#rise

... and early to rise (©NDR/Extra3)

Intelligent, ambitious, and attractive Sahra Wagenknecht, the whip of Die Linke, Germany's left-wing party in the Bundestag (federal parliament), founded "#aufstehen, "a collective left movement. The movement shall rise against "social injustice "in my country. The rassemblement* states that wages and retirement benefits are too low, housing prices are too high, few people get rich, and many more become poor, i.e., the whole spectrum of "socialism." One year ago, in a blog, "Socialism for Pedestrians," Red Baron tried to explain that socialism has little in common with communism.
*I like that French word. Whenever something goes wrong in our neighboring country, there will be a rassemblement du peuple.

Officially the left movement will be launched on September 4, but thanks to the bid for supporters on their website, their number has already surpassed the 85.000 mark.

When presenting her movement, Sahra said, "Our goal is, of course, other majorities in the Bundestag, resulting in a new government with a social agenda." This sounds like "Bernie Sanders heavy," while his light version of socialism is already indigestible for most Americans. Mind you, in nearly all European countries, free education and Medicare for all are no longer an issue.

Sahra's party Die Linke is not amused and sees its chances dashed. But Sahra declared, "We want something new: not a party, but a movement for all those who want a common fight for our goals. The parties of the left-liberal spectrum, the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Left, have not succeeded in forging a reliable alliance bringing about a change of government in Germany with a different political concept."

Populism left and light? So far, only right populism is rising worldwide following POTUS the master. His epigones are Orban in Hungary, Zeman in the Czech Republic, Duda in Poland, Erdogan in Turkey, Conte in Italy, and last but not least, Macron in France.

Already before the official start of Sahra's populist rassemblement, cabaret artists are mocking.

What an ingenious pun (©NDR/Extra3)

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The Freiburg Wall

In 2020, Freiburg will celebrate its 900th city anniversary. Duke Konrad of Zähringen awarded the right to hold a market to the small community of craft and tradesmen who lived at the foot of the Schlossberg (castle hill) in 1120. The rights and duties of the new citizens were written down in a document called Stadtrodel (town document).

Tracing a city wall around the Freiburg market.
In 1240, the church was still the original Romanesque one, dedicated to St. Nicolas.

Remarkably, the "new citizens" began protecting their community that same year by building an enclosure wall, even leaving space inside the "ring" for future citizens and their trades.

A cut-through of Freiburg's first fortification

Archaeologist Dr. Betram Jenisch explained that the city wall was 10 to 11 meters high, more than one meter thick, and had an apron. The moat was 15 meters wide and 5 meters deep in most places. Two breast or abutment walls secured the outside berm of the moat, and an inner circular road of 6 meters in width and 5 meters in height. Archaeological findings proved that existing buildings were demolished to build that robust construction along the Dreisam River.

Admire the beautiful house wall made of pebbles
unearthed in Freiburg a few years ago.

Dr. Jenisch stressed two local peculiarities. While city walls are deeply rooted and built straight up in most cases, the Freiburgers used a supporting apron to intercept the lateral pressure from the circular high road. Strangely, this advantageous Freiburg model was copied nowhere except at Neuenburg on the Rhine, a city founded by the Dukes of Zähringen, later, in 1175.

The Freiburg model of wall support was verified
 by archaeological excavations around the city ring.

The other Freiburg peculiarity is that the building material was unearthed locally, i.e., gravel excavated from the dug-out moat. By separating the gravel into various grain sizes, the builders obtained boulders for the wall proper (30%), pebbles* for inner walls (see picture above), and sand (10%) for mortar. The rest (60%) served as filling material for the circular road. During the work, nearly 200.000 cubic meters of excavated material were moved, corresponding to 50.000 truckloads.
*Within the 60% estimated for the rest.

Sickinger Plan of 1589

So it is astonishing that the fortification was already finished by 1140, although gates and watchtowers, as seen on the Sickinger Plan of 1589, were still missing. Dendrochronological data reveal that the wooden beams of Freiburg's oldest gate, St. Martin, date back to 1202. It took the work of two additional generations to fill the holes in the wall and the city's entrances with proper gates.

How was all this financed? Most of the work was done by the citizens themselves. Still, the Stadtrodel included provisions in case of a succession: one-third of the heritage fell to the city earmarked ad aedificium (for building purposes).

When firearms dominated warfare, the old city wall became a joke. During the Thirty Years' War and, particularly during the aggressive French wars in the late 16th and early 18th centuries, öffnete die Artillerie schnell mehrmals eine Bresche in dem maroden Mauerwerk (artillery quickly opened several breaches in the dilapidated masonry). 

When Freiburg became a French city in 1677, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban began surrounding it with modern fortifications, thereby integrating it into France's northern fortification belt. Contemporaries called his work "La dernière folie de Louis XIV. "

Vauban's masterpiece in flore.

When the French left Freiburg for good in 1745, they destroyed their fortifications. The city remained limited in its boundaries until the middle of the 19th century.

Freiburg in 1825. Vauban's remains mainly served as vineyards

Today, vestiges of Vauban's masterpiece are still visible in Freiburg's cityscape.

Vauban's fortifications were superimposed on present-day Freiburg.
1. The Colombischlössle, 2. The municipal theater, 3. University mensa (cafeteria),
4. Vauban's Breisach Gate, 5. Vestiges of the moat and the watchtower.
To the right, the ruins of Vauban's Schlossberg fortifications extend along the hill.
They are accessible to the public.

Dr. Jenisch's work is an outstanding example of how modern archaeology expands historians' knowledge.

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My Web Heritage

The “tropical heatwave” continues in Freiburg, although temperatures rarely pass the 30 ⁰C (86 ⁰F) mark in the second half of August. As is well known, at higher temperatures, doctors recommend that elderly people avoid outdoor activities. So over the last two weeks, I sat in front of my desktop computer and looked at my web heritage.

After my retirement, I moved from Geneva to Freiburg and started my private internet activity by building my own website.

www.mhoefert.de

Soon I became interested in Freiburg’s fascinating history and started this never-ending project of Freiburgs Geschichte in Zitaten (Freiburg’s History in Quotations) (www.freiburgs-history.de)

www.freiburgs-geschichte.de

Reading books and listening to lectures, I am continually upgrading the historical content of the site, with the number of references surpassing 600 by now.

But there is more. Since 2003, I have documented those nostalgic yearly class reunions:

http://www.mhoefert.de/klassentreffen_2017.htm

Furthermore, I published reports about the prestigious bicycle tours with some of my former classmates in the years 2003 to 2011, as organized so professionally by my classmate Wulf:

http://www.mhoefert.de/wulfs_radeltouren.htm

Here comes the problem. I created the first web pages using Microsoft Frontpage® with its WYSIWYG editor, so my initial steps in programming in 2002 went fast. I looked around, and when I noticed that Freiburg’s Münsterbauverein was lacking a website, I ensured their presence on the Internet. In the meantime, the MBV paid for more professional help creating a new website.

Although the content of a web page was, and still is, more important to me than programming, I soon learned about Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and applied the technique as time went by.

As a tool for creating web pages, MS Expression Web® followed FrontPage, and website programming became more transparent. Meanwhile, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) introduced standards for HTML programming, and it turned out that Frontpage does not support its recent recommendations.

So when I recently looked at my early web pages, I was shocked, although I had already removed clumsy programming in the past following the introduction of CSS. The “old code” is flagged quite often, warning that although some of the early “formulations” are still accepted, they will no longer be supported in the future. For example, the font attribute is obsolete and should be replaced by “styles.”

So, being somehow blocked at home by the heat, I started an improvement program replacing all that “antique” programming code with modern “formulations.” Luckily, some of the old stuff could be changed by global editing. As a side effect, manual changes frequently resulted in a clearer and better page layout.

So I saved my web heritage, but will there be people looking at it when I have passed away?

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Strips Are Falling On My Head

©BZ/Rita Eggstein

There is more to the tropical heat in Freiburg than the drought. Two weeks ago, a small piece of metal fell off the front of Freiburg's university library (UB). The lamella, made from stainless steel, measures 4  by 16 centimeters and has sharp edges. Although the piece only weighed 20 grams, its impact was enormous.

The lamella (©Private)

I was not really surprised, for Freiburg's new UB is always good for a surprise. Red Baron reported on
- the granite surface outside made from Vietnamese basalt stones allegedly mined by children,
- reflections of the April and the October sun in the library's glass facade annoying drivers, and a 

- lack of space for the parking of bicycles in front of the building.

Why the metal lamella came down is not yet clear, but experts guess the adhesive bond that held it in place failed because of the heat. Yes, modern construction relies more on gluing techniques than screws and rivets.

©Fudder

As a consequence, the area around the building was spaciously cordoned off. Initially, access to the UB was only allowed through the bicycle basement, but finally, a protective tunnel to the main entrance was built while experts are still investigating.

Note the reflection of Kollegiengebäude I, which is located on the other side of the street (©BZ)

I like it when raindrops are falling on my head rather than metal lamellae.

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A Tropical Heat Wave

Marilyn Monroe once made the song about A tropical heat wave famous. The text has a tailor-made ending, "Gee, her anatomy, Makes the mercury, Jump to ninety-three." Well, during the recent weeks, we encountered higher temperatures than the corresponding 34 ⁰C.

It is not so much the heat that is annoying, but the drought is worrying. Over the last three weeks, Freiburg and its surroundings had no substantial rain. All over Germany, farmers are moaning. In particular, in northern Germany - generally soaked with rain coming in from the west - more than 50% of the crops are lost.

©dpa

Here is a local picture of the Stühlinger Kirchplatz. Instead of a green meadow, people are lying on an alliterated Steppe im Stühlinger. In the back is the Church of the Sacred Heart. The formerly green church square served as an art object before.

©JKI/Der Sonntag

Freiburg's river, the Dreisam, is falling dry.

©BZ

While within the city boundaries, bathers still enjoy what is left of the water ...

©BZ

... further downstream, the remains trickle away in the gravel bed.

©Der Sonntag

Those who suffer most are the fish, both from the lack of sufficient fresh supplies and the high temperature of the remaining water.

©Der Sonntag

The photo shows a dying animal, but a local picture of fish coming to the surface and gasping for oxygen is heartbreaking. This happens at the Waldsee, a small lake in a forest nearby. The fire brigade has started to pump out the water, splashing it back in the hope that it may absorb some oxygen from the air.

©BZ

A little rain is expected next Tuesday. False alarm again?

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Honor to the German House

Red Baron blogged about the German House Inn before.

The Gasthof "Zum Deutschen Haus" dates back to the 13th century. On the Sickinger plan, an old city map of Freiburg from 1549, the place is marked with an arrow and is easy to locate. The present building dates back to 1779.

The German House was recently included on the list of Baden's historic inns. The Bächle (brooklet) marked on the old plan running in front is still there.

All photos above ©Zum Deutschen Haus

A well-tapped Pils

On this occasion, some well-known Freiburg gentlemen are shown at the building's entrance.

From the right: The "patron" of the house, Toni Schlegel, proudly presents the seal of quality. Of the others, Red Baron knows well the tall younger guy, Joachim Scheck, head of the VISTAtour guided tours, and the person to the left, Peter Kalchthaler, city historian, head of the Freiburg City Museum, and deputy director of Freiburg's Augustiner Museum, with whom Red Baron made several historical journeys most noteworthy to the cathedrals in the north (1, 2) and in the south (3, 4) of France and into Lutherland (5, 6).

Congratulations on an award well deserved.

Mind you, the Haus serves the best beer in town straight from the cask. Why? It's a slow beer. You don't just fill the glass but rather take your time, i.e., at least five minutes, so that a fine white persistent head may slowly build up. Although my American friends always like their beer too cold, here at the Deutsches Haus in Freiburg, the draft beer is served at the ideal temperature.
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WWW

People of the Internet will know that WWW stands for the World Wide Web. In this blog, the acronym stands for an alliterated “Wir werden weniger” (We are getting fewer).

Red Baron graduated from high school in February 1954, and here is the photo of us glorious 17, taken together with our class teacher Dr. Gabrielson in front of the school building on a gray Hamburg morning,

Until 2012 only three of us had passed away, but this year two more left, and the year is not over.

Manfred and Reina rest in peace

Read all about the Abitur 1954 and the 25th, 50th, and 60th anniversaries in German on my website.

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StadtLesen 2018

Every second year in July, Freiburg's sister city committees are invited to read the literature of their respective partner cities or countries at an outdoor event called StadtLesen. The reading takes place downtown Freiburg at the Kartoffelmarkt (potato market).

Two years ago, Red Baron read Mark Twain's "Über die schreckliche deutsche Sprache" and wrote a blog about "The Awful German Language."

The leisurely ambiance at the Kartoffelmarkt (©Stadtbibliothek)

Although a thorough search revealed some modern Madison lyrics, the Freiburg-Madison-Gesellschaft (FMG) decided to reread Mark Twain this year. Mind you, on Kartoffelmarkt, listeners lounging in seat cushions expect to be entertained.

So we choose "The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine," a fairy tale Mark Twain had told his daughters while he was in Paris in 1879 and of which he jotted down some notes. These notes were discovered in 2011 at the University of California, Berkeley library. "Co-author" Philip Stead used Twain's notes to compose a complete story.

In the run-up, Red Baron bought the English book and its German translation, "Das Verschwinden des Prinzen Oleomargarine" to be read. The story is structured into the fairy tale proper and lengthy disputes between Mark Twain and Philip Stead about the direction the story should take. Therefore the text lends itself to be read by two people.

Suddenly I was stuck. My attempts to find a co-reader, possibly an American, to read the fairy tale in German, thus giving the presentation a special touch, failed. But the FMG can count on the help of friends. Margret Igel from the Carl-Schurz-Haus was so kind to read the main part of "Das Verschwinden des Prinzen Oleomargarine" while I took on the conversation between Mark Twain and Philip Stead.

When we arrived at the Kartoffelmarkt, thunderclouds threatened. We were told that the reading had been rescheduled to the lower floor of the municipal library. While we walked the three minutes to Münsterplatz, it started to rain.

At the library, we were welcomed by Ms. Türke, the director, and two and a half listeners. Disaster! People who had intended to attend* a lazy summer reading lounging in seat cushions on a warm evening did not show up for an indoor reading on wooden chairs.
*I had a couple of positive feedback

We nevertheless did our duty. Following my introduction, fabulous Margret took over while I interrupted her from time to time with the Twain-Stead dialog.

I do not intend to tell you the story in detail. Johnny, a rural boy without luck, living in an unnamed country, has only one companion, a chicken named Pestilence and Famine. Later in the story, with a fairy's magic, he understands the animal language. The animals become his friends, and they help him to find the purloined Prince Oleomargarine.

Philip Stead wrote the book in 2017. So allusions to the present political situation are not accidental.

Following our reading, Margret presents the English book richly illustrated by Philip Stead's sister Erin.

Thank you again, Margret, for helping with the FMG and reading like a pro. In the end, I donated my copies of "Das Verschwinden des Prinzen Oleomargarine" to the municipal library and "The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine" to the library of the Carl-Schurz-Haus.

Freiburgers, if you want to read the full story and the story behind the story, visit the municipal library for the German translation and the Carl-Schurz-Haus for the original.

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Verunstaltungsverbot

Interdiction of disfigurement (sort of a double negative) is a municipal act that, for the first time in Freiburg's history, may be applied in the case of some blue-painted parking spaces in my part of town, the Wiehre.

©BZ/Michael Bamberger

A Freiburg real estate agent wanted to animate the parking grounds in front of his office and had the gray asphalt painted in a brilliant blue. Now he is singing the blues for some of the Wiehre residents who became upset and contacted the municipal legal board of construction. 

The board stated that the chosen color represents "a disfigurement in the sensitive and high-quality surroundings of the Wiehre" and asked the "painter" to zurückbauen (deconstruct) the surface bringing it into its initial state; otherwise, legal action will follow.

A poll among Freiburgers showed that 73% favor this touch of vivid color, but those do not live near the neighborhood. The "painter" is astonished by the discussion. "I can't understand the whole theater," he says. "My neighborhood has garden zones in front of houses that have been asphalted. Is that nicer?" he asks. "Also, some houses in the Wiehre are painted in a similar shade of blue. I am aware that taste is open to dispute - but in this case, an innovative and creative idea is simply flattened." 

Now the causer is looking for a compromise and is even willing to discuss the color of the surface with Freiburg's legal board of construction.

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Friederike at the Museum

On Monday evening, the director of Freiburg's Carl-Schurz-Haus, Friederike Schulte, gave a lecture at the Museumsgesellschaft on "German-American Relations Today."

The Museumsgesellschaft is Freiburg’s oldest Bürgergesellschaft. Civil society is not the correct translation for Bürgergesellschaft, which signifies a unique society of citizens with a common interest. In 1806, the joint acquisition of expensive books, journals, and newspapers was made to be shared by all members of the Lesegesellschaft (reading society), the initial name of the Museumsgesellschaft. Here, you may like to read about its history and name change.

The Lesegesellschaft was founded during Napoleon's rule over Europe. Following Austria's total defeat in the battle of Austerlitz, the French emperor ordered that the Catholic Breisgau, the Schwanzfeder (tail feather) of the Habsburg empire, be" married by force" to the Protestant Grand Duchy of Baden.

Friederike, competent and charming at the rostrum of the Museumsgesellschaft

Friederike refrained from directly diving into present-day US politics but recalled the history of the Carl-Schurz-Haus and the past of German-American relations, with sometimes nostalgic undertones. America Houses were initially founded primarily in university towns shortly after World War II. Friederike informed the audience about the ups and downs of Freiburg's Amerikahaus starting in the 1960s, when many of those American bridgeheads disappeared, not so much because the US regarded the education of the German people in democratic values as finished, but rather due to reduced funding from the States. 

In some towns, German authorities took over the financing of existing Houses. In Freiburg, the city council guaranteed the American foothold in town while renaming the America House after Carl Schurz, the Baden revolutionary. He fled Germany as a 48er and started a political career in the States.

Nowadays, Freiburg's Carl-Schurz-Haus is half-financed by the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Freiburg, and the US embassy (5%), but it is proud to raise the other half of its yearly budget of approximately one million dollars through member fees, paid language courses, and cultural events.

Red Baron frequently attended those well-organized events and blogged about some highlights. Here, my blogs are presented in chronological order: The NSA and No End, What's Brewing?, Armageddon, Is This a Beer Or Not a Beer ..., The Freiburg Writers' Group, Napoleon Is to Blame for Everything, An American in Berlin, A Noble Cause For Religion, My Digital Revolution, I'm Going to Bring the Jobs Back, Shielding Democracies?, and Journalism 2.0.

Thanks to its dynamic management, the Carl-Schurz-Haus offers more events in a year than there are days.

Friederike skilfully and moderately incorporated the current political development in the States into her talk, a story that causes incomprehension, shaking of heads, and German angst, particularly with the older generation.

The generous US, which helped rebuild Europe after the war, where its mission of democratization mostly succeeded, suddenly retorts with aggressive tweets and actions. It is true that in NATO, Europe relied too much on the United States for its defense. In Germany, the Bundeswehr's equipment is deplorable, so more funding must be made available.

On the other hand, the US trade deficit is homegrown. We also had to run down many European industries due to cheap competition from Asian and African countries. POTUS, in his erratic way, mixes NATO and the American balance of payments:

There is a grain of truth in his tweet. European countries purchasing more advanced military equipment from the United States will help improve the American trade balance. On the other hand, unilateral tariffs followed by retaliatory measures will kill the global economy.


Friederike's talk was on July 16, the evening of the Helsinki summit between President Trump and President Putin. Late at night, I read the following blog.

But then, in his usual way, POTUS pedaled back, as CNN reported on July 17:

President Trump moments ago said he misspoke during his Monday news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump was talking about interference in the 2016 election when he said, "I don't see any reason why it would be" the Russians.
Now, POTUS corrected, "In a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't. 'The sentence should have been: 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia."


Thank you, Friederike, for keeping your head up. Continue to inform the Freiburgers about the American democracy, based on checks and balances, that still functions despite an erratic president. Much hope is placed in the upcoming midterm elections, but how will POTUS react if the results are not to his liking? Will those results be fake?

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LM Martin Horn Meets H. E. Pietro Benassi

Yesterday afternoon, Oberbürgermeister Martin Horn met Seine Exzellenz Pietro Benassi, the Italian ambassador to Germany, and Red Baron received an invitation. The reception took place at the historic Gerichtslaube (courthouse), Freiburg's oldest town hall, where an imperial diet was held in 1498.

Flying the flags of Europe, Italy, Germany, and Freiburg
 in front of Freiburg's  Gerichtslaube

When I arrived on time, I was shocked to find only a few people. Two friends of mine, Ms. Gisela Strahlendorf, former president of Freiburg's German-French Society, and  Professor Horst Buzello, president of the German-Italian Dante Alighieri Society, comforted me.

I had just started a conversation when the two protagonists arrived. The newly elected Lord Mayor greeted the Italian ambassador, insisting on the importance of Freiburg's relations with Italy. In fact, Italians love Friburgo so much that the city hosts an Italian consulate.

Horn addressed the ambassador and the "crowd."

Following his reply to Horn's speech, the Italian ambassador signed Freiburg's Golden Book.

A smiling Martin Horn is watching Pietro Benassi writing a lengthy text.

As the Italian ambassador, it is an honor to be in this beautiful city. Freiburg is a city of young people for young people. It respects its traditions and is open to innovation and research!

Many thanks to Lord Mayor Horn for this invitation!

Pietro Benassi

Suddenly I felt very old.

When Ambassador Benassi asked to see Pope Benedetto's signature - the pontiff visited Freiburg in 2011 - Red Baron profited from the rare occasion by shooting a photo of the page.

My offhand remark, "It's time for an Italian pope," H. E. Benassi answered with a diplomatic smile.

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Donald vs. Donald

Two internationally known Donalds have one thing in common: they both tweet on Twitter.

The @realDonaldTrump is presently in Brussels for a NATO summit, while @eucopresident, the other Donald, and President of the European Council Tusk have no business in NATO. Well, not quite.

Tusk, Stoltenberg, and Juncker in Brussels yesterday (©Reuters)

On Tuesday, July 10, Polish President Donald Tusk, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker signed a declaration on mutual military assistance between NATO and the European Union just before POTUS's arrival. 

In fact, you never know whether the American Donald will revoke the NATO treaty, since he has lots of experience in this trade regarding NAFTA, the Paris climate agreement, the G7 summit in Canada, and the Iranian nuclear deal.

On his way to Brussels, POTUS tweeted, mixing NATO with the trade balance between the European Union and the US:

While all other European leaders kept a low profile, Donald Tusk directly addressed Donald Trump,

"We have just signed a joint EU-NATO declaration, which brings the cooperation between the European Union and NATO to the next level. The aim is clear. We want to protect European citizens by every means available, and no partner is better than NATO. That is why we have agreed today to strengthen EU-NATO ties in areas of crucial importance. They include improving the military mobility of troops and equipment, common preparedness for cyber and hybrid attacks, fighting terrorism, and stopping migrant smugglers in the Mediterranean. The fullest possible involvement in our activities of EU Member States that are not NATO members will be encouraged and facilitated in an all-inclusive, non-discriminatory manner, without any artificial obstacles."

"Speaking on the eve of the NATO summit here in Brussels, I would like to address President Trump directly, who for a long time now has been criticizing Europe almost daily for, in his view, insufficient contributions to the common defense capabilities and for living off the US." And so the @eucopresident tweeted:

"I would, therefore, have two remarks here. First, dear America, appreciate your allies; you don't have that many. And, dear Europe, spend more on your defense because everyone respects an ally that is well-prepared and equipped."

"Money is important, but genuine solidarity is even more important. Speaking of solidarity, I want to dispel the American President's argument that the US alone protects Europe against our enemies and that the US is almost alone in this struggle. Europe was the first to respond on a large scale when the US was attacked and called for solidarity after 9/11. European soldiers have been fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with American soldiers in Afghanistan. 870 brave European men and women sacrificed their lives, including 40 soldiers from my homeland, Poland (Author's note: 54 Germans). Dear Mr. President, please remember this tomorrow, when we meet at the NATO summit, but above all, when you meet President Putin in Helsinki. It is always worth knowing: who is your strategic friend? And who is your strategic problem?"

This last remark reminds me of Donald Tusk's reaction after Mr. Trump withdrew the US from the Iran agreement and announced trade sanctions in May:

Because of their historical experience, Poles are traditionally afraid of the Russian bear and therefore ardent admirers of the United States, their great protector. It is remarkable that the President of the European Council now relies on support from Europe. Thank you, @realEuropeanDonaldTusk. It is time for us in Europe to stand united for our shared values.

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Where Is My Majority?

Today is Martin Horn's inauguration as Freiburg's lord mayor, although, at present, he only is the Verweser (administrator) of his function. This is why he and his deputy and First Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach hasted to show the document of appointment to the press, proving that Martin has the title of Oberbürgermeister (lord mayor) and all the power vested in this position.

Martin and his tutor Ulli in front of Freiburg's Renaissance town hall (©BZ)

The only restriction Martin faces is that he has not yet the right to cast his vote in the city council. The reason is that a lady has contested Horn's election and has filed a court action. Already in the past, she had taken pleasure in challenging the results of local elections in all of Baden-Württemberg. Although she has already suffered crushing defeats in all other cases in court, her objection is pending. Before the court has not decided on her unfounded complaint, Martin Horn is limited as far as his right to vote is concerned.

This limitation is important in case there is a draw in the city council's vote. The lord mayor's vote will break the tie in such a situation. This leads, in fact, to the question, "Where is my majority?"

Not being a party member, Martin has the support of the Social Democrats and other small groups, i.e., only 15 of a total of 48 seats in the city council. Other deputies already signaled their support for the burning housing situation that Horn would like to attack with high priority. The past "majority" of Christian Democrats (CDU) and Greens is now the "opposition" and has 20 votes in the city council. But there is hope that the Greens will move in the "social direction," as their whip said, "We're certainly not gonna sit in a corner and pout."

This proves that on the local level, party politics are secondary to Freiburg's well-being.

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