Education hits the rocks

—

Emotions are running wild in the run up to a referendum in July in which Hamburg citizens will decide whether to abolish what are known in Germany as Hauptschule. [more]

The brilliance of the flagship store

—

It’s the fashion world that created the concept of the flagship store, spaces where brands can showcase their ideas in purist perfection. Not just places to shop, these stores embody how designers and marketing chiefs want their brands to be seen. They also generate good PR. [more]

The navigator

—Bonn

As Germany’s minister for transport, building and urban development, Peter Ramsauer has one of the biggest jobs in transport in Europe. Monocle met him in his Bonn office to find out how he wants Germans to get from A to B in future. [more]

Ideas for modern nomads

—

We know that no kind of virtual communication beats a face-to-face meeting and that the most effective organisational tool is called “having lunch”. But this kind of working is becoming rarer. [more]

Germany’s welfare black hole

—

Walking through Berlin can make you feel as though you are on the set of one of those post-apocalypse films from the 1980s, such as Mad Max or The Day After. [more]

Germans want their troops home

—

A few days before the international Afghanistan conference in London on 28 January, there are overwhelming signs that Germans are tired of sending their soldiers into a war many believe cannot be won. [more]

Raining supreme

—Braunau

For our series investigating the secrets of success, Monocle visits Austrian company Doppler, Europe’s biggest manufacturer of quality umbrellas. Its top product has been handcrafted in the same way since the 1940s. [more]

Germans get adventurous

—

After years of longing for a job for life and worshipping the ideal of staying at home in comfort, Germans are showing signs of becoming globally minded entrepreneurs. [more]

Bother on the Bahn

—

Deutsche Bahn is much admired by foreign travellers and internationally renowned for its comfort and reliability. [more]

2010: Germany gets connected

—

Berlin politicians wanting to see a modern society systematically implement the right of free online-access should look at Estonia. [more]

The engine of the new economy

—

If it’s true that information is the only natural resource Germany has to offer, then Berlin is quickly moving from the equivalent of mining city to refinery. [more]

Speaking to the digital natives

—

On Monday and Tuesday this week, senior German managers and politicians gathered in a converted factory in Berlin Tempelhof to listen to and learn from the so-called “digital natives” or Generation Y. [more]

The new Berlin wall

—

I’ve spent the past few days tucked away in a secret hideaway in the headquarters of the German publishing house Axel Springer, helping create what the company thinks could be the salvation of newspapers. [more]

Dungaree Diplomats

—

When a flood devastates Uganda or an earthquake strikes Pakistan, Germany’s THW gets some of the first aid workers on the ground. Mostly volunteers, they are part of Germany’s soft power arsenal. [more]

From coal to cool

—

Thanks to its excellent university, international transport links and super bright, skilled workforce, this former mining city in Germany’s Ruhr valley has been transformed into a hive for hi-tech firms. [more]

Christian Ude — Lord Mayor of Munich

—

[more]

The fall of the Berlin wall: 20 years on

—

Germany is still a divided country. But the division does not mark the borders of the former East and West Germany. It separates the people who are old enough to remember the two German nations and those who are too young to. [more]

Earning his stripes

—

One of the few bright appointments the new German government produced during its coalition negotiations – the controversial results of which were announced yesterday – is the country’s future defence minister. [more]

Inspirational companies

—

If you dream of going it alone but you’re being held back by fear, then take courage from these 10 brave souls who struck out on their own and have never looked back. Their professions range from equity research to running-shoe design, but one thing unites them all – they are masters of their own destinies. [more]

Inspirational workspaces

—

Look around your office or workshop. What does it say about your company? Is it a place that you enjoy walking into every morning? Here are four firms that understand how a workspace should reflect the personality of the company, and how it can inspire customers and staff alike. [more]

Havens of Opportunity

—

A good small business slots into a community. Here we profile five neighbourhoods where we wouldn’t mind setting up shop. [more]

We’re all ears

—

Sennheiser is a company of obsessives that have spent decades perfecting headphone and microphone technology to produce the most authentic sound. This nerdish persistence has paid off, as the loyalty of its customer base proves. [more]

Driven ambition

—

Monocle brings you a new series on how world leaders travel, from their choice of car to their fleet of private aircraft. First off is German chancellor Angela Merkel, who, like her predecessors, opts for practicality over showiness. [more]

Health Visitors

—

Affluent Arabs used to head to hospitals in the US when they needed treatment. But now, post-Iraq, they are increasingly choosing Germany’s private clinics. With the average foreign patient spending an estimated €80,000 a stay, competition to attract the medical tourists is fierce. [more]

The Big Flight Back

—

The once booming German aviation industry has seen major brands such as MBB and Dornier going bust or being swallowed up by multinationals. Grob is reversing that trend with its SPn business jet – the first plane to be entirely made in Germany for years. [more]

Under Growth

—

With roads gridlocked, delivering goods in the world’s cities is a growing problem. One engineer believes the answer lies in underground victorian-style pneumatic pipes and he has some powerful backers. [more]

Research

—

[more]

News and Briefs

—

[more]