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ObituaryHelmut Kohl believed in Europe’s cultural dimension

The death of the former Chancellor Helmut Kohl is the loss of a friend and advocate of the Goethe-Institut. In many ways, the Kohl era also guided the work of the Goethe-Institut, particularly in the years following the fall of the wall. [more …]

Photo (detail): © Flitner

“Emma” turns 40“We are not a women's magazine!”

“Emma”, one of the first German feminist magazine, was launched in January 1977. Even after 40 years, its founder, publisher and editor-in-chief, Alice Schwarzer, is as feisty as ever. An interview. [more …]

Photo (detail): © martinbrombacher.de

Well Worth Seeing

Tourist attractions, spectacular architecture and flagships for the realm of art and culture; the opening of the Elbe Philharmonic Hall and the 20th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 2017 mark an international trend – the enhancement of culture through spectacular architecture.

Photo (CC BY-SA): Fleet Farming

Peddling a New Model of Urban Farming

Bike-riding farmers in Orlando, Florida, are helping communities produce their own food—right on their own front lawns. [more …]

Photo: Richard Walker

A ray of hope for underwater life

Coral reefs are vital for the health of the planet, but they’re dying. In Fiji a coral gardener is trying to save the world, one reef at a time. [more …]

Photo (detail): © konstacot/iStock

Feminism and LGBTThe right to be different

The women’s movement, homosexuals and people who do not wish to commit to a traditional gender order have often supported one another. In concrete politics, however, the alliance also raises problems. Historian Miriam Gebhardt’s assessment. [more …]

© Bernd Struckmeyer

Digital Discourse | Freepost

Anti-liberal, nationalistic movements are gaining in strength around the world. Social conventions such as cultural openness, social equity and freedom of opinion appear to be under threat. Why are populist tendencies on the rise in this era of digitization and globalization? These are questions which Portofrei raises – an interactive discourse format that invites you to leave your own filter bubble and open yourself up to new ways of thinking.