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Marc Adelman's Stelen is a collection of 150 images of men posing at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Germany. Understanding the photographs that compromise Stelen involves tracking a number of shifts that have taken place across different fields: a change in the understanding of the role of the public memorial which has seen the construction of 'anti-memorials' or 'counter-monuments' such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe; a turn towards participatory memory practices in museums and at memorial sites; digital photography and the impact of social media. In the first part of this paper, I explore how these trends intersect in order to give an account of the conditions of production of the photographs. Adelman has proposed that the photographs might be understood in relation to the role that the memory of the Holocaust plays in contemporary queer life. In the second part of this paper, I use Michael Rothberg's concept of Multidirectional Memory to consider Stelen as a counter-archive that offers a multidirectional articulation of grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to experts, pasturing in Europe has been decreasing for many years. Today, a lot of different pieces of regulation in Germany and in Europe exist, affecting farmers when they bring their cows to pasture. Furthermore, there are social requirements for pasturing, which need to be considered. Factors like increasing relevance of animal welfare, environmental protection, and the recreational use of the environment and esthetics of landscape come into play. Therefore, scientific research and new solutions are needed. This paper aims to give an overview across selected pasture-related regulations affecting farmers in Germany and Europe. Furthermore, aspects which are not directly regulated by the government, but are expectations of society will be highlighted. Concluding from this, technological possibilities -already on market and in the pipeline of scientific research will be described. Results show that today several different attempts are made to improve pasturing. Most of these attempts focus on improvement of management tasks. Attempts also directly focus on technological improvements. It can be concluded that new tools for pasturing can increase productivity and simultaneously decrease management tasks. Nevertheless, pricing of these tools as well es the amount of bureaucracy will be the most crucial factors for their adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosques in Europe have long been and are still at the centre of political debates, despite the decades-long presence of migrant Muslim communities in Europe. Scholars within geography and other disciplines have studied mosques extensively with a focus on urban space politics, and examined tensions and conflicts between migrant mosque communities and the broader segments of the local people. In this paper, I focus on DITIB, a Turkish umbrella mosque organization in Germany, and I carry these debates into a transnational terrain, re-theorizing mosques not only as political sites, but also everyday geopolitical spaces where national imaginaries and territorial struggles take place in the daily lives of mosque communities. Through this approach, I draw on the studies of feminist geographers who have provided a renewed perspective to classical geopolitics discussions by revealing how geopolitical relations, struggles, and interactions also operate in everyday spaces, relations, and bodies of ordinary people by reproducing the deep-seated exclusions, discriminations and contestations. This paper contributes to critical geopolitics and geographies of religion literatures as well as to broader discussions on the geopolitics of religion by analysing how a mosque organization is situated at the centre of geopolitical tensions, and how transnational and transregional controversies operate on the walls and properties of mosques and in everyday social/cultural activities of mosque communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the conflicts associated with the so-called 'Dieselgate' affair. It explains the interaction of civil society, law firms and political actors which reshapes the legal systems in Europe. Once the federal government in Germany had decided that European car owners should not get any kind of financial compensation, a transnational coalition of consumer organizations and law firms successfully initiated a legal mobilization campaign to counteract the political decision. As a consequence, collective litigation rights were strengthened in Germany and at the European level. Theoretically, the paper refers to the literature on adversarial legalism. Whether this judicialized style of conflict resolution is spreading to Europe ('Eurolegalism') has been a hotly debated topic in political science. Our main argument is that the Dieselgate case is a catalyst event to foster the transformation process towards 'Eurolegalism'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst the link between young people's well‐being and the creative arts is strengthening, there is a lack of research which focuses on the roles that artists play to help teachers and parents engage young people in the creative arts. This paper explores the benefits of and barriers to artists working in education in six European countries (England, Iceland, Germany, Greece, Italy and Austria). Using the '5A's model of creativity' and a view of professional development taking place within 'landscapes of practice', the data were analysed in order to explain how creativity is operationalised in the different contexts. Our study highlights the need for policy at a national and transnational level to value the creative arts in order to help teachers cross boundaries and utilise the full potential of the creative arts in schools. Our study also highlights that further research is needed into how artists shape teaching and curriculum and how schools engage parents in the creative arts in order to build an evidence‐base relating to young people's positive mental health that can affect policy at these levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic farming systems have become widespread in recent decades due to their popularity with consumers and their beneficial effects on the environment and biodiversity. Through the increasing number of available studies from farm surveys and comparable results from long-term field trials, the various real existing forms and intensities of agricultural management were subjected to a closer examination in this review. In this paper, the mean characteristics and the range of variation in crop productivity, crop quality and soil fertility as well as the importance and the extent of environmental impacts are comparatively analyzed. From widespread cultivation systems and forms of nutrient management from Central Europe with a focus on Germany, the following fields of influence were investigated and conclusions for the future optimal design of organic cultivation methods were listed: site, soil conditions, climate, phases of conversion and consolidation, crop rotations and farm structures, application of organic and mineral fertilizer types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany and continental Europe, more broadly, race and ethnicity are concepts that are not widely used and are increasingly erased from the legislation. Nevertheless, race and ethnicity are still used as social markers and often merely replaced with other terms (e.g., cultural background). The goal of this paper is threefold. First, we point to the danger of treating race and ethnicity as essentialist categories, which is still common in developmental science research. Second, we want to outline specific problems that occur when doing research on ethnicity and race with children and adolescents in the European race‐mute context. Third, we suggest that future research ought to focus more on constructions of Whiteness and reproduction of power differences among ethnic majority populations. In doing so, we draw on examples from our own research on ethnic‐racial identity and ethnic‐racial socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Means-tested transfer schemes in Europe and elsewhere tend to include not only income tests but also asset tests of various sorts. The role of asset tests in minimum income protection provisions has been extensively researched in the Anglo-Saxon context. Far fewer authors have assessed the role of asset tests on social policy in a continental European context. Although asset tests may be useful in singling out the more deserving of the poor, we know relatively little of their actual impact on eligibility and social outcomes in European welfare states. This paper looks at the prevalence and design of asset tests in European minimum income protection schemes. We distinguish between two main types of asset tests: outright disqualification when assets reach a certain value, versus a more gradual tapering at a fictional rate of return. We then analyse in greater detail how asset tests in Belgium and Germany, as representatives of these two types, affect minimum income protection eligibility and poverty outcomes. We use the EUROMOD microsimulation model on the Household Finance and Consumption Survey data in order to assess the effects of asset tests. This survey was explicitly designed to more realistically reflect assets and capital incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on research undertaken as part of the EU funded EPPIC project, this paper aims to update and elaborate on the relationship between drug use and offending behaviours by exploring variations within a cross-national sample of drug-experienced young people in touch with criminal justice systems. Adopting a trajectory-based approach, interviews were undertaken with 198 young people aged 15–25 in six European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and UK). Data were analysed by applying the Bennett and Holloway categorization of the drugs-crime link, with a focus on the concept of social exclusion as developed by Seddon. Three main types of mechanisms (economic, pharmaceutical, and lifestyles) are used to interpret the data, showing how the relationship between drugs and offending can vary according to type of substances and over time. Furthermore, it can be associated with very different degrees of social exclusion and needs. The results suggest that while economic inequalities still play key roles in explaining drug use and offending, both behaviours can originate from a state of relative deprivation, resulting from the contradictions inherent in 'bulimic societies' that raise aspirations and desires while providing young people scarce opportunities for self-realisation and social recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vogelherd and Petersfels are two of the richest central European Palaeolithic sites from the Aurignacian and Magdalenian periods. Vogelherd is known for its figurative art, flutes and ornaments made of ivory, while Petersfels is known for its complex ornament assemblage, especially the female figurines made of jet. Both sites yielded Glycymeris molluscs, which can provide unique information on the mobility and social behaviour of groups from the Upper Palaeolithic of southern Germany. In this paper, we examine the Glycymeris finds from southern Germany and place them in a broader European context by summarising the finds from Belgium, Switzerland, France, and Italy. Glycymeris are one of the most common bivalve species in the Upper Palaeolithic of Central Europe and are found from the Aurignacian until the Magdalenian. The analyses presented here constitute a functional analysis of Glycymeris and an interpretation of their significance in terms of longdistance connections. Finally, we address use-traces and residues left on the Glycymeris and put forward various hypotheses for future investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand for index insurance in Europe remains low, the use of satellite-retrieved data has received considerable research attention because it can reduce the basis risk, increase hedging effectiveness and thus potentially increase the attractiveness of index insurance to farmers. However, there is limited knowledge on farmers' demand and specific preferences for satellite-based index insurance. This study aims to obtain initial insights into farmers' preferences for satellite-based index insurance. In particular, farmers' overall preferences for satellite-based compared to precipitation-based index insurance are investigated. The objective is further deepened by investigating the effect of partially subsidizing index insurance. Finally, we focus on differences in preferences caused by the farmer's individual specific factors as this allows to identify the potential target groups for satellite-based index insurance. As satellite-based index insurance is still hard to find in Europe, a discrete choice experiment has been conducted with 127 German farmers. In a hypothetical scenario, farmers had to choose whether or not to insure themselves against drought by purchasing hypothetical index insurance products. Specifically, based on a labeled design, they had to choose between a satellite-based and a precipitation-based index insurance, or could choose not to use either alternative (opt-out). We include other insurance attributes such as premium, strike level and payout as they were rated as important by the farmers. Mixed logit model results show a preference for both index insurance products against no insurance. Particularly, the average farmer has a statistically significant higher preference for the satellite-based index insurance. In addition, subsidizing satellite-based index insurance has a higher effect on farmers' preferences. Moreover, the latent class model identifies heterogeneous preferences among farmers. Insurers can be advised to incorporate satellite data into the design of index insurance. By integrating them into existing index insurance products or by developing purely satellite-based index insurance, insurers could tailor index insurance better to farmers' preferences. Policymakers can be advised that farmers are differentially sensitive to subsidies. Especially farmers with a stronger preference for the satellite-based index insurance derive a huge increase in utility from subsidies. The study provides initial insights into farmers' preferences for satellite-based index insurance that can guide insurers regarding the design of index insurance products and give policymakers insights into how governmental support would change farmers' demand for index insurance. [Display omitted] • Satellite data are under discussion to reduce basis risk of index insurance and increase the attractiveness to farmers • This paper investigates farmers preferences for a satellite-based compared to a precipitation-based index insurance • The average farmer has a higher preference for the satellite-based compared to the precipitation-based index insurance • The average farmer is more sensitive to subsidizing the satellite-based compared to the precipitation-based index insurance • Findings are of interest to insurers regarding the design of index insurance and policymakers regarding policy intervention [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medical data from family doctors are of great importance to health care researchers but seem to be locked in German practices and, thus, are underused in research. The RADAR project (Routine Anonymized Data for Advanced Health Services Research) aims at designing, implementing and piloting a generic research architecture, technical software solutions as well as procedures and workflows to unlock data from family doctor's practices. A long-term medical data repository for research taking legal requirements into account is established. Thereby, RADAR helps closing the gap between the European countries and to contribute data from primary care in Germany.Methods: The RADAR project comprises three phases: (1) analysis phase, (2) design phase, and (3) pilot. First, interdisciplinary workshops were held to list prerequisites and requirements. Second, an architecture diagram with building blocks and functions, and an ordered list of process steps (workflow) for data capture and storage were designed. Third, technical components and workflows were piloted. The pilot was extended by a data integration workflow using patient-reported outcomes (paper-based questionnaires).Results: The analysis phase resulted in listing 17 essential prerequisites and guiding requirements for data management compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Based on this list existing approaches to fulfil the RADAR tasks were evaluated-for example, re-using BDT interface for data exchange and Trusted Third Party-approach for consent management and record linkage. Consented data sets of 100 patients were successfully exported, separated into person-identifying and medical data, pseudonymised and saved. Record linkage and data integration workflows for patient-reported outcomes in the RADAR research database were successfully piloted for 63 responders.Conclusion: The RADAR project successfully developed a generic architecture together with a technical framework of tools, interfaces, and workflows for a complete infrastructure for practicable and secure processing of patient data from family doctors. All technical components and workflows can be reused for further research projects. Additionally, a Trusted Third Party-approach can be used as core element to implement data privacy protection in such heterogeneous family doctor's settings. Optimisations identified comprise a fully-electronic consent recording using tablet computers, which is part of the project's extension phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the initial results of an anonymous pilot quantitative survey on Muslims' conception of marriage and divorce, which was conducted in Germany between February and June 2018. The goal of the survey was to assess the attitudes held by Muslims towards these issues. Specifically, the questions aimed at identifying the potential role of the European context in the modification of German Muslims' understanding of marriage and divorce and gender roles, as well as interreligious marriage, mediation, and the role of the secular state in daily life. The results of this survey, although not representative of all Muslim perspectives on secular law, indicate dialogic exchange between Islamic and Western secular conceptions of family law. Contrary to some current assumptions concerning Islamic family law in Europe, the survey shows that there are many Muslims who are in favour of both conceptions (the religious and the secular) and wish to find a balance between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population aging is exacerbating the loss of competences in the workforce and simultaneously young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEETs) are struggling to be reengaged in employment. These issues, which are deemed priorities for the European policy agenda, could be addressed by triggering active aging dimensions, valuing and exploiting older adult entrepreneurs' knowledge for enhancing youngsters' entrepreneurial attitudes, through mentoring. This paper reports the results of a study based on an intergenerational learning program, carried out in 2018 in Germany, Italy and Slovenia. The study was aimed at developing and testing one training on mentoring addressing 41 older adult entrepreneurs (55 and over), and two intergenerational learning trainings aiming at boosting entrepreneurial competences of 33 NEETs (aged 18–29). The impact of the program on older adult entrepreneurs and NEETs was assessed through a pre and post-evaluation using qualitative and quantitative tools. Findings at country level were treated as national case-studies and then the latter were compared by considering them as a multiple embedded case-study. Results indicated that, to different extent in the study countries, mentors learned and enhanced mentoring competences, e.g. active listening and the capability of orienting, improved well-being and self-esteem, social inclusion and active aging attitude. Moreover, NEETs acquired entrepreneurial and socio-relational competences by benefiting from the full exploitation of mentors' know-how and the trust relationship with them. Companies, trade unions, educational and voluntary organizations should cooperate to adopt intergenerational learning programs as good practices for older adults and NEETs' lifelong learning promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of hydrogen in a future energy system with a high share of variable renewable energy sources (VRES) is regarded as crucial in order to balance fluctuations in electricity generation. These fluctuations can be compensated for by flexibility measures such as the expansion of transmission, flexible generation, larger back-up capacity and storage. Salt cavern storage is the most promising technology due to its large storage capacity, followed by pumped hydro storage. For the underground storage of chemical energy carriers such as hydrogen, salt caverns offer the most promising option owing to their low investment cost, high sealing potential and low cushion gas requirement. This paper provides a suitability assessment of European subsurface salt structures in terms of size, land eligibility and storage capacity. Two distinct cavern volumes of 500,000 m3 and 750,000 m3 are considered, with preference being given for salt caverns over bedded salt deposits and salt domes. The storage capacities of individual caverns are estimated on the basis of thermodynamic considerations based on site-specific data. The results are analyzed using three different scenarios: onshore and offshore salt caverns, only onshore salt caverns and only onshore caverns within 50 km of the shore. The overall technical storage potential across Europe is estimated at 84.8 PWh H2 , 27% of which constitutes only onshore locations. Furthermore, this capacity decreases to 7.3 PWh H2 with a limitation of 50 km distance from shore. In all cases, Germany has the highest technical storage potential, with a value of 9.4 PWh H2, located onshore only in salt domes in the north of the country. Moreover, Norway has 7.5 PWh H2 of storage potential for offshore caverns, which are all located in the subsurface of the North Sea Basin. • Technical H 2 storage in bedded salt deposits and salt domes across Europe. • Potential is thermodynamically derived, and respects geospatial exclusions. • Total on- and offshore European hydrogen storage potential estimated at 84.8 PWh H2. • Onshore salt caverns within 50 km of the coast constitute 7.3 PWh H2 (~30%). • Highest national storage potential is observed in Germany with 9.4 PWh H2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines state that heart failure nurse specialists (heart-failure nurses) with specific competences are essential for a successful heart-failure-management programme. Thus, the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC developed the heart failure nurse curriculum (HFA curriculum). Several ESC member states developed cardiovascular education programmes to enable nurses to deliver high specialist care, but little is known of whether these curricula are in line with the HFA curriculum. Therefore, this paper describes the extent to which cardiovascular education programmes in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany correspond to the HFA curriculum. Methods and results: A case study approach was adopted to obtain an in-depth understanding of the programme contents in relation to the HFA curriculum. For this purpose, representatives of the educational programmes and/or delegates of the national cardiovascular nursing organization shared their educational curricula. All of the studied cardiovascular education programmes aim to provide heart failure and/or cardiovascular nurses with essential competences for implementation of evidence based and guideline derived care. However, every cardiovascular education programme has a different focus/area of attention. Cardiovascular education in Belgium discusses aspects of all core-learning objectives of the HFA curriculum and emphasizes mostly knowledge aspects of these. Learning objectives in cardiovascular education in The Netherlands focus on chronic diseases in general and on learning objectives concerning patient education, support in self-care and management of device and pharmacological therapy. Cardiovascular education in Germany discusses most learning objectives; however, not all learning objectives receive equal attention. Conclusions: Although local cardiovascular education programmes adopt certain aspects of the HF curriculum, the curriculum as a whole is not adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new HLRS flagship system Hazel Hen (a Cray XC40) is Europe's fastest system in the High Performance Conjugate Gradients (HPCG) benchmarking list. Designed to provide maximum sustainable performance to the users of HLRS - ignoring both peak and Linpack performance numbers - it has even climbed to number 8 in the TOP500 list and is one of the fastest systems in the world used both by research and industry. This paper will present insight into the strategy that was at the heart of the HLRS decision. It will further show how Hazel Hen can and has already impacted research and industry by providing high sustained performance for real world applications. In this paper we will show two applications and discuss the industrial uptake of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are major drivers of environmental change at all scales and are especially at risk from the ensuing effects, which include poor air quality, flooding and heat waves. Typically, these issues are studied on a city-by-city basis owing to the spatial complexity of built landscapes, local topography and emission patterns. However, to ensure knowledge sharing and to integrate local-scale processes with regional and global scale modelling initiatives, there is a pressing need for a world-wide database on cities that is suited for environmental studies. In this paper we present a European database that has a particular focus on characterising urbanised landscapes. It has been derived using tools and techniques developed as part of the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) project, which has the goal of acquiring and disseminating climate-relevant information on cities worldwide. The European map is the first major step toward creating a global database on cities that can be integrated with existing topographic and natural land-cover databases to support modelling initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last years, a demand for regionally produced biogas feedstocks was created by government subsidies to biogas production in Germany—contrary to the trend of specialization of agricultural production towards global commodity markets. The question arose whether this trend could contribute to an increased cultivation of uncommon crops and diversification of cropping patterns, owing to comparably different and less restricted feedstock requirements. In the cooperative research project "EVA," a multi-site experimental crop rotation field trial was conducted over 8 years at eight sites, representing the variety of soil-climatic conditions in Germany. The aim of the trial was to assess a variety of established and novel crops for anaerobic digestion. This paper presents the key findings of the trial. Special emphasis is given to biomass productivity and profitability. The chances for the approach "diversification of cropping patterns via energy cropping" are discussed. Results show that maize (average 4-year dry matter yield varied site-specific between 14.22 and 25.12 t ha−1) is clearly the most efficient crop for biogas production in Central Europe. Some cropping options for biogas feedstock production, such as winter triticale (whole crop, average yield of 6.71 to 15.17 t ha−1) or perennial fodder mixtures (average yield of 7.51 to 19.44 t ha−1) are feasible choices for farmers in some regions, which could contribute to diverse cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897) is seen as a vital link between the European nature cure movement of the 19th century and American naturopathy. He promoted a holistic treatment concept founded on five pillars: hydro- and phytotherapy, exercise, balanced nutrition, and regulative therapy. Kneipp attempted to bridge the gap with allopathic medicine, and many modern treatments that are based on his methods indeed blend wellness elements with naturopathic medicine and biomedicine. Because Kneipp's approach to health and healing today are mainly covered in German literature, this paper aims to provide a broader international audience with insights into his life and his treatment methods and to highlight the profound influence Kneipp has had to this day on natural and preventive medicine. The paper emphasizes in particular the continued popularity of Kneipp's holistic approach to health and well-being, which is evident in the many national and international Kneipp Associations, the globally operating Kneipp Werke, postgraduate qualifications in his treatment methods, and the existence of more than 60 accredited Kneipp spas and health resorts in Germany alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper explores practical and ethical dilemmas for professionals when securing the protection of children in the complex non‐clinical setting of individual families. It is based on a cross‐country study on cultural encounters in interventions against child physical abuse and neglect in four countries (England/Wales, Germany, Portugal, and Slovenia). Drawing on national reports of legal‐organizational frameworks and socio‐cultural backgrounds of European child protection systems, it also presents the results of a series of focus groups with professionals. Data were analysed to identify implicit and explicit discursive constructions as well as normative representations and from this deriving the key ethical issues and dilemmas. Despite a shared normative framework across Europe, intervention cultures vary across the four countries and between the different stakeholder groups. Although each child protection system faced widespread mistrust, policy approaches differ, some relying on strong and detailed guidance whereas others stress professional skill and judgement. We conclude that despite a shared commitment to the protection of children, deliberations and perceived ethical dilemmas suggest interdependency between differences in system cultures and policy approaches that inform the character of professional interventions in the four countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Sarcoma Policy Checklist was created by a multidisciplinary expert group to provide policymakers with priority areas to improve care for sarcoma patients.Main Body: This paper draws on this research, by looking more closely at how France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom are addressing each of these priority areas. It aims to highlight key gaps in research, policy and practice, as well as ongoing initiatives that may impact the future care of sarcoma patients in different European countries. A pragmatic review of the published and web-based literature was undertaken. Telephone interviews were conducted in each country with clinical and patient experts to substantiate findings. Research findings were discussed within the expert group and developed into five core policy recommendations. The five identified priority areas were: the development of designated and accredited centres of reference; more professional training; multidisciplinary care; greater incentives for research and innovation; and more rapid access to effective treatments. Most of the countries studied have ongoing initiatives addressing many of these priorities; however, many are in early stages of development, or require additional funding and resources.Conclusion: Gaps in access to quality care are particularly concerning in many of Europe's lower-resourced countries. Equitable access to information, clinical trials, innovative treatments and quality specialist care should be available to all sarcoma patients. Achieving this across Europe will require close collaboration between all stakeholders at both the national and European level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bohemian Forest represents the most extensive continuous forest landscape in central Europe. Two neighbouring national parks (NP), the Bavarian Forest NP in Germany and the Šumava NP in Czechia, protecting the most valuable part of this area have been recognized as an important site for monitoring of effect of climate change on central European biodiversity and ecosystem structure. For long time, a hydrological monitoring program in the Große Ohe headwater catchment and complex monitoring of glacial lakes recently recovering from acidification were flagships of long-term transboundary research in the Bohemian Forest. Recently published results of biodiversity research in the Bavarian Forest NP and experiences with monitoring of mires in the Šumava NP supported a necessity of multidisciplinary and transboundary research. To improve the cooperation of both national parks, optimize methodologies, and coordinate research activities in the region a new Interreg project No. 26 "Silva Gabreta Monitoring - Implementation of transboundary monitoring of biodiversity and water regime" was jointly prepared. The aims and monitoring methodologies of three main project activities are presented in this paper: (i) monitoring of forest biodiversity, (ii) monitoring of mires, and (iii) monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. In addition, we briefly present several supplementary project activities and tasks, such as modelling of mesoclimatic conditions, monitoring of effect of deicing salt, project conference and common database. As well as sampling design, methods and strategies, and brief overview of the preliminary results are mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research into educational inequalities has shown the importance of decomposing social origins into parental class, status and education, representing economic, socio-cultural and educational family resources, respectively. But we know little about how inequalities in educational attainment at the micro-level map onto institutional characteristics of educational systems at the macro-level, if we treat social origins in a multidimensional way. Drawing on the rich over-time variation in educational systems in four European countries – Britain, Sweden, Germany and Italy – this paper develops and tests a number of hypotheses regarding the effects of various components of social origins on individuals’ educational attainment in different institutional contexts. It is evident from our results that a great deal of similarity exists across nations with different educational systems in the persisting importance for individuals’ educational attainment of parental class, status and education. But our findings also indicate that changes in the institutional features of educational systems have, in some instances although not in others, served to reinforce or to offset the social processes generating educational inequalities at the micro level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the institutional setting for the Banking Union having been established and become fully operational, market participants, supervisory staff, and academics are gradually getting to terms with the reality of the new two-tier system of supervisory and resolution authorities within the Eurozone. Drawing from media coverage, input from practitioners and the on-going academic debate, the present article seeks to present an-inevitably provisional-assessment of the new regime from a German perspective. While regulatees and their advisers within the country appear to have got used to the new reality, the paper also identifies a number of residual concerns, some of which are attributable to the specific characteristics of the German financial sector, others indicative of broader problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public attitudes toward depression and help-seeking behaviour are important factors influencing depressed people to obtain professional help and adequate treatment. OSPI-Europe is a multi-level suicide prevention programme including a public awareness campaign. It was implemented in four regions of four European countries (Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Portugal). This paper reports the results of the evaluation of the campaign, including its visibility and effects of the campaign on stigma associated with depression and help-seeking behaviour.Methods: A representative general population survey (N=4004) including measures on personal stigma, perceived stigma, openness to help, perceived value of help, and socio-demographic variables was conducted in the four intervention and four control regions in a cross-sectional pre-post design.Results: The public awareness campaign was considerably more visible in Germany and Portugal compared to Ireland and Hungary. Visibility was further affected by age and years of schooling. Personal stigma, perceived stigma and openness toward professional help varied significantly across the four countries. Respondents in the intervention regions showed significantly less personal depression stigma than respondents in the control regions after the campaign. Respondents of the intervention region who were aware of the campaign reported more openness toward seeking professional help than respondents who were unaware of it.Conclusion: The OSPI-Europe awareness campaign was visible and produced some positive results. At the same time, it proved to be difficult to show strong, measurable and unambiguous effects, which is in line with previous studies. Public awareness campaigns as conducted within OSPI-Europe can contribute to improved attitudes and knowledge about depression in the general public and produce synergistic effects, in particular when the dissemination of awareness campaign materials is simultaneously reinforced by other intervention levels of a multi-level intervention programme.Limitations: The survey was cross-sectional and based on self-report, so no causal inferences could be drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is a growing consensus worldwide that palliative care needs to be both more inclusive of conditions other than cancer and to improve. This paper explores some common challenges currently faced by professionals providing palliative care for patients with either cancer or dementia across five countries. Method: One focus group (n = 7) and 67 interviews were conducted in 2012 across five countries: England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway, with professionals from dementia, cancer and palliative care settings. Results: The interviews revealed five common challenges faced across the five countries: communication difficulties (between services; and between professionals, and patients and their families); the variable extent of structural/functional integration of services; the difficulties in funding of palliative care services; problematic processes of care (boundaries, definitions, knowledge, skills and inclusiveness) and, finally, time constraints. Conclusion: These are not problems distinct to palliative care, but they may have different origins and explanations compared to other areas of health care. This paper explored deeper themes hidden behind a discourse about barriers and facilitators to improving care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European quality assurance has a complicated history that must be viewed as taking place on two levels: first, in a national effort to deregulate the public sector and to make universities accountable for their teaching performance; and second, a supranational endeavor to accomplish European integration in the field of higher education. Similarly, the web of institutional constraints and opportunity structures in which accreditation agencies are embedded spans two policy levels, the national and the European. In this paper, we examine how German accreditation agencies achieve some level of autonomy in a highly entrenched institutional environment. The paper is based on a qualitative study comprising archival data and over 70 semi-structured interviews. Drawing on the insights of neo-institutional theory, we argue that quality assurance agencies seek political leverage at the European level in order to strengthen their standing in the higher education systems of their own countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With a high penetration of intermittent energy sources in Europe, the relevance of the balancing mechanisms increases, as these sources may require additional balancing actions and increase network congestions. Germany has experienced a significant penetration of intermittent energy sources and network congestions. This paper analyses the functioning of the German balancing mechanisms, with a special focus on the interplay between imbalance pricing and network congestions. We demonstrate the existence of adverse price signals caused by a flawed design of imbalance pricing in relation to network congestions. This paper proposes alternatives options for imbalance pricing that can improve price signals even in the situation of network congestion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent decades have been dominated by discourses describing a resurgence of regions. Yet despite its prominence the region remains a largely Delphian concept. In the period of new regionalist orthodoxy, for example, while it was recognized that regions take various forms, the normative claim that we were living in a ‘regional world’ became narrowly focused on regions as subnational political units. Nevertheless, the emergence of city-regions, cross-border regions, and European Metropolitan Regions is leading some scholars to suggest the formation in this century of a brave new ‘regional world’. With economic, social and political activity increasingly orchestrated through regional spaces that cross-cut the territorial map that prevailed through much of the twentieth century, the literature is adorned with accounts advancing the theoretical and policy rationale for relational approaches to regions and regionalism. Yet far less has been written on the struggle to construct these spaces politically, thereby neglecting questions of territory and territorial politics. With this in mind, our paper draws on the experience of Germany to consider the political struggle to overcome the contradictions, overlaps, and competing tendencies that result from new regional spaces appearing alongside, rather than replacing, existing forms of state scalar organization. In particular, we observe how the Federal State is using the ambiguity of the regional concept to present territorial and relational approaches as complementary alternatives. The paper concludes by relating these findings to ongoing debates on how we, as ‘regional’ researchers, should approach the analysis of regions and regionalism; speculates on the degree to which they form progressive and effective spatial policies; and asks what lessons can be learnt about contemporary state spatiality more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The projected climate change signals of a five-member high resolution ensemble, based on two global climate models (GCMs: ECHAM5 and CCCma3) and two regional climate models (RCMs: CLM and WRF) are analysed in this paper (Part II of a two part paper). In Part I the performance of the models for the control period are presented. The RCMs use a two nest procedure over Europe and Germany with a final spatial resolution of 7 km to downscale the GCM simulations for the present (1971-2000) and future A1B scenario (2021-2050) time periods. The ensemble was extended by earlier simulations with the RCM REMO (driven by ECHAM5, two realisations) at a slightly coarser resolution. The climate change signals are evaluated and tested for significance for mean values and the seasonal cycles of temperature and precipitation, as well as for the intensity distribution of precipitation and the numbers of dry days and dry periods. All GCMs project a significant warming over Europe on seasonal and annual scales and the projected warming of the GCMs is retained in both nests of the RCMs, however, with added small variations. The mean warming over Germany of all ensemble members for the fine nest is in the range of 0.8 and 1.3 K with an average of 1.1 K. For mean annual precipitation the climate change signal varies in the range of −2 to 9 % over Germany within the ensemble. Changes in the number of wet days are projected in the range of ±4 % on the annual scale for the future time period. For the probability distribution of precipitation intensity, a decrease of lower intensities and an increase of moderate and higher intensities is projected by most ensemble members. For the mean values, the results indicate that the projected temperature change signal is caused mainly by the GCM and its initial condition (realisation), with little impact from the RCM. For precipitation, in addition, the RCM affects the climate change signal significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on market incentives by the introduction of a construction minerals tax as an example of a resource tax. Currently, various European countries levy taxes or duties on primary construction materials, but a harmonisation of the taxation is not planned. Provided the tax rate has a perceptible price effect, the taxation of a resource can foster a demand management or the reduction of the raw material consumption and the governance of side and secondary effects. A construction minerals tax can target the stimulation of demand for secondary raw materials and recycled products, and-because the reuse of construction and demolition waste has technical limits-a stronger emphasis on the conservation of buildings and infrastructures. This has positive effects on the environment and the innovation efforts and it helps to internalise externalities. Germany, used as a case study in this paper, does not raise any taxes on other raw materials than energy sources at the federal level. For this reason, potential impacts of the introduction of a construction minerals tax will be explored and the results of a simulation will be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of future sea-level rise (SLR) on the tides of the northwest European Continental Shelf. The European shelf tide is dominated by semidiurnal constituents. This study therefore focuses primarily on the changes in the M2 tidal constituent and the spring and neap tidal conditions. The validated operational Dutch Continental Shelf Model is run for the present day sea-level as well as 2 and 10m SLR scenarios. The M2 tidal amplitude responds to SLR in a spatially non-uniform manner, with substantial amplitude increases and decreases in both scenarios. The M2 tidal response is non-linear between 2 and 10m with respect to SLR, particularly in the North Sea. Under the 2m SLR scenario the M2 constituent is particularly responsive in the resonant areas of the Bristol Channel and Gulf of St. Malo (with large amplitude decreases) and in the southeastern German Bight and Dutch Wadden Sea (with large amplitude increases). Changes in the spring tide are generally greater still than those in the M2 or neap tides. With 2m SLR the spring tidal range increases up to 35cm at Cuxhaven and decreases up to −49cm at St. Malo. Additionally the changes in the shallow water tides are larger than expected. With SLR the depth, wave speed and wave length (tidal resonance characteristics) are increased causing changes in near resonant areas. In expansive shallow areas SLR causes reduced energy dissipation by bottom friction. Combined these mechanisms result in the migration of the amphidromes and complex patterns of non-linear change in the tide with SLR. Despite the significant uncertainty associated with the rate of SLR over the next century, substantial alterations to tidal characteristics can be expected under a high end SLR scenario. Contrary to existing studies this paper highlights the importance of considering the modification of the tides by future SLR. These substantial future changes in the tides could have wide reaching implications; including for example, correctly calculating design level requirements for flood defences, the availability of tidal renewable energy and dredging requirements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

European integration is interpreted in this paper as the route by which (West) Germany, profiting from close ties with the English-speaking West, was able to restore its full sovereignty and economic pre-eminence in Europe. Yet in shaping the actual integration process, it was France which played the key role. Most of the landmark steps towards the current EU were French proposals to pre-empt Anglophone–German collusion; creating European structures in which a resurgence of Germany (politically and economically) was made subject to permanent negotiation. German unification in 1991 removed the one reason why successive governments of the Federal Republic had gone along with this. Paradoxically, sovereign Germany today finds itself bound by the dense networks of consultation and decision-making which make the EU unique in the field of regional integration. The paper shows that between 1992 and 2005, German capital has moved to the centre of the network of corporate interlocks in the North Atlantic area. This helps to explain why in the post-1991, post-Soviet era of neoliberal, finance-driven globalisation, Germany is increasingly ‘speaking for Europe’, as its corporations have become nodal points in the communication structures through which the responses to the challenges facing the EU and the West at large are being shaped. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For the last three decades, community-oriented approaches have been considered to be progressive and adequate ways to address unemployment, poverty, social marginalization, as well as disorder and crime by a plethora of social scientists and practitioners in Europe and North America. During the last decade, respective programs have been institutionalized in Europe and elsewhere. Within a framework known as the 'activating welfare state,' or even 'the activating city' in Germany, nonprofits working in fields such as labor market (re)integration, social stabilization of 'disadvantaged' communities, or crime prevention adopt increasingly ambivalent roles. On the one hand, (local) administrations integrate them into new networks and forms of cooperative governance; on the other hand, they are forced to comply with the new policies regarding long-term unemployed and welfare recipients (Hartz laws) that combine state subsidies with a strict work commitment (workfare) and, thus, have to bear and procure exclusion processes for those unwilling or unable to conform with the new demands. In addition, nonprofits adopt the role of policing entities, thus creating programs that result in 'the poor policing the poor'. Against this background, the paper discusses the German federal program 'Socially Integrative City' and the Hartz laws as neocommunitarian approaches with regard to labor market (re)integration, security, and (dis)order executed by, among others, nonprofits at the local scale. Nonprofits today are part of a community-based system of mobilizing and motivating, tracing and tracking, securing and socially sorting - thus, being at risk (if not willing) to fail in seeking justice for the 'undesirables.' The paper gives empirical evidence from major German cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the impact of enterprise education on entrepreneurial attitude within European higher education institutions (HEIs) in France, Germany and Poland. The research seeks to consider whether differences between cultural and industrial heritage can influence entrepreneurial attitude and mediate the effectiveness of enterprise education. Design/methodology/approach - Research argues that Europe requires more entrepreneurs willing to innovate and create new ventures to facilitate economic growth. This research builds on prior studies, which have examined the impact of enterprise education and training on business start-up. In particular the study utilises the concept of entrepreneurial attitude to measure how enterprise education influences students'' perceptions of, and motivations towards, entrepreneurship as a viable career option. The study contrasts and compares the impact of a short enterprise course on entrepreneurial attitude among undergraduate students in French, German and Polish HEIs. A quantitative methodology employed a research instrument utilising five-point Likert arrays to contrast attitudes and opinions of students both prior to, and after, the delivery of the course. Findings - Enterprise education has a positive impact on entrepreneurial attitude of French and Polish students. Conversely, the course had a negative impact on male German students. It was also found that while female students are more likely to perceive a greater benefit from the learning experience, the impact of enterprise education on entrepreneurial attitude is actually more significant for male students. Practical implications - The research findings are of interest to academia and policy makers. The study suggests that entrepreneurial attitude among European students can be influenced by exposure to enterprise education. The results also indicate that gender, cultural and industrial heritage can moderate the impact of enterprise education. Originality/value - The paper provides evidence that differences between gender, culture and regional settings need to be considered in the design and delivery of enterprise programmes if they are to have the desired impact on entrepreneurial intent and graduate entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regularized intergovernmentalism refers to a distinct kind of foreign policy practice that connects and intertwines foreign policy processes in particular ways. This paper puts forth a concept to properly capture and expose such distinctive foreign policy realities characterizing certain periods and places. With this concept, the article systematically scrutinizes the intergovernmental fabric of bilateral Franco–German relations from 1963 to 2009. The characteristic features of Franco–German regularized intergovernmentalism represent a crucial foreign policy connection, foundational for European affairs of the past half century and a defining feature of Europe’s post-war order and regional governance. Exploring key aspects of what it is that links France and Germany in particular ways, this paper offers a historically deeply grounded constitutive analysis. Based on its constitutive inquiries, the papers points at new possibilities of causal theorizing and explores some of regularized intergovernmentalism’s hypothesized effects and limitations. Franco–German intergovernmental affairs may be the most developed instance of this practice. But regularized bilateral intergovernmentalism is not a Franco–German idiosyncrasy. Rather, it is an important and apparently growing approach to structuring foreign policy conduct, and seems an increasingly prominent aspect of how the world is organized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of naturalization of non-EU immigrant household heads with a fresh look at the role of integration and ethnicity. Design/methodology/approach -- Employing data on immigrant household heads from the German Socioeconomic Panel differentiation is made among those who already have been naturalized, those who plan to take citizenship, and those who do not have citizenship and do not want it, using multinomial probit models. The subject scope includes literature on naturalization, ethnicity, and integration. Findings -- A robust finding is that German citizenship is very valuable to female immigrant household heads and the generally better educated, but not to those educated in Germany. The degree of integration into German society has a differential effect on citizenship acquisition. While a longer residence in Germany has a negative influence on actual or future naturalization, arriving at a younger age and having close German friends are strong indicators of a positive proclivity to citizenship acquisition. Likewise, ethnic origins and religion also influence these decisions. Muslim immigrants in Germany are more willing to become German citizens than non-Muslim immigrants, but there are also fewer German citizens among Muslims than among non-Muslims. Research limitations/implications -- Future research should also investigate the second-generation naturalization proclivities and those of illegals. Practical implications -- Allowing for dual citizenship helps generate more naturalizations among Muslims. Originality/value -- The paper provides a test of the relative importance of the integration approach in comparison with the ethnicity model; demonstrating that integration in German society has a stronger effect on naturalization than ethnic origin and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A contract is, in principle, formed by the device of offer and acceptance. The offeror dispatches their offer to the offeree, a proposal containing all the essential elements needed for the formation of a given type of contract, after which the offeree has the initiative to conclude a contract by accepting the offer or end the negotiation phase by rejecting it. However, a question arises whether the offeror can revoke their offer once it has become effective, i.e. once it has reached the offeree. Various legal systems take a different path in this respect and the problem of a binding nature of an offer has produced three different solutions. On one hand, in countries belonging to German legal culture (Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the present research) the offeror is most strongly bound, meaning that they cannot actually revoke an effective offer. On the other hand, legal systems belonging to Romanistic legal culture (France and Italy in this paper) adopt a somewhat liberal standpoint: the offeror may under certain conditions withdraw an effective offer. And, finally, there is the approach of common law, which adopts a completely "aleatory view of negotiations", in the meaning that the offeror may at any time before acceptance revoke their offer without any consequences - no obligation for any party arises before the formation of the contract, whatsoever. The issue of revocation of an effective offer may be brought in correlation with the institution of liability for damages caused by conducting negotiations in bad faith (culpa in contrahendo). Namely, even if the offeror is in position to revoke their offer and, hence, preclude the formation of a contract, the revocation itself may cause damage to the offeree. The question appears whether the offeror should be liable for the damages suffered by the offeree, in the amount of their reliance interest. Different legal systems take a different course on this issue. Since the revocation of an effective offer is not possible under German, Austrian and Swiss law, in these countries the issue of liability for damages caused by revocation simply doesn't appear. Under French and Italian law, the revocation of an effective offer is possible, but it will inevitably lead to offeror's liability for the damage caused to the offeree by the revocation. Finally, under common law the revocation of offer is, in principle, almost always possible and it will lead to offeror's liability for damages only exceptionally, provided specific circumstances exist. Under Serbian law the offeror is bound by their offer, i.e. an effective offer cannot be revoked. Since it cannot be revoked (any statement of the offeror on the revocation is without legal effect), the offeror's liability for conducting negotiations in bad faith in this case simply cannot arise in this case, just as in other countries belonging to German legal culture, where Serbian law undoubtedly belongs to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the immediate aftermath of World War II the Polish state placed a high value on national homogeneity. The Polish Committee of National Liberation signed population exchange agreements with its socialist neighbours in September 1944 and expelled the German population who remained within the new Polish borders. Far less frequently discussed are the Polish state's efforts to persuade ‘Poles’ in Western Europe to move to Poland. This paper analyses how Polish policy towards ‘Westphalian Poles’ and the British reaction to Polish claims offer insight into both Polish and British nationality and citizenship policy in the immediate post-war period. I argue that the quality of potential labour played an important role in both British and Polish thinking. The paper also contends that the ‘Westphalian incident’ gives useful insights into the emergence of the Cold War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines some of the constitutional aspects of the ‘Future of Europe’ reform process in the light of interactions between German and ‘European’ federalism. Many aspects of the traditions of German federalism and German post-war constitutionalism have been influential, if not to say formative, for the evolution of the EU. These aspects are set out as a frame for the paper, before more detailed analysis of the constitutional process and a particular focus on the division of competences. The constitutional outcome reveals clear German ‘fingerprints’, though that finding needs to be balanced by a recognition of the constitutional debate as multi-perspectival, involving all member states both separately and collectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses an extensive corpus of texts from the German media and existing studies of German perspectives on Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia in order to demonstrate that there are two idealised culture cognitive models (ICCMs) that function as overarching categories for Europe: the ICCM west (the members of the European Union (EU) until 2004) and the ICCM east (the central and east European countries) as opposing constructions. These ICCMs are seen as hyperonymic categories to the construction of frames on a lower level. Frames are multielement cognitive models through which a society or nation views and structures its image of itself and that of other societies, countries or nations. The function of the frame is to present a simplified, often manipulative schema of a complex social, political and cultural reality. Frames are structures that include a variety of linguistic devices: metaphors that conceptualise, and nouns, verbs and adjectives that describe and evaluate. This paper focuses specifically on three frames (rationality/irrationality; power/weakness; civilization/barbarism), which have been central to the German media representation of the new EU member states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making and applying the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) is an example of `Europeanization'. Europeanization is the outcome of the interaction between actors with various motivations. in the case of the ESDP process, these motivations reflect the spatial planning traditions and the institutional set-ups of the relevant actors. As a preliminary, the paper describes the ESDP. It then analyses the motivations, reflecting as they do their spatial planning traditions and institutional set-ups, of four key actors without whom the ESDP would not have been what it is: France, the Netherlands, Germany and the European Commission. The paper ends with a discussion of the prospects of European spatial planning after enlargement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the impact of EC law on the legal status of national powers has been fairly well examined, little attention has been paid to the overall evaluation of the relations developed between national authorities. The paper argues that the mutation of the Judiciary and the Executive role vis-à-vis the Legislature appears to be an application of an emerging doctrine in EC public law that conspicuously resembles the 'Checks and Balances' theory of American constitutionalism. The action of one public authority is— or must be—countered by the reaction of another for the benefit of EC law. Apart from identifying the features of this 'principle' in comparison to its equivalent American doctrine, the paper deals with the question of a possible coexistence of this new model of governance with the traditional one. The comparative perspective is necessary here. Whereas in Germany the constitutional model appears to cope with European demands, in France it seems largely opposed to such a dynamic conception of the separation of powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 'model of decentralised concentration' has evolved in the region of Berlin-Brandenburg in response to the European principle of polycentric development for urban regions. The paper describes strategies which seek to implement this new regional planning guideline. The formation of an urban forum as a co-ordinating body has initiated a course of development which attempts to link aspects of both horizontal and vertical policy co-ordination within a framework of territorial integration (networking). The paper analyses this innovative instrument of urban and regional development. The authors focus on the process of co-operation, beginning with the looser form practised in the urban forum by the towns which participated and evolving towards defined contractual and institutional relations in the form of a networked urban workgroup. Finally, they evaluate the objectives achieved and the financial and legal instruments applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]