Comments on: Ich bin ein Berliner

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 05:22:09 +0000

Fascinating?. Your degree of detachment is commendable, Andreas.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 07:48:44 +0000

Thanks, Michael. It’s fascinating so far.

By: Michael FItzgerald

Michael FItzgerald — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:10:31 +0000

Andreas, Sorry to be so far behind in offering you congratulations. I hope your homecoming is a warm one. And Germany does seem to be the place to be.

Warmly,

Michael

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 17:52:18 +0000

Light years? Seems a safe place to be – for the moment, anyway.

By: Cyberquill

Cyberquill — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 09:48:45 +0000

Yes, I think it’s time to clarify a few things right from the jump. So Andreas, now that you’ve written a war book, relocated to Berlin, and hinted at your vision of German grandeur, are you in any way eyeing the office of chancellor, and do you recognize Austria’s right to exist as an independent nation?

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 06:18:41 +0000

You’re light years away from understanding what I meant. My fault for not yet explaining. But do me the favor of first waiting for me to explain what the heck I might mean.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 05:33:26 +0000

You harbour the twin delusions of German pre-eminence and world domination, Andreas. Either that or you are glibly unaware of the depth of the current crisis in Europe. The latter is more likely.

Or maybe I measure your corn by my own bushel.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:39:02 +0000

“Holy Roman Empire”. – That’s even more creepy. Perhaps it is better to learn from the past then to regress to it. That applies equally to the EU itself.

An unwritten union of good intentions is slower and more painstaking but infinitely preferable to the impositions of a misguided elite.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:01:28 +0000

“downfall of the European Reich”. Oh boy. Evocative.

No, my guess is that we’re seeing it turn into some sort of modern Holy Roman Empire.

(I realize that you might consider that a loaded aside. In due course, I’ll elaborate, if I still hold that opinion.)

By: exuvia

exuvia — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:26:25 +0000

There is a price tag on every new floor. Have you seen the bill?

May you not have to report on the downfall of the European Reich. There have been plenty of questioning, plenty of strain and stress. I have my own stakes in Europe.

Alles Gute und viel Spaß in Berlin. Das Brot ist natürlich wunderbar und gleich in der nähe.

Best wishes

By: Jim M.

Jim M. — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:42:19 +0000

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their Grexits and their Klentrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts…

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:41:38 +0000

Are you flattered that I’m conceding you to be multi-cellular?

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:41:01 +0000

Let’s make it happen, Amanda.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:36:02 +0000

Congrats & looking forward to seeing you all on this side of the pond Andreas! Berlin easier to get to from GVA than your old beat! Amanda

By: douglas

douglas — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:56:29 +0000

@Andreas,
Are you implying non-journalists are merely fungi?

By: jenny

jenny — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:14:37 +0000

That’s awful. I’m sorry.

My team’s just a bunch of amateurs, I’m afraid.

We haven’t got a clueth.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:18:41 +0000

Come and hang out with us some time, Matt. And we’ll walk that same street again.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:17:38 +0000

It’s now on my reading list. (which, currently, is a looong list.) Thanks for the suggestion.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:15:42 +0000

The Black Forest near Tracy, CA? I’m savoring that.

Thanks for the encouragement, Cheri

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:14:33 +0000

You couldn’t help yourself: so couth, you made me Kuth.

By: Matt Lieber

Matt Lieber — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 18:03:11 +0000

Many congrats, Andreas. How promising for you and your family. Like it or not, Germany, Germany makes history. Like it or not, Andreas, you are German. Like it or not, Berlin, a Hannibal impostor among you shall be asking quirky questions and snatching rarely seen nuggets of meaning from your post-modern realities. This all sounds fateful – and not in a bad way. More likely than setting you to dig for nuggets, I expect Berlin to provide you with meteor showers, seams of ore, molten lava. It is an epic place, after all, as we saw in just one sliver. Of course the nuggets still matter — all the more so — strewn about, hidden amidst the world-city’s sweep. Berlin will overfill your hands. But you are as well equipped to sort and sift it out as any. Go forth unreluctantly, with best luck. We will read your reports eagerly. Matt

By: Bruce Clayton

Bruce Clayton — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:23:23 +0000

Have you read Eric Larson’s marvelous book, “In the Garden of the Beasts”? I’m sure you have but if you haven’t put it on your required reading list–it’s about the historian William E Dodd and his family being sent to Gy in 1933. Absorbing story. Old DrJass57 is young Jenny’s father.

By: Jim M.

Jim M. — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:11:04 +0000

Jeepers, Ch …

Gulp.

By: Cheri

Cheri — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:24:27 +0000

I’ll miss you here in California, but after visiting Germany recently, I understand why you might have agreed to go back (it is a whole package, after all, taking your family there for what will be your children’s formative education). We were driving out to Sacramento yesterday, through the town of Tracy. The Judge looked over the freeway and said, ” Kind of reminds you of the Black Forest, doesn’t it Cheri?”

You have made the right decision to get the hell out of this state, that’s for sure, A. We are a big mess and for a Native Californian, it’s disappointing.

I am looking forward to your reporting, especially during this very interesting time in Europe.

And I am not going to post that picture of my German lunch on my blog. It would give Peter too much material to work with.

By: jenny

jenny — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:37:12 +0000

Dear Mr. Kuth:

Whoa. This is totally awesome news!

Congratulations!

Sincerely,
Jenny
Chicago Bureau Chief
Sw&Sp

By: dafna

dafna — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:41:11 +0000

Yes, as Richard says congratulations!

It is a Noble ambition desire to be a part of history, to document it in the thick of things. And you are far from a mediocre journalist as we all have come to know.

I hope you will be able to share some of the perspectives, as there have been limitations in the past with the ability to share your work at The Economist with we, the humble blog fans!

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:10:06 +0000

I didn’t do it in ORDER to get further from NZ, I swear.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:08:26 +0000

Thanks, Rustic Recluse. I’ll post more often again soon, once I’m settled in a bit…

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:07:48 +0000

Don’t call me Chief!

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:06:53 +0000

OK, then, stay tuned, jass57. let’s find out together what those Germans are like these days….

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:06:21 +0000

Thanks, Christopher. Yes, once this stress and chaos of transition is over, I do hope to share just those little perspectives…

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:05:10 +0000

Possibly Andromeda, or a deep-sea vent. If so, I want to spin it preemptively as a great opportunity, utterly undercovered by the mainstream media.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:04:09 +0000

That sort of is living history, actually.

By: Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:02:52 +0000

Well, a fungus technically also lives history — it is alive, and at a time. But you know: Some people are more AWARE of their time/space context than others…

By: Thomas Stazyk

Thomas Stazyk — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:29:03 +0000

Congratulations!! We’ll miss your take on America, but it seems like Berlin is the place to be right now. I look forward to reading your insights and hearing about life in Germany. The only downside is that you will now be about as far as you can get from NZ! All the best.

By: Rustic Recluse

Rustic Recluse — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 02:12:57 +0000

I’m not a journalist but I think I enjoy reading History, maybe wondering if I’ve ever lived it too. Congrats, and I’m looking forward to reading more about your time in Berlin!

By: Jim M.

Jim M. — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 01:36:05 +0000

That’s great news, Chief!

By: jass57

jass57 — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:13:02 +0000

Terrific piece as usual. Goof luck. I was born in 1939 and have never quite gotten over my prejudices about Germans. Your future blog entries will set me straight, I/m sure.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:14:52 +0000

So, you are to become a jelly doughnut.

Many congratulations on your promotion. I’m sure you’ll make a great success of it.

I look forward to reading your perspectives from Berlin in this important time in its history.

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 16:21:43 +0000

Difficult times ahead. Let’s hope it all works out and without too much pain.

Neither personal ambition nor mediocrity are called for in your calling – as you well know.

By: Cyberquill

Cyberquill — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 16:05:21 +0000

Berlin? Cool. So where’s your next beat going to be?

By: markpattersonlaw

markpattersonlaw — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 14:52:38 +0000

My aunt was a Berliner about the time the Russians arrived. Fortunately she married my uncle, a US soldier and has lived out her life without witnessing any more history.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 14:19:06 +0000

Why do people become journalists? For different reasons. But many, I am guessing, want to feel that they lived history.

A thought struck me as I read that line… Don’t we all live history? I understood the meaning of your words but still…

Congratulations on becoming Berlin Bureau chief.