOHMANN, DIRECTOR, GERMAN NATIONAL TOURIST OFFICE UK AND IRELAND

Germany is right in the heart of Europe, highly affordable, accessible and central – so its location is very important. Germany offers a mixture of old and new, and culture-wise it is continually evolving in many ways across music, literature, visual arts, theatre, design, food, drink…

What are some of the best culture centres in Germany?

There is so much to choose from! Berlin with its exciting mix of trends, history and innovation, to Bayreuth – a small town that is globally famous thanks to Richard Wagner, the 200th anniversary of whose birth is being celebrated this year, Weimar in Thuringia, the cultural centre of BauHaus and German design thanks to artists like Henry van derVelde, but not forgetting the rich heritage of places like Cologne with its magnificent Cathedral – a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The Reichstag and the Reichstag Presidential Palace in Berlin. Photo: Jürgen Pollak

Klaus Lohmann, Director, German National Tourist Office UK and Ireland

What are some of the most interesting historical places and attractions to visit?

What special events, exhibitions or happenings are taking place in Germany in 2013?

There are still plenty of areas in Germany that are almost ‘undiscovered’. Did you know Germany has 25 islands worth exploring? It has 37 Unesco World Heritage Sites, including whole towns. Trier in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is the oldest Roman city in Germany and has a wealth of historical locations and things to discover.

The celebrations of Wagner, Henry van der Velde and the Brothers Grimm this year (150th anniversary of their death) have provided the opportunity to introduce an enormous variety of events and things to see and do. Log on to www.germany.travel for a list of events this year – you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 31

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

Buzzing Bremen:

jazzahead!13 Once a year, for a few days in spring, Bremen is the place to be for the global jazz scene. jazzahead! 13 turns the historic Hanseatic city into the hub of the jazz world, featuring a unique combination of exhibition, showcase festival, conference and club night.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV

The idea was born nine years ago when Hans Peter Schneider, the managing director of Messe Bremen, felt that the jazz music industry was under-represented in music festivals. Determined to give it a platform of its own he invented jazzahead!, which at first was only intended as a conference with a few exhibition stalls.

Since then, jazzahead! has grown into Europe’s leading international jazz trade exhibition. From 25-28 April 2013 over 500 stalls from 30 different countries will be on show in the Congress Centre, Bremen. Labels, agencies, promoters and venues will be on the lookout for new contacts, talents and trends. “What makes jazzahead! so special is the focus on the jazz genre. In spite of having professionals from over 45 countries taking part, the event still has an

Elina Duni. Photo: Blerta Kambo

32 | Issue 2 | April 2013

intimate feel. People look forward to it and do very efficient networking here,” says Sybille Kornitschky, project manager of jazzahead!.

But there is much more to expect. Last year, over 70 concerts and showcases attracted more than 10,000 visitors, turning the fair into a high-profile cultural event for any jazz lover. This year, the kick-off to the live programme will be the Israeli Night on 25 April. Several inspiring gigs will highlight the broad spectrum of jazz from Israel, jazzahead!’s partner country in 2013.

“This year, we had over 270 applications for the showcase programme. An international jury of jazz professionals carefully selected the 39 most exciting acts,” explains Kornitschky. One of the UK’s up-and-coming

Oliver’s Cinema. Photo: Maurits Giesen

bands opens the European Jazz Meeting on 27 April. The Beats & Pieces Big Band won the JazzFM Award as the best UK newcomers this year. Other gems from the jazz scene presenting their talent at the showcases include the Dutch trumpet player Eric Vloeimans with his new trio, Oliver’s Cinema, and the singer Elina Duni, a rising star of the Swiss jazz scene.

Still, there is more to come. On 27 April, the jazzahead! ŠKODA club night will set Bremen on fire. With over 40 concerts at 19 different venues throughout the city, the audience will be spoilt for choice.

jazzahead!

25-28 April 2013 Congress Centre Bremen www.jazzahead.de

Beats & Pieces Big Band. Photo: Martin Wilson

Marialy Pacheco. Photo: Francesco Vicenzi

ChocolART Tübingen’s Sweet Temptation in the Christmas Season Apart from holidays and sunshine, there is only one thing in life which makes us really happy, and that is chocolate. A trip to chocolART in Tübingen, Germany’s biggest chocolate festival, is pure indulgence in a fairy-tale Christmas atmosphere.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: CHOCOLART

Imagine small medieval houses, narrow cobblestone alleyways covered in snow and shimmering lights in the dark. This is Tübingen, a historic university town in the south of Germany, and the perfect setting to celebrate one of our most-loved treats – chocolate. From 3-8 December 2013, chocolART offers not only meltingly tender pralines and handmade gourmet chocolates, the concept includes a much wider approach, a ‘chocosophy’ for everyone.

“Last year we had over 100 exhibitors from all over the world. We want to show the craft of chocolate making, and therefore we have many stalls from small, specialised and very exquisite manufacturers,”explains Corinna Graßler, event and project manager at chocolART.

Around 300,000 people come every year to the centre of the attraction,Tübingen’s historical marketplace, where visitors will encounter the enchanting atmosphere of the illuminated half-timbered houses and the chocolateROOM. In this glass-walled room, Germany’s best-known confectioners show their art in front of the visitors, producing pralines and the “Tübinger Schokotaler”, which is a huge biscuit filled with jam and cream and covered in chocolate, especially designed for the festival. At various workshops adults and children alike can learn how to manufacture smooth, delicious truffles.

Children will feel like Hansel and Gretel when they discover all the delicious sweets.

One highlight is the Ritter Sport Children

Chocoworkshop, where they can choose the ingredients for their favourite chocolate bar and even design the packaging themselves.

Fair trade is an important aspect in the cocoa business. Therefore, the festival organisers have dedicated a whole alley of the market to fair-trade chocolate brands.“It is vital for us to raise awareness among the consumers and the media on certain issues,” says Corinna.

Feeling cold and stiff in the German winter? If a comforting hot chocolate is not enough, a relaxing chocolate massage will probably do the trick. Artistic cocoa painting, readings and exceptional chocolate theatre are all part of this unique festival.

The entrance to the festival is free, while some of the events ask for a small admission fee. www.chocolart.de

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 33

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013 Top: English Baroque Soloists in Pisa, Sept. 2009.

Below: Monteverdi Choir in Pisa, Sept. 2009.

Photos: Massimo Giannelli

event reaches a new milestone. This year, music connoisseurs with a passion for the modern arts are taken through a musical variety reaching from the baroque to the 20th century.

Founded by German Count Günther von der Schulenburg, a passionate art collector, and his friend Grammy winner Sir John Eliot Gardiner, one of the most celebrated conductors of our time, the Soli Deo Gloria music festival has become one of the leading events in its league.“The project sparked when I met John Eliot Gardiner, who was introduced to me in 2002 by gallery owner Thaddäus Ropac,”von der Schulenburg remembers.“After he successfully worked in the northern parts of Germany, he asked if I would be interested in a collaboration.”

The foundation was laid and the festival has since grown from strength to strength.

Every summer, Count von der Schulenburg hosts the exclusive event as a unique mix of classical music and contemporary art. The Schafstall of the Rittergut Bisdorf, a former sheep barn on the feudal family estate, is just one of the authentic concert venues.

The historic premises date back to the 13th century, and the von der Schulenburgs have been residing here since 1742.

Glorious The Soli Deo Gloria Braunschweig Music Festival Some of the greatest names in the industry, such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Peter Brook and Grigory Sokolov, are due to perform a string of classical concerts staged at historical venues, while renowned performance artist Andreas Slominski will add a contemporary visual twist to the festival.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI

Soli Deo Gloria were the famous words German composer Johann Sebastian Bach used to sign his works with.They also sym-

34 | Issue 2 | April 2013

bolise the high-class entertainment offered at the festival. Proudly celebrating its 8th anniversary in 2013, the acknowledged

In 2012, Scottish artist and Turner prize winner Douglas Gordon teamed up with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio to accompany a Mozart concert with his k.364 video installation. Other highlights of last season’s concerts included a breathtaking performance by world-known pianist Lang Lang, who interpreted various Bach, Chopin and Schubert compositions.

Art collector von der Schulenburg loves to work with creative heads he personally knows, such as top German artist Eberhard Havekost, Imi Knoebel, Neo Rauch and Georg Baselitz. On the other hand, the Count is passionate about classical music and a regular guest at the iconic Salzburg Festival, from which he admittedly draws some of his inspiration.

Top: Christian Thielemann. Photo: Matthias Creutziger Below: Konstantin Lifschitz. Photo: Felix Broede

This summer, a string of nine exceptional performances will be held in heritageboasting premises, such as the Imperial Cathedral Kaiserdom in Königslutter, a former monastery and a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture dating back to 1135.

Other event sites include the Stiftskirche Steterburg near Salzgitter, a place of worship for over 1,000 years, and the historic Lessing Theatre, which has just undergone a three-year-long restoration.

Eight shows will be performed between 31 May and 18 June, plus a final special Wagner event on 3 September. The opening show will feature a contemporary interpretation of Mozart’s Zauberflöte presented by award-winning English theatre and film director Peter Brook. Performed by seven singers and two pianos, only the opera will be staged at the Lessing Theatre.

Russian pianist Konstantin Lifschitz will present Bach’s The Art of the Fugue BWV 1080 in The Schafstall, accompanied by performance artist Andreas Slominski.

“Apart from performances by Konstantin Lifschitz, plus the piano duo Evgeni Koroliov and Ljupka Hadzigeorgieva, the piano week will be rounded off by the great Grigory Sokolov,” Count von der Schulenburg proudly announces.

Under the cupola of the Kaiserdom, Sir John Eliot Gardiner himself, with his ensembles the English Baroque Soloists and the legendary Monteverdi Choir, will treat guests to Bach’s Easter Oratorio BWV 249 and the Ascension Oratorio BWV 11.

An acoustic journey through the old Europe is offered by the brass ensemble Leipziger Blechbläsersolisten, and renowned singer Jochen Kowalski will treat guests to an amazing trail of Bach, Händel and Purcell titled Wo die Liebe wohnt (Where the Love Lives).

On 3 September, the final concert will be held in honour of German composer

Richard Wagner. Two hundred years after his birth, some of his greatest creations, including samples from Lohengrin and Tannhäuser, will be performed by renowned ensemble The Staatskapelle Dresden and its new conductor Christian Thielemann.

The Soli Deo Gloria Braunschweig music festival is well worth visiting even for the younger audience, as von der Schulenburg points out:“We wish to rejuvenate our concert halls, attempting to get the younger generation, even children, enthusiastic about classical music.” www.solideogloria.de

Imperial Cathedral Kaiserdom in Königslutter

Make sure you download the free SDG iPhone app to stay tuned.

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 35

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

Light a Candle at the Leipzig Festival of Lights Leipzig is a city steeped in history, and many of the gorgeous 19th century buildings from the Wilhelminian period and architectural gems have been lovingly restored to full splendour.

Composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy had a huge impact on Leipzig’s music scene, and the great Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig 200 years ago. Poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe attended the University here from 1765 to 1768, and in the Auerbachs Keller restaurant, the spirit of his famous Faust is still present. Today the city is a cosmopolitan business location and a flourishing trade fair hub proudly holding the "Imperial Right to Hold Trade Fairs" granted by Emperor Maximilan I in 1497. Leipzig’s landmark buildings include the Old City Hall, the Old Stock Exchange and the Opera building. The modern Gewandhaus, Leipzig’s music hall, is prominently set on Augustusplatz, where the main part of the Leipzig Festival of Lights celebrations will take place.

Photo: Punctum Schmidt

Photo: Punctum Kober

TEXT: TINA AWTANI

36 | Issue 2 | April 2013

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

2013 will mark the 24th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution in the former East German city Leipzig.Ten thousand candles will be lit as a symbol for peace and democracy.

The moving Leipzig Festival of Lights has become a fixture in the city’s event calendar and attracts locals as well as international visitors.

2009 was a special year celebrating 20 years of Peaceful Revolution and European Unity in an artistic way.Video installations, music and dance performances, as well as a wide range of light effects, marked the occasion.

Since then the festival continued to move in an international direction, drawing attention from neighbouring as well as partnering countries. In 2010, the Leipzig Festival of Lights celebrated 20 years of German Unity, and in 2011, neighbouring Poland was the focal point, while last year Hungary’s important role in the reunification process of Germany was honoured. Due to the 20th anniversary of the German-Hungarian Friendship Treaty, tens of thousands

celebrated in 2012 under the motto Crossing Borders in Leipzig.

Ms Marit Schulz, marketing manager of the Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH and director of the event, is proud of the authentic aspect the Leipzig Festival of Lights offers. “In today’s event culture nothing is more rare and desirable than true authenticity. In the form of the Leipzig Festival of Lights the city of Leipzig took the chance to remember the events of October 1989 by engaging citizens and guests, and thus bridging the gap between event and authenticity. We publicly remember the dramatic incidents of 9 October 1989, communicate them for the generations to come and create a consciousness far beyond the city borders.” www.leipziger-freiheit.de

Photo: Punctum Franke

Photo: Punctum Kober

Photo: Punctum Hoyer

As part of the Monday demonstrations on 9 October 1989, around 70,000 East German citizens gathered in the Leipzig city centre near St. Nicholas Church. After the weekly Monday Prayer, the people proceeded to the Augustusplatz, holding candles in a peaceful demonstration for fundamental rights of democracy and freedom.

This date has been described by former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher as “one of the most amazing dates in our history of freedom”. Surrounded by thousands of policemen and military personnel, the demonstrators

showed strong courage and silently demanded democracy and human rights. No one would have thought that only a month later, on 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Germany for 28 years, would collapse as a result.

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 37

Martin Luther’s Wedding in Wittenberg: A Medieval Extravaganza at the Sites of the Reformation In the summer of 1525, the small town of Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt is ripe for scandal: eight years after he had nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door, Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, a former nun.

Nowadays, on the second weekend in June each year, the residents of Wittenberg change into their finest tunics and gowns to celebrate Luther’s wedding and their most famous fellow citizens.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: LUTHERSTADT WITTENBERG

Located between Leipzig and Berlin, Wittenberg is often called the “cradle of the Reformation” as it was home to such important figures as Philipp Melanchthon, a humanist and friend of Luther, Lucas Cranach the Elder, “Painter of the Reformation”, and, of course, Martin Luther, whose Ninety-Five Theses against the papal trade in indulgences (1517) sparked the Reformation.

During the GDR era people mainly referred to Wittenberg as a chemical industry site; the heritage of Luther had almost been forgotten. After the fall of the Wall, the city and its citizens were searching for a new identity and the church reformer came back into focus. “In other cities people commemorate battles or sieges. We are so lucky that we can

38 | Issue 2 | April 2013

celebrate such a happy event like a wedding. Now Wittenberg is again nationally and internationally known as the “Lutherstadt” (Luther’s city),”says Jörg-Peter Pajak, project manager for “Luther’s Wedding”.

And celebrate they do: From 7-9 June 2013, the old part of the town is literally transferred into the Renaissance period. In front of the castle, a festive market of artisans and minstrels offers crafts, arts and food of the 16th century to the more than 100,000 guests. In the streets, the local historical societies invite the visitors to join in with dance and music and to explore medieval drinking habits.

This is the backdrop for the magnificent spectacle of the wedding itself. Each year a

couple is elected to impersonate the newlywed Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora.The celebrations culminate in a glorious parade with the wedded couple and their 2,000 opulently costumed guests. On the way they pass all the historic sites where Luther preached, worked and lived, and which are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. Many of the historic houses and places are undergoing an extensive renovation programme to get ready for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

To be part of this lavish extravaganza with over 60 different performances at the original sites of the Reformation, visitors can buy a specially designed plaque for 10 Euros and enjoy three days of one of Germany’s best city festivals. www.lutherhochzeit.de

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

Best of Bratwurst Bratwurst Museum

In 2006, Bratwurst devotees founded the Friends of the Bratwurst sausage society and opened Germany’s first authentic Bratwurst Museum. Entirely dedicated to the world-famous local delicacy, the museum is a treasured sanctuary for the sausage aficionado.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: FREUNDE DER THÜRINGER BRATWURST E.V.

But the sausage society also initiated the Bratwurst Theatre, where highly entertaining performances with a historic theme run

COUPON!

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throughout the year. After the show, guests are treated to local culinary treasures and a high percentage German (Bratwurst) schnapps.

Granted a European patent, the Thüringer Bratwurst comes in different varieties. In the north a little marjoram is added, while in the south garlic is used and in the east the special aroma is created with caraway seed. But in Holzhausen, where you find the museum, lemon juice is the secret ingredient. Here, the Bratwurst is more than just a local delicacy.

Thomas Mäuer, chairman of the sausage society, explains: “The Thüringer Bratwurst is

Bratwurst Theatre

The history of the Bratwurst dates back to 1404, and even Martin Luther and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe were passionate about the mouth-watering meat creation, usually made of pork. Today, the Bratwurst Museum just southwest of Erfurt exhibits truly authentic items such as the world’s first Bratwurst invoice, a complete pedigree of today’s domestic pig and vintage butcher’s equipment – all spiced up with a good portion of humour.

not just regarded as good food or a local economy booster, it is part of our lifestyle, a cultural treasure which serves as a vital identity factor for the locals.” www.bratwurstmuseum.de www.bratwursttheater.de

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Top: Mannheim National Theatre. Photo: Christian Kleiner; Bottom left & middle: St. Petersburg production. Photos: Daria Pichugina; Bottom right: machina eX. Photo: Philip Steimel

Days of Schiller at the Mannheim National Theatre From 21-29 June 2013, the Mannheim National Theatre will be hosting the legendary International Schiller Days for the 17th time. An eclectic mix of contemporary performances and projects will be themed around the author’s finest works under the slogan The Critical Masses.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI

The Mannheim National Theatre will stage artistic interpretations of the works and thoughts of German poet Friedrich Schiller with a contemporary twist focusing on social and political issues of our modern world. The Mannheim National Theatre is one of the oldest communal theatres in the world, dating back to 1779, and poet Friedrich Schiller served as the first inhouse playwright.

Burkhard C. Kosminski, managing artistic director of the Mannheim National Theatre, comments on this year’s motto, The Critical Masses, under which the audience will play a vital part:“After having focused on the mass protest movements in the Arabic world, neighbouring Stuttgart and Madrid in 2011, we wanted to use our theatrical resources to find out more about

40 | Issue 2 | April 2013

how the world has since changed, what remained from the feeling of unity and all the energy. And in the theatre it is always about groups, about affiliation, about those up on stage and those down below.”

The festival will be opening with The Parasite, a witty piece scrutinising the world of civil servants with a large portion of humour. The co-production with the Staatsschauspiel Dresden will be directed by Stefan Bachmann who has worked in the finest theatres across Germany and Switzerland.

Another performance will be Intrigue and Love interpreted by the Prijut Komedianta Theatre Project from St. Petersburg, Russia.

With an experimental approach, director Vasily Barkhatov will stage the main char-

acters Luise and Ferdinand in the modern surroundings of a rock concert.

A huge variety of the most exciting projects will take place amongst various locations throughout Mannheim during the festival.

Theatre will be taken to a new dimension with innovative and sophisticated young artists such as machina eX, a creative group from Berlin that involves the audience to a never-before-seen extent.

“We aim to create an impulse, to make various productions based on Schiller’s works and theories available to a wide audience.

And we intend to create sustainability with productions that will be performed far beyond the festival borders and all over the world in the future,”Mr Kosminski says. www.schillertage.de

Burkhard C. Kosminski

Stefan Bachmann.

Photo: David Baltzer

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

The New Mannheim Ring Celebrates 200Years of Wagner Celebrating 200 years of Richard Wagner, the Mannheim National Theatre will pay tribute to the composer by staging an innovative and contemporary interpretation of the full Ring Cycle, including The Rhine Gold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: H. J. MICHEL

For two years, the National Theatre Mannheim has been building up the New Mannheim Ring by showing extraordinary interpretations of the first three parts of the cycle. The final part, Twilight of the Gods, just held its spectacular premiere on 22 March 2013. The complete cycle will be shown three times between May and July 2013.

Dan Ettinger, general music director of the Mannheim National Theatre, is mastering one of the most challenging operas ever written, supported by his outstanding orchestra. The majority of the 40 soloist parts have been cast with members of the highcalibre in-house ensemble, including artists like Judith Nemeth, Thomas Jesatko, Karsten Mewes, Jürgen Müller and Endrik Wottrich, rounded out with a small number of internationally renowned guests.

Stage Director Achim Freyer, a master student of Bertolt Brecht and internationally renowned set and costume designer, stage director and painter, couldn’t be more enthusiastic about his latest project.“The Götterdämmerung [Twilight of the Gods] is a perfect circle that travels through time towards the manipulative myth of the future as a moment of the distant past. Siegfried, our iconic hero, gives us the shivers, while Brünnhilde shows us love and forgiveness, a utopia of longing aspiration, the painful quest for a beginning made of conquered emptiness! Wagner’s Ring remains an enduring mystery, a wonder of the world, my words are not enough,” the German Theatre Director of the Year 2011 says.

can look forward to a Ring of the Nibelung at the National Theater with a quite unique stage language that will stand out starkly from the profusion of Ring productions that will be created across the world for the Wagner year of 2013.This project will shine out beyond Mannheim throughout the entire state and enrich the outstanding cultural landscape of Baden-Württemberg!” www.nationaltheater-mannheim.de/en Das Rheingold

Die Walküre

Siegfried

Theresia Bauer, Minister for Science, Research and the Arts of the State of BadenWürttemberg reckons:“Without doubt we

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 41

Pablo Picasso Dora Maar with Green Fingernails, 1936 Öl auf Leinwand, 65 x 54 cm © Succession Picasso / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013 / bpk / Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Berggruen / Jens Ziehe

on 6 September 1996, with Berggruen's return to his native city after six decades in exile.

History Berggruen initially agreed to lend the collection that he assembled over almost half a decade to the city of Berlin for a period of 10 years. Widely considered one of the most important private collections in the world, Berggruen would eventually sell this collection to the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation), for a symbolic price, well below its estimated value.

The collection represents the legacy of Heinz Berggruen: his artists, his criteria, as well as his passions, all of which are clearly recognizable in the selection of works. Because of the importance of the collection to the public, the Nationalgalerie (National Gallery) of Berlin would acquire the collection in 2000, making the museum an important site for modern classics.

A new space

Museum Berggruen – An extraordinary collection with character After two years of renovations, one of Berlin’s most popular modern art galleries, The Museum Berggruen, is re-opening its doors.

TEXT: JESSICA RIDDER

“I am very pleased that we were able to implement a long-cherished dream of Heinz Berggruen,” says Michael Eissenhauer, director general of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (National Museums in Berlin), about the expansion of the museum to the adjacent Commander’s House.

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Also known as the Berggruen Collection, the museum is situated opposite Berlin’s largest palace, Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace). Founded by Heinz Berggruen, a notable German art dealer and collector who was born in Berlin, the museum opened its doors for the first time

The building itself offers a unique experience for the visitor. Rather than having a traditional museum ambience, the space offers small intimate rooms that allow the visitor to sink into the works. A significant number of other loans were added to the museum up to the death of the famous collector in 2007, causing space to become scarce and increasingly perceived as too narrow for the presentation of the works.

“With the re-opening, the museum finally has enough space to exhibit its collections,” Eissenhauer says.“Unfortunately, the great collector died in 2007 and will not be able to witness the realization of his dream.”

The connection of the main building to the historic Commander's House has been made with a modern glass passage, offering a view of a third, natural location: a newly planted garden, named in honour of Heinz

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

Berggruen's wife, the "Bettina Berggruen garden".

“With the Commander's House, the available exhibition area increases from 700 to 1,250 square metres – from 18 rooms to 28.This means that the museum has nearly doubled its space, but without losing the intimacy of its rooms,” Eissenhauer says.

“This was precisely Heinz Berggruen’s particular concern, and it corresponds with the intense character of the collection.”

From Picasso to other great masters The core exhibition entitled “Picasso and his Times” displays paintings, sculptures and drawings over two entire floors.The exhibition represents all facets of his work and is one of the most important Picasso collections in Europe.The museum offers a diverse overview of Picasso’s artistic development with over 120 examples of his works, ranging from early student sketches to the Blue and Rose period, like Seated Harlequin, and from the dramatic Cubist years right up to the year before his death in 1973.

“Of course, Picasso's The Yellow Sweater from 1939, which shows his lover Dora Maar, and another painting of her, Dora Maar with Green Fingernails from 1936, are particular crowd favourites,” says Eissenhauer.

the works of Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966). Consisting of mainly later works, Giacometti’s Cat (1954) represents another visitors’ favourite.

“We have also gained an area for special exhibitions and have set up a documentation space for the life of Heinz Berggruen,”Eissenhauer says.

A family experience The museum is easily accessible with public transport. It also offers a special opportunity to explore art together with the whole family through workshops and family events. Every fourth Sunday of the month, the“family Sunday”presents a programme for parents together with their children, and every third Saturday of the month, there are workshops for children from the age of six years upwards.

There are also guided tours on Saturdays starting at 3pm and Sundays at 2pm, with an extra charge of 3€ with your entry fee.

Opening hours are: Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am-6pm. Entry fees vary from 5€ Euro concessions to 10€, with a combined entry to the neighbouring exhibition of the collection Scharf-Gerstenberg. www.smb.museum

Another focus is on the works of Paul Klee (1879-1940), covering a creative lifespan of over twenty years. The works receive generous additional space with the new annex.

The display is further complemented by

Museum Berggruen with new annex, 2013 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Museum Berggruen / hc-krass.de

From top to bottom: Pablo Picasso, The Yellow Sweater, 1939 Öl auf Leinwand, 81 x 65 cm © Succession Picasso / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013 / bpk / Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Berggruen / Jens Ziehe Alberto Giacometti, The Cat, 1951 Bronze, 25 cm x 81 cm x 13 cm © bpk / Nationalgalerie, Museum Berggruen, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Jens Ziehe Museum Berggruen, The new connecting passage, 2013 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Museum Berggruen / hc-krass.de Museum Berggruen, First Picasso Room, 2013 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Museum Berggruen / hc-krass.de

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 43

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Culture in Germany 2013

The Onion Market in Weimar:

The biggest star is a vegetable Since 1653, every autumn, Weimar celebrates one of our oldest cultivated vegetables, the onion. From 11-13 October 2013, the little town in Thuringia once again will be taken over by a cheerful crowd of food enthusiasts who will not only indulge in famous regional delicacies but also dance the night away at exciting live gigs.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: ONION MARKET/WEIMAR

No other city has such close associations with German cultural history as Weimar. It was home to Goethe and Schiller, the two most famous German poets and writers.

Here, Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Liszt composed their music and rose to fame. Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus School of Arts and Architecture in this little town. No wonder, then, that every visitor here is spoilt with an amazing choice of impressive World Heritage sites and extraordinary museums.

than 600 stalls offer onions in many different forms, as well as a rich variety of local dishes, fruits, spices and crafts.“The Weimar Onion Market is well known for its onion tart and onion soup, but we also produce excellent onion schnapps,”says Anja Dietrich, marketing & PR representative. A popular souvenir is the onion garland, onions plaited together and decorated with dried yellow, white or lilac flowers. They come in all sizes – from tiny to whopping huge ones.

Goethe just had to step out of his door to find himself in the middle of the lively hustle and bustle of the Onion Market. The great poet reportedly adored the onion and firmly believed in its healthy effect on the system. Since then, the Onion Market has developed into a three-day event which attracts up to 330,000 visitors each year. More

Every year, the residents of Weimar elect their Onion Market Queen. Dressed in a beautiful traditional gown, she has the important task of cutting the first slice of a giant onion tart and opening the event on the historic market place together with the Lord Mayor. There will be more chances to meet the queen when she attends the me-

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dieval market with a jousting tournament, taverns, handicrafts and music, as well as other highlights of the programme. Children can enjoy their own entertainment with magicians, clowns and puppet theatre.

More than 100 performances on 12 stages all over the city cater for every taste. These three days in October, Weimar will be brimming with music and excitement – and the star of it all is the humble onion. www.weimar.de

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Discover Germany | Hotel of the Month | Frankfurter Hof

46 | Issue 2 | April 2013

The Frankfurter Hof – a legend reborn

Hotel

of the Month

After 140 years, the majestic Frankfurter Hof Hotel shines in new splendour. The iconic flagship hotel of the Steigenberger Group was given a complete makeover leaving nothing to be desired, even for the most discerning guests.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI PHOTOS: FRANKFURTER HOF

The Steigenberger Hotels AG operates 81 hotels across Europe and Egypt.The Frankfurter Hof is part of the group’s prestigious Grandhotel Collection and embodies the epitome of luxury and service. If you are travelling for business or for pleasure, expect unrivalled service as the Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts have just been awarded the coveted ‘Service Champions 2012’ award by Germany's most extensive service ranking system.

The impressive listed landmark building is located right in the heart of Frankfurt, Germany’s financial capital and home to the third largest exhibition grounds in the world. The famous Opernplatz and the elegant Fressgass with their stylish restaurants and retail premises are just a few steps away in this truly charming metropolis on the river Main, where history and sophistication go hand in hand.

Austrian-born general manager Mr Armin Schröcker has gained over 35 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry.

He has previously worked in the

General Manager Armin Schröcker

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 47

Discover Germany | Hotel of the Month | Frankfurter Hof From top down: Hamam in Frankfurter Hof’s spa area Lobby Grand Deluxe Room Restaurant Français

most prestigious hotels around the globe, including the iconic Langham hotel in London before he took over the Frankfurter Hof in 2011. His verdict so far:“The hotel is an icon in Germany and very well known to the international traveller. It has been here for over 140 years and has hosted more presidents than any other hotel in Germany. It plays an influential role in Frankfurt and its business community and is part of the social fabric of this vibrant city.”

The recent refurbishment was a painstaking process balancing the old and the new.

While some of the 261 rooms and 42 suites were renovated in the classic traditional grand hotel style, the new Grand Deluxe rooms and suites were given a sophisticated and contemporary look featuring a truly stunning interior design. Nespresso coffee makers and free Wi-Fi for guests in all rooms are just a few of the newly introduced guest services.The lavish bathrooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs and cosy underfloor heating. But the jewel in the crown is the Presidential Suite, featuring 300 square metres of sheer luxury and ultimate safety precautions like bullet-proof windows.

The Michelin-starred Restaurant Français with its gorgeous interior and terrace is run by award-winning Chef Patrick Bittner. His sublime fine French style of cuisine is reflected in the new interpretation of local delicacies, fish and crustacea on the menu, while the restaurant’s wine list features an impressive selection of 400 varieties from the world’s most distinguished vineyards.

For a more casual dining experience visit the authentic Hofgarten Restaurant or the famous and rather casual OSCAR*S café and bar. For those preferring refined Asian cuisine the Japanese IROHA restaurant offers 17 varieties of sushi and a Teppanyaki room where delicious food is freshly prepared in front of the guests. High tea is served in the elegant Autorenbar (author’s bar), which is a great place to meet with business colleagues or friends. Cigar afi-

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cionados will love the Cigarrum bar with Frankfurt’s finest selection of rums on display. Wednesday nights at the Cigarrum are dedicated to live jazz, blues and classical music.

The Frankfurter Hof proudly opened its state-of-the-art spa area in February measuring 1,000 square metres, including a spectacular Hamam that Mr Schröcker describes as “probably the best I have seen around in Europe”. Gentlemen are very welcome to visit the traditional Hommage Barber, while ladies may relax and indulge with a pampering spa experience. For those who prefer privacy, the Day Spa Suite can be booked as an ideal venue for special occasions.

The conference and business centre of the Frankfurter Hof offers 19 elegant venues to choose from, including a ballroom for up to 450 guests. Latest technology and equipment are provided to enable seamless communication. A great choice of flexible hospitality packages is available. Especially during the great fairs, such as the Book Fair, the IAA or the Ambiente, the Frankfurter Hof turns into an important business hub where industry heads come together from all over the world to exchange knowhow and establish valuable contacts.

“International guests appreciate our recognition factor as many of our experienced employees recall and remember our regular guests, who represent a large portion of our guests. Many guests keep coming back to us, time and time again,” Mr Schröcker says. Asked about the hall of fame, he smilingly says: “A sample from the letter ‘S’: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schweitzer Albert, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen, Stewart James, Sting, A Sukarno, Schmidt Helmut, Schneider Romy, and many more.” www.steigenberger.com/Frankfurt

Discover Germany | Attraction of the Month | Currywurst Museum

Attraction of the Month

Deutsches Currywurst Museum Berlin

No Worries with Curry It is reputedly ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s favourite dish, and the singer Herbert Grönemeyer dedicated a song to Germany’s best-loved takeaway: the Currywurst (curried sausage). The award-winning Currywurst Museum in Berlin is designed to explore the world of the famous delicacy through all the senses.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: DEUTSCHES CURRYWURST MUSEUM BERLIN

The authentic Berliner Currywurst is made of pork; it is grilled, chopped and swims in a rich, warm tomato sauce sprinkled with curry powder. After a hard day’s work there is no greater pleasure than munching on the popular treat at one of the city’s countless outdoor snack bars. At Schützenstraße 70, in direct proximity to Checkpoint Charlie, friends of the iconic dish find the Currywurst Museum, a multimedia monument to Germany's traditional snack.

Here, you enter a world of sizzling sausages and exotic spices, following a trail of sauce with gigantic ketchup drops hanging from the ceiling. At a walk-in snack stand, visitors switch perspective and try their hand at the grill. Stand-up bistro tables featuring “ketchup bottle audio stations”provide for an authentic snack bar atmosphere. Lovely

smells from the spice chamber tickle the nose and reveal the secrets of curry powder.

To boost energy levels, the “Currywurst in a cup”, which is included in the admission fee, waits at the museum’s snack lounge. So locals and tourists can take in the theme of the exhibition in the truest sense of the word.

There are several legends about how the Currywurst was invented. But for the Berliners it was Herta Heuwer who in 1949 first mixed a dash of ketchup with a pinch of British curry powder, and thus the Currywurst sauce was born. The museum’s exploratory kitchen is dedicated to her memory. Here, the designers very carefully recreated the atmosphere of the fifties with the cooker in the centre and the furniture dating back to this era.

Since the opening of the museum in 2009, over 250,000 grown-ups and children have marvelled at the museum’s Currywurst realm. There is a special trail for children where the exhibits are displayed at their eye level. “Children just love our specially invented game ‘Curry-Up’where they have to virtually assemble a Currywurst according to the orders of the computer,” says Bianca Wohlfromm, communication and events manager.

Every text in the museum is displayed in German and English, tours in English are available upon request and there are audio guides in several languages.

Furthermore, the Currywurst Museum provides an extraordinary ambiance for different events for exclusive booking, including speeches and acts on stage, product presentations in the cinema, press conferences in a unique interview setting, or customer and employee events with variable workshop segments – an individual arrangement is always the focus of the event. www.currywurstmuseum.com

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 49

Discover Germany | Restaurant of the Month | Stein’s

Restaurant of the Month

Beer, sausages and a river view

– A recipe for success If you happen to be a Londoner with a thing for German cuisine, then it’s time to celebrate as the popular Bavarian restaurant and bar Stein’s has recently opened a new branch in Kingston upon Thames. At Stein’s, you can enjoy authentic, delicious and flavoursome dishes, including roasted pork knuckle, Currywurst, Wiener schnitzel and barrel-soaked sauerkraut, and deserts such as apple strudel and the famous Kaiserschmarrn.

TEXT: EMELIE KRUGLY HILL | PHOTOS: STEIN’S

Bele and Reinhard Weiss arrived in the UK 18 years ago with the original intention to stay for only 15 months. They are now based in the Richmond area in south-west London with their two children. It was when they became parents eleven years ago that they realised that it was no longer easy to dine out as a family in London.

They began to miss the family-friendly beer gardens Munich has to offer. In fact, they missed them so much that they decided to open up their own Bavarian beer garden in Richmond, their new home town. Neither had any previous experience in running restaurants, and they faced many challenges along the way, such as negotiating with the council and getting the required licenses. They eventually found a suitable outdoor venue on the towpath in Richmond, and it quickly became a success.

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“We couldn’t quite believe our eyes when we had so much demand; there were queues all the way around the building!” says Bele Weiss.

Eight years later and they have just launched a second branch in Kingston.This time their wish was to combine an authentic outdoor experience with an indoor venue. The main challenge proved to be finding a suitable site in another stunning river location. After two years and several setbacks, they eventually found a smallVictorian cottage with a fantastic river terrace. Reinhard, who owns 3s architects and designers (www.3sad.com), provided valuable expertise when it came to making use of every available square foot of what had been a tea room.The result is a cosy and welcoming log cabin with modern touches. Each feature, from the tim-

ber cladding to the benches and antlers, was carefully selected and imported from Germany or Austria to create an authentic atmosphere.

Stein's is a very popular venue for birthday parties, as well as family and corporate functions. Groups are impressed by the large sharing platters for ten people, and the Kingston function room and terrace upstairs can cater for up to 40 guests.

“We’re hoping to serve a German brunch buffet on weekends soon, but it will need to be pre booked,”Bele informs.“Another plan is to host Bavarian evenings with special screenings.”

Meals are served at Stein's Kingston: Noon-11pm Monday-Friday, Saturdays 11am-11pm and 11am-10pm on Sundays. www.stein-s.com

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SEB Private Banking Scandinavia Open will have its own tent with entertainment featuring live music, Scandinavian barbecue, food and drinks.

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Discover Germany | Business | Key Note

Mein Gott!

Zey are fallink in love wiz us!

All of a sudden, the British media is making eyes at Germany. Barbara Geier takes a closer look at the new romance.

What’s going on? Last week, in its travel pages, the Daily Telegraph was bemoaning the fact that so few Brits choose Germany for their holidays, praising, in this particular case, the beauty of Freiburg and the Black Forest. The Independent has been describing Dresden as a ‘rebuilt wonder’, and – hold your breath – the Sun has come up with ten (‘not nein’) reasons why the UK should love Germany. The latter piece appeared in answer to German tabloid Bild’s cry “Please don’t go, you’re so wonderfully crazy”, telling the UK why it is needed as a EU member. Both articles were full of clichés, as expected, but never mind.

However, the current UK-Germany love affair doesn’t stop there. Style bible and über-cool publication Monocle has dedicated its current issue to Germany, telling its readers why the world needs the “new Germans: how Europe’s star economy uses business brawn, good design and Gummi Bears to win hearts, minds and tummies”.

A couple of months ago, David Cameron told an audience at a car parts plant in Redditch that the“Brits need to be more Germanic to help industry”, by training up more people to do practical jobs. And then there’s Lord Weidenfeld who just professed that Angela Merkel is the contemporary politician he most admires:“She’s got moral firmness: solid, rock solid!” (A wunderbar description of her!).

52 | Issue 2 | April 2013

So, to return to the start: What’s going on?

What’s behind the UK’s new-found love for all things German? Well, first of all, for any German living in the UK (including the writer of this blog), all this enthusiasm for “contemporary Germany” as a novel thing is a bit exasperating. Because, after all, if you’ve grown up in contemporary Germany, you know what it’s like and that the country is – surprise, surprise – modern, has a high standard of living, has some really very nice scenery, has a varied cultural scene and is populated by people who have no problem at all with anyone mentioning the war (there goes another cliché). Germans like the good things in life including food and drink and are on the whole quite a decent bunch who do get irony.

What it boils down to is that the UK seems to have discovered modern Germany a bit late. Might be because of the war, might be because it’s nice to cling on to certain stereotypes; Germans do the same, the other way round. That this love-in is happening now is surely part of an on-going development that has taken place over recent years, including the fall of the Wall, the emergence of Berlin as the place to be for the youth of the world (any age group, in fact), oh, and not to forget the World Cup in 2006 when the country staged its Sommermärchen (summer’s tale) which will forever have a special place in the nation’s collective memory.

In the end, the “why” of the affair doesn’t really matter; it’s nice to see. And after years of Germany being the more passionate partner in the UK-Germany relationship, maybe things are about to change.

Barbara Geier is a London-based freelance writer, translator and communications consultant. Her take on the new UK-Germany romance was originally written as a blog for www.germanyiswunderbar.com, a German travel and tourism guide and blog that was set up together with UK travel writer Andrew Eames in 2010.

Vivien celebrates a client’s success in winning the award of “International Business of the Year 2013” at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton.

Right below: Vivien showing her hands-on approach to the German automotive industry at the Tyre Trade Fair in Essen.

The Gateway to Germany Germany is one the most flourishing markets on our doorstep. However, many small or medium-sized UK enterprises do not have the confidence to break into the business opportunities there. Eureko Associates Limited, the German business consultancy, gives vital support to overcome language and cultural barriers and place the relationship with German partners on solid ground.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: EUREKO ASSOCIATES LIMITED Evidence shows that companies with a healthy export trade are doing better in times of economic difficulty. “When a recession hits your home market, it is wise to spread the risk. Losses in the core business can be absorbed by a growing export activity,” saysVivien Hacker, managing director of Eureko.

Celebrating ten years of successful consultancy services this year,Vivien has a broad experience in building Anglo-German relationships. After her PhD in Germanic Studies in Frankfurt, she went on to teach German language and modern culture at Lancaster University. “I took my role as an ambassador for German culture very seriously and noticed that there is a lack of understanding, especially when it comes to trading with our German neighbours,” she explains. So she founded the Lancasterbased Eureko in 2003 and has built up a well-established network of official contacts to German organisations.

From her long experienceVivien knows exactly where the pitfalls are in an AngloGerman business relationship. “It starts with very basic things like the way you would address a director of a German company. Germans are more formal and will probably not be happy to be called by their first name.”Managers are often not aware of the fact that decision-making in a German company can involve several tiers of management and therefore is likely to be a slower process than in the UK.

negotiations, recruitment, translations and also attended contact visits with us in Germany to help develop connections.”

Eureko offers a broad spectrum of services: they advise on sales and marketing strategies, represent UK companies at German trade fairs, help to locate the right distributors and deal with German calls and documents. The bilingual team ensures that the printed material is accurate. Karen White, managing director at Primary Teaching Services Ltd, highly appreciated the support:“Vivien quickly understood our business and was able to assist us with research,

But the benefits of Eureko’s services are not all one-way. Tony Waine, director for marketing and communication, taught German Studies at Lancaster University before joining his wife Vivien at Eureko. With his excellent language skills, he specialises in advising German companies on how to improve their English-language websites and marketing material.

Vivien’s communications and sales skills are not just applied in the SME sector, but also include some of the biggest names in the German industrial world, such as MAN and Mercedes. And just last year, she helped one of her clients win a major business award by gaining a massive 2 million plus unit contract.

www.eureko.co.uk

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 53

Discover Germany | Business Feature | Hamburg

54 | Issue 2 | April 2013

Hamburg

“Staying On Course” In his State of the Union address in February this year, Barack Obama gave his go-ahead to extensive negotiations between the United States and the European Union which aim to create a “Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership”. The US and the EU currently produce around 50% of the world’s output and 30% of global trade, so the proposed trading bloc would be in effective control of the world’s largest free trade zone. In the light of this, we examine how Germany’s pre-eminent port, Hamburg, “Gateway to the World”, is developing plans that will ensure it reaps the benefits of any future increases in foreign trade.

TEXT: STEPHEN CLEMENTS

The European Parliament’s International Trade Committee has given its support to the proposed plan for trade and investment, but certain MEPs have expressed concerns that the US needs to comply with European regulations, especially in the areas of data protection, intellectual property rights and the genetic modification of plants.The central goal of broadening market access and boosting trade will, however, certainly be welcomed by the operators of Europe’s ports and the industrial shipping community, particularly given the current economic climate. Of the top three European ports, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp, only Rotterdam saw any increase in its total cargo throughput in 2012, up 1.7% compared to 2011, despite a drop off in the number of ships calling there.

Antwerp’s cargo throughput was down in 2012 by 1.6%, while the port of Hamburg experienced a decrease in total cargo throughput of 1%.

Hamburg port.

Photo: Merten, Hans Peter / Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V.

The Hamburg Port Authority, which manages operations, stated recently that this decline was due to reluctance in the European market to consume and invest. That led to a drop in imports of 3%; however, sea-going exports grew by 2%, indicating heightened overseas requirement for German products. Coupled with this was a

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 55

Discover Germany | Business Feature | Hamburg

sharp downturn of 8.6% in trade with Asia, which is Hamburg’s main region for container trade. The HPA attributed this to a “cooling off in Chinese foreign trade”, but trade with all other areas flourished. In 2012, this included an upsurge of 28% in trade with the US, Hamburg’s fourth largest foreign trade partner, and, for example, a 30% increase in container traffic with the UK. Claudia Roller, CEO of the Port of Hamburg Marketing, predicts that total cargo throughput will expand in 2013 as demand in their most significant foreign markets rises.

The busiest port in Germany, Hamburg is the second largest container port in Europe after Rotterdam and the third largest in terms of total cargo turnover after Rotterdam and Antwerp. Last year more than 10,000 sea-going vessels conveyed 131 million tons of cargo in and out of the port, which connects 950 ports in 178 countries with each other.Traditionally the main port for Asia, Hamburg also acts as a gateway to Scandinavia, central and eastern Europe, North Sea ports, inland waterway ports on the river Elbe, and serves as a logistics centre for the entire north of Germany. It is Europe’s largest railway port with 80 railway companies operating on its network, and with 1,700 transport companies alone headquartered in Hamburg, it’s no surprise that as many as 156,000 jobs in the metropolitan area are directly or indirectly reliant on the port’s operations.

Strategic Planning The port has always been recognized as integral to the city’s success and the shaping of its identity, so that the preamble to the

constitution of Hamburg in 1952 stated: “As an international port city the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, due to its history and location, has a special task to perform for the German people. In the spirit of peace it strives to be an intermediary between all continents and peoples of the world.”

It is to ensure this role in the future that the city has formulated wide ranging, detailed development plans. An example is its“Clusters Policy” which involves bringing together groups of businesses in particular fields with universities and research facilities to foster innovation and market development and thereby create new jobs and economic growth. Under the aegis of the Hamburg Ministry of Economics,Transport and Innovation, funding is provided for eight cluster initiatives: • • • • • •

• •

Aviation cluster Life Science Nord Healthcare Hamburg Renewable Energy Hamburg Hamburg@work (IT, media and telecommunications industries) Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft ( Advertising, design, software, performing arts, press) Logistics Initiative Hamburg Maritimes cluster

The latter two of course have a clear bearing on the shipping industries, maritime services and port facilities, but additionally, the Senate of Hamburg has recently produced the Hamburg Port Development Plan to 2025. With the slogan“Hamburg is Staying on Course”, this presents the com-

prehensive strategic planning for port expansion and restructuring deemed necessary to ensure the port’s long-term competitiveness. The independent Hamburg Port Authority has been tasked with implementing these measures, focusing especially on modernising the road, railway and waterways infrastructure, and there are even measures to expand the existing tourism activities at the port.

Happy returns Port-related tourism actually brings in substantial revenues, most notably during the four days of the port “birthday”celebrations, the famous “Hafengeburtstag”, which this year begins on 9 May. Heralded as the greatest port festival in the world, the upcoming 824th anniversary is expected to attract 1.5 million visitors and to generate a turnover for Hamburg businesses of more than 70 million euros.The city of Hamburg picks up the 1 million euro tab to stage the celebrations, although these expenses are largely recouped from its partners, subcontractors and sponsors. Against a backdrop of continuous port activities, visitors can enjoy more than 200 onshore events, but the spectacular highlight is the “water programme” involving more than 300 vessels, as well as a“tugboat ballet”; tall ships, naval vessels, cruise ships, heritage ships, sports boats and service vessels combine to form grand arrival and departure parades that congratulate the port of Hamburg and wish it many happy returns, a sentiment the port no doubt reciprocates as it prepares to welcome the world’s cargo fleets, far into the future. www.hamburg.de www.hamburg-port-authority.de Hamburg: Dockland by night.

Photo: Ralf Brunner / Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V.

56 | Issue 2 | April 2013

Discover Germany | Column | Helena Withmore

The Statutory Residence Test: Clearer rules to help decide who is in or out of the UK tax net HELENA WHITMORE, SENIOR WEALTH STRUCTURING ADVISER, SEB PRIVATE BANKING UK

Tax quickly becomes complicated for individuals who move from one country to another or who make frequent overseas visits.

It can be difficult to leave the tax system of the first country when setting up a new home elsewhere. It can also be surprisingly easy to become caught in the tax net of a new country inadvertently. If the tax residence status is uncertain, this can lead to underpayment in one country and overpayment in another. Uncertainty also makes it difficult to select suitable investments because what is tax efficient in one country may be the opposite elsewhere.

The UK government is now planning to introduce a statutory residence test ("SRT") to make it easier for taxpayers to judge if they should be treated as resident in the UK or not.The SRT is intended to come into effect on 6 April 2013, so anyone whose residency status is unclear should consult their professional advisers.

The intention of the SRT is that visitors who have few connections to the UK should be able to spend more time in the UK without becoming UK resident, compared to individuals who have lived in the UK before but want to become non-resident. To achieve this, the rules differentiate between "arrivers" (people who have not been UK resident during the previous three tax years) and "leavers" (people who have been UK resident in one or more of the previous three tax years). The test consists of three parts: automatic overseas tests, automatic residence tests and a sufficient ties

test. Details are available on HMRC's website www.hmrc.gov.uk.

fundamental building block before any other tax questions can be answered.

It is possible to be resident in more than one country, so completing the analysis in the UK is often just one step of many, but for anyone connected with the UK it is a

For more information, email: privatebanking@seb.co.uk or call 020 7246 4307

Helena Whitmore

Issue 2 | April 2013 | 57

Discover Germany | Culture | Henning Wehn

has previously described it, is more into obvious jokes and not yet familiar with the characteristics of satire within stand-up. Although the humour is a mix of British and German, one factor that remains a hundred per cent German is Wehn’s accent.

German Comedy:

Henning Knows Best The man who describes his humour as “typically Ruhrpott” is back in the UK to give Britons their dose of German comedy.

TEXT: ADELINA IBISHI| PHOTO: © HENNING WHEN

Henning Wehn, the self-proclaimed “German Comedy Ambassador in London” will be returning to the UK for his new ‘Henning Knows Bestest’ tour. Wehn has been performing stand-up professionally since 2003, and dubbed himself the Comedy Ambassador in London after he started his career doing warm-up acts for London comedians, such as Stewart Lee, who has won several awards for his contribution to comedy and television.

The comedian moved to Britain to focus on his career because of the fewer possibilities within stand-up comedy in Germany.

The national humour of Germany, as Wehn

The meat of his shows is to play up to the different stereotypes an average Brit might hold about Germans, explore them, take them to extremes, and ultimately deconstruct them, reflecting them back to the audience.

The ‘Henning Knows Bestest’ tour will bring German elements to British-style comedy, and the shows will be held all over the country from February to September.

With half of the shows already sold out, make sure you book your tickets soon.This successful collision between two cultures is guaranteed to make you laugh.

Tickets are available at: Ticketmaster and www.henningwehn.de

Henning Wehn

The German Choir of London to perform at Westminster Abbey

TEXT: ADELINA IBISHI PHOTO: DEUTSCHER CHOR LONDON

The Deutscher Chor, which has been bringing delightful entertainment to music admirers around London since 2009, will be performing Evensong at Westminster Abbey on 9 April. gather to share their common interest in singing, culture and the German language.

Their focus, besides hitting the right notes, is to interpret and express musical joy.

The German Choir of London Performs at Westminster Abbey

The rehearsals of the choir are usually aimed towards performances at churches and concerts, but the choir is also available for private hire and company events. The genre of music depends on the occasion, but the choir is available to doing anything from intimate a cappella performances to bigger oratorios.

The choir, which was founded at the German Christuskirche in early 2009, consists of 40 singers from all over the world who

As the choir urges people to join, it is separated into different ensemble sizes to use the potential of all individual members to

58 | Issue 2 | April 2013

the maximum. There are no auditions required to become a member, but after joining, each member will be placed in either the“Big Choir”, consisting of all members singing in togetherness, the “Chamber Choir”, which is for those who are willing to invest more time in rehearsing, or the “Solo Ensemble”, where singing experience is recommended.

If you miss your chance to experience German culture and idyllic music with the Deutscher Chor performance at Westminster Abbey on 9 April, it will also be aired on television. www.deutscherchorlondon.org.uk

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