Hello, i need some help please. I am german and want to write a blog in english (www.germanyandmore.org) because I love the language so much. But I am not sure, if I do it right. If you want, please send me your suggestions and let me know what you would like to read. Thank you very much, Yours Claudia Zimmer

1. Shadows Of The Past
„Forget about the past!“ „It is not our business what our ancestors
did!“ Most people seem to follow these suggestions very well. I can’t.
I used to travel a lot. In every foreign country people started talking about
Nazi Germany when they learned that I was german. I was in a fishing
museum in South England and there I saw pictures of fishermen who were
killed by the Germans. The topic pops up unexpectedly in movies and
conversations. I feel the anger and the sadness of the people who lost their
relatives and friends.
There are many things I don’t understand until now. What motivated human
beings to commit crimes on such a large scale, how was it possible in a
civilized society? Could it happen again?
As I started reading biographies pain began to fill my heard. History became
alive. Little children, old men and women, parents – tortured and murdered
officially by the german state by the millions. I watched the Auschwitz
processes that took place in Frankfurt 1963 – 1965 and went deep into it. It is
hard to describe, but I actually saw through the eyes of the killers because I
know the places where they lived, I love the same music they loved and they
spoke the language that I speak – and so on.
There is no anwer to the question: How can Germany bear such a guilt? It is
impossible. We live, love and laugh today, because an amazing God decided
that we should do so.

2. There was another important thing for me to learn. It was in the year 1999.
After a 2 weeks holiday trip in Ireland I gave back my rental car and the man
didn’t even check it. I wondered why he trusted me so much. His answer:
„The Germans are highly respected in Ireland. I know that everything is all
right because you say so.“
Very slowly I realized that Germany is important, strong and a business
partner for countries around the world. So: How should I feel as a german?
Proud and confident? or humiliated by the crimes of my forefathers? Or
everything at the same time?
Get more exciting news and personal stories
here:
www.germanyandmore.org
Yours,
Claudia Zimmer

3. Crazy Friday - 2nd June 2018
Yesterday’s news would normally spread over months. But when
the coffee machine failes it is very likely that out of sympathy the
washing machine strikes also.
Deutsche Bank seriously injured
Our biggest bank suffers her lowest share prices ever. On friday they fell
below 10 Euros for the first time in history.
Deutsche Bank changed only recently her chief executive officer (CEO). The
new man is Christian Sewing who already started to fire 10.000 employees
according to german newspapers.
These are bad news for Germany and could also affect other countries
worldwide. Deutsche Bank has the honour of beeing the most dangerous
bank in the world in terms of harm that she can do to international banks in
the case of another financial crisis.

4. Remember that the European dept crisis is anything but over. The European
Central Bank only buyes bad government loans in order to keep our member
countries liquid. Like the Baron Münchhausen we try to pull ourselves out of
the swamp by our own hair. Of cause many countries do that. But that doesn’t
make it better.
Spain fires Prime Minister
That should not affect us very much but is worth to be mentioned. The firered
prime minister Rajoy was not very smart when a part of Spain, Catalonia,
voted for their independence last year. He called the saparatists criminals and
put some of their leaders in jail.
On friday he lost a no-confidence vote in Madrid and had to step down
because of a big corruption scandal. The party of the new prime minister
Pedro Sánchez has no majority in the parliament. To become prime minister
he needed the votes of the separatists. How will he handle the Catalonian
question in the future? Can he prevent that Spain falls apart? He seems to
have no real political goals except the power.
Premiere in Italy – 2 eurocritical parties take the lead
The country that sits on a third of europs lazy loans has a revolutionary new
government since Friday. According to their program they want to increase
the country’s spendings instead of reducing them. This is easy to understand
since the economy is weak and a quater of the young people under 34 is
unemployed. There have to be investments to make the economy grow.
In Brussels are strong concerns about this new kind of policy. Who will pay for
the investment program? Will there be a new European dept crisis? What if
Italy doesn’t follow Merkel’s „suggestions“?

5. Tradewar Day 1 – 25% steel tariffs in place
Yes, that too happened on friday. US president Trump carried out his threat of
imposing high steel and aluminium tariffs on his closest allies. Canada and
the EU already announced that they will not accept this move and will impose
their own tariffs on US products.
Get more exciting news and personal stories
here:
www.germanyandmore.org
Yours,
Claudia Zimmer