Engulfing the main train station is the Bahnhofsviertel. It is by far the most diverse district in the country. About 58% of the population are migrants from other cultural backgrounds and upbringings. 156 nationalities live here side by side. Yesterday I wandered through the streets, lost somehow, but also open eyed towards the life around me. One discovers the Persian grocery store, the African hair dresser, or an Indian cleaning lady at the Turkish bakery, chatting to the owner about her family in German.
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There are problems here - as there are everywhere in the world - but Germany's approach is not to isolate people, but to toss them right into the colorful life. Yes, we can say plenty about the German rules and laws, the petty bourgeoisie and the narrow-mindedness, but I also feel a certain pride... Germany like no other country in the world has accepted more than a million of refugees and is working hard to integrate its new citizens into society. (Source: Amnesty International)
Germany certainly has its dark sides, but if you look closely you can see humanity - once lost during the Second World War - sprouting from the cracks of the past.