This time last year, I was busy reading through and analyzing the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. This year, I went for something completely different: I looked at Best Jazz Album 2021 compilations put out by different publications. I started with the NYT and Guardian lists and was surprised that there was no overlap at all between these two lists This made me to look further, but the key finding remains. There are relatively few albums that appear on more that one list – jazz critics appear to embrace diversity. I ended up compiling and comparing five lists with a total of 78 entries in one table, while listening to a very wide range of music. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: December 2021
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Dear Readers, with this picture of the Frankfurt skyline, taken not too long ago from my office desk, I would like to thank you for your continued interest in this blog! It is hard to believe, but the blog is now in its 10th year, and it‘s still fun. I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying a couple of peaceful days – have a good start to the New Year! Continue reading
Human Rights Day 2021: Write for Rights!
Today is Human Rights Day! Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Continue reading
Art Law and the New German Government: Legislative Goals for Looted Art and Restitution
Today’s election of Olaf Scholz as Angela Merkel’s successor marks the official start of the new „traffic light“ coalition government. The new government draws its name from the colours traditionally associated with the supporting parties: „red“ Social Democrats, „yellow“ Liberals and the “Green” Party. These three parties have set out their legislative programme in a 177-page coalition agreement (Koalitionsvertrag). Both Nazi looted art and art from a colonial context feature in the Coalition Agreement. Almost inevitably, like in other fields, the Coalition Agreement is short on detail. For Nazi looted art, however, its brevity notwithstanding, the Coalition Agreement defines four concrete legislative goals*. Here they are, with my initial assessment: Continue reading