Archive for December, 2009

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So-called “Allied” Museum in Berlin also wants a part of Tempelhof

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Berlin   31-12-2009

The so-called “Allied” Museum in Berlin which will celebrate its 50th anniversary soon and is already on the look-out for a new and larger location after outgrowing its premises.

The present museum building was opened in 1994 after all the occupying powers, namely the US, Britain, France and the USSR had left Berlin.

Getting circa 70,000 visitors per year, the Allied Museum has become a victim of mass tourism to Berlin and the recent 20th anniversary of the dismantling of the Berlin wall.

 With a full-time staff of 6 people, and an annual budget of almost 1 ½ million Euros, the museums’ present facilities are limited and presently spread over two separate buildings.

Museum officials would like to move the museum to the recently closed Tempelhof airport.

However this is controversial and competing proposals for this huge vast empty space in the middle of one of Europe’s most important cities will mean changing the present plans – arrived at only after much infighting, disagreement and discord.

Some plans for the 1,000 acres site have also included the building of a complete film studio, and a centre for creative industries, equipped with 5,000 up-scale apartments and a park.

Recently the city of Berlin has agreed to a long-term lease of a major portion of the existing buildings of the old airport for the ‘Bread and Butter’ fashion trade fair which exhibits twice each year.

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German claims to have cracked GSM secret encryption phone code

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

 Berlin  30-12-2009

A German computer scientist speaking at the ‘Chaos Communication Congress’ in Berlin claims to have broken the secret algorithm – the encyrption code that keeps  billions of calls on mobile telephony hidden and unintelligible – for anyone other than the personalized user.

Mr Karsten Nohl, who has led a team working on cracking the code, said this proved that security for GSM – the most used mobile technology in the world, estimated at 80 percent of the entire world’s cell phones -was not adequate  [It does not affect phones operating with 3G encryption].

If used by informed programmers the encryption codes could allow private individuals to listen to other peoples’ personal phone conversations – something presently only being done on a large scale by most Western government intelligence agencies.

This comes at a time when hackers have been trying to compel the mobile phone industry into strengthening their security – and pointing out the widespread vulnerability of so-called fail-proof systems. 
There is a widespread fear that this technology needed to hack into GSM phones may rapidly become easily accessible and affordable for anyone with some skilled computer knowledge or background.
 
However, the GSM Association, who are responsible internationally for the medium of networks in which its phones operate – and  which originally created the code –  says its technology has been unaffected and not yet been attacked successfully.

The GSMA will meet in February 2010 where it is expected to review many of its in-place security measures, some of which are already 21 years old.   
  

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Berlin opts for big austerity program in 2010

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Berlin 23-12-2009

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has indicated that the German federal government has decided to apply a huge national savings plan next year in order to get the nation’s  tattered public finances back to fiscal stability.

Towering spending by the German government to promote and reset Europe’s biggest economy and assist it out of the present recession has cost the public purse enormously.

Add to this the bulky and ever increasing amount needed to pay for the increasingly unpopular and misguided war in Afghanistan, plus public sector workers demanding a 5% salary increase and this all adds up to a perfect financial storm for the newly elected centre-right Merkel government.

This same government has promised to cut taxes while at the same time will have to find a way to fund state spending. It will probably just have to be off-set by other tax hikes – not a very enticing proposition.

Schaeuble has said that by July 2010 the German government will have figured out exactly and in detail all aspects of the austerity plan which will then cover the next 4 years.

What is being asked is to find a cut of around 10 billion Euros per year.

Even Mr Schaeuble could offer no direct details how this was to be achieved but a plan put forward today to increase the unemployment contribution costs paid by workers and employers by about 50% is one indication of which way this government is thinking.   

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Kiwi film ‘BOY’ chosen for Berlinale film competition

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

The New Zealand feature film, ‘Boy’,  by Taika Waititi, has been selected to screen at the Berlin International film festival this coming February.

Written and also directed by Waititi, the film will screen in the festival’s ‘Generation’ programme.

For this genre, the film will be adjudicated by two separate juries – one young group that will award the ‘Crystal Bear’ and another jury of established film makers and critics who will award a cash prize. .

Based on Waititi’s short film ‘Two Cars, One Night’, the film tells the tale of boy who thinks the world about his father…. but in fact his dad is a loser petty criminal who has previously spent time in jail.

The film was shot in the small town of Waihau Bay , on the east coast of New Zealands’ North Island, the childhood hometown Waititi.

The Berlin Film Festival [Berlinale] runs from February 11-21, 2010.  

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Herzliche Einladung zum Chopin Projekt am 29.12. um 20.30 h

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Berlin 22-12-2009 

Liebe Freunde der Klavierabende,

 ich darf für den Dienstag zwischen den Jahren, den 29.12.09 um 20.30h zum zweiten Klavierabend des Chopin Projektes 2010 einladen.

Der als Chopin Spezialist bekannte gewordene Pianist Eugene Mursky spielt alle Chopin Werke anläßlich des 200. Geburtstages des Komponisten auf historischen Instrumenten an 12 Konzertabenden. 

Am 29.12. folgt nun das zweite Konzert mit der ersten Hälfte der Nocturnes, ein verträumteres  Konzertprogramm zu finden, dürfte schwer sein, zusammengefaßt ist es in etwa das Substrat der Romantik. Wer sich einen Eindruck verschaffen möchte, wie eines der Norturnes auf einem Erard Flügel klingen mag, dem sei folgender Link empfohlen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxRJdW0co84&feature=channel 

Allen Freunden und Gästen sei ein herzlicher Dank für die Unterstützung und die Konzertbesuche 2009 ausgesprochen und eine gesegnete Weihnacht sowie ein 2010 voll Gesundheit und Frohsinn gewünscht. 

Sehr herzlich Christoph Schreiber

Piano Salon Christophori

www.konzertfluegel.com

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German mediator close to aiding prisoner exchange

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Berlin   22-12-2009

An agreement being brokered by German officials – between the Palestinian Hamas and Israel – seems to be closer than ever before. This amid a flurry of activity and movement in a usually stolid and perpetually slow prisoner swap process.

Both sides are using the good offices of the German state to seek some kind of resolution to this very basic and yet up till now impassable problem. The high expectations, along with leaks and conjecture are rife for families in Israel and Gaza about the fate of the one Israeli prisoner – and about 10, 000 jailed Palestinians prisoners. 

Palestinian sources have said that German mediators are expected to meet senior Hamas officials Gaza Strip this evening to discuss the exchange of Gilad  Shalit  the Isreali  soldier captured 3 years ago in exchange for about 1000 Palestinian prisoners.

Undisclosed Arab sources close to the negotiations have said that the German mediator, Ernst Uhrlau, has asked Israel to reconsider its recent objections so that an agreement could finally be reached.  

Israel has already indicated earlier that it was willing to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit’s freedom.

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Relative strength of EURO could become a burden for Euro-Zone economies – So far Berlin least affected

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Berlin 22-12-2009

The European Commission has indicated that the Euro is presently overvalued relative to other major currencies like the Dollar, Yen and Renminbi and further rises would seriously affect Euro-Zone economies.

The Euro has basically been rising against the US dollar since March this year but halted recently, partly due to major concerns about the financial stability of EU member Greece.The European Commission has blamed debt problems in Greece and Dubai  for the flucutations and fluidity in international financial markets.

Some analysts have the Euro increasing to as much as $1.75 USD in the next year.  

Another two economies which are in the potential critical zone, grappling with their economies are Spain and Ireland. Their relative competiveness has been weakened by the increased value of the Euro and at the same time have suffered the increase of local labor costs in comparison to others in the Euro-Zone.

This double-whammy is already affecting Greece, Ireland and Spain and could also at some point include Italy.

The reverse is also true, namely exporting countries that have falling labor costs have a better chance to weather currency fluctuations that make their goods more expensive.

A slow improvement in the Euro-Zone economies has begun – however it is still best described as “critical but out of danger” – meaning they are still very dependent on external injection of funds from their national government owned central banks.

Meanwhile the federal German finance ministry has restated it’s oft declared position that stimulus plans are good news and if they are slowed this will in turn contribute to a slower overall recovery.

On Friday, the German upper house of parliament approved a new package of 8 ½  billion Euro stimulus programmes for 2010, which would take the years  total package next year to 22 billion Euro.

The federal German government predicts that its economy will grow by around 1.5% in 2010 after having contracted circa 5% in 2009.

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December 21st 2009 – 1747 hours exact time of ‘Winter Solstice’ in Berlin

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Berlin  21-12-2009

Various cultures in the Northern Hemisphere, have interpreted their seasons differently.

Winter can be a rather personal or subjective term, but there is a scientific calculated beginning called the Winter Solstice and it has been calculated to the very second each year on the 21st of December.

The Winter Solstice occurs when the earth’s axial slope is at the longest distance from the sun. The actual Winter Solstice lasts only an instant in time, and this year 2009 will occur in Berlin at 1747 Central European time.

Winter Solstice has been celebrated and used like Midwinter to refer to the day on which it occurs – as conversely Midsummer June 21st is called the Summer Solstice.

Since 45 BCE [Before Current Era]  the 25th of December was established in the Julian calendar as the winter solstice. In 1582 Pope Gregory the 13th brought the actual astronomical Winter Solstice to around the 21st of December – in line with what we now refer to as the Gregorian calendar which replaced the Julian calendar.

Before Christianity dominated northern Europe , those parts inhabited by Germanic tribes had various feasts relating to this date.

The 25th of December the now universally accepted Christian holiday,  seems to have been a default substitution for these pagan Winter Solstice feasts.[In his work ‘The quest for the historical Jesus’ by Albert Schweitzer and research actually allude to the birth the historical figure of Jesus being sometime in the early spring.]

Early  Germans – not referring to those who get out of bed before 7 am – but those who lived circa c.500–1000 AD- considered the Nordic goddess, Hertha or Bertha to be the goddess of light.  

During the Winter Solstice houses were decorated with fir, evergreen and holly to welcome Hertha’s arrival. In Germanic tribes it was also celebrated with common meals and gift giving.

Whole families or tribes would gather to dine around a common fire place and it was said that Hertha descended through the smoke. It was supposed to assist the elders and those knew the folklore sagas to prophesize the fortunes of all the family members present.

‘Modresnach’ was an old Germanic feast when it was commonly accepted that dreams one had on this night would foretell events in the next year.

Many of the early traditions have continued and are now recognized as everyday Christmas practice.

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‘Christmas Tree as checked baggage’ – Allowed as one-off by Air Berlin

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Berlin  21-12-2009

Air Berlin, the low cost airline based in Berlin is going to allow its passengers to transport Christmas trees for free this year – with a height limit of 2 meters.

There is apparently a demand from German travellers.

Probably the only destinations effected , other than domestic ones, will be its daily flights from the Nordic cities of Goteborg and Stockholm in Sweden, Helsinki Finland/Suomi or St Petersburg in Russia – all of which are closely situated to large sources of Christmas trees.

The airline has said it will accept trees free of charge up till Christmas Eve , December 24th, if the passenger notifies the airline at least a day before travel.

‘Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs  KG’, as it is officially known on the German stock exchange, is  Germany’s  second largest airline, after  Lufthansa.

Is this all  just a publicity stunt?

Well even if it is then it is a positive one at this special time of the year and this makes it is very good idea.

Every airline is telling passengers what it CANNOT take on board……..Air Berlin is saying that you can bring your Christmas tree.

Good marketing and good for them!

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Sinister Auschwitz-Birkenau sign found

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Berlin  21-12-2009

Polish authorities have arrested 5 men over the theft of the sinsiter  ‘Arbeit macht frei’ – [Work will mean freedom] sign that hung over the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau .

 [see former OTA-Berlin Constituency blog article- http://blog.ota-berlin.de/berlin/2009/12/19/sinsiter-auschwitz-birkenau-gate-sign-is-stolen/]

It has been disclosed by the Polish police that it seems this group were not members of or associated with neo-Nazi groups and acted from financial motives.

However if the crime had been ordered by a third party [neo-Nazi or other] has yet to be established. 

International outrage and domestic Polish indignity mixed with national embarrassment hastened the investigations.

Whether or not the large reward will be paid out has not been clarified.

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