https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed 58 years ago today, August 13th 1961, the first border fences were erected around the border of West Berlin, in what would quickly become the Berlin Wall. So what were the events leading up to 1961? How and why was the Wall built, even though "nobody had the intention" to do so? https://www.thelocal.de/20190813/how-and-why-was-the-berlin-wall-built Tue, 13 Aug 2019 16:43:33 +0200 how-and-why-was-the-berlin-wall-built The Czech Republic has compensated a man for wounds suffered during his 1982 attempt to cross the Iron Curtain, a spokesman has said. But the former East German citizen reportedly said the amount was "not satisfactory". https://www.thelocal.de/20190208/german1982bordershooting Fri, 08 Feb 2019 10:01:44 +0100 german1982bordershooting Germany said Wednesday that it was up to Russia to salvage a key Cold War arms treaty with days to go before the United States plans to start pulling out. https://www.thelocal.de/20190124/foreign-minister-says-up-to-russia-to-save-missile-treaty Thu, 24 Jan 2019 10:00:27 +0100 foreign-minister-says-up-to-russia-to-save-missile-treaty A former spy station used in the Cold War has been given protected status by the Berlin government because of its unique and varied history. https://www.thelocal.de/20181106/former-cold-war-listening-station-teufelsberg-given-protected-historical-status Tue, 06 Nov 2018 11:59:03 +0100 former-cold-war-listening-station-teufelsberg-given-protected-historical-status Britain will keep a small army presence in Germany after it leaves the EU, despite a planned withdrawal of forces abroad, the UK's defence secretary said on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.de/20181001/britain-to-keep-army-presence-in-germany-after-brexit Mon, 01 Oct 2018 10:49:50 +0200 britain-to-keep-army-presence-in-germany-after-brexit A massive film-art project in the German capital is set to rebuild part of the Berlin Wall to create a closed-off mini-state, complete with visa checks, organisers said Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20180829/interactive-russian-film-project-to-rebuild-berlin-wall-in-city-centre Wed, 29 Aug 2018 11:16:40 +0200 interactive-russian-film-project-to-rebuild-berlin-wall-in-city-centre Berlin’s Teufelsberg - complete with the NSA Cold War spy station - has evolved from being an unwanted eyesore on confiscated land to a popular tourist attraction and sometime film set. But if the Teufelsberg Action Alliance get their way, the green peak in the middle of Grünewald will be set for a renovation - while also getting a little taller. https://www.thelocal.de/20180827/cafe-memorial-and-even-more-rubble-back-to-the-future-for-berlins-devils-mountain Mon, 27 Aug 2018 14:33:07 +0200 cafe-memorial-and-even-more-rubble-back-to-the-future-for-berlins-devils-mountain A German court on Wednesday sentenced a Vietnamese man to nearly four years in jail for taking part in a brazen Cold War-style kidnapping ordered by Hanoi of an oil executive from a Berlin park. https://www.thelocal.de/20180725/germany-jails-vietnamese-man-who-aided-cold-war-style-abduction Wed, 25 Jul 2018 19:00:41 +0200 germany-jails-vietnamese-man-who-aided-cold-war-style-abduction The American actor and pop singer David Hasselhoff has admitted to his frustration at the spread of a legend, according to which he has taken credit for the fall of the Berlin Wall. https://www.thelocal.de/20180201/hasselhoff-says-he-never-had-anything-to-do-with-fall-of-berlin-wall Thu, 01 Feb 2018 11:23:48 +0100 hasselhoff-says-he-never-had-anything-to-do-with-fall-of-berlin-wall A Cold War hangover was played out in a Copenhagen court room on Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20180130/germany-danish-former-stasi-collaborator-sues-historian-for-libel Tue, 30 Jan 2018 12:54:29 +0100 germany-danish-former-stasi-collaborator-sues-historian-for-libel The Berlin Wall was supposed to have been largely demolished, save for a couple of sections in the city centre. But a local historian revealed on Monday that the communist barrier can still be found if one looks hard enough. https://www.thelocal.de/20180124/local-historian-finds-forgotten-80-metre-section-of-berlin-wall-in-forest Wed, 24 Jan 2018 11:22:59 +0100 local-historian-finds-forgotten-80-metre-section-of-berlin-wall-in-forest It is now common to look back on West Berlin in the last years of the Cold War as a place of complete freedom. But finding a room to rent was just one of the problems you faced in the island-city, writes Paul Hockenos. https://www.thelocal.de/20180119/confessions-of-a-west-berliner-the-walled-city-was-for-those-who-could-hack-it-which-wasnt-everyone Fri, 19 Jan 2018 11:24:38 +0100 confessions-of-a-west-berliner-the-walled-city-was-for-those-who-could-hack-it-which-wasnt-everyone Action film ‘Atomic Blonde’ featuring actress Charlize Theron set in 1989 during the fall of the Berlin Wall will be released in theatres on 24th August. https://www.thelocal.de/20170817/spy-thriller-set-in-cold-war-berlin-to-hit-german-theatres Thu, 17 Aug 2017 16:32:19 +0200 spy-thriller-set-in-cold-war-berlin-to-hit-german-theatres The European Commission hopes to organize a grand ceremony to remember former German chancellor and European "visionary" Helmut Kohl, a commission spokeswoman said on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.de/20170619/eu-planning-grand-ceremony-to-honour-visionary-former-chancellor-kohl Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:03:10 +0200 eu-planning-grand-ceremony-to-honour-visionary-former-chancellor-kohl Nearly three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, a new study sheds light on the long-unknown number of people who died at the strict border controls of the communist East German regime. https://www.thelocal.de/20170608/study-gives-first-verifiable-tally-for-deaths-at-cold-war-east-german-borders-327 Thu, 08 Jun 2017 16:37:35 +0200 study-gives-first-verifiable-tally-for-deaths-at-cold-war-east-german-borders-327 New plans have been announced to redevelop the derelict spy station at Teufelsberg in Berlin. We look back at the bizarre and secretive history of the site. https://www.thelocal.de/20170504/10-incredible-facts-about-the-teufelsberg-spy-station-in-berlin-list Thu, 04 May 2017 10:00:01 +0200 10-incredible-facts-about-the-teufelsberg-spy-station-in-berlin-list An English couple has taken on the ambitious task of bringing back to life a century-old east German train station that has been left largely abandoned for more than 20 years. https://www.thelocal.de/20170330/the-british-expat-couple-bringing-a-historic-train-station-back-to-life Thu, 30 Mar 2017 12:21:23 +0200 the-british-expat-couple-bringing-a-historic-train-station-back-to-life A planned monument commemorating German reunification had to be scrapped last year due to funding concerns - and after the discovery of a rare bat colony. But now it looks like the 'seesaw' project is being picked back up. https://www.thelocal.de/20170215/german-unity-seesaw-monument-plans-to-be-resurrected-in-berlin Wed, 15 Feb 2017 12:17:39 +0100 german-unity-seesaw-monument-plans-to-be-resurrected-in-berlin A new interactive map allows users to travel back in time to 1953 and get a glimpse of the German capital still without a wall, and still devastated by the Second World War. https://www.thelocal.de/20161129/what-did-your-berlin-home-look-like-after-wwii Tue, 29 Nov 2016 15:23:39 +0100 what-did-your-berlin-home-look-like-after-wwii By law, parts of the German government must still be based in the former West German capital of Bonn. But this divide involves additional effort and money, while sacrificing efficiency, according to a report presented on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20161011/govt-split-between-berlin-and-bonn-still-causes-headaches-25-yrs-later Tue, 11 Oct 2016 18:25:25 +0200 govt-split-between-berlin-and-bonn-still-causes-headaches-25-yrs-later