Weimar: A Small Town With Big History The eastern German city of Weimar offers visitors a look at both

the pinnacle of German cultural achievement and one of its lowest moments. Leading lights: a monument to Goethe and Schiller in Weimar Tourists come to Weimar, a city of 62,000 in the eastern German state of Thuringia, to see where the legendary poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe lived and followed his muse. They also come to see the Buchenwald concentration camp with their own eyes. Poets, philosophers and musicians By the early 19th century, Weimar only had some 6,000 residents, but its intellectual radiance resembled that of ancient Greece or Rome. Goethe and his colleague Friedrich Schiller lived and wrote here; Johann Sebastian Bach played the organ, Franz Liszt was a music director, and Carl Maria von Weber composed. Later, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche would write here as well. In the early 20th century, Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus here. And after the fall of the Weimar Republic, Hitler chose it as the site of the Nazi partys first national congress. The Schiller Museum "Everything that makes the city famous has to do with poets, philosophers and statesmen," said Angela Jahn,

spokesperson for the Weimar Culture Foundation. The cultural richness may account for why some four million people travel to Weimar each year. Of them, about a third visit the house where Goethe lived, according to tourism board statistics. From Schiller to Bauhaus The Goethe National Museum is actually made up of several houses, including the Goethe House, where Goethe lived and worked. The exhibit there focuses on life in the mid 18th century and houses some of his writings. Yet the most impressive object is the desk where Goethe stood -- yes, stood -- while he worked. Goethe wrote about his home: "Where else can you find so many good things in one spot?" Another part of the Goethe National Museum is the Schiller House, where the author and playwright spent the last three years of his life. Weimar was a center for the Bauhaus school These two museums belong to the Weimar Classics Foundation, which owns and maintains 22 museums, palaces and other monuments in and around the city, including the Goethe National Museum, the Liszt House, the Goethe and Schiller Archive, the Nietzsche Archive, castles and historical parks. The Palace Museum, the New Museum, the Bauhaus (Design School), and the Belvedere Palace also fall under the auspices of the foundation. UNESCO protection Altogether the city has 14 buildings protected by UNESCO. Recently, Goethe's work "Faust II" was added to UNESCO's list of 100 Historical Documents on Mankind. In 1999, Weimar was dubbed a European Cultural Capital. One of the most important projects undertaken by the Weimar Classics Foundation is the extension and restoration of the Duchess of Anna Amalia Library. The widowed Duchess Anna Amalia was a sort of 18th century talent scout, who sought cultural figures to

decorate the glittering court her Saxon forbears had established. Goethe and Schiller were among her finds. The library, which was under Goethes direction for 35 years, now possesses nearly 100,000 books, 2,000 medieval manuscripts, 8,400 historical maps and 3,900 various notes. The darker side of Weimar

Buchenwald Weimar's legacy of high culture, philosophy and music is not the whole picture, however. The Buchenwald concentration camp, located just north of town in the Ettersberg hills, is a testament to the very darkest days of Germanys past. Some 65,000 men, women and children were killed or died here. Visitors can reach the site by bus from Weimar. The camp, grounds and buildings are all open to the public. There are also interpretive exhibits in English, for example on what it was like to have a death camp so close town. Visitors can also prepare themselves for a trip to the Buchenwald information center at the Marktplatz, in the middle of town.

Goethe's favorite vegetable

Onion Market queen Some visitors to Weimar come for reasons neither historic nor literary. The

300-year-old Weimar Onion Market takes place in early October every year and the threeday festival in honor of the prosaic vegetable -- in which a local girl is named Onion Queen -- draws some 350,000 visitors a year. Goethe was known to have been so fond of the onion and its healthful properties that he decorated his home and study with them. WWW LINKS

Sing it Loud, Proud and in German IDOLS, SUPERSTARS, ROCK GODS AND RAVERS... 1 Kraftwerk is Back 2 Cracking Down on Bootlegs 3 Berlins Music Magnet Attracts Popkomm 4 The Love Parade is Dead, Long live the Love Parade 5 Having a "Conscious Party" 6 Pop Music Academy Opens its Doors 7 An Interview with Oasis' Noel Gallagher 8 Germany Finds its "Superstar" 9 Sing it Loud, Proud and in German 10 Popkomm Opens with Pledge of Governmental Support 11 Politics Goes Pop in Cologne The German government and the music industry are in favor of a quota for German language songs on public radio in an attempt to revive the popularity of mother tongue artists and boost the creative economy. Herbert Grnemeyer is one of the few who gets radio play for his German songs It used to be the cultural mandate of public radio stations to promote new music and to support the music industry in its own country. Radio DJ's were known as 'hit makers' for that very reason in the days before repeatedly regurgitated and commercially profitable

playlists were forced upon them. Now, by delivering a repetitive selection of songs chosen because of their popularity with the listeners and the all-important audience figures, the 'hit makers' have become mere 'hit players'. It now seems that the promotion of new music is secondary to the constant flow of successful songs, and the primary aim of the programs is to prevent the radio from being switched off between commercial breaks. When 'popular' music means those songs which have been successful with audiences for the last few years and manufactured pop hits sold on the back of some television program or commercial, then the music industry is left with two unhealthy extremes: the old favorites on one side, the immediate throwaway hits of today on the other. Left withering in the middle is the diminishing support structure for new music. Only 6 percent of radio time for German pop In countries where the native language isn't English, this problem has been magnified. In Germany in 2001, there were only 11 German productions among the Top 100 Airplay Charts with the first German-language song ranked at a lowly 163. In that year, only six percent of radio airtime in Germany was dedicated to German-language rock and pop songs once the oldies and folk music were deducted. This meant that only every 17th broadcast title was a song sung in German - amounting to less than one per hour. A study carried out by former Minister of State for Culture, Julian Nida-Rmelin, over a period between May 2001 and April 2002 showed that the use of German-produced material on the radio was between 10 and 20 percent of all airplay, while German language titles remained below ten percent. Of the 94 programs surveyed, only 51 managed to reach a five percent share of German language titles. No Angels are German but make hits in English. The figures for 2002 and 2003 may show a slight improvement on this considering the influx of German soap stars who have released records and the popularity of shows such as Popstars, Pop Idol and Germany's Search for a Superstar -- oh, but wait! Nearly all of them sing in

English, don't they? 50:50 aims to save German music The German government and the German music industry have proposed to take the matter in hand in a belated bid to save native talent. The 50:50 radio quota states that every second title played should be a new song which is no older than three months. The artist should not have published more than two albums so far, none of which has yet reached 'gold' status. But the most important part of the quota proposal states that every second new title is to be in German. And this is what gives the initiative its name: 50 percent of radio play should be new songs and 50 percent of those should be in German. This should increase the paltry six percent of German rock and pop being played on public radio to at least 25 percent. The quota is also designed to give new music a fair chance of being listened to, and possibly also being bought in the shops. As an upswing, the initiative may ultimately provide more innovative music which will find new listeners for the radio stations and win back the old ones. It is a model that has been used to great effect in France. The radio quota there has been in operation for nearly ten years now. Instead of a fixed ratio, as in the German proposal, the French promote a percentage of new and French-language titles according to the type of radio program: the fewer the number of French titles suitable in the program's repertoire, the greater the number of new titles and vice versa. French model a success The French model has also shown that the long held belief that 'successful hits = successful radio station' is no longer relevant. The quota has actually proved to be a financial success replacing repetitive set lists, which actually turned off listeners and consequently turned away advertisers. Through varied play schedules it has brought the audiences and advertising income back to the stations. It has also succeeded in strengthening French radio culture by offering ambitious music programs which have helped the country's musical culture as a whole. Xavier Naidoo used to sing in German, now he mixes in English lyrics. The decision by the government and the

music industry in Germany can be seen as a direct response to the failings of the public radio sector in fulfilling its cultural duty. Artists such as Xavier Naidoo and Herbert Grnemeyer consistently release material in the native language but the trend of German performers to push for a market further afield and release the bulk of their output in English has, for a long time, been supported by more and more radio programs. Bid to build stronger cultural identity The German music industry continues to develop a wide variety of music in difficult circumstances that is not presented at all on the radio. The quota is designed to bring those who sing in their German mother tongue to a wider audience and help build a stronger musical and cultural identity in Germany. DW.DE Idols, superstars, rock gods and ravers... Deutsche Welle looks back over the year in music so far with reports from the festivals, conferences and events that have shaped German pop in 2003.

Can Berlin Save German Pop? FIRES, FILMS AND FASHION 1 German-Turkish Film "Head-On" Wins Berlinale 2 "Tainted Art" Controversy Surrounds Berlin Exhibition 3 The Yearning for Kraut Art 4 The Party's Over -- Life after MoMA 5 Lagerfeld Causes Cheap Chic Craze 6 Can Berlin Save German Pop? 7 Germany's Cultural Legacy on Ice 8 Berlin Becomes Fashionista Capital 9 Just Don't Mention the War 10 Great ExpectationsUnfulfilled 11 Film Portrays Hitler in Human Light 12 Trivializing the Wall Many in Germany's troubled music industry hope moving the trade fair Popkomm from Cologne to Berlin this year will help the sector redefine itself in an age of plummeting CD sales and surging digital downloads.

Looking for the answers to the industry's woes Long suffering from sinking revenues and under threat from emerging technologies such as mp3 and Internet file-swapping networks, there are several issues plaguing the music business during the 16th annual Popkomm. But the move to Berlin has fused what is often billed as the world's biggest music trade fair with new life. "It's not simply moving from one city to another, but rather a real fresh start," said Popkomm's general manager Ralf Kleinhenz. Despite Cologne's role as an important media center in Germany, the number of visitors to the fair had dropped dramatically in recent years. Opening with a big concert on Tuesday night, organizers hope Berlin -- which has been anointed Germany's music capital -- will increase Popkomm's international profile. There will be 661 exhibitors at the three-day trade fair from 41 different countries. Along with an industry conference, there will be 400 hours of live music at concerts and club events open to the general public. During the week, German acts like rappers Die Fantastischen Vier and rockers Sportfreunde Stiller will perform alongside international artists including worldrenowned techno DJs and veteran gangsta rapper Ice-T, who has a new group called The Machine. But as Berliners enjoy a few days of top-shelf music, industry insiders will be discussing the still uncertain future of the music business. The future is digital Topping the agenda is how to deal with the rapidly evolving nature of music. As fewer people buy CDs and move their music collections to their home computers, the industry is still grappling with piracy and copyright issues for digital formats like mp3s. Some estimates have put the drop in sales for the German music sector at around 40 percent since 1997. Most in the industry blame Internet file-sharing networks that were modeled on Napster. "What's changing at the moment is how we deal with music," Kleinhenz said. "And that

raises questions not only of an economic nature, but also cultural and societal questions." In Germany, one of the top current questions is how best to support local artists. Some are calling for a radio quota for German musicians modeled on France's system. There, at least 40 percent of all radio airtime is reserved for French acts. The initiative has gained the support of some German politicians, including Green Party parliamentarian Antje Vollmer. "We owe it to our cultural identity," Vollmer said, according to DPA news agency. "It has nothing to do with being overly German. Other countries naturally take care of their own artists." Vollmer has called for an open parliamentary debate on the matter on Wednesday. Not waiting for help Many musicians agree more needs to be done to promote German acts, but they aren't waiting for the government or industry to help them out. Eike Herwig, the drummer for the punk rock band the Donots, said his group makes a special effort to promote up-and-coming bands. Besides setting up a special section highlighting new groups on their Web site, the Donots are also giving them opening spots on their latest tour. Ingo and Alex from the Donots at the Hurricane Open Air Festival. (Eike is behind them.) "I think it's important to give German musicians more attention," Herwig told DW-WORLD. "A lot of the time on German radio the focus is on bands from America and England." Tim Renner from record label Motor Music backs the idea of supporting local acts, but is leery of a legally mandated quota. During Popkomm the label's new radio station MotorFM will broadcast only German bands and musicians like Canadian electro-trash queen Peaches, who have a connection to Germany. Thinking globally and locally

Renner used to head up the German division of Universal Music, but he and the company parted ways amid disagreement over the direction the label was heading. Whereas Renner always thought supporting local German musicians would be the best way to approach the domestic market, the head office of the company wanted to focus more on major international acts that could be sold globally. Tim Renner "I get mixed feelings when I hear the word quota," Renner told DW-WORLD. "They'll tell you there's not enough good stuff out there. That's not true. They need to promote the cultural diversity, but any quota will mean they've failed to find a radio concept." He said if MotorFM gets a permanent frequency to broadcast in Berlin the station will continue to support local artists, but it will concentrate on simply playing good music regardless of its origin. Renner is also hoping to pioneer new ways to make new digital technologies a boon instead of a bane for the industry. He said the station would aim to make every song played available to download legally. Besides an Internet portal along the lines of the Apple iTunes Music Store, he said he hoped to have a totally mobile business model, including being able to send a SMS text message from your phone to purchase the song being played on your car stereo. "The radio stations could be the retailers of tomorrow," he said. "Radio is the most mobile medium there is."

Politics Goes Pop in Cologne IDOLS, SUPERSTARS, ROCK GODS AND RAVERS... 1 Kraftwerk is Back 2 Cracking Down on Bootlegs 3 Berlins Music Magnet Attracts Popkomm

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

The Love Parade is Dead, Long live the Love Parade Having a "Conscious Party" Pop Music Academy Opens its Doors An Interview with Oasis' Noel Gallagher Germany Finds its "Superstar" Sing it Loud, Proud and in German Popkomm Opens with Pledge of Governmental Support Politics Goes Pop in Cologne

As the 15th Popkomm music conference attempted to maintain the pace set by the euphoric opening address, politicians mingled with industry experts and artists to discuss ways to improve the music business. Politics and pop don't make good music, especially when the industry's future is at stake. It was billed as the debate where pops future would be planned and initiatives to secure that future would be discussed. Seated side by side on the stage were the people with the ideas and the people with the links to power who could bring those ideas to fruition. Everything was set for the first days main discussion,Pop Agenda Paving the Path for the Future, to start the music industrys healing process. But what the discussion actually showed, more than the ways politics and pop could work together, was the conflict of interests between parties and the lack of cohesive targets between everyone involved. Much has been said about the current problems plaguing the music industry. The business finds itself floundering in a culture where a depressed economy leaves potential customers with less money to spend. Consequently, this has led to the creation of structures where free access to the products customers want are available on the Internet. The result in both cases is decreasing revenue for the music industry. The burning question The subject of bootlegging and Internet piracy was the main focus for Germanys politicians. Both Monika Griefhahn from the Social Democrats (SPD) and Stefan

Kampeter from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) insisted that more should be done to reduce "intellectual and creative theft." However, this was the only common ground the two shared, and even that was denied by both sides. "There should be a framework for punishing this electronic theft and this should be a mandate for the government," said Kampeter. "If we fail to protect copyright, we fail to protect the economy," he stated and passed the blame onto his political opponent: "The SPD, from as far back as the 1960s, has said that creative products should remain in the public domain, that there should be more sharing." This is the reason the CDU is pushing for more protection for intellectual property in the fight against piracy, Kampeter said. Monika Griefhahn retorted: "I dont know where that claim about the SPD came from. We also believe that copyright needs to be protected, but we should apply practical solutions." Griefhahn referred to the recent copyright legislation agreed by the government and the new added tax of 9.24 on every CD burner sold as solutions the SPD were initiating. "We also need to reorganise the market," she added. "The agreement to start the cross industry downloading portal (a music sharing device run by the record companies where material can be downloaded for a charge) is evidence that this is happening." Education is key Those representing the music industry, although agreeing that piracy is severely damaging sales, preferred to address wider issues, such as education and the promotion of the creative economy. Udo Dahmen, the head of the Pop Academy school in Mannheim, believed that quality and training would be the savior of the music industry. "People ask me, how can you teach pop music? I say we teach the basics of what kids should expect and nurture the talent they already have. Also, we teach them to appreciate quality music. How can you expect quality music to be produced in the future if you dont educate the kids in it?" Dahmen added that his own vision for securing pops future would include teacher training and an increased use of music teaching in schools. Radio quota raises questions Gerd Gebahrt from the German Phonographic Association picked up on the quality issue to turn the discussion towards promotion. He cited the proposed radio quota as a way of bringing German talent to a wider audience. "Only 10 percent of German music produced actually gets airtime. We have a responsibility to give our artists airtime," Gebhardt said. "The industry has seen a 30 percent market loss in the last five years, 16 percent of that in the last six months. Okay,

its mostly down because of the free lunch mentality of bootlegging, but if thats the only way of getting hold of material, thats what consumers will do to get it." He said radio access for German artists would revive a stagnant sector of the market. Stefan Kampeter seized on the subject to cast doubts on what the quota would actually mean. "In principle, the CDU agrees with the radio quota proposal. Its a good idea that the quality and quantity of German products are highlighted and get exposure, but guaranteeing 50 percent of German productions on the radio is going to be problematic. As soon as you guarantee radio access, youre talking about subsidizing pop music." Gebhardt summed up the apparent disparity between pop and politics. "I disagree. They should play more German music and thats that. Full stop." Few solutions, more problems. The task at hand may not be just the saving of pops future but the saving of the relationship between politics and the music industry. One must surely be resolved before the other can stand a chance. DW.DE