Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dear colleagues, friends, authors and readers of our blog,

as Christmas and the New Year approaches I want to take time to thank you for your contributions, making our blog a lively and continuously growing source of information. Last year we had nearly 20 000 visits, among them a quarter from non-European countries.

We live in difficult times. Probably you all have heard about the terrible terrorist attack in Berlin a few days ago. We had further dreadful events this year in Nice, Paris, Brussels, Ankara, Istanbul, and the list could be continued. There are countless places in the world where people suffer from violence and war.

Still I strongly believe that strengthening our international collaboration should be our contribution for a brighter future. During the cold war the Brandenburg Gate became a memorial of division, now it is a symbol for unity in Germany and Europe.

In the spirit of the season I wish you a peaceful and merry Christmas and a happy New Year!