Fires, Films and Fashion
December 30, 2004All in all, 2004 was a year of self-discovery for Germany.
While the Berlin Film festival in February marked a triumphant return to form for the German film industry and the capital's seven-month MoMA exhibition went down in history as Europe's most successful exhibition ever, the fire in late summer at the Anna Amalia Library in Weimar wreaked havoc on one of the country's most outstanding cultural treasures.
Berlin might have been basking in its new-found glory as a breeding ground for cutting-edge art and fashion, but its hip reputation didn't translate into profits. Amid much discussion about radio quotas to boost home-grown pop, the German music industry pinned its hopes of recovery on Popkomm, one of the many international trade fairs to relocate to Berlin in 2004.
In autumn, the 15th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall served as reminder that reunification is still a very touchy subject -- while a visit from Britain's Queen Elisabeth in November unearthed some even older resentments.
DW-World takes a look at 2004's tops and flops -- the most memorable moments in a year that saw Germany tentatively reclaim a sense of national pride.