“Be surprised”

adminonNovember 25, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

The new expert opinion on the processing of abuse in the Archdiocese of Cologne should "name names of responsible persons and also systemic causes" and that "without compromise within the framework of what is legally possible," according to lawyer Bjorn Gercke.

This was promised by Cologne lawyer Bjorn Gercke in an interview for the "Kolnische Rundschau" and Bonn's "General-Anzeiger". Gercke wants to be released by the 18. March to present a new expert opinion commissioned from him by Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki.

Woelki is under public prere for not releasing for publication an initial investigation commissioned from Munich law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) into how current and former diocesan leaders handled cases of sexualized violence. In doing so, he refers to other lawyers, according to whose assessment the paper has "methodological flaws".

On the home stretch

Gercke explained that the evaluation and analysis of the very extensive file material had been completed, as well as the questioning of all potentially responsible persons and other respondents: "We are now in the middle of the phase of legal evaluation, so we are on the home stretch." His expert opinion takes up all the cases from the WSW investigation and even goes far beyond that with many additional cases. In terms of content, however, he no longer wanted to comment on the work of WSW and the criticism of it.

The lawyer added that his report should in any case be a "court-proof work": "We are relaxed about possible legal attacks by people who are named by us and who do not like our assessment."

In response to criticism of a possible "narrowing to legal questions," Gercke said lawyers could and should only answer legal questions. But he is also supported by the two canon lawyers Helmut Pree and Stefan Korta: "I think the legal assessment can only be part of the process of coming to terms with the abuse scandal. There are also other approaches – such as a historical or social science – with equal justification."

"Let yourself be surprised"

In all these approaches, he said, there is no "better" or "worse". They provided different answers to different questions: "I am convinced that our expert opinion does not and must not lead to drawing a line under the handling of abuse in the Archdiocese of Cologne."

With the expression-legal questions, so Gercke, one stands in the constant exchange with the lawyers, who were assigned by the archbishopric in this connection: "I am convinced that we present an expert's assessment, which is in this respect unassailable. That does not mean of course that responsible persons will not defend themselves against it. But I have confidence in my colleagues in the law of expression that we are on safe ground there."

With regard to expert opinions for Aachen, where only the names of bishops and vicars general were mentioned, and for Berlin, where a large part with names was not published, the jurist declared: "We will go further. Let us surprise you."

Chancellor's Office Minister Thomas de Maiziere (CDU) has called on Muslims in Germany to come closer to the "enlightened positions of the Basic Law". This development does not run in the opposite direction, said the Chancellor's Office Minister on Thursday in an interview with the Catholic News Agency (KNA) in Berlin. In doing so, he referred to constitutional decisions of recent years. The minister expressed his belief in a stronger legal position for Islam in the future.

The relationship of the constitutional state to Islam, however, "will never be as it is with the Protestant and Catholic churches". Further the most important coworker of the Kanzlerin urged the right to the building of Christian houses of worship in all Muslim countries. It is appropriate and right for the millions of Muslims in Germany to have mosques. It would be just as appropriate if Christian churches could be built in all those countries where Muslims are in the majority. With regard to the building of mosques in Germany, he said, the construction of a place of worship should never be an "act of demonstration or of the superiority of one religion over the other". That would be an abuse of religion.The CDU politician described the establishment of legal structures of Islam and its legal recognition as a longer process. It was not a question of small groups wanting to quickly become public corporations and enjoy privileges. The goal would have to be structures for the entire Islamic community. "The integration of millions of Muslims, even as a religious community, may be difficult, but it is inevitable," says the chancellor's office minister. Chancellor's office hopes for change in bishop's image of family De Maiziere is also counting on a change in the image of the family among Catholic bishops. He hoped for more recognition for a concept of family "in which, hopefully with civil marriage, responsibility for children is really borne on a permanent basis. This should not be discredited," he warned in Berlin. At the same time, it remains the task of the church to demand an ideal of family.The politician called for the social reality to be perceived. "If the classic image of the family that some Catholic bishops refer to consists solely of getting married between 25 and 30 and not having had any sexual intercourse beforehand, of the man working and the woman staying at home," then of course there is a changed image of the family today, he said.He would like to see praise instead of criticism for mothers who want to meet the many demands of family and career, de Maiziere stressed. He said that anyone who would accuse parents of giving up their child-rearing skills if they put their child in a daycare center and wanted to combine work and family life "is ignoring commitment, creativity and a sense of family. At the same time, de Maiziere emphasized that the degree of agreement between the federal government and the church is great, despite individual differences in content.The Minister of the Chancellor's Office referred to the still high reputation of family and family-related values. The allegedly so depraved and uneducated youth expresses astonishing approval of the family and values such as fidelity, parenting skills and the desire to have children. This applies to both West and East Germany, he said. In many eastern German regions, even without Christian ties, family ties are even higher than in the West.

Gingerbread hearts at the Oktoberfest © katjen (shutterstock)

The Wiesn innkeepers have already upset. "Reputation-damaging" is the series. The spectators could believe that it was still so brutal today. The makers could not have wished for better advertising.

The men with their feathers and bast skirts on the Isar beach confuse you a bit at the beginning. A flashback to the time of the Bavarians? No, they did not look like those "savages" from the South Seas, from German Samoa. What this has to do with the Wiesn? Much. Because from 1875 onwards, ethnic shows with people from all over the world became more and more popular there, the last one, by the way, took place in 1959. Such "cannibals" gave you the feeling of being something better, and you could believe anything of them, even the murder of the venerable Giesing inn and brewery owner Ignatz Hoflinger (Francis Fulton-Smith).

"Oktoberfest 1900" is the name of the event series based on historical events for which Alexis von Wittgenstein developed the concept. From 15. In September, it will be broadcast on three evenings, each with double episodes, on the German television channel Ersten. Directed by Hannu Salonen, a cast of first-rate actors plays with. If it's up to Maximilian Bruckner, who embodies a corrupt, rich beer brewer named Anatol Stifter, you shouldn't miss it: "A thriller, a drama, a comedy – there's everything in it."Even more so, where this year the biggest folk festival in the world has to be cancelled due to corona.

The plot

Hoflinger is the first victim of Curt Prank (Misel Maticevic), an upstart from Nuremberg. He has moved to Munich with his daughter Clara (Mercedes Muller) to pursue his dream of a "beer castle" for 6.000 guests to realize. 20 times the size of the usual beer stalls at the Oktoberfest. For this, he needs the appropriate floor space; to get it, any means will do. If he doesn't get anywhere with bribery, his man for the rough stuff helps him (Martin Feifel). The gastronome actually existed. His name was Georg Lang, and in his beer hall the drinking song "Ein Prosit auf die Gemutlichkeit" was heard for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Hoflinger widow (Martina Gedeck) is fighting for the survival of the Deibel brewery and for the Wiesn business, which is expected to reorganize her family. May hope live on in her two sons and in "her good beer," the priest wished her at the funeral service. Even a real priest with experience as a Wiesn waiter slipped into this supporting role: Rainer Maria Schiebler.

Strong women are also represented

As if from a powerful brew for a quaffable Marzen beer, the makers have drawn from the full. In the Prague studios, a Munich of the Prince Regent era was created with gloomy corners including a colorful Oktoberfest, which had nothing of the Bussi city. In return, there was a Schwabing bohemian scene with Kandinsky, Thoma and Countess Reventlow. When these artists are guests at the "Oiden Deibel" in the working-class district of Giesing, two worlds collide. In the middle of it innkeeper's son Ludwig, who is discovered as a draftsman for the "Simplicissimus" and whose at that time still punishable homosexuality makes him blackmailable.

The beer cartel may be a matter of men making up the rules among themselves. For example, since the turn of the century, it has been the rule that only beer from Munich breweries may be served at the Wiesn. But there are also strong women in this multi-part. Brigitte Hobmeier plays the beer girl Colina Kandl, who becomes the chaperone of Prank's daughter with cunning. When she later returns to her job as a waitress, the innkeeper knows how to market the red-haired beauty on posters that show her carrying beer mugs on a barrel like the Schutzenliesl (shooting girl). She, in turn, is using her notoriety to negotiate better wages for herself and her colleagues by going on strike.

Multifaceted series

Love, intrigue, violence and humor – the series takes you back in time and gives you a glimpse into the abyss. The visitors to the Wiesn don't notice anything that goes on in the background. They just want to escape from everyday life for a few hours, as they did today.

Therefore a cheers to this television event. The disgruntled Wiesn landlords are advised: "Schwoabts it obe!" (Wash it down) – best with a cool Wiesn beer, which should be available at least in the trade also this year.

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