AGP Executive Report

Football and Fame: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Englishman to take the prize since 2001. Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas won her third women’s award. Cultural Memory: Prague has opened an exhibition highlighting Roma resistance fighters who fought Nazi occupation, broadening a history long focused on Roma and Sinti victims of persecution. Music Rediscovered: A composition written by British soldier Alan Bolt while imprisoned near Dresden during World War II will receive its first performance, 80 years after the war. Germany’s High Streets: Galeria’s latest insolvency leaves 12,000 workers facing possible store closures, renewing uncertainty over the department-store chain’s future. Heritage Debate: A fire at the Eagle’s Nest, the Nazi-era landmark in Germany, has prompted questions over whether it should be rebuilt.

Music and Resistance: Igor Levit’s new album is being hailed as essential listening in an era of political intimidation, while a documentary revisits singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann’s challenge to East German censorship. Theatre Abroad: Düsseldorf Theatre’s Moby Dick has made its Asian premiere in Shanghai, continuing the late Robert Wilson’s avant-garde stage legacy. Retail Uncertainty: Galeria’s fourth insolvency in six years puts 12,000 workers at risk as store closures loom. Political Climate: Far-right gains in eastern Germany are sending concern across Europe. Memory and Remembrance: A new Prague exhibition highlights Roma and Sinti who resisted Nazi occupation, widening a wartime story long told mainly through the lens of persecution.

Germany’s Public Debate: Support for military aid to Ukraine remains divided between eastern and western Germany, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz warns that Russia is seeking to destabilise the country. Books and Belonging: Berlin’s Arab Book Fair brought literature and scholarship together, creating space for dialogue across cultures. German Stories on Screen: Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, starring Sandra Hüller, offers an austere portrait of a fractured Germany through the life and legacy of Thomas Mann. Tourism: Germany is looking to attract more visitors from Qatar and the wider Gulf region.

Nazi-era Heritage: A fire has nearly destroyed the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s former alpine guesthouse in Bavaria. Police have arrested a man, and investigators are still examining the cause. Art Across Borders: A Luxembourg exhibition brings together 52 Impressionist works, including 30 from Germany’s Rau Collection, with paintings by Monet, Manet and Cassatt. Roma Resistance: A Prague exhibition sheds light on Czech and Slovak Roma who fought Nazi occupation, adding stories of resistance to histories often centered on persecution. AfD and Memory: Leaked emails reveal party leaders’ divisions over nationalist rhetoric and Holocaust remembrance, including Björn Höcke’s demand for a “180-degree turn” in Germany’s memory politics.

Music and AI: Sennheiser co-CEO Daniel Sennheiser says AI can support musicians but cannot create genuinely original work, as debate grows over AI-generated music and copyright. Cultural Exchange: Fans of Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen gathered in Germany before his concert, sharing folk songs, dombra music and dance. Asylum and Society: Activists and Afghan residents protested in six German cities and at airports, calling for deportations to Afghanistan to stop. Holocaust Remembrance: A German institution’s criticism of the Ulma Family Museum has sparked a dispute over how Holocaust history is commemorated.

Nazi-Era Memory: A fire engulfed the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s former Alpine retreat in Bavaria. A suspect has been detained, but investigators have not said whether they believe the person was involved. Sport and Inclusion: Former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger says being openly gay remains far less accepted in men’s football than in the women’s game. Seasonal Traditions: Oktoberfest celebrations spotlight German customs, while a new guide rounds up Halloween events across Germany. Coming to Terms with History: A family has recovered a painting left behind by a woman fleeing the Nazis; a separate feature revisits why the Stasi still haunts Germany. Film: German actor August Diehl is set to receive a European film award.

Memory and Literature: A former East Berlin correspondent recalls the Stasi’s everyday surveillance, while a new film about Thomas Mann’s 1949 return to Germany revisits exile, division and the fragile promise of freedom. Culture and the Far Right: After the AfD’s historic win in Saxony-Anhalt, reports examine the party’s cultural agenda and its efforts to build ties with Trump-aligned circles. Holocaust Remembrance: Hundreds of Nazi-era records once destined for auction have been handed to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation for preservation and access through museums and archives. Art and Identity: Palestinian photographers in Berlin say their exhibition gives them space to reclaim control of their images and stories. German Traditions: Oktoberfest celebrations bring Bavarian food, music and customs into focus.

Film & Culture: German actor August Diehl is set to receive a European film award, while Berlin’s Centre for Art and Urbanism has reopened after a revamp. Autumn in Germany: A guide rounds up Halloween events across the country as the season’s festivities get underway. Art Restitution: A painting seized from a Jewish family fleeing Nazi Germany has been returned to its descendants, restoring a long-lost piece of their family history. Far-Right Politics: A leaked trove details the AfD’s years-long effort to build ties with Donald Trump and his allies, as the party gains ground in Germany. Art & Architecture: Anselm Kiefer’s monumental painting, too large for a conventional gallery, has been given its own pavilion designed by David Chipperfield.

Berlin’s Political Shift: The Left Party’s victory in the German capital puts leader Elif Eralp in contention to become the city’s first woman mayor with a migrant background, though coalition talks may prove difficult. Antisemitism: Bavarian parliament president Ilse Aigner warned that Jewish people again fear expressing their identity openly, saying “Never again” is dead; Germany has also summoned Iran’s envoy over an alleged plot against a Jewish community leader. Cultural Exchange: Berlin’s Deutsches Theater hosted a gala of Mongolian music and dance, including throat singing and the horsehead fiddle, as the countries’ presidents looked on. The city’s Arab Book Fair also brought literature and scholarship into a cross-cultural dialogue. Youth & Society: Protests by young people in at least eight European countries reflect shared anxieties over housing costs, jobs and climate change. Extreme Heat: A new study estimates Europe’s summer heat caused more than 50,000 deaths, with researchers attributing about 32,600 to human-caused warming.

Politics & Society: Germany’s political balance is shifting: an analysis warns the AfD is nearing state-level power after a strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt, while Die Linke’s Ines Schwerdtner calls for a united protest front. Berlin Art: The pollinator pathmaker project is bringing bees back to the city through foliage-filled artworks. Film & Memory: Pawel Pawlikowski’s new film Fatherland, starring Sandra Hüller, revisits the rough edges of history. Books & Heritage: Berlin’s Al Diwan Arabic Book Fair brought together 110 publishers from the Arab world and Germany, while debate over Germany’s colonial legacy continues, including calls to return Cameroon’s sacred Bangwa Queen. Music & Tech: German indie developer Daniel Notthoff has launched SongFlip, an app that redirects shared music links to listeners’ preferred streaming services.

Cultural Politics: More than 50 galleries in Düsseldorf and Cologne have condemned the AfD’s planned cultural-policy event, accusing the party of invoking Joseph Beuys and Heinrich Heine to advance its political agenda. Migration & Identity: Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised the Turkish community’s contributions to Germany, calling guest-worker migration a success story. Arts & Heritage: Berlin has opened an exhibition exploring Chinggis Khaan and the Mongol world. Celebrity Culture: Priscilla Presley made a rare public appearance with her son Navarone in Baesweiler, where she signed the town’s Golden Book and took part in a Q&A about her life with Elvis Presley.

Jewish Community: Germany summoned Iran’s envoy over an alleged plot to kill a Jewish leader, putting security concerns facing Jewish communities back in focus. Migration & Belonging: Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Turkish guest workers’ role in building modern Germany, while Vietnamese women in Germany are strengthening community ties and preserving cultural identity. Art & Restitution: Heirs of a Jewish couple are still fighting over a Degas painting looted by the Nazis in 1935 and later sold for $10.7 million. Colonial Reckoning: Calls are growing for Germany to return Cameroon’s sacred Bangwa Queen, as the country’s colonial past returns to debate. Holocaust Education: German states and Yad Vashem plan to expand Holocaust education.

Migration & Society: Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Turkish “guest workers” and their descendants for helping build modern Germany, calling their migration a success story. Jewish Life & Security: Germany summoned Iran’s ambassador after two men were convicted in a plot targeting leaders of the country’s Jewish community; one was reported to have taken orders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Film & Memory: Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, starring Sandra Hüller, is prompting debate over its portrait of writer Thomas Mann’s 1949 return to postwar Germany. Cultural Heritage: Germany faces renewed calls to return Cameroon’s sacred Bangwa Queen, a demand that brings colonial-era collections back into focus. Books & Culture: Berlin’s Al Diwan Arabic Book Fair welcomed 110 publishers from the Arab world and Germany, spotlighting Arabic literature and cultural exchange.

Religion & Society: Germany’s plan to provide Muslim chaplains to about 3,000 Bundeswehr soldiers is stalled by security checks, leaving appointments unfilled. Berlin Arts: Germany and Mongolia are opening an exhibition on Genghis Khan and the Mongol world during the Mongolian president’s state visit, which also marks 100 years of educational ties. Political Watch: The AfD is investigating the online release of emails stolen in a cyberattack; reports say the cache includes party figures’ correspondence and membership records, but its authenticity has not been independently verified. Leipzig’s Music Heritage: A planned 4.5-mile extension to the city’s music trail will link landmarks including Bach’s church, the Gewandhaus and the St Thomas Choir. Privacy: A Frankfurt court ruled Google cannot publish aerial images showing private areas of a home over the owner’s objection. Colonial History: Germany’s colonial past is back on the Bundestag agenda, as calls for a reckoning continue.

Iran–Germany Tensions: Germany summoned Iran’s ambassador after a Hamburg court convicted two men of spying on Jewish community leaders and preparing attacks on Tehran’s behalf. Iran rejected the accusations and summoned Germany’s envoy in response. Children Online: Germany has set interim social-media rules barring under-13s from platforms not proven child-friendly and recommending graduated limits for teenagers, alongside curbs on addictive design. Faith and Archaeology: A prayer-bearing amulet found in Germany is drawing attention for what it may reveal about early Christianity. Memory and Society: Berlin marked 85 years since Nazi deportations, while migrant groups called for safeguards ahead of a possible AfD-led state government. Art and History: A Nazi-looted Kandinsky painting from an Amsterdam family sold at auction for nearly €32 million, renewing focus on the legacy of wartime art theft.

Jewish Life: Germany summoned Iran’s ambassador after two men were sentenced for plotting attacks on Jewish community leaders Josef Schuster and Volker Beck. Literature: Berlin’s Al Diwan Arabic Book Fair brought writers from the Arab world closer to German readers, with a Foreign Ministry official calling the event a bridge between cultures. Music: Afrobeats star Ayra Starr will launch her 2027 European tour in Cologne on January 20, before playing Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Zurich, Brussels and London. German Classics Abroad: Staatskapelle Berlin, with more than 450 years of history, makes its Taiwan debut in November under conductor Christian Thielemann. Remembrance: Berlin marked 85 years since Nazi deportations with a ceremony at a station memorial.