LIVING IN GERMANY

If life were a battlefield, Emeka Okoronkwo, killed when he went to the rescue of two molested women could be said to have died a valiant soldier with a bullet in the chest and a gun in his hand. But to Okoronkwo, life was about living in peace and harmony. Okoronkwo, then 21, sought to protect two Frankfurt women who …

The African Network of Germany (TANG) held its corona crisis video conference for the seventh time on Thursday. Attended by the regional representatives of the organisation from all parts of Germany, the event also launched the second phase of TANG’s ongoing awareness and sensitisation campaign about the COVID-19 disease. The first phase of the campaign tagged Coronavirus TANG #Telefonaktion, which …

Chancellor Angela Merkel conferred with the premiers of the federal states on Wednesday (May 6) in a virtual meeting and they jointly decided to further relax the anti-coronavirus containment measures in force in the country. However, the individual federal states (Länder) are responsible for implementing agreed measures in accordance with their local situations. The federal and state governments agreed on …

Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament, in this opinion piece comments on the Nigerian-born clergyman, Father Dr Patrick Asomugha, who was forced to resign from his position in the Catholic parish of Queidersbach, a small town in Germany, last month. —- After months of hostilities, Nigerian-born Pastor Father Dr Patrick Asomugha was forced to resign from his position …

An umbrella organisation of Africans in Germany has called on government not to neglect racism even as it’s making strenuous efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in the country. The group made the call in a press statement, titled COVID-19: Alltagsrassismus kennt kein Ausübungsverbot! (Everyday racism doesn’t recognise official ban), issued on Thursday in Berlin. “The High …

In order to contain the consequences of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, new measures are adopted almost daily in Germany. But in addition to these short-term new regulations, there are also other laws that will take effect in Germany from May 2020. The African Courier summarises the most important changes here. —— Kurzarbeit: Regulations for additional earnings by short-time …

After a temporary closure of hair salons, part of measures ordered by the government to contain the spread of the coronavirus, hairdressing salons and barber shops may reopen from Monday, 4 May, but only under certain conditions.  Finally, after several weeks you can have your hair cut, styled or dressed again. However, a set of new rules, designed to protect …

As from Monday, 27 April, the wearing of face masks on public transport – trains, buses, trams, subways etc. – will be compulsory in all the 16 federal states in Germany. In fact, the regulation is already in effect in Saxony (since 20 April), Saxony-Anhalt (23 April) and Thuringia (24 April) and it will enter into force in Schleswig-Holstein on …

TANG, a network of hundreds of African organisations in Germany, has called on Africans in the country to continue to be vigilant as lockdown measures are being relaxed and active social life begins again —- As the gradual phasing out of the country’s lockdown measures takes off, Dr Sylvie Nantcha, chairman of The African Network of Germany (TANG), has called …

Nearly half of the roughly 600 people at a refugee camp in Germany have tested positive for the new coronavirus (Covid-19). The number of cases among residents of the country’s initial reception facility (Landeserstaufnahmeeinrichtung or LEA) in the town of Ellwangen, which has been under quarantine, increased from seven to 251 within two weeks. The town is situated in Baden-Wurttemberg, …

  A Nigerian Roman Catholic priest has been forced to give up his parish in Germany after a series of racist acts including death threats. Father Dr. Patrick Asomugha will step down from his parish in Queidersbach, a town of some 3,000 inhabitants in the western state of Rhineland Palatinate, on Monday (20 April) after “massive” intimidation against him, said …

The Embassy of Uganda in Berlin, which is responsible for Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, The Vatican, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania, has announced the commencement of the registration of Ugandans stranded in the countries of accreditation. Below is the official announcement by the Embassy: ——— REGISTRATION OF UGANDANS STRANDED IN GERMANY, AUSTRIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, POLAND, HUNGARY, THE …

Dr Sylvie Nantcha, chairman of The African Network of Germany (TANG), has called on Africans in the country to continue their strict observance of the coronavirus containment measures in force in the country. By doing so, they would not only protect themselves and their families, but also others. She made the call on Thursday during the 5th video conference of …

Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced updated measures, some of which will remain in place “until further notice.” But what exactly is changing for residents of Germany — and what did Germany’s many state leaders want? German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday announced the next phase of the country’s plan to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus and its resulting …

TANG, a network of hundreds of African organisations and individual members in Germany, is inviting African entrepreneurs in the country to a video conference on how to access government support within the framework of the social protection package introduced in response to the corona crisis. The organisation provides information on the relief package and how African business people can apply …

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called efforts to curb coronavirus a “test of our humanity”. It is the first time a German president formally addressed the nation on television other than at Christmas. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called on the nation to show patience, discipline and solidarity in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, in a rare televised address aired …

Members of the Ghanaian community from Karlsruhe, Kiel, Mannheim, Cologne, Freiburg, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Essen, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Dortmund, Bremen, Frankfurt, Duisburg, Berlin Flensburg and Darmstadt gathered at the weekend through a conference call to discuss how best to support the Ghanaians in Germany during the ongoing pandemic crisis. The confab, third community meeting of the community since the outbreak of …

TANG, a network of hundreds of African organisations in Germany, has renewed its call to Africans in Germany to comply with social contact restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic as it loses a founding member to the disease —– Dr Sylvie Nantcha, chairman of The African Network of Germany (TANG), has renewed her call to Africans in Germany to comply with …

Usually, new laws and regulations take effect at the beginning of every month in Germany. It’s not different for April 2020 despite the corona crisis. In fact, as a result of government’s emergency relief measures against the pandemic, there’re several additional changes, ranging from new regulations protecting tenants against eviction to those governing welfare benefits as well as support grants to …

The businessman, who is based in Duesseldorf, talks about his title, what it means, the responsibilities it entails for him, among other issues, in an exclusive interview.