http://www.spiegel.de Daily news, analysis and opinion from Europe's leading newsmagazine and Germany's top news Web site. en Thu, 23 May 2013 05:07:50 +0200 Thu, 23 May 2013 05:07:50 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de http://www.spiegel.de/static/sys/logo_120x61.gif http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/marianne-wellershoff-traces-complicated-world-war-ii-family-history-a-894667.html#ref=rss Her aunt was executed by the Nazis, her uncle was a far-right political leader and her father told her stories of nighttime battles on the Eastern Front. SPIEGEL's Marianne Wellershoff traces her family's complicated place in World War II history. Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:01:00 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/marianne-wellershoff-traces-complicated-world-war-ii-family-history-a-894667.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/richard-wagner-a-composer-forever-associated-with-hitler-a-892600.html#ref=rss Born 200 years ago, Germany's most controversial composer's music is cherished around the world, though it will always be clouded by his anti-Semitism and posthumous association with Adolf Hitler. Richard Wagner's legacy prompts the question: Can Germans enjoy any part of their history in a carefree way? Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:18:00 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/richard-wagner-a-composer-forever-associated-with-hitler-a-892600.html Born 200 years ago, Germany's most controversial composer's music is cherished around the world, though it will always be clouded by his anti-Semitism and posthumous association with Adolf Hitler. Richard Wagner's legacy prompts the question: Can Germans enjoy any part of their history in a carefree way?]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/reporter-who-found-forged-hitler-diaries-wants-them-back-a-893424.html#ref=rss In 1983, Stern magazine stunned the world by saying it had found Adolf Hitler's diaries. Unfortunately, they were fake. Now Gerd Heidemann, the reporter who discovered them, wants the diaries back, citing a clause in his original contract. Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:59:39 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/reporter-who-found-forged-hitler-diaries-wants-them-back-a-893424.html In 1983, Stern magazine stunned the world by saying it had found Adolf Hitler's diaries. Unfortunately, they were fake. Now Gerd Heidemann, the reporter who discovered them, wants the diaries back, citing a clause in his original contract. ]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/hitler-food-taster-margot-woelk-speaks-about-her-memories-a-892097.html#ref=rss Each meal could have been her last, but Adolf Hitler's food taster Margot Wölk lived to tell her story. Forced to test the Nazi leader's meals for more than two years, the 95-year-old tells SPIEGEL ONLINE that she lived in constant fear. Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:03:00 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/hitler-food-taster-margot-woelk-speaks-about-her-memories-a-892097.html Each meal could have been her last, but Adolf Hitler's food taster Margot Wölk lived to tell her story. Forced to test the Nazi leader's meals for more than two years, the 95-year-old tells SPIEGEL ONLINE that she lived in constant fear. ]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/israel-weighs-whether-to-honor-brother-of-leading-nazi-hermann-goering-a-887032.html#ref=rss Leading Nazi Hermann Göring was instrumental to Hitler's reign of terror, but research suggests his brother Albert saved the lives of dozens of Jews. Israel must now decide whether he deserves to be honored as one of the "Righteous Among the Nations." Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:27:56 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/israel-weighs-whether-to-honor-brother-of-leading-nazi-hermann-goering-a-887032.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/new-book-traces-the-rise-to-power-of-adolf-hitler-a-884568.html#ref=rss Historian Othmar Plöckinger argues that Adolf Hilter's time in the military facilitated his transformation into a murderous dictator. His new book traces how in the army Hilter acquired skills and an education that he would put to use during his later rise to power. Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:17:00 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/new-book-traces-the-rise-to-power-of-adolf-hitler-a-884568.html Historian Othmar Plöckinger argues that Adolf Hilter's time in the military facilitated his transformation into a murderous dictator. His new book traces how in the army Hilter acquired skills and an education that he would put to use during his later rise to power. ]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/marking-eighty-years-since-hitler-took-power-in-germany-a-880565.html#ref=rss Wednesday marks the 80th anniversary of Hitler's rise to power in Germany. Correspondence from foreign diplomats in Berlin at the time reveals the extent to which they underestimated the dangers of the Nazi Party. Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:47:00 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/marking-eighty-years-since-hitler-took-power-in-germany-a-880565.html Wednesday marks the 80th anniversary of Hitler's rise to power in Germany. Correspondence from foreign diplomats in Berlin at the time reveals the extent to which they underestimated the dangers of the Nazi Party.]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/germany-s-unsatisfactory-approach-to-art-looted-by-the-nazis-a-880363.html#ref=rss Adolf Hitler and his Nazi henchmen amassed huge amounts of valuable art, jewelry and other collectibles prior to and during World War II. It is a poisonous legacy which German museums and governments have failed to properly address. The moral disaster continues to the present day. Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:35:00 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/germany-s-unsatisfactory-approach-to-art-looted-by-the-nazis-a-880363.html Adolf Hitler and his Nazi henchmen amassed huge amounts of valuable art, jewelry and other collectibles prior to and during World War II. It is a poisonous legacy which German museums and governments have failed to properly address. The moral disaster continues to the present day.]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/how-the-nazis-succeeded-in-taking-power-in-red-berlin-a-866793.html#ref=rss In the mid-1920s, Joseph Goebbels was given the difficult task of fostering support for the growing Nazi Party in Berlin, "the reddest city in Europe besides Moscow." But, by 1933, a combination of street brutality and political smarts succeeded in catapulting the party past rival parties. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:05:35 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/how-the-nazis-succeeded-in-taking-power-in-red-berlin-a-866793.html In the mid-1920s, Joseph Goebbels was given the difficult task of fostering support for the growing Nazi Party in Berlin, "the reddest city in Europe besides Moscow." But, by 1933, a combination of street brutality and political smarts succeeded in catapulting the party past rival parties. ]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/russian-mp-wants-to-buy-and-destroy-hitler-house-in-braunau-a-866737.html#ref=rss Braunau still doesn't have a plan for what to do with the house Adolf Hitler was born in. But a parliamentarian from Russia has an idea. He wants to raise enough money to buy the property and then demolish it. And he has support from a surprising quarter. Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:54:49 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/russian-mp-wants-to-buy-and-destroy-hitler-house-in-braunau-a-866737.html Braunau still doesn't have a plan for what to do with the house Adolf Hitler was born in. But a parliamentarian from Russia has an idea. He wants to raise enough money to buy the property and then demolish it. And he has support from a surprising quarter.]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/german-music-prize-suspended-after-spiegel-report-of-nazi-sponsors-a-866679.html#ref=rss A think-tank linked to Chancellor Merkel's Bavarian sister party inherited money from the estate of two former Nazis in the 1980s and organized a folk music competition in accordance with their wishes, SPIEGEL has learned. The annual event has now been suspended pending a closer inspection of the late benefactors. Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:09:00 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/german-music-prize-suspended-after-spiegel-report-of-nazi-sponsors-a-866679.html A think-tank linked to Chancellor Merkel's Bavarian sister party inherited money from the estate of two former Nazis in the 1980s and organized a folk music competition in accordance with their wishes, SPIEGEL has learned. The annual event has now been suspended pending a closer inspection of the late benefactors.]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/museum-planned-to-document-nazi-land-reclamation-project-a-864515.html#ref=rss In 1935, the Nazis reclaimed land from the North Sea to gain new "<i>Lebensraum</i>" for Aryan families. The centerpiece of the new community on Adolf Hitler Koog, since renamed Dieksanderkoog, was a grand hall. Historians want to convert it into a museum to explain Hitler's racist ideology. Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:42:00 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/museum-planned-to-document-nazi-land-reclamation-project-a-864515.html Lebensraum" for Aryan families. The centerpiece of the new community on Adolf Hitler Koog, since renamed Dieksanderkoog, was a grand hall. Historians want to convert it into a museum to explain Hitler's racist ideology. ]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/frank-interviews-with-red-army-soldiers-shed-new-light-on-stalingard-a-863229.html#ref=rss A German historian has published a collection of unusually candid interviews with members of the Red Army that provides the first precise account of the battle of Stalingrad from the perspective of ordinary soldiers. They show that this chapter in history deserves a reappraisal. Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:45:00 +0100 http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/frank-interviews-with-red-army-soldiers-shed-new-light-on-stalingard-a-863229.html A German historian has published a collection of unusually candid interviews with members of the Red Army that provides the first precise account of the battle of Stalingrad from the perspective of ordinary soldiers. They show that this chapter in history deserves a reappraisal.]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/remains-of-grandstand-recall-hitler-s-plan-to-build-giant-stadium-a-861889.html#ref=rss Seventy-five years ago, Adolf Hitler laid the cornerstone in Nuremberg for what was meant to be the world's biggest stadium. It was never completed, but a gigantic test grandstand was erected on a Bavarian hillside 40 kilometers away, just to test the acoustics and sight lines. Its concrete remains convey Hitler's crazed megalomania. Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:44:36 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/remains-of-grandstand-recall-hitler-s-plan-to-build-giant-stadium-a-861889.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/debate-erupts-in-austria-over-the-braunau-birthplace-of-adolf-hitler-a-857908.html#ref=rss A debate has erupted in the tiny Austrian town of Braunau over what to do with the building where Adolf Hitler was born. The mayor said last week he wants it to become residential apartments, but many would like to see a memorial instead. The property has been vacant for over a year. Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:51:00 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/debate-erupts-in-austria-over-the-braunau-birthplace-of-adolf-hitler-a-857908.html A debate has erupted in the tiny Austrian town of Braunau over what to do with the building where Adolf Hitler was born. The mayor said last week he wants it to become residential apartments, but many would like to see a memorial instead. The property has been vacant for over a year.]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/new-hitler-store-in-india-triggers-global-uproar-a-853199.html#ref=rss The Jewish community in India is outraged by a men's clothing store that calls itself "Hitler" and uses the swastika in its branding. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, one of the store's co-owners claims to not understand the fuss and says he intends to keep the name. Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:04:50 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/new-hitler-store-in-india-triggers-global-uproar-a-853199.html The Jewish community in India is outraged by a men's clothing store that calls itself "Hitler" and uses the swastika in its branding. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, one of the store's co-owners claims to not understand the fuss and says he intends to keep the name.]]> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/printing-error-mixes-donald-duck-up-with-the-holocaust-a-835691.html#ref=rss It was an honest mistake with unfortunate consequences. In the most recent German translation of the Mickey Mouse comics, the word "Holocaust" accidentally appears as a gratulatory word. The German publisher attributes the mishap to a printing error and immediately recalled the issue, blacking out the word by hand. Tue, 29 May 2012 13:13:00 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/printing-error-mixes-donald-duck-up-with-the-holocaust-a-835691.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-historian-discusses-new-scholarly-edition-of-hitler-s-mein-kampf-a-834560.html#ref=rss Hitler's polemic "Mein Kampf" has long been a no-go zone for German publishers. But a Munich historical institute is now publishing the first scholarly edition of the book since World War II. In a SPIEGEL interview, project head Christian Hartmann discusses why it is both controversial and necessary. Wed, 23 May 2012 13:09:01 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-historian-discusses-new-scholarly-edition-of-hitler-s-mein-kampf-a-834560.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/bavaria-plans-to-publish-new-edition-of-adolf-hitler-s-mein-kampf-a-829513.html#ref=rss The copyright on Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" expires in 2015, after which anyone will be free to republish the infamous tome. Amid fears that neo-Nazis could exploit the text's new availability, the Bavarian government, which holds the copyright, is planning to bring out its own annotated version. An English version and an audio book are also planned. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:47:21 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/bavaria-plans-to-publish-new-edition-of-adolf-hitler-s-mein-kampf-a-829513.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/feature-on-historical-research-into-a-german-family-s-nazi-history-a-826633.html#ref=rss German historian Moritz Pfeiffer asked his granddad what he did in World War II, and then fact-checked the testimony. His findings in a new book shed light on a dying generation that remains outwardly unrepentant, but is increasingly willing to break decades of silence on how, and why, it followed Hitler. Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:12:00 +0200 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/feature-on-historical-research-into-a-german-family-s-nazi-history-a-826633.html