“The Germans as Victims”

Cover series: Over half a century after the end of the Second World War, a topic is being broached which seemed long forgotten in the Berlin Republic, until recently pervaded by a spirit of normality: the later-born generation with its feeling of innocence is showing an interest in the end-of-war flight and expulsion. Tales from the old, cold homeland, which for a long time gave rise more than anything to annoyance, or else were watched with undisguised suspicion, are suddenly experiencing a boom. It’s hard to pinpoint why this is. Undoubtedly one factor is the realisation that disasters like this occur even when the people concerned are not guilty of any crimes – so that the aspect of expiation always raised in the context of Germany does not apply. Particularly the later-born generation with its interest in history now seems to be looking openly beyond guilt and self-criticism. It doesn’t want to “reappraise” or to query matters that cannot be changed, but simply to know what happened.

“The Debate Is Liberating”

Cover series: Historian Hans-Ulrich Wehler talks about the belated reappraisal of the pain and suffering of the Germans exiled from Eastern Europe:

“For the first time, Germans are living in a state which has no smouldering border conflicts. That makes it easier to speak once again about the horrors that occurred in the former eastern territories, which no one here is claiming anymore. Then we saw the pictures of the so-called ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. The columns of refugees in a part of Europe that is quite close to us certainly brought back memories for many: after all these are events that Germans themselves went through just over 50 years ago. Maybe that woke people up, including younger people who had only heard tales of the events. … At the moment, the benefit of a debate lies in the fact that it can have a liberating effect, and that a chapter in the collective tale of woe in World War II that had been covered up, is being brought forward again and can be discussed calmly.

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s plans for an independent European Affairs Minister are giving rise to an argument in the Red/Green coalition. Schröder wants to take over the portfolio himself, and faces opposition from Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

“A War beneath Palms”

German armed forces: The Americans are directing the world-wide operations against terrorism from sunny Florida, far from the battlefields. German officers are also among those sitting at the table of the “war room” in the US headquarters. The darkened “war room” in the second floor of Central Command (Centcom), the US headquarters of the war against terrorism, is dominated by a man of imposing stature, with hawk-like eyes: Tommy Franks, 56, a four-star general from Texas, and the latest hunter for Osama bin Laden and his warriors. Franks projects the commanding officers of the “Enduring Freedom” mission in front of the horseshoe-shaped conference table by video link, in a fixed sequence. For the first time, the US is directing a war exclusively by means of satellite images and video feeds – soberly and without any emotions, from the safe distance of 12,500 kilometres.

“The Hunt for ‘Donald Duck’”

Internet: Despite their latest success in the battle against child pornography, investigators are largely helpless. In most cases, the police only catches the perpetrators by chance. The investigators lack staff, state-of-the-art technology and political support in their hunt on the Web; all they can do is hope for a stroke of luck. And their successes are often shattered again by the excessively high demands made by the law.

“Perfect Enemy”

SPIEGEL interview with stock market speculator George Soros, 71, about the mistakes made by the US government and by the critics of globalisation, and the question of how much morality the markets need:

“Unfortunately, this administration has no interest at all in international co-operation. Bush has set out to restore the Cold War situation, with the United States as a superpower and the leader of the free world. … Six months ago Americans were able to count on almost undivided solidarity abroad, but that moral capital has almost been spent. The either-or policy of the US administration has a polarising effect, promoting extreme positions, and so unfortunately prepares the ground for precisely those terrorist forces which would like to see a further division of the world. … Globalisation opponents are simply right in many of the issues they are raising. But I think if they want to weaken the existing financial institutions they’re making a mistake.”

“Avoiding Problems”

SPIEGEL interview with head of BP, Lord John Browne, about the consequences of the current Middle East policy for the global oil business:

“I think it’s very unlikely that political tensions could still have a strong influence on oil supply these days. There might be short-term swings in the price as there were after September 11th, no question about it. But even then the price settled down again very quickly. The threat of a price shock is distinctly lower now than it used to be. … Nowadays, the markets are much more transparent, information about the commodity is freely available.”

“The War against Terrorism Had to Be”

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with author Salman Rushdie about his new home New York, the tragic situation of Islamic countries, and his latest novel:

“I actually wanted to find myself an apartment in New York in the late 1980s, but for well-known reasons I had to abandon the idea. … New York is a city of people in search of their identities, and of immigrants. I have always felt at home here. … Nevertheless many Muslim states largely have themselves to blame for their decline. They have developed a kind of paranoid rhetoric whose principle is: ‘It’s not our fault, the Americans got us into this mess.’ … The basic problem is that their politics and culture are defined through religion and that there has been no separation of the Church and the State. There is a deep fear of liberty, and the ones who are suffering as a result of this fear of modernity are the women in particular. … I wanted to achieve two things. Firstly people who had experienced this epoch were to be able to recognise it. Secondly those who would one day look back on the world were to be able to say: “Oh, so that’s how it was.” What I didn’t realise, though, was that this golden age was to end abruptly the month that the book was published.”

“You’re So Dead”

Music industry: Once again, Napster is not starting; the record giants’ Internet services are stillborn. The music industry is throwing way the opportunity of a billion-dollar market. Observers of the industry agree that the potential billion-dollar on-line sales industry is the only way in which the ailing music business could return to its former strength.

“Genetic Test from the Supermarket”

Health: The British cosmetics chain “Body Shop” is selling the world’s first freely available genetic test for general well-being. “You & Your Genes” promises customers a longer and healthier life. How great are the medical benefits of the genetic examination really? The English company Sciona has put the world’s first freely available genetic test on the market, for wellness customers. The test is aimed at customers of the prospering lifestyle industry. But the rising number of genetic diagnoses is also leading to a growing number of people who do not understand the complex test result, and who are left to deal on their own with their anxieties about falling ill and dying young. German geneticists have warned against ordering these new tests on the Internet and allowing oneself to be screened.

“Paparazzi in the Wild”

Animals: Privacy has come to an end in the animal kingdom too. Researchers are putting up automatic cameras in the most remote places and discovering new or exotic species which were previously believed to be extinct. Any animal tripping the wire will be startled by the flashgun, but its life is not in danger. Self-portraits like this give zoologists throughout the world valuable, and in some cases even sensational, glimpses into the life of shy, nocturnal and rare animals.

“Flashes of Inspiration in the Hallway”

Computers: Computer experts are simulating the office architecture of the future. Their aim is to get colleagues to bump into each other unexpectedly – because chance meetings lead to new ideas. The London company Space Syntax analyses the office routes of its clients by computer, and predicts which zones are a hive of activity, and where employees threaten to seize up in their seclusion. Sometimes a few alterations are all it takes to get the traffic flowing. If everything works out, the reward should be more encounters, more talks, more ideas. And with that perhaps higher profits.

“Countdown for a Wonder of the World”

Monuments: The new Amber Room is due to be completed in May 2003 – after 20 years of painstaking work. The highly specialised craftsmen are worried about what will happen to them after the handing-over ceremony.

“Heroes Fighting a Losing Battle”

Cinema: Four new major war films have started in the USA since November – with considerable success. German film distributors are recoiling from the close-ups of incredible violence.

"An Unbelievable Moment”

Alpine skiing: He had all the makings of a world star – until he shot off the ski run at 120 kph and broke through the safety nets. Silvano Beltrametti is paralysed from the seventh dorsal vertebra downwards; but the Swiss nevertheless want him as a hero and hope that in future he will win medals as a disabled athlete.

“We Want to Live in Peace”

SPIEGEL interview with the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Mussa, about the demands of the Arab summit in Beirut towards Israel and the solidarity with Iraq in the event of a US attack:

“The Arabs will not give up a single one of their just demands. We continue to insist that all territories occupied since 1967 be returned, and that an independent Palestinian state be created. Nothing less that that is acceptable. On the other hand, though, we will issue a clear and earnest message of peace to everyone, including the Israeli public. … We expect the Americans to work towards peace in Palestine, but at the same time we reject an attack on Iraq. Furthermore I would warn people against the incalculable consequences of splitting up Iraq. The consequences would not only affect its Arab neighbours bu