Given that it is now nearly seventy years since the end of World War II, you might think that everything about Germany’s Nazi past has already come out. You would be wrong. To this day certain powerful elements in German society have continued to discourage frank discussion of the Hitler years. The point has been... Read More

When Americans travel abroad, the culture shocks tend to be unpleasant. Robert Locke’s experience was different. In buying a charming if rundown house in the picturesque German town of Goerlitz, he was surprised – very pleasantly – to find city officials second-guessing the deal. The price he had agreed was too high, they said, and... Read More

As German voters go to the polls today, it is interesting to consider their rather self-confident world view – and how sharply it contrasts with the increasing self-doubts that have gripped the American people in recent years. The German economy’s vigorous good health is most obvious in jobs. The German unemployment rate has remained consistently... Read More