LIVING IN GERMANY

Dr Joy Alemazung has won the election for mayor of the city of Heubach, near Stuttgart, with an outstanding result on Sunday. The Cameroon-born politician, who ran as an independent candidate, won a whopping 66.22% of the popular vote, resoundingly defeating more than six other contestants. Speaking to the inhabitants and the press on Sunday evening after his election, the …

The Bundesrat, the upper chamber of the federal parliament, has approved the long-discussed amendments to the catalogue of fines (Bußgeldkatalog), which regulates what penalty is imposed for which traffic offence in Germany. Speeding and parking violations will now be particularly expensive as from mid-November when the amendments enter into effect. —— As part of the long-discussed reform of the Road …

A group of twelve activists of the Black Lives Matter movement in Nuremberg, Germany, travelled to Strasbourg at the invitation of Dr Herzberger-Fofana (MEP), last week as part of the European Youth Event 2021. Here’s a report of the visit. At the invitation of Dr Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing Germany on the platform of the Green …

The city of Bad Dürkheim, the heartland of the wine-producing region of southwest Germany, and its Carnival Society “Derkemer Grawler” have named Togbe Céphas Bansah as the Golden Winemaker 2022. The Ghanaian traditional ruler is being honoured for “realising many aid projects and thus in fact improving the living conditions of his people”, the Carnival Society said in a press …

A Nigerian, who has been living in Germany for more than four decades, has been awarded the country’s national honour, Bundesverdienstkreuz. Akinbode Akinbiyi, a Berlin-based photographer, author and curator, was one of the 14 citizens conferred with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on 1 October to mark …

African Mums in Deutschland, a support group for African women in Germany founded by Maame Adwoa Dentaa Amoo, has been announced as one of the winners of the 2021 Facebook Community Accelerator Program. The Community Accelerator is part of Facebook’s Community Leadership Program, a global initiative that invests in people building online communities. The Program helps leaders harness the power …

A 40-year-old asylum-seeker from Sudan has been shot dead by the police in a shelter for refugees and asylum-seekers in Lower Saxony, the news agency AFP has reported. Police officers were said to have shot the man on Sunday evening when he allegedly attacked them with a knife during an operation in the asylum-seeker accommodation in Harsefeld, Lower Saxony, AFP …

New month, new laws! New laws and administrative regulations enter into effect in October. Among these are those related to the coronavirus pandemic as well as those affecting motorists, debtors, taxpayers and doctor’s prescriptions. ——- Unvaccinated persons to pay for tests In places where the 3G rule applies, only persons who have been vaccinated or have recovered from an infection …

A member of the Nigerian community in Hamburg, Mrs Ngozi Utoh-Samuel, has called on the German authorities to temper justice with mercy on the situation of Nigerians whose asylum applications have been rejected. The civil society activist, who is the founder of Positive Life Global Empowerment (PLGE) e.V., took to her Facebook page on Tuesday to address the issue of …

The new German federal parliament is more diverse than ever. For the first time, there are four Afro-German members in the Bundestag, as well as more women, younger people and people with a migration background. Three of the Afro-German politicians won direct mandates, which means they won the highest number of votes cast in their constituencies. “Four Afro-Germans in the …

Awet Tesfaiesus has become the first Black woman to be elected into the German parliament. The 47-year-old lawyer achieved the feat on Sunday when she was elected on the platform of the Green Party to represent the state of Hesse. The Eritrean-born politician has been the spokesperson for integration and equality for the Green parliamentary group in the Kassel city …

Dr Karamba Diaby, representing the eastern German constituency of Halle (Saxony-Anhalt), has won his third election into the German parliament (Bundestag). The Senegalese-born member of the SPD, who won a direct mandate on Sunday, took to social media to thank his supporters for the resounding victory. “What an evening! “I am still overwhelmed by the great trust that the people …

After a tightly fought race, the Social Democrats emerged winners at Germany’s general election on Sunday. According to preliminary results, the SPD finished the strongest party, closely followed by the CDU/CSU. The Greens are in third place, followed by the FDP and AfD. The Left Party plunged to below five per cent. The SPD won 25.7 per cent of the …

Choosing which party to vote for in a German election could be a difficult task with 47 of them contesting the polls this year. Here's a free question-and-answer online tool that finds out which party is most likely to represent your interests

Voters in Germany will elect a new federal parliament, the Bundestag, on Sunday, 26 September. 60.4 million people are entitled to vote. An estimated twelve percent of them, about 7.4 million people, have a migration background. A new study shows why this minority group could decide the winner of the election even though their issues hardly play a role in …

Germans will go to the polls on 26 September 2021 to vote for a new Bundestag, the lower house of the federal parliament, which is elected every four years by free, secret and direct ballot. A special report by The African Courier on the election: ——— The BundestagThe Bundestag is the elected representation of the German people. And being vested …

The General Consulate of Nigeria in Frankfurt has announced its resumption of processing of passport. In a press release published on its website, the consulate said: “This is to notify all passport applicants that processing of passport has resumed at the Consulate General of Nigeria in Frankfurt.Applicants are requested to send all required application documents via Email: nis.frankfurt@gmail.com.Appointment date and …

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has praised the families of Turkish immigrants as an important part of Germany. A Germany without the so-called guest workers, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren would be “simply inconceivable” today, Steinmeier said on Friday at an event to mark the 60th anniversary of the German-Turkish recruitment agreement in Berlin. They and immigrants from other countries had contributed …

As the campaign for Germany’s general election on 26 September hots up, a leader in the Nigerian community in Germany has spoken out in support of Olaf Scholz, the chancellor candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In an interview with the Africa Service of German international broadcaster DW, Kenneth Gbandi, a former president of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Germany, …

New laws and administrative regulations enter into effect in September. Among these are those affecting the national identity card, registration for unemployment, parental allowance, energy-saving lamps and a tool to help you make the right choice at the coming general election. The African Courier summarises what will be important for you to know. ———— Identity card (Personalausweis) on the smartphone: …