Süddeutsche Zeitung 30.03.2007

In recent years, the Mussolini regime has become increasingly acceptable in Italy, writes historian Aram Mattioli. "In the Federal Republic of Germany, cities simply couldn't honour former Nazi politicians, as we've seen in Italy under 'Casa delle Liberta.' The swimming pool in Aquila, for instance, has now been renamed after Adelchi Serena, who headed a concentration camp and was general secretary of the Partito nazionale fascista in 1940/41. And in the Sicilian village of Tremestiere Etneo, near Catania, a street has even been named after Benito Mussolini, while a motto from the times of the dictatorship 'Believe, Obey, Fight' has been restored on the wall of a school in Palmanovo."

Polish writer Bartosz Zurawiecki talks to Sonja Zekri about the bleak atmosphere in Polish artistic circles, and his hopes for a quick end to the Kaczynski government. "Up until now, a bit of hypocrisy has always been part of our nature. We trust neither the public services, nor those in charge. They can say what they want in public, but in private we do what we please. Now, however, the government is trying to control private life. They stick their noses into personal matters like abortion and pornography, and attempt to control our most intimate spheres. This is a very sensitive time, a time of change. And people don't like it one bit."


Neue Zürcher Zeitung 30.03.2007

The paper publishes two fascinating pages on the history of the future of the traditional media. In one account, Stefan Betschon confronts authors at the paper with comments they made ten years ago. One of them, Wolfgang Frei, designed the NZZ's first web profile in 1995. Today he admits he underestimated the dynamism of the Internet: "Until now it's been primarily the newspapers that have had to react to pressure from the Net. But now the television industry is also confronting major changes. A website without multimedia or videos is hardly imaginable today. Newspapers without content like that are going to have a hard time. But the television networks also have to be careful they don't lose viewers to video sites like YouTube."


Frankfurter Rundschau 30.03.2007

British architect Richard Rogers has won this year's Pritzker Prize and Christian Thomas supports the choice. "Roger's buildings vibrate with the technological optimism in progress that characterised the architecture of the London World Expo of 1851 – in particular the belief in spectacular columns spanning amazing breadths, from which some spatial elements hang like nesting boxes. Roger's Lloyd's Building, with its building-high atrium, is a reference to Joseph Paxton's London Crystal Palace, executed in the most passionate way imaginable."


Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 30.03.2007

Mark Siemons is astonished by the self-confidence of Hong Kong, the former crown colony which was re-integrated into its mother country China with special status in 1996. "What's new is that the people of Hong Kong are no longer willing to put up with the pure technocracy; recently the municipal government has been feeling pressure from sources well beyond the circle around the democratic party." Demonstrations and protests bring together an incredibly "colourful" mix from the civil society. "Although in different sections, the same demonstration will include, in addition to the democratic politicians, the feminist 'Queer Sisters,' representatives of Catholic diocese, sex worker lobbyists, lots of NGOs, Amnesty International and then a whole bunch of the un-organised."


Die Welt 30.03.2007

Jörg von Uthmann is very impressed by the exhibition in the Louvre on the work of the antique sculptor Praxiteles. The highlight is Aphrodite of Knidos, for which Athen's best hetaera Phryne is thought ot have stood as model. "The city fathers of Kos on the eponymous island who ordered the god of love were appalled that the artist had delivered a naked woman. To appease them, he did a second, dressed version – as Goya later did with his Maya. The naked original was purchased by the city of Knidos, where it drew tourist swarms. If one is to believe the accounts, several visitors were sensually overcome on beholding her. The King of Bithynien offered to pay off all the city's debts if the statue was left to him. Unlike Alberich, Knidos did not accept the money and held onto love."