German arts organisations are coming under pressure from nationalist politicians – but they are pushing back with satirical creative work and protest actions, writes James Imam.
On an August afternoon, Stuttgart’s annual Sommerfest is in full swing. The biggest crowds gather in front of the opera house, to hear an American pop band blasting out 1990s hits. Staatsoper Stuttgart thinks of itself as a symbol of civic tolerance and inclusivity, yet barely a month earlier it was drawn into a divisive war. When members of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD) requested to know the nationalities of opera and ballet employees in the area, many saw chilling parallels with the rise of Nazism... Keep reading on the Financial Times
On an August afternoon, Stuttgart’s annual Sommerfest is in full swing. The biggest crowds gather in front of the opera house, to hear an American pop band blasting out 1990s hits. Staatsoper Stuttgart thinks of itself as a symbol of civic tolerance and inclusivity, yet barely a month earlier it was drawn into a divisive war. When members of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD) requested to know the nationalities of opera and ballet employees in the area, many saw chilling parallels with the rise of Nazism... Keep reading on the Financial Times