DistantNews
Support us
🇩🇪 Germany /Culture & Society

Germany: Where is German angst when you need it?

From Süddeutsche Zeitung · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Opinion Named sources Context piece
  • The author describes a Germany where low water levels, aging bridges and unreliable trains have made abnormal conditions seem routine.
  • The article cites roughly 6,000 bridges marked as structurally deficient, according to the environmental group Transport and Environment.
  • It asks why people appear unusually quiet despite warnings involving the AfD, drought and alleged Russian agents.

Landing in Munich after flying from Washington, the author quickly gets the impression of a country where many things seem normal even though they should not.

The daily water reports are easy to check. Water levels are so low in many places that people may soon be able to walk through the Rhine and camp in Lake Starnberg. Bridges may no longer be needed, the article jokes, which would fit the transport situation: many bridges are already being marked as structurally deficient.

The piece cites the environmental organization Transport and Environment, which puts the number of such bridges across Germany at 6,000. On the trains, meanwhile, passengers appear not to expect punctual arrivals or a journey without hardship.

Against this backdrop, the author asks where Germany’s famous “German angst” has gone. The description points to AfD fearmongering, dried-up rivers and Putin’s agents, and wonders why people have become so strangely quiet.

About this summary

Originally published by Süddeutsche Zeitung in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog