24 Oct 2026: Germany: 4 Stories

 1.  The 'Eagles Nest' building....the building erected on top of a mountain for Hitler's birthday (50th)....burned to the ground (mostly the timber roof....the stone part still stands).  Culprit?  Well...police caught a guy coming down the mountainside....still detained this AM.  

Just a weird guess....some radicalized youth.

Rebuild?  Big argument is likely to occur....historic building, but built for Hitler.

2.  Medical study completed....300,000 strokes (worldwide) could be avoided....if Daylight Savings Time were dumped.

3.  WELT piece: CDU-chatter....if SPD-Greens-Linke end up as the next coalition (I give it a 50-percent chance)....then massive tax increases are likely....with increased migration.

The scenario?  No doubt that AfD will get near 30-percent, with the CDU likely in 3rd place (say 16-percent), and SPD at 19-percent.  No partnership for AfD....2nd place SPD would step up and do a coalition with the Linke and Greens. 

4.  CDU and CSU having a bitter debate over their individual 'pick' to be next German president.  Bundestag election is around 5 weeks away.

Ukrainian Ethnic-Russians and Donbas?

 Since Trump 'deal' is up for a peace 'path'....the question arises for this Donbas region.

On the map...this are is about 15-percent of Ukraine's land mass.  

My question....after this much destruction in the area...if the war ended...would ethnic-Russian Ukrainians ever return to Donbas?

I have my doubts.

Before the war....there were around 6.5-million in total population.  Most folks agree...out of the 6.5 million...around 2.4-million were ethnic Russian.  Those who reside there today?  Probably less than 1-million (mixed population).

I would go and suggest that in a peace-treaty deal....a year into the future...fewer than 1.5-million would live here (permanently).

Locals....ten years into a peace-era....probably would agree....Donbas is a dead-zone with most young people set to leave (escape).

Putin's legacy?  A lot of nothing....with a Putin-statue erected....to show 'hero-status'.

Germany: Is There A Housing Shortage Or A Housing Affordability Crisis?

 Well....Germany has a fairly well-documented and persistent affordable housing problem.

You can say factually....it's mostly driven a shortfall in housing supply relative to demand, especially in metro-cities (like Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Frankfurt, etc).  If you were talking about small urban areas....like Trier or Worms....it's much less an issue.

Depending on who surveys the issue...most all of the experts agree....there's a million-plus missing apartments in Germany (some might even suggest 2-million).

Housing now (in Germany) requires about 25-percent of disposable income (regarded as one of the highest rates in the EU.

So you end up asking...what groups are 'screwed-over'?  The usual answer....working-class income folks, young people, single parents, and new migrants arriving.

The cherry on this 'cake'?  Rising construction cost....city-driven regulations, marginal development properties, an obvious labor shortage within Germany, and intereest rates.

So I end this with a odd factor....virtually all of the political parties want to participate in the resolution/fix, and the odds of additional 'damage' is great.

Peace Chatter

Looking at the Economist this AM....has a brief bit on what the Trump Ukraine-Russia peace deal resembles:

1.  Some kind of non-military zone around Donbas.

2.  No expectation of NATO taking in Ukraine.

3.  Some type of international investment package, and a eventual EU membership for Ukraine.

4.  Open possibility of Russia-US business deal (no sanctions).

5.  Nord Stream II reopens....meaning that Germany can buy natural gas from Russia.  Also open deals within EU iteself.

Who would monitor the Donbas zone?  Unknown.  Would the EU agree with membership?  Only if corruption is marginalized.  Would Germany agree to buying Russian natural gas again?  Unknown.

No mention of war-crimes cases?  Yeah, that's another issue for some folks. 

A bitter ending for Russia?  Between the dead, and the Russian guys who 'left'....there's two-million non-existent Russian men.....compared against 2020 numbers.  It's a manpower problem that will exist for the next forty years.

22 Oct 2026: Germany: 5 Stories

 1.  WELT piece this AM.....talking over the new 'power' divide in Berlin....a hard-left to moderate-left group, and a nationalist group (meaning CDU-CSU-AfD).  CDU folks would go crazy if suggested that they were nationalists.....Merkel spent 16 years molding them into center-center landscape.  

2.  Ukrainian guy arrested in Brandenburg....'secret-agent' for Russia.

3.  Some political chatter going on....taxes on electricity to lessen (slightly) in Germany. I did the numbers (at least on what was the draft idea)....might save me 30-to-40 Euro a year.  

4.  Heft winds today in northern half of Germany....storm damae likely.

5.  Got my new electrical mower yesterday.  Assembly required (12 minutes).  In big bold writing.....engineered in Germany.  In small print on the box....made in /China.  Previous mower....engineered and made in Germany....lasted 15 years.

Dozens of Berlin Police Asking For A Transfer

 I noted this afternoon....around 70-odd Berlin police....turned in the paperwork....asking for a transfer out of the 'state' (fifteen other possibilities).

Oddly, right after the city election (the Linke Party got the most votes)....two German states opened up a recruitment deal (Brandenburg and Baden-Württemberg).  

Some of this a gut feeling of being asked to put down a riot, but then finding that either the Linke folks, the SPD folks, or the Green Party folks....aren't backing up the public safety situation.

The end?  No....I would anticipate as the 70 leave....within 3 or 4 months.....another 70-odd folks turn their papers in as well.

Shortage likely to be seen as a top five-problem?  No one says much, but it's one of those jobs that most folks don't really care to sign-up for.

Q-and-A: The Ukraine-Russia War And European Views

 Five observations:

1.  For the first year or two....most European countries were careful to support Ukraine....trying hard not to upset Putin.

Last year or two...mostly the opposite....military support is obvious, and Putin makes a blunt 'we-can-hit-you' statement at least once a month to Europe.

2.  Financially finished?

I'd say both France and Germany are near the end-point where they can afford both military support and public needs support.  

3.  Public support less today than three years ago?

If you vote for the Linke Party or AfD Party....you are not favoring Ukraine any longer, and lean toward Russia.  I'd say 40-percent of the German public feel this way now.

4.  Does Germany need the natural gas of Russia?

Yeah, and its pretty obvious that the industry of Germany really can't afford this current strategy of not buying Russian natural gas.

5.  Out of the million-plus Ukrainians in Germany....how many would return home if the war ends?

There is no poll to say one way or another.  Younger Ukrainians who've been here since day one....I believe....are very unlikely to return to Ukraine if the war is concluded.  My guess is that a quarter-million would stay in Germany.

Q-and-A: My Thoughts On German Public Transportation

 1.  Am I pro-public-transportation?

I have a love-hate relationship over it. 

I think both the local App and the Bahn App are 5-star.  I agree...I feel completely safe on the local city bus.  For what you pay....it's a great deal.

So, the bad parts....the bus for 7AM to 8:30 AM: loaded usually, and you have to stand.  Out of sixty-odd occasions I use the bus yearly....my projected bus gets cancelled at least five times, and I'm behind schedule.  Any train that I take toward Frankfurt in the rush-hour....is likely overflowing, and I stand.  If the temp is 35 C (95 F) or hotter....you can forget about the bus or train AC working.  

2.  The basic difference between 1st class and 2nd class?

If you board a train made prior to 2000...you have the look/feel of 1st class being 'better'.  You can't really say this with the ultra-modern trains...other than the '1' being prominent and the seats are slightly more spread out

3.  Are the train stations toilets or the train WC's always functional?

Ever since the stations went to a commercial operation and forced you to pay 1-Euro for entry....they seem to be clean, tidy, and functional. 

Train WC's?  On regional trains....it's about a 20-percent chance of them being broke/non-functional.

Always try to do your business in the station.

4.  Do I have any 'fear' around train-stations?

Moderately sized stations....like Mainz or Wiesbaden or K-Town?  NO.

Frankfurt, Bremen, Hamburg....yeah, I watch my back and go into vigilant-mode.  

5.  Armed guards on trains?

Before 2010....NEVER.  At some point around 2015 to 2020....you started to notice on rare occasions....Bahn-Security in the stations.

Since 2020....on the trains (regional and ICE)....there's green-boot-military-style Bahn-'Army' guys/gals.  Last year....I noted some 6 ft tall German red-headed gal...160 pounds of muscle....inspecting tickets in the Bahn-Army uniform....figuring she could beat the crap out of anyone.

6.  Can you get any decent food on a Bahn train?

Well....the days of the 1970s/1980s where there was the dining car and a plate/beer was available for 24 DM....long gone.  There are cafe-cars...usually with beer/coffee, and chips.  

If you have a hunger...prior to the trip....go pick up some snacks in the station.

7.  A drug-zone within five minutes walking of any metro train station?

I'd argue...in forty (top) metro stations in Germany....yeah, they all have a drug zone. Before 1990s....that didn't exist.