written in 14th-century Germany (Photo: AP /Israel Museum Jerusalem) | Photo: AP 676 years ago, on the first day of Nisan 5109 (March 21, 1349), one of the greatest tragedies in Jewish history occurred – the Erfurt Massacre. Approximately 3,000 members of the Jewish community in the German city were murdered in riots that erupted during Sabbath prayers part of the 1349 persecutions that swept across Europe during the Black Death The Black Death – the plague epidemic that ravaged Europe in the 14th century – claimed the lives of tens of millions blood libels spread accusing Jews of poisoning wells and causing the epidemic The result was a wave of brutal riots in many cities which sealed the fate of entire Jewish communities which was a vibrant center of Torah learning also lost one of its spiritual leaders that day – Rabbi Alexander Suslin HaCohen author of "Sefer HaAgudah." Jews who fled the city commemorated the tragedy in lamentations wrote "Zion Aryeh Bechi," a heartbreaking lament about what had occurred a cultural erasure campaign took place: valuable Hebrew manuscripts were defaced and looted Some were preserved in various libraries throughout Germany and later became part of what is now called the "Erfurt Collection." The Erfurt Massacre was not an isolated event It was part of a horrific chain of killing sprees during which tens of thousands of Jews were murdered across Europe in a period of less than two years but estimates range from 50,000 to 100,000 Jews who were murdered or perished in riots The most severe riots occurred in major cities in Germany Jewish communities in many cities were almost completely destroyed and many Jews were forced to convert or flee to Eastern Europe where they received more tolerant treatment during that period If we thought the Middle Ages were behind us history reminds us again and again: we are the only ones to stand up for our fate We are the only ones responsible for ensuring "never again." You think I'm gonna put up with this sh*t at my bar Newly revealed SS officer tape provides direct evidence of Hitler's explicit command for Jewish extermination A group called "Youth Demand" called on protesters to come to the site Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Our mission is to support a model of growth that allows America's cities towns and neighborhoods to become financially strong and resilient The new book from Strong Towns, Escaping the Housing Trap, is available for preorder now. Get yours today The Strong Towns Crash Analysis Studio is one of the toughest projects I’ve ever worked on Over the past two years, Strong Towns has reviewed almost 150 crash nominations and worked with volunteers to conduct 21 Crash Analysis Studios I have enjoyed working with members of the Strong Towns movement to develop and refine a new way of responding to crashes that moves beyond blame It has been meaningful to watch how this work has shifted the conversation and led to more action in hundreds of communities the fundamental purpose of the Studio project is to address the fatalities on our roadways — over 40,000 of them a year Each of these nominations and Studios represents lives that have been changed forever Of the 21 studios that Strong Towns helped conduct Each Studio involved the gathering of news stories and eyewitness reports The purpose of these reviews is to understand the contributing factors that helped cause each crash Each of these crashes represents the worst day in the lives of at least two families and a community Everyone impacted is understandably highly emotional The Studio process requires a little detective work where you have to attempt to understand the conditions of the location of the crash from the perspective of those involved This means reliving the experience of these fateful events over and over again The worst part is the realization of how senseless these tragedies are there was no one thing we could point to and say "If we could just go back in time and do this one thing Each crash, regardless of location and those involved, had layers of contributing factors. These factors resulted in all parties involved making risky decisions driving through an intersection or doing one of the mundane mini activities each of us do while traveling through our cities I read the news stories and listened to the eyewitness accounts You could feel the true pain that these crashes inflicted on the communities and families involved It did not matter how much time had passed since the crash; the emotions and pain had not waned.  all of the people involved in these crashes reminded me of my family and friends Although I personally knew none of the individuals involved in these crashes As I looked at each of the intersections and roadways where these crashes occurred I could connect to these places because they looked like my street and the roads that I travel on a regular basis through my community None of these locations featured one-off conditions or something abnormal All of these locations followed the standards and practices commonly used by our roadway designers and maintained through the best practices shared by Public Works departments Although we selected crashes for the Studios that were not on the edge of extreme these are all too common with the places we all know The Crash Analysis Studio is formatted to be clinical but it is really hard to abandon the most human of emotions each of the studios was an emotional roller coaster — if you listen closely to the recordings I was not alone in this experience.   Each Studio began with a somber reminder and moment of silence for the victims of each crash We took this moment to recognize the gravity of children neighbors and friends who were following the regular pattern of their day The most gut-wrenching stomach punch of the Studios was the Carlsbad crash This horrific crash occurred on a local neighborhood street near a school where 35-year-old Christine Hawk Embree and her 16-month-old daughter Delilah were traveling on an e-bike when a car failed to stop at the intersection and hit them Christine and her husband were in front of their city council asking for help to slow traffic and make their neighborhood streets safer They were advocating for changes to the contributing factors that later led to Christine’s death This is something that weighed on me heavily throughout that Studio and it's something that I will carry forever The next step in each Studio was to methodically go through the contributing factors of the crash These discussions are intentionally clinical describing exactly what occurred and reliving this tragedy through this discussion each of the Studios revealed something new to me within our built environment that cannot be understood through a manual or set of engineering plans several of the Studios included things such as incomplete sidewalks that were seemingly stopped mid-construction Egregious amounts of signage either communicated conflicting messages were installed directly in front of other signs sacrificing the messaging of the latter ones The most painful of Studio discussions occurred where "improvements" or "upgrades" had been made by well-intentioned designers in the name of complete streets or other admirable causes yet failed to be fully realized or were incorrectly installed these are the projects where crosswalks were started but not completed and the Crash Analysis Studio was the first time anyone had taken the time to actually look at the user experience in the area One might say that these were the projects built with a long list of good intentions Each of these Studios included the friends and families of these victims in the audience They listened and watched as the panel explored the contributing factors that changed their lives forever it is in our human nature to rationalize this trauma We want to assign blame or understand a cause you quickly come to the realization that there is no one person or thing to blame many contributing factors that make our streets dangerous After identifying the contributing factors my emotion always climbs to a level of frustration Sharing recommendations of what could be done to address these contributing factors helps me cope with these emotions The panelists have an opportunity to share lots of really good ideas These are all ideas that can be deployed tomorrow with the resources at hand today there were a minimum of four or five things that a municipality could do tomorrow to address the factors that contributed to these crashes and every single one of these recommended responses could prevent a second person from dying at these locations the signal timing of the traffic lights meant that it was useless for pedestrians to push the button because the light didn't give them enough time to cross the street Altering those traffic signals takes a few minutes in front of a computer at a cozy office desk and the intersections had been eroded to accommodate fast-turning vehicles Cities could initially begin with paint and delineators to narrow the lanes or tighten the intersections This is something that I’ve learned from my own experience takes about an afternoon to install and can literally be decided with a meeting in the field The hardest part is coordinating the schedule of the street designer and the public works director for that meeting I would become emotionally drained and depressed I would have to step away from my desk and go for a walk Each of these Studios exposed how awful the design of these streets really is I understood that there was no one cause of the crash and that there were many contributing factors the one thing that connected all of these crashes was the designs of these streets this is a systemic problem that negatively impacts all of us yet this is not a broadly understood reality The catchphrase “You're Doing It Wrong” comes to my mind following all of these Studios. We have huge room for improvement in how we design and build our roadways. This particularly rang true in the Nice, California stop signs for cars had been installed within the crosswalks for walkers throughout the town This is a mistake that should have been caught by the sign installer identified by the person painting or repainting the crosswalks by the designers that just installed new bus shelters which includes a shopping list of items they can purchase at the hardware store to make a street safer I also had memorable calls from technical professionals in these communities who pushed back on the contributing factors and recommendations in the Studio challenging the observations of the Crash Analysis Studio This particular engineer was offended by how the roadway was described in the Studio and felt that it was misrepresented I don’t know how one can misrepresent a fatality on a local neighborhood street where 93% of drivers were speeding and the 85th percentile of speed was almost 40 mph Our local volunteers also shared the feedback they had received from their respective cities When these advocates shared the Studio's findings and recommendations city officials often agreed with them but said that the same problems occurred on many streets in the city and that the problem was everywhere and city officials did not know where to start cones and paint could address these issues The reports also mobilize a community to combat apathy and move beyond blame for crashes The Crash Analysis Studio is one of the toughest projects I’ve ever worked on because each crash is emotional and a senseless loss we are seeing a shift toward a greater awareness that these tragedies are an opportunity to learn The Crash Analysis Studio is an approach that everyday citizens can conduct and a public engagement process that every city can embrace Click here to learn more about the Crash Analysis Studio process and how you can make your city’s streets safer a technical professional or a concerned citizen Edward Erfurt is the Chief Technical Advisor at Strong Towns He is a trained architect and passionate urban designer with over 20 years of public- and private-sector experience focused on the management and successful implementation of development and placemaking projects that enrich the tapestry of place He believes in community-focused processes that are founded on diverse viewpoints traditional town-planning principles and development patterns that result in sustainable growth with the community character embraced by the communities which he serves towns and neighborhoods take local action to grow safe Become a MemberSign Up for EmailsPitch a StoryRSS Feed BooksAction LabBlog RollShopPress About UsTeam | BoardEmploymentContact Us Privacy PolicyComment PolicyFAQSearch Strong Towns is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our work is performed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License Solar cell and module manufacturer Meyer Burger has announced job cuts and strategic restructuring as the company’s CEO and CFO have both departed The company announced a “strategic realignment” of its operations to “focus on production and technology to ensure [a] return to profitability” Meyer Burger has two production facilities: a solar cell facility in Thalheim which supplies a module assembly plant in Goodyear The company said it will focus on “existing production capacity” and maintaining its technological operations Meyer Burger produces n-type heterojunction technology (HJT) solar products a less common technology offering in an industry that has largely shifted to n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) technology Meyer Burger will also slash its workforce from approximately 1,050 employees to around 850 by the end of 2025 the company said it has forecast revenues of around CHF350-400 million (US$415-474 million) by 2026 based on “existing production capacity and long-term supply agreements with key customers.” It will also seek to generate additional revenue by selling technology and equipment to “customers in the areas of solar cell production and module technology” Meyer Burger posted net losses of US$330 million which it attributed to “dumping prices from Chinese suppliers in Europe coupled with a sharp rise in Chinese production overcapacity and a lack of market protection.” Last month, Meyer Burger announced that it was abandoning its plans for a 2GW HJT cell production facility in the US as the project was “no longer financially viable” It simultaneously said that a planned expansion of its Arizona module production facility was “suspended for the time being” and CFO Markus Nikles have also stepped down Erfurt blamed a lack of political support in Europe and dependence on China for the company’s woes: European politicians were too afraid of China and were not prepared to protect the European solar industry against unfair competition,” he wrote an industry of the future has been sacrificed to China diametrically opposed to the political declarations of intent since the coronavirus pandemic … Europe’s 100% dependence on China in the solar sector one of the most important energy sources of the future “I stand by my firm conviction: Europe has both the technology the trained people and the entrepreneurial creativity to succeed it just needs industrial policy that not only recognises the signs of the times in speeches but courageously translates them into action.” signed between EU member states and representative solar industry trade groups which saw members “commit” to supporting the European industry European solar manufacturing has floundered told PV Tech: “While there’s more political attention on solar supply chains than ever before solar manufacturing companies are still waiting for substantial support on the ground The swift implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act will be critical in the effort to retain and rebuild Europe’s solar manufacturing capacity.” Erfurt spoke to PV Tech Premium earlier this year and said that the company had been ‘proven right’ in its decision to relocate its module manufacturing to the US He also said that the company had washed its hands of the EU’s stalling efforts to support solar manufacturing and was “over it” we have upgraded our product offerings and features to bring you the best experience please check your email inbox for password reset message from PV Tech and follow the instructions Can\'t find the email? Try to sign in again and use the "Forgot Password" button If you have any questions please contact us. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Erfurt, Thuringia has around 100 members, so their planned mosque is not particularly large. Nevertheless, the construction project has been met with fierce opposition from some residents. be it covering international events or zooming in on some of the quirks of daily life they report on the changes they see taking place in Germany You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Meyer Burger CEO Gunter Erfurt has resigned CFO Markus Nikles is also stepping down as part of the company’s restructuring From pv magazine Germany Meyer Burger Technology AG said this week that it has begun a strategic reorientation These steps include a comprehensive restructuring of the company's top management with CEO Gunter Erfurt leaving the Switzerland-based PV manufacturer and handing over the management to previous Chairman of the Board of Directors Franz Richter Erfurt will “be available to the board of directors in an advisory capacity during a transitional period with his extensive industry network and knowledge of the international solar industry.” Richter said that Erfurt played a key role in shaping Meyer Burger's recent years as CEO and CTO leading the company through its shift from a production equipment supplier to a solar cell and module manufacturer in a challenging market “With his tireless commitment to Meyer Burger and the European and American solar industry Erfurt has become a renowned advocate for the industry worldwide Richter himself wants to bring his many years of experience in the restructuring of industrial companies to his new position,” said Richter “It was a great honor for me – the best to the company and its team Good luck and much success for a sunny future.” He thanked everyone who worked alongside him and the company European politicians were too afraid of China and were not prepared to protect the European solar industry from unfair competition and to seize the unique opportunity to start a European job engine based on leading European solar technology,” said Erfurt “I stand by my firm conviction: Europe has both the technology the trained people and the entrepreneurial creativity to be successful it just needs an industrial policy that not only recognizes the signs of the times in speeches but courageously puts them into practice … Solar energy is and will remain an important manufacturing industry for the future of Europe.” with Ralf Hermkens (USA) and Frank Zimmermann (Europe) The management board has been reduced to three people with a focus on quickly returning to profitability COO Daniel Menzel will now oversee sales in addition to his current role while CSO Katja Tavernaro will handle legal and personnel matters during the restructuring Meyer Burger has also launched a restructuring program aimed at restoring profitability “In addition to focusing on the production areas in Thalheim (Germany the technological capabilities in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (Germany) are to be maintained in order to be able to further develop the technology in the future,” said Meyer Burger The company said it plans to reduce its global workforce from about 1,050 to 850 by the end of 2025 It added that it plans to explore selling technology and equipment to strategic customers in solar cell manufacturing and module technology to boost sales and profit margins The company will maintain liquidity through solar module sales from existing inventory and by developing other unspecified assets It also said that it is analyzing various options to close the remaining financing gap More articles from Petra Hannen Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt German leftist politician Sahra Wagenknecht was sprayed with a red liquid-like paint during a campaign event on Thursday in the eastern city of Erfurt ahead of closely watched state elections on Sunday founder of the eponymous Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) was only lightly splattered by the liquid but briefly left the stage A man was immediately pushed to the ground by security forces Wagenknecht returned to the stage and later wrote on the social media platform X that she was scared but fine the incident comes as political violence in Germany is on the rise a prominent Berlin politician was violently assaulted and suffered injuries to her head and neck a candidate from the centre-left party of Chancellor Olaf Scholz SPD was beaten up in the eastern city of Dresden while campaigning and had to undergo surgery Both government and opposition parties say their members and supporters have faced a wave of physical and verbal attacks in recent months and have called on police to step up protection for politicians and election rallies one of two eastern states along with Saxony that are holding elections on Sunday which could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) become the strongest party for the first time who formally launched her party in January also hopes to shake up the picture as the national government has squabbled its way to deep unpopularity both at their strongest in the formerly communist east have been fed in part by discontent with the national government The parties in Scholz’s governing alliance squabbled publicly throughout the campaign for the European elections in June and obtained dismal results The internal hostilities have intensified over a summer plagued by disagreements about the 2025 budget a self-described "left conservative" platforms on a combination of left-wing economic policy She also questions some environmentalists' plans to combat climate change and opposes current sanctions against Russia which was once Germany's leading gas supplier She has declared that her party will only join state governments with a "clear position for diplomacy and against the preparation of war" The radical far-right’s anti-immigrant rhetoric has raised not only concerns from people working to combat discrimination but also minorities such as Black Germans and African migrants who are among the most visible minorities and often the first to be discriminated against a 22-year-old migrant from Guinea in West Africa poses for a portrait prior to an interview with The Associated Press near a dilapidated storage building where he and two friends were hunted and beaten up in 2020 poses for a portrait prior to an interview with The Associated Press near a dilapidated storage building were he and two friends being hunted and beaten up in 2020 during an interview with The Associated Press near a dilapidated storage building where he and two friends were hunted and beaten up in 2020 A dilapidated storage building is seen in Erfurt a 22-year-old migrant from Guinea in West Africa and two friends were hunted and beaten up in 2020 German federal state Thuringia’s minister for migration poses for a portrait prior to an interview with The Associated Press in Erfurt the daughter of a Black father from Tanzania and a white was born and grew up in Thuringiain and is a member of the Green Party poses for a portrait at her desk prior to an interview with The Associated Press in Erfurt a chemist from Cameroon who moved to Thuringia in 1994 to study poses for a portrait after an interview with The Associated Press in Jena an organization that is based in the city of Jena and helps university students and migrants from Africa when they experience discrimination in Jena An AfD election campaign posters showing the slogan “summer remigration,” and the photo of a plane dubbed “deportation airline” is displayed in Erfurt top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany party speaks on an election campaign rally of the party for upcoming state elections in Suhl A man covering with a German national flag with the slogan “We are the people” listens to Bjoern Hoecke during an election campaign rally of the party for upcoming state elections in Suhl People wave German national flags as they listen to Bjoern Hoecke Germany (AP) — It was a balmy summer night in 2020 shortly after the lifting of Germany’s first COVID-19 lockdown and Omar Diallo and two friends from his home country of Guinea wanted to celebrate Eid al-Adha walking through the city at night — we just wanted to be together again and have a good time,” Diallo He was not prepared for how the day would end Suddenly Diallo and his friends were confronted by three black-clad white men “They were shouting: ‘What do you want here seven — they were surrounding us from all sides and then they started chasing us,” he said At some point Diallo managed to call the police One of his friends was beaten up so badly that he had to be hospitalized It all happened only because of my skin color.” Being Black in Germany has always meant exposure to racism from everyday humiliations to deadly attacks which was run by a communist dictatorship until the end of 1989 residents barely had any contact with people of different ethnicities and were not allowed to travel freely abroad Experts say that specifically in Thuringia radical far-right forces have created an environment that’s hostile toward minorities with the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany Black Germans and African migrants like Diallo are growing increasingly concerned which has a population of 2.1 million,holds state elections on Sept and the fiercely anti-immigration AfD is leading the polls down only slightly from 88 attacks in 2022 which Ezra described as “an all-time high of right-wing and racist violence” in the state an extreme right-wing movement has formed in Thuringia which has contributed to a noticeable ideological radicalization of its followers the Alternative for Germany party is the main beneficiary,” Ezra and a consortium of organizations tracking racism wrote in their annual report harbor a great danger in Thuringia,” says Doreen Denstaedt the daughter of a Black father from Tanzania and a white German mother The 46-year-old member of the Green party said that growing up in Communist East Germany she was “always the only Black child.” As a teenager she was never allowed to go home on her own because of the risk of racist attacks and she sometimes suffered racist slurs in her school “I actually experienced myself that people called me a foreigner because I was born in Saalfeld” in Thuringia She fears that in the current political climate racist narratives will become acceptable in the middle of society “My biggest concern is that people do not question (these prejudices) especially if they are not affected themselves,” she said It’s not exactly clear how many Black people live in Germany nowadays as different ethnicities are not documented in official statistics but estimates put the number of people of African descent at 1.27 million which tracks migration issues in the country Germany’s history of racial discrimination begins long before the Nazis began excluding deporting and ultimately murdering Black people in the 1930s and 1940s The German Empire held numerous colonies in Africa from 1884 until the end of World War I These included territories in present-day Tanzania a 58-year-old chemist from Cameroon who moved to Thuringia in 1994 to study says he’s shocked how little Germans know about their colonial history He says this ignorance may also factor into the unequal treatment of Black people “I’ve been teaching classes in school,” Egbe told the AP “I tell them a bit about myself and especially the fact that Cameroon was a German colony Many students don’t know anything about Africa or about the German past and it must be put on the map.” an organization that helps university students and migrants from Africa when they experience discrimination in the city of Jena He’s worried about the rise of the AfD but has no intention of leaving we will do our part to change this society,” he said “People are mostly afraid of what and who they don’t know We have to change things through education.” the Guinean who was attacked in Erfurt four years ago he also vowed to help improve the situation for Black people in Germany it also empowered him to fight for justice he enrolled in university in Munich to study law “I don’t exactly know yet how I’m going to change Germany the City of Erfurt an the Erfurt Tourismus und Marketing GmbH (ETMG) are launching a joint advertising campaign with the support of Erfurt's five universities to highlight Erfurt as an attractive place to study The aim is to inspire prospective students throughout Germany to study in the Thuringian state capital Even Martin Luther knew that Erfurt was a good place to study the IU International University and the International University of Cooperative Education (iba) there are five universities in the Thuringian state capital that offer a diverse range of course offerings with 133 degree programmes The relaxed yet lively city life in a historic setting and a strong student community provide the perfect setting for studying the city and ETMG are launching an advertising campaign in cooperation with the universities at the end of April The new location campaign will utilise various communication channels: in addition to the newly launched central university location website www.campus-erfurt.de social media activities and digital advertising spaces in the Erfurt city area explains: "Erfurt is a university city with a future – liveable and diverse Our aim is to encourage young people from all over Germany to study here and discover the city as a centre of life for themselves But we also want to show young people from Erfurt what prospects their home city has to offer we score points with the wide range of course offerings at our five universities and the excellent supervision the short distances in the city and special features such as the cultural semester ticket." Christian Fothe adds: "This is exactly where our campaign comes in We are focussing on the strengths of the city and giving it a face as a university city we are effectively getting Erfurt talked about on various channels." Uta Scheunert Professor at the International University and Chair of the Municipal University and Student Advisory Board is delighted: "This initiative by the city administration and ETMG shows that Erfurt attaches great importance to its students and its five universities The campaign is a commitment to the university city."  You are in the news section of the Student Council Further news, press releases and current topics can be found on the "News" pages of the University of Erfurt Studierendenrat der Universität Erfurt Nordhäuser Straße 63 99089 Erfurt +49 361 737-1890stura.vorstand@uni-erfurt.de University of Erfurt (Campus) Nordhäuser Str. 63 99089 Erfurt In this dark and intriguing episode of Stupiracy, Scott and Tim delve into the gruesome details of the Erfurt Latrine Disaster of 1184. Discover how a meeting of European nobles turned into a horrific tragedy when the floor of a church collapsed, plunging dozens into a cesspit of human waste. Learn about the historical context, the notable victims, and the changes this disaster prompted in medieval sewage systems. This episode uncovers one of the most morbid yet fascinating events in history. Need help accessing the FCC Public File due to a disability? Please contact Melissa Johnson at publicfilestlouis@hubbardradio.com This web site is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. Many Muslims are shocked and worried: for the first time the right-wing extremist AfD party has won a state election in Germany This could endanger the completion of a mosque in Erfurt Sahra Wagenknecht attacked while about to speak on stage in run-up to Thuringia and Saxony state elections The leader of a breakaway populist leftwing party in Germany has been sprayed with pink paint while campaigning in elections in the eastern state of Thuringia a former high-profile member of the far-left party Die Linke who this year founded the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) was attacked on stage on Thursday as she prepared to address crowds in Erfurt She ducked as a man approached the stage and spattered paint in her direction Read moreThe man’s motive remained unclear and he did not react when he was removed from the scene appeared to shouted “Ukraini” or “Ukrainia” as he stood in front of the stage Some said he used a medical syringe to spray the paint which was described by a BSW aide as “very hard to remove” has said she would seek to end military support for Ukraine and would push for a far tighter immigration policy She has also campaigned to prevent the planned stationing of US missiles on German soil The crowd who had gathered to hear Wagenknecht speak chanted “Sahra Sahra” as she was helped from the stage by aides dressed in a white shirt and black trousers was quickly tackled to the ground by security staff Bodyguards take away the alleged attacker Photograph: Martin Schutt/APSwiftly returning to the podium Wagenknecht said: “It’s apparent that some people don’t want us Don’t let yourselves be intimidated; we won’t let ourselves be intimidated.” The crowd reacted with applause and cheers “We’re going to change this country,” she added Free newsletterA digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day She later wrote on X: “Many thanks for the many concerned queries: I’m doing fine It’s only the shock that is still in my bones But don’t worry: we won’t let ourselves be intimidated!” Wagenknecht who took numerous members of Die Linke with her when she formed the BSW has presented her party as a new force that can steer Germany out of myriad crises including a surge in the cost of living and the rise of the far right She has pledged to provide higher pensions a reduction in immigration without excluding refugees and a reduction in bureaucracy in the workplace Sceptics have noted that while she is a charismatic figure Wagenknecht has yet to hold a position of political responsibility in Germany Although the far right leads in polling before Sunday’s votes it is not expected to come to power in either Thuringia or Saxony owing to a pact between the other parties ruling out working with the AfD in government That decision puts the BSW in a potentially strong position to influence coalition-building The same applies in the state of Brandenburg which goes to the polls in three weeks’ time while ruling out governing with the AfD in a coalition does not rule out cooperating with the party on issues where their ideas align the German Table Tennis Championships for Women and Men will be part of a unique and large-scale event: the “German Table Tennis Finals” this tournament will bring together a wide range of players making it one of the most significant table tennis events in Germany this event extends beyond elite-level play The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations and the organization of continental table tennis competitions A recently completed sidewalk project in my community There has been much celebration around a new sidewalk that has been installed in my community (Charles Town, West Virginia). This 2-block sidewalk segment is a huge accomplishment and I am thankful that it has been constructed. This sidewalk completes the missing link connecting our downtown to our police station and public utility offices This project was no easy feat to accomplish and it required a lot of effort from the city to get this project designed funded and constructed through the state department of transportation this rural road is transforming into an urban street This sidewalk project also included additional improvements such as improved drainage and better-defined edges of the street There are many places in my city where people want to walk but cannot because the sidewalk is missing These kinds of projects should be celebrated because my community needs many more of them we can experience and learn from the results It is hard to understand the complex details of these types of projects when they’re presented at public meetings or viewed as construction drawings on a website Even the best designers and top-rated contractors may miss the fine-grain details and unique field conditions of these projects A post-construction walking audit gives us the opportunity to learn and improve from every project we can observe user behaviors and measure widths and speeds This allows us to be critical and ask if the project achieved the intended objectives this information will help us make adjustments quickly as well as inform our work on future projects Strong Towns members conducting a walking audit at the National Gathering 2024 Let’s walk through this completed project and see where it could be improved The first thing I noticed is the new shoulder — the area between the curb and the white line The new curbs are farther back and more asphalt has been added to widen the street The result is approximately 6 feet of additional asphalt that looks like a third lane Six feet is too narrow for parallel parking and too generous for an unprotected bike lane that would be connected to nothing This is nothing more than extra pavement that will collect additional stormwater and that the public will have to maintain forever This extra pavement also optically widens the streets — making it feel much wider to drivers Drivers will naturally drive at a comfortable speed This street has a posted speed limit of 25 mph but most drivers feel comfortable driving much faster Increasing the actual and perceived width of the street will worsen the problem The extra pavement optically widens the street and increases the size of intersections We can observe driver behavior during our audit. I did not conduct a speed study Speed is such an issue on this street that a speed warning sign was temporarily installed on the very next block The primary objective of a sidewalk project is to increase the network where people can safely walk These types of projects are intended to extend an existing sidewalk or fill in a missing link this project does not include a crosswalk to connect the new sidewalk to an existing sidewalk on the other side of the street This can be observed through a walking audit because our eyes will lead our feet to this missing crossing The omission of this crossing may be a construction mistake Had a walking audit been conducted during the construction process this mistake could have been corrected immediately It is also plausible that omitting this crossing was intentional based on the other design elements of this project When the priority of a project is the throughput of vehicles crosswalks are omitted or removed because they could slow the free-flowing movement of vehicles including accommodations for walkers to safely cross the street The new sidewalk isn’t connected to existing sidewalks with a crosswalk My community just made a major investment to improve this street but important adjustments still need to be made Some of these adjustments are necessary for ensuring safety so these recommendations should be immediately deployed and then monitored in case there are any other necessary changes Other adjustments are longer-term or more applicable to future projects Here are a few quick responses that my local leaders could implement immediately to achieve the safety objectives of the project Bollards or delineators could be installed near intersections and driveways for optical narrowing and daylighting These temporary vertical elements communicate the desired speed of the street to the driver temporary features also prohibit dangerous driving maneuvers such as passing on the right within the shoulder Bollards or delineators could also be installed as curb extensions reducing the overall crossing distance for walkers and alerting drivers to all users of this street These simple features also inform the driver that they are transitioning from a rural highway into an urban street A crosswalk could be added to connect the new sidewalk to the existing sidewalks. The crosswalk could be installed quickly with high-visibility paint and signs The travel lanes could be reduced from 11 feet to 10 feet This additional lane width could be given to the shoulder allowing for parallel parking against the sidewalk thus making all of the pavement productive Right-sizing these lanes communicates the intended speed of 25 mph for this street The addition of on-street parking would address an existing need for parking in this neighborhood These parked cars would also provide a buffer between the sidewalk and moving cars This natural friction communicates the desired urban street character to drivers and results in slower speeds Paint and bollards could be quickly deployed to narrow the street and create the missing crosswalk The walking audit is also an important tool to guide longer-term changes to this street and to inform the design of future projects Here are a couple of longer-term modifications that could be used at this location or in future projects: The 6 feet of additional asphalt should be omitted. If the lane widths cannot be right-sized for the desired 25 mph speeds, the curb could be moved to the edge of the travel lane and the extra asphalt could be put to more productive use the sidewalk could be constructed wider to accommodate a multiuse trail or a landscape area could be constructed with shade trees to create a buffer between the traffic and the sidewalk Notes should be added to the city’s street standards to remind roadway designers that the space between curbs should always be used productively — the use of asphalt should be restricted to travel lanes or on-street parking but they also create a beautiful buffer between cars and the sidewalk that adds value to the surrounding properties This is an approach taken on another state roadway in our community The result is a beautiful street that costs a fraction of the conventional approach Examples of linear rain gardens installed on other state roads in the county Walking audits provide a feedback loop for projects that can be measured in days Your observations can be written down in a notepad This is an approach that can be repeated many times and at scale The results can convince even the most critical citizens and can be measured through the reduction of crashes in your community Do you want expert guidance in making your streets safer? Registration for the Accelerator winter session is open now Attendees will get personalized coaching from Strong Towns experts with insights from the book “Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town.” A maximum of 30 people will be accepted, so sign up now let’s talk about love — not just for people What is the next smallest thing you can do to show love for your community and make it stronger The answer is simple: Participate in public comment at your local city hall public comment sessions become a platform for airing grievances Many participants use their time to list complaints You might recognize these groups — they often organize the reality is that city officials have become desensitized to these predictable performances Showing up to express what you don’t like is easy What’s much harder — and far more impactful — is showing up to share what you love about your community Engagement and influence on development projects need to occur well before the public hearing This conversation needs to actually occur before the application has even been submitted The most powerful thing a strong citizen can do is use their time at the microphone to highlight the things that make their community special. Instead of focusing on opposition and negativity, take a moment to share appreciation for the things you love about your city "I love the historic character and charm of our downtown." "I love that our community is full of small and up-and-coming businesses." "I am grateful for the trails that connect my home to shops or where I work." "I admire the character and architecture of our community's buildings." As someone who has stood behind the podium in city hall I can assure you that these types of heartfelt expressions are rare Do not be surprised if you notice the room go silent as people absorb your words When you speak positively about your community you forge connections with others who share your values love for a place has a way of bringing people together Elected and appointed officials remember these moments because they are so uncommon as city planners and officials recall what their residents appreciate most If you express love for your walkable main street with small businesses and mixed-use buildings city officials may reconsider approving a sprawling shopping center on the outskirts of town or they may oppose the demolition of a downtown building for a parking lot If you highlight the importance of green spaces and public parks future development projects may prioritize maintaining these assets If you emphasize the character and mix of uses of your favorite downtown area policymakers may encourage zoning changes that allow more of that by right Over time, this shift in dialogue can reshape the trajectory of your city. It helps decision-makers focus on the quality of place and ensures that growth aligns with what residents truly value By sharing your love for your community, you inspire others to do the same. The silent majority — those who cherish their city but have never spoken up — will find confidence in your example. Civic discourse doesn’t have to be dominated by negativity. It can be constructive, uplifting and forward-thinking This small act takes only a few minutes of your time encouraging more people to engage in meaningful solution-oriented discussions about their city’s future instead of just sending love notes to people take the microphone and say something positive Find one thing you love about your community and tell the decision-makers why it matters to you more resilient communities — one love-filled public comment at a time Learn how to make a public comment in the Spring Local-Motive Session on April 3: “How To Give Great Public Comments and Build Safe Streets.” Reserve your ticket today Third concert as part of the Louis Armstrong Year 2025 the Language Centre of the University of Erfurt Thüringer Schlosskonzerte and the memorial in Andreasstraße The series is part of the Studium Fundamentale course "When Louis Armstrong played in Erfurt" by Christopher Forlini Louis Armstrong played a legendary concert in Erfurt his appearance in the GDR was the subject of great media and political interest The SED celebrated him as a civil rights activist who fought against racism and oppression with his Music and was therefore the representative of a better America the American government wanted to use his Music to promote the "American way of life" Four events in 2025 are intended to show the different ways in which Louis Armstrong's political and musical significance is viewed and to commemorate his performance 60 years ago in Erfurt the Gary Winters Quartet will play a short history of jazz in the Rathausfestsaal Erfurt The quartet gives us a musical tour of the development of jazz music from its beginnings in New Orleans to the present day emphasising the outstanding role played by Louis Armstrong one of Germany's longest-standing and most renowned traditional jazz bands will play the legendary concert that Armstrong gave in the Thüringenhalle in 1965 at Haus Dacheröden The Ramblers were founded in Dresden in 1955 and are an important musical bridge between tradition and the present Professor Jack Cooper will give a lecture at the memorial in Andreasstraße on how Louis Armstrong was viewed in the East and West The multi-award-winning saxophonist Jack Cooper has worked as an instrumentalist composer and music director with Marc Secara and the Berlin Jazz Orchestra The legendary trombonist Hermann Anders from the Jazz Optimisten Berlin who played with Louis Amstrong in East Berlin in 1965 tenor saxophonist Lawrence Clark from New York will perform He has worked with many great jazz musicians over the course of his career and played in legendary jazz clubs (including the Blue Note The concert will compare the developments in jazz around 1965 with Armstrong's musical achievements You are in the News section of the Language Centre University of Erfurt (Campus) Nordhäuser Str Alternative for Germany’s Björn Höcke was in a bullish mood at a rally in Thuringia one of three regions where support is high for the far-right party ahead of elections next month their mobile phones aloft and set to record “I’ve got to protect my voice for my first speech as state premier,” Björn Höcke said with a grin Three eastern German states hold elections next month and the regions up for grabs are among those with the most supporters of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland the AfD could wind up the strongest party in all three a year before the planned date of Germany’s next general election a catastrophe or a wake-up call for the country co-heads the state chapter of the AfD in Thuringia which will vote on 1 September along with Saxony has been classed as “confirmed rightwing extremist” by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution the largely rural state surrounding Berlin Its AfD chapter is listed as “suspected rightwing extremist” his scowl covered with the words: “Who votes for this man?” Höcke has belonged to the AfD since it was launched in 2013 as a Eurosceptic party. He is seen as the driving force of its ever-stronger embrace of radical anti-migrant, anti-Islam sentiment, as he calls into question the foundations of Germany’s democratic order and postwar penance for the Holocaust It is the performance of his state that will be watched most closely in Germany which has long prided itself on consensus-oriented politics and having learned the lessons of the Nazi past when the results trickle in on election night With Thuringian pork sausages sizzling on the grill and frothy pints flowing in a pop-up biergarten in the state capital Höcke basked in the bullish mood at his rally On a small square framed by communist-era housing blocks, about 800 people appeared rapt as he railed against the government in Berlin and the justice authorities who had repeatedly filed charges against him for incitement mockingly calls the constitutional protection office the “Stasi” Children with their parents clutched strings of AfD-blue helium balloons while older men in socks and sandals stand for Höcke’s speech with plastic flyswatters bearing the party logo tucked under their arms A few hundred counter-protesters rhythmically shouted a rhyme from the sidelines behind a police cordon: “Höcke ist/ein Faschist” (Höcke is a fascist) whose whistles and jeering could be heard above the large sound system as “filled with self-hatred” and “needing therapy” Höcke said to applause that leftist NGOs mobilising against the far right hated Germany and hailed action taken by Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, to crack down on progressive groups as an effective model Sahra Wagenknecht of the BSW campaigns in Eisenach Photograph: Karina Hessland/ReutersLooking like a tech executive in a smart shirt Höcke appeared slightly out of step with his largely working-class audience as he compared Germany’s mainstream parties to a cartel with a monopolistic stranglehold on the democratic “market” But he had supporters in thrall to him when he intoned the key talking point of the movement that the centre-left-led government in Berlin wants to “do away with you the German people” and “replace you with a multicultural society” Höcke’s supporters gathered in Erfurt repeatedly said their top concern was not Germany’s anaemic economic growth or the inflated cost of living but “criminal foreigners” in their midst “I have nothing against foreigners – my wife is from Indonesia and my daughter’s boyfriend is from Sri Lanka,” said Christof Meiering “But when foreigners become criminal they have to be deported “It wasn’t easy in the GDR but we were safe,” said sales clerk Manuela accompanied by her 14-year-old daughter Lea She said she was worried about Lea on Erfurt’s streets and at school “Everyone thinks that the AfD hates foreigners – that’s not true They can do what they want as long as they integrate In Germany’s fractured electoral landscape meaning that leading parties must usually form coalitions to govern The system was specifically designed in the postwar period to make it difficult for an extremist fringe to gain power All of the democratic parties have maintained a “firewall” against the AfD vowing never to join forces with it – a policy that has so far kept the far right out of government at the state and federal level Der Spiegel’s cover shows Donald Trump Marine Le Pen and Björn Höcke with the headline a political scientist at the University of Erfurt said he expected the blockade to hold but that an AfD sweep in the state elections would palpably shift the centre of gravity in German politics on contentious issues including migration Ukraine and the “green” energy transformation “Other parties will try to occupy the issues and positions of the AfD to conquer its voters” in the run-up to next September’s general election The traditional parties have proved incapable of winning back a swath of voters where they have gone from considering the AfD a protest party to giving its increasingly radical stances their full allegiance in election after election “The other parties are totally unprepared to address that spread of rightwing extremist political views,” Brodocz said is polling in the double digits in all three states Her seven-month-old party has been billed an “alternative to the Alternative” for voters – and potential coalition partners – who see the AfD as too extremist Its own positions on many pivotal issues are so vague that the national daily Süddeutsche Zeitung called it a “black box” whose contents remained sealed and mysterious it is possible that the BSW will be an essential component in the ruling coalitions of all three states In the elections for the European parliament in June it stole voters from across the party spectrum said she sensed “fear of the AfD wherever you go in the state” and that the BSW was responding to the spread of “hate” by directly addressing the enduring disappointment and alienation of easterners “The promise [after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989] was you’ll be better off than before,” she said they were right.” But she said lasting inequality with the west a sense that rural regions were “cut off” without access to local doctors plus demographic shifts taking a bite out of property values Add to that the soaring cost of energy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an influx of more than a million Ukrainian refugees into Germany “This is a war for which Thuringians are not responsible but they are bearing the brunt of it here,” she said echoing the sentiments of many easterners who question Germany’s role as the top European weapons supplier to Ukraine and wonder how long vast nuclear-armed Russia can be treated as a pariah More than half of easterners – 53% – said Germany should “try to build up and strengthen ties with Russia” 54% of voters said they agreed with the statement: “We only seem to be living in a democracy in reality citizens don’t have a say,” while just 27% in the west shared that view Bodo Ramelow, of the far-left Linke party admitted that he was part of the “establishment” as stiff political winds blew against the system He said he refused to “insult AfD voters as fascists” and was fighting for every vote against the far right “The 30% [support for the AfD] defines the state but I’m talking about the 70% and it has to grow,” he said “I’m fighting against the normalisation of fascism This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media The City of Gotha will be celebrating its 1250th anniversary in 2025 the Thuringia Day will also take place in the royal seat from 2 to 4 May this year The Gotha Research Centre and Gotha Research Library of the University of Erfurt will be taking part and opening their doors to visitors which is based in the former "Landschaftshaus" on the Schloßberg Gotha is offering two guided tours of the house as a place of remembrance of parliamentarianism in Thuringia They start on 2 May at 4 pm and on 3 May at 11 am Visitors can also take the opportunity to view the travelling exhibition “Auf dem Weg zur modernen Demokratie Die deutschen Freiheitsbewegungen von der Französischen Revolution bis zur Mitte des 19 Jahrhunderts” (On the way to modern democracy The German Freedom Movements from the French Revolution to the Mid-19th Century) by the “Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der Demokratiegeschichte e which will be on display there from 23 April to 22 May The exhibition invites visitors to discover the early days of German democratic history at the historical site: in 1764 the Ducal Chamber made the building permanently available for use by the "Landschaft" as the “Landstände” were also known the first state parliament with major civic participation convened here The exhibition offers insights into the early German freedom movements and shows that fundamental and human rights separation of powers and the rule of law cannot be taken for granted The travelling exhibition can be viewed on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon (except 1 May) and by appointment at forschungszentrum.gotha@uni-erfurt.de or by phone: 0361 737 1712 As the highlight of Thuringia Day in Gotha MDR television will rebroadcast the film “Perthes Haack and Heidi – From Gotha to the World” by Anna Neuhaus and Amelie Befeldt on Saturday Produced in 2021 for the MDR series “Der Osten – Entdecke wo du lebst” (The East – Discover where you live) the film tells the story of the global reach of publishing houses founded in Gotha cartographers who worked here and books published here You are in the news section of the Gotha Research Centre ProfileContact personsScholarships FacebookBlog Newsletter TravellingLocation plan Gotha Research Centre of the University of Erfurt CG3 – Forschungszentrum Gotha forschungszentrum.gotha@uni-erfurt.de The primary objective was to determine whether obliteration of the epitympanic area and mastoid cavity during canal wall up (CWU) cholesteatoma surgery reduces the rate of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma compared to not obliterating the same area. The secondary objective was to compare postoperative hearing outcomes between both techniques. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary referral center. One-hundred-fourty-three ears were included of patients (≥18y) who underwent a CWU tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma with or without bony obliteration between January 2015 and March 2020 in the University Medical Center Utrecht. The median follow-up was respectively 1.4 (IQR 1.1–2.2) vs. 2.0 years (IQR 1.2–3.1) (p = 0.013). All patients underwent CWU tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma. For 73 ears bone dust, Bonalive® or a combination was used for obliteration of the mastoid and epitympanic area, the rest of the ears (n = 70) were not obliterated. In accordance with the Dutch protocol, included patients are planned to undergo an MRI scan with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) one, three and five years after surgery to detect recurrent or residual cholesteatoma. The primary outcome measure was recurrent and residual cholesteatoma as evaluated by MRI-DWI and/or micro-otoscopy and confirmed by micro-otoscopy and/or revision surgery. The secondary outcome measure was the postoperative hearing. Based on our results, a canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy with bony obliteration is the treatment of choice, since the recurrent and residual disease rate is lower compared to the group without obliteration. The bony obliteration technique does not seem to affect the perceptive or conductive hearing results, as these are similar between both groups. Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Volume 11 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2024.1381481 This article is part of the Research TopicCholesteatoma Surgery: Treatment Outcome and Follow UpView all articles Objectives: The primary objective was to determine whether obliteration of the epitympanic area and mastoid cavity during canal wall up (CWU) cholesteatoma surgery reduces the rate of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma compared to not obliterating the same area The secondary objective was to compare postoperative hearing outcomes between both techniques Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary referral center One-hundred-fourty-three ears were included of patients (≥18y) who underwent a CWU tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma with or without bony obliteration between January 2015 and March 2020 in the University Medical Center Utrecht The median follow-up was respectively 1.4 (IQR 1.1–2.2) vs 2.0 years (IQR 1.2–3.1) (p = 0.013) Intervention(s): All patients underwent CWU tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma Bonalive® or a combination was used for obliteration of the mastoid and epitympanic area the rest of the ears (n = 70) were not obliterated included patients are planned to undergo an MRI scan with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) one three and five years after surgery to detect recurrent or residual cholesteatoma Main outcome measure(s): The primary outcome measure was recurrent and residual cholesteatoma as evaluated by MRI-DWI and/or micro-otoscopy and confirmed by micro-otoscopy and/or revision surgery The secondary outcome measure was the postoperative hearing the group treated with canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy with subsequent bony obliteration (73 ears 51.0%) had significantly lower recurrent (4.1%) and residual (6.8%) cholesteatoma rates than the group without obliteration (70 ears respectively; p < 0.001) There was no significant difference between both groups in postoperative bone conduction thresholds (mean difference 2.7 dB p = 0.221) as well as the mean air-bone gap closure 6 weeks after surgery (2.3 dB in the non-obliteration and 1.5 dB in the obliteration group a canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy with bony obliteration is the treatment of choice since the recurrent and residual disease rate is lower compared to the group without obliteration The bony obliteration technique does not seem to affect the perceptive or conductive hearing results Since the large range in prevalence cannot be explained only by the surgical approach there must be numerous other factors that influence the variety such as experience of the surgeon and patient related factors Combining the CWU approach with obliteration therefore seems to be a good solution to optimize disease control It is important to note that during the obliteration of the mastoid and epitympanum a part of the malleus as well as the incus are removed Further research must address this aspect in order to be able to draw definitive conclusions Since CWU cholesteatoma surgery has been commonly performed in our tertiary center for years with introduction of the BOT as an addition to this approach in 2015 our cohort of patients is very suitable to compare both surgical techniques The primary aim of this study was to determine whether CWU tympanomastoidectomy with bony obliteration improves disease control of cholesteatoma compared to CWU surgery without obliteration postoperative hearing outcome was evaluated and compared between the two mentioned techniques A retrospective cohort study was performed in our tertiary referral center with approval of the medical research ethical committee (MvdL/mb/21/500229) who underwent primary or revision CWU tympanomastoidectomy both with or without bony obliteration of the epitympanic area and mastoid cavity for treatment of their cholesteatoma All surgeries were performed by four surgeons in the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht between January 2015 and March 2020 Patients were included when evaluated for recurrent and residual disease at least once by magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging (MRI-DWI) and by micro-otoscopy Residual disease consists of epithelium (cholesteatoma matrix) left behind during surgery suspected on MRI-DWI and confirmed during surgery Patients aged under 18 at the time of surgery were excluded as well as cases regarding radical cavities or other surgical techniques than those compared (e.g. cases in which the surgeon deliberately had left epithelium in the surgical field As it is the aim of this study to determine whether there is a difference in outcome between the two techniques All necessary parameters were transmitted from the electronic patient record system to an anonymized file by the datamanager of the UMC Utrecht surgical department the specific patient file was assessed in detail by the principal investigator When a variable was not recorded in the electronic patient dossier it was classified as “missing data” Hearing was assessed approximately four weeks preoperatively by pure-tone audiometry, as well as six weeks postoperatively. The pure tone average thresholds (PTA) were calculated for air and bone conduction (AC, BC respectively) at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz (21) Afterwards the air-bone gap was calculated The Amsterdam Hearing Evaluation Plot (AHEP) was used to visualize the pre- and postoperative bone conduction and box plots were used to visualize the mean air-bone gap closure a retroauricular incision was applied (cutis and subcutis) Then an anterior pedicled musculoperiostal flap was elevated and lateralized; a posterior incision in the canal skin was made and the tympanic membrane was inspected A tympanomeatal flap was created and middle ear work was performed; assessing the ossicular chain determining whether it was either a recurrent or residual cholesteatoma and cleaning of the middle ear atticoantrotomy was performed with preservation of the posterior bony canal wall All of the cholesteatoma was removed respecting the critical landmarks (labyrinth A combined approach technique was used to ascertain the surgeon that all pathology was removed (when necessary including a posterior tympanotomy For bony obliteration a bone chip and cortical bone dust was harvested from the mastoid cortex using a drill with 10.000–20.000 revolutions per minute Both the bone chip and bone dust were preserved in povidon iodine 10% aqueous solution These were used to close off the epitympanic space from the middle ear and to fill up the epitympanic space and mastoid at the final stage of the procedure Baxter) was applied to keep the reconstruction in place In some cases bioactive glass granules (Bonalive®) were used instead of or in addition to the bone dust At our tertiary center we started implemented the obliteration technique alongside the traditional technique in 2015 All surgeons participating in this study utilized both techniques The reconstruction of the tympanic membrane was performed using autologous material (temporalis fascia perichondrium) and the ossicular chain reconstruction was performed using allogenous material (titanium ossicular reconstruction KurzMedical®) or by means of a type III tympanoplasty We refer to a type III tympanoplasty when a tympanic membrane graft was placed directly onto the stapes head skin closure was performed in three layers the meatus was dressed with gauze soaked in antibiotic ointment (for 7–10 days) and a pressure head bandage was applied for 24 h Patients of the obliteration group received 625 mg Augmentin 3 times a day for 5 days postoperatively Statistical analysis was performed using the software platform “Statistical Package for the Social Sciences” 29.0.1 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Baseline characteristics per group were described with means and standard deviations or medians and interquartile ranges in Table 1 depending on normality To compare the difference in recurrent and residual disease between both surgical groups and between all STAMCO stages the Mann-Whitney U test was performed to compare the audiological data and the follow-up time between the two groups The same test was used to assess the difference in air-bone gap closure between all STAMCO stages Descriptive statistics using frequencies and means were used to summarize the remaining research data A significant result was defined as a p-value <0.05 Patient characteristics per surgical technique The median duration of surgery was 151 min (IQR 128–186; non-obliteration) vs 157 min (IQR 131–187; obliteration) There were 6 out of 70 ears (non-obliteration) and 7 out of 73 (obliteration group) ears with a labyrinthine fistula The ossicular chain was intact in 8 cases of the non-obliteration group and in 1 of the obliteration group A PORP was placed in 27 and 24 cases respectively and a TORP in 14 cases in both groups The rest of the cases either already had a prothesis in situ no reconstruction was performed or a tympanoplasty type III was performed One patient in the non-obliteration group (1.4%) and two in the obliteration group (2.7%) developed a post-operative wound infection and were treated with antibiotics One patient in the obliteration group was admitted due to a post-operative headache which developed one day after surgery This patient had a large cholesteatoma which expanded to the labyrinth as well as chronic otitis media which was already being treated with oral antibiotics This was switched to intravenous antibiotics and the headache resolved after a few days the difference had increased with a rate of 0.61 and 0.90 After three years the rates were 0.54 and 0.89 Disease control rate by surgical technique: non-obliteration versus obliteration group Striped open line represents the group without obliteration; black line represents the group with obliteration on the y-axis the disease control rate (a disease control rate of 1 represents 0% recurrent or residual cholesteatoma cases) n = 138: individual cases of preoperative bone conduction pure tone average against 6 weeks postoperative bone conduction pure tone average The postoperative BC PTA is plotted against the preoperative BC PTA Dots below the lower dotted diagonal line represent cases where the BC PTA improved more than 10 dB Dots above the upper diagonal line represent ears with a decrease in the postoperative BC PTA threshold more than 10 dB When a dot is located between the two diagonal lines BC PTA did not change over more than 10 dB The open circles represent cases of the non-obliteration group; the filled squares represent cases of the obliteration group Triangles represent cases with postoperative functional deafness Mean air-bone gap closure in decibels divided by surgical approach: non-obliteration (n = 67) versus obliteration group (n = 71) The mean air-bone gap closure 6 weeks postoperative in the non-obliteration group was 2.3 dB and 1.5 dB in the obliteration group (mean difference 0.7 dB Twenty-three out of 70 non-obliterated ears (32.9%) showed diffusion restriction on their first MRI-DWI during follow-up compared to 14 out of 73 obliterated ears (19.2%) Four of the 23 turned out to be false-positive: three underwent a revision surgery during which no cholesteatoma was found in one diffusion restriction disappeared on the second MRI 2 out of 14 cases were false-positive: diffusion restriction disappeared on the second MRI In 3 out of 23 (non-obliteration) and 5 out of 14 (obliteration) diffusion restriction was doubtful: it did not disappear over the years these patients did not have any complaints and no additional surgery was necessary 16 out of 70 (22.9%) exhibited no diffusion restriction on the initial MRI after surgery but later showed recidivism compared to only 1 out of 73 (1.4%) obliterated ears These cases either showed diffusion restriction on a second MRI or cholesteatoma was seen during micro-otoscopy or during second look surgery In the non-obliteration group 12/16 cases were recurrent and 4/16 residual cholesteatomas The one case in the obliteration group was a recurrent cholesteatoma Study outcomes and characteristics of the bony obliteration technique of four other recent comparable studies Depending on the year of surgery, some cases had a longer follow-up with additional MRI-DWI(s) and outpatient clinical visits, up to five years. This could be a potential source of bias, which we have tried to address by also representing the data cumulative per year (Figure 1) In our study each cholesteatoma was staged according to the STAMCO classification to report the data in a uniform way, making it easier to compare outcomes to other reports in the literature (19) a significant improvement was shown in recidivism free rate when an obliteration was performed The small numbers in the stage I group might explain why there was no significant difference between the obliteration and non-obliteration group To obliterate the epitympanic space the head of the malleus and incus need to be removed, necessitating ossicular chain reconstruction and possibly resulting in decreased conductive hearing ability. Surprisingly, the presented results prove otherwise: the postoperative hearing outcomes between both surgical techniques do not differ significantly. Cases with sensorineural hearing loss were evenly distributed over the two groups (Figure 2) the ABG closure 6 weeks postoperatively did not significantly differ between both groups (mean difference 1.5 dB in the obliteration group and 2.3 in the non-obliteration group it must be taken into account that our cohort mainly included large cholesteatomas (STAMCO stage II where the ossicular chain is still functioning and intact obliterating the epitympanic area could negatively affect the hearing since the ossicular chain then has to be removed Further studies are necessary to evaluate this Our main philosophical strategy is the preservation of structure and function where it is possible Opting for highest odds of minimal disease recurrence (mastoid cavity and epitympanic area obliteration with ossicular chain reconstruction) vs is a shared decision process made together with the patient which showed no significant deterioration nor improvement for both techniques may also be attributed to the fact that the majority of the cases were non-primary and extensive cholesteatomas (STAMCO stage II or III) many cases had a history of other ear surgeries leading to the prior removal of parts of the ossicular chain and sclerosis or fibrosis of the middle ear or tympanic membrane it can be inferred that the condition of the middle ear and the number of prior ear surgeries in the operated ear are likely the most significant predictive factors for hearing recovery An important limitation of this study was the lack of randomization and its retrospective character The location and extent of the cholesteatoma as well as the preference of the surgeon may have influenced both the choice for the surgical approach and the risk of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma the follow-up time of the non-obliteration group was significantly longer compared to the obliteration group making comparison between groups and drawn conclusions less robust Some cases showed diffusion restriction on the MRI-DWI one year after surgery that however disappeared on a second or third MRI-DWI These false-positive results can only be exposed after an additional MRI-DWI which may have influenced disease control in favor of the non-obliteration group the distribution between the STAMCO stages (I II and III) varies largely within this cohort and it would be valuable to investigate the occurrence of recidivism within a more balanced group It would therefore be useful to conduct a prospective to investigate the extent of the cholesteatoma and biology of the middle ear and look at possible correlations between disease From this retrospective cohort study it is concluded that the bony obliteration technique of the epitympanic area and mastoid cavity after CWU tympanomastoidectomy improves disease control of cholesteatoma compared to no obliteration there is no significant difference in either technique with regard to the postoperative hearing outcome To discover recurrent or residual disease another sequential three- and five year MRI-DWI is advocated Future studies are necessary to correlate recidivism rates and hearing with the extent of the cholesteatoma and biology of the middle ear The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors The studies involving humans were approved by Ethical committee: NedMec (Utrecht) Address: Heidelberglaan 100 3584 CX Utrecht The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements Written informed consent for participation was not required from the participants or the participants’ legal guardians/next of kin in accordance with the national legislation and institutional requirements AS: Writing – review & editing RS: Writing – review & editing The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2024.1381481/full#supplementary-material Causes of failure of mastoidectomy for chronic otitis media PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Surgical management of cholesteatoma: the two main options and the third way—atticotomy/limited mastoidectomy Pediatric cholesteatoma: a retrospective review PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Late results of surgery in different cholesteatoma types PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar The disease recurrence rate after the canal wall up or canal wall down technique in adults Single-stage mastoid obliteration in cholesteatoma surgery and recurrent and residual disease rates: a systematic review A method of filling the excavated mastoid with a flap from the back of the auricle Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar The cholesteatomatous ear one year after surgery with obliteration technique PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar Pathogenesis-Oriented Therapeutic Management Google Scholar Canal wall reconstruction in cholesteatoma surgeries: rate of residual Mastoid cavity obliteration leads to a clinically significant improvement in health-related quality of life Long-term results of troublesome CWD cavity reconstruction by mastoid and epitympanic bony obliteration (CWR-BOT) in adults Canal reconstruction and mastoid obliteration using floating cartilages and musculoperiosteal flaps The bony obliteration tympanoplasty in pediatric cholesteatoma: long-term hearing results Canal wall up surgery with mastoid and epitympanic obliteration in acquired cholesteatoma Cholesteatoma surgery with the canal wall up technique combined with mastoid obliteration: results from primary surgery in 230 consecutive cases The evaluation of canal wall up cholesteatoma surgery with the Glasgow Benefit Inventory Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the temporal bone Implementation of the “EAONO/JOS definitions and classification of middle ear cholesteatoma”—from STAM to STAMCO EAONO/JOS joint consensus statements on the definitions classification and staging of middle ear cholesteatoma The pure-tone average as a universal metric—knowing your hearing Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Efficacy of evaluation of audiometric results after stapes surgery in otosclerosis A method for reporting results from individual cases Treatment outcome of the bony obliteration tympanoplasty versus nonobliterative techniques in cholesteatoma surgery: a retrospective analysis Cholesteatoma recidivism: comparison of three different surgical techniques Mastoidectomy for acquired cholesteatoma: follow-up to 20 years PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Follow-up of cholesteatoma surgery: open versus closed tympanoplasty PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Extensive cholesteatoma: long-term results of three surgical techniques PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Canal wall reconstruction tympanomastoidectomy with mastoid obliteration Surgical technique and recurrence in cholesteatoma: a meta-analysis Middle ear cholesteatoma: non–echo-planar diffusion-weighted MR imaging versus delayed gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging—value in detection Cost-comparison analysis of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI) versus second-look surgery for the detection of residual and recurrent cholesteatoma Recurrence of cholesteatoma—a retrospective study including 1,006 patients for more than 33 years Stokroos RJ and Thomeer HGXM (2024) Canal-wall up cholesteatoma surgery with mastoid obliteration leads to lower rates of disease recurrence without affecting hearing outcomes Received: 3 February 2024; Accepted: 18 March 2024;Published: 8 April 2024 © 2024 Erfurt, Westerhout, Straatman, Smit, Stokroos and Thomeer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Chiara Erfurt Yy5lcmZ1cnRAdW1jdXRyZWNodC5ubA== †These authors have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish special exhibition organised by the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha in cooperation with the University of Erfurt to mark the 1250th anniversary of the city of Gotha many ideas and inventions have made their way into politics Geistesblitze und Dauerbrenner aus 1250 Jahren" (GOTHA GENIUS? Flashes of inspiration and enduring hits from 1250 years) invites you to travel through the city's history and shows how Gotha's traditions and innovations have shaped Thuringia and the world The exhibition can be seen from 27 April to 26 October 2025 in the exhibition hall of the Ducal Museum visitors get to know the city of Gotha: how it was and became what it is today; who shaped it and what makes it special Instead of a chronological retelling of the 1250-year history the focus is on thematic complexes in which the history is scrutinised under various aspects – from "Politics" "Economy and Crafts" to chapters such as "From all over the world to Gotha" "Associations and Commitment" and "Typical Gotha" or "Festivals and Celebrations" The exhibition also incorporates the results of the co-operation project "Die kleine Freiheit: Fest Oral History" between the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha and the University of Erfurt Based on photographs from the Friedenstein Foundation's collections students interviewed Gotha citizens and researched the freedoms that festivals bring with them their views on what freedom means and how they experienced the various political systems can be heard in the exhibition In a seminar entitled “Die kleine Freiheit: Fest Erinnerungskultur” (The Little Freedom: Celebration the students previously scrutinised a photo collection of the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha which has hardly been tapped into to date and contains a large number of photographs of various celebrations from around 120 years of the city's history They then analysed these photographs in oral history interviews with the citizens: How were these festivals experienced of overcoming routines and social constraints Or were they perceived as a representation of power and control How was it possible to celebrate between a social occasion and state control The results are now being presented in the Ducal Museum Around 180 exhibits can be seen in the special exhibition Most of the objects come from the collections of the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha loans and digital copies from other institutions such as the Gotha Research Library of the University of Erfurt Original contemporary documents such as speeches and audio recordings of the Gotha dialect or a narrative level which categorises the topics in an emotional and engaging way and establishes historical references A children's level and other sound and video stations complete the exhibition An audio guide is available in German and English The guide is designed as a discovery tour for children A catalogue will also be published to accompany the exhibition "GOTHA GENIAL?!" runs until 26 October 2025, admission costs 8 euros (reduced 4 euros). Children and young people up to the age of 12 are admitted free of charge. Further information on the exhibition can be found at www.gotha-genial.de Opening hoursFind usInformation materialA-Z About the libraryContact personsPublicationsEvent calendar NewsletterBlog University of Erfurt | Gotha Research LibraryCG1 – Gotha Research Library Friedenstein CastleSchlossplatz 199867 Gotha bibliothek.gotha@uni-erfurt.de +49 361 737-5540 The legend of gold and glory continues in Midas Golden Touch 3 The Erfurt Regional Court officially referred cases LG Erfurt 8 O 391/23 and 8 O 515/24 to the ECJ in December one concerning online gambling and the other sports betting According to lawyer Stefan C. Grunow, who analysed the referral on the legal platform Anwalt.de the Erfurt court’s submission goes beyond the BGH’s initial referral by presenting more detailed and wide-ranging legal questions While the BGH posed only two broad questions the Erfurt court formulated four key issues which were further divided into specific sub-points At the heart of the Erfurt court’s referral are concerns about the inconsistent application of Germany’s gambling regulations at the time The court seeks clarification on why some forms of online gambling were permitted while online casino games were prohibited It also raises concerns about whether the authorities’ apparent tolerance of online gambling the court questions why identical slot and poker games were allowed in physical casinos but banned online and how Schleswig-Holstein was able to issue gambling licenses independently while the rest of Germany adhered to a national ban The Erfurt court also challenges whether sufficient evidence was ever presented to justify the claim that online gambling poses greater risks than physical gambling venues and whether the ban effectively reduced black-market gambling it questions whether German authorities have the right to impose penalties or deny reimbursement claims if the online gambling ban contradicts EU law Should the ban be found to violate European regulations the court inquires whether operators would be exempt from criminal or administrative penalties and whether civil claims for reimbursement by players would remain valid the court also seeks clarification on the justification for imposing deposit restrictions on online gambling when physical casinos and betting outlets either have no such limits or operate under significantly different rules Grunow explained that German law allows lower courts to independently seek guidance from the ECJ if they identify a potential conflict with EU regulations even if similar questions are already under review The ECJ is now tasked with addressing an array of legal questions submitted by both the BGH and the Erfurt Regional Court Although these cases may eventually be heard together Grunow suggested that a resolution in 2025 is unlikely given the complexity and breadth of the issues involved Even if the ECJ sides with players in the initial Tipico case referred by the BGH “the risk that at least some aspects could be decided in favour of the providers by the ECJ must also be kept in mind “It is currently not possible to reliably estimate how this will affect pending legal proceedings,” Grunow stated Conference organized by the research centre "Politics of Truth" 23 - 25 October at the IBZ of the University of Erfurt This workshop aims at analysing how Russia stages itself as an anti-colonial protecting power is the Putin regime working to restructure the Russian and global past and present How are new alliances and imagined communities created especially with countries of the Global South As an analytical lens we propose methodological approaches such as political epistemology and praxeology Russia's Politics of Truth and its quest for alliances in the Global South Since 2014 we have been able to observe Russia portraying itself increasingly not just as the only remaining power of the morally good and historically true In relation to countries of the Global South Russia has also especially presented itself as an anti-colonial protecting power This framing is anchored within two broader narratives: Putin is pushing a specific historical policy the central reference point of which is the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in the so-called Great Patriotic War This newly structured and enhanced past is turned into an ever-present prism - through iterative references by the state media but especially events that allow a large portion of the population to directly participate in the commemoration of this past - by which the present can also be seen and interpreted (McGlynn 2023) At high-profile media events such as the Russia-Africa Summit the Soviet Union's support of anti-colonial liberation movements has increasingly become part of these historical memory and updating practices through which the claim of being on the "right side of history" is made another anchor point lies in so-called "traditional values" which primarily conceal an ultra-conservative gender policy that is characterised by homophobia Depictions of gender order can function as 'symbolic border guards' that allow essentialisation and demarcation between communities (Riabova/Riabov 2014) comparative perspectives can be fruitful for our analysis: For the Polish case it has already been analysed how the ultra-conservative gender policy agenda has appropriated an anticolonial framing with "gender" being depicted as "Ebola from Brussels" (Korolczuk/Graff 2018) The "traditional family" in this context becomes a signifier for self-determined This agenda is also being pushed and exported through the Russian Orthodox Church not only within Russia but on a global scale Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has sparked intensive discussion within the discipline of East European Studies about decolonising the subject the basic epistemological assumptions of the discipline have been called into question the concept of a Foucauldian regime of truth was suggested to examine the connections between institutional conditions and social systems of norms and values (see Vulpius 2021) This could not only help to analyze the consent to war in parts of Russian society The aim of the workshop is to analyse these Russian Politics of Truth (Kleeberg/Suter 2014) with a special focus on interconnections with the Global South You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information Located in the heart of the Old Town of Erfurt in Thuringia the Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt comprises the Old Synagogue which are rare and exceptionally preserved examples of Central European Jewish buildings that illustrate architectural details and decoration programme the adaptation to the town’s specific spatial and social conditions and the coexistence of a Jewish community with a predominantly Christian society during the urban development of Erfurt at the crossroads of important commercial routes in Central Europe in the Middle Ages The property sheds light on the heyday of a Jewish community engaged with trade and exchanges in Central Europe during the Middle Ages between the late 11th and mid-14th centuries CE the Mikveh and the Stone House of Erfurt are an early and rare testimony to Jewish religious and secular architecture from the Middle Ages in Central Europe The buildings illustrate the conformity with vernacular architecture and adaptation to local conditions and thus reflect the coexistence with a predominantly Christian society and the heyday of Jewish life in Central Europe’s medieval Erfurt until the wave of pogroms of the mid-14th century The property includes all attributes necessary to express its Outstanding Universal Value includes visual connections and attributes that are functionally important as a support to the property and its protection The integration of the buildings of the Jewish community into the medieval city is impressively perceivable to this day They reflect how Jews and Christians lived together in the midst of coexistence persecution and expulsion in a medieval city in Europe The three component parts are of adequate size so the protection of the characteristics and processes which communicate the Outstanding Universal Value of the property The Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt is not threatened by any adverse developments or neglect The form and materials of the Old Synagogue the Mikveh and the Stone House are largely preserved Evidence of their construction and use by the Jewish community and Jewish citizens of the city and their conformity with local building traditions and techniques is provided by the preserved original medieval building fabric The exceptionally well-preserved building fabric of the Old Synagogue mostly dates to the period from around 1100 to the early 14th century the form of the ground plan and room height as well as the medieval building fabric (12th-14th centuries) Its original function as a ritual bath is fully perceivable The Stone House is largely preserved in its fundamental structural elements from the 13th century and its unique interior design The traces of a key event of European history The laws and other regulations of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Free State of Thuringia guarantee the continuous protection of the Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt the Mikveh and the Stone House are registered as cultural monuments in the Book of Monuments (Denkmalbuch) of the Free State of Thuringia in accordance with Article 4 of the Protection of Cultural Heritage Act of Thuringia (ThürDSchG) they are included in the monument ensemble "Old Town of Erfurt" which is also recorded in the Book of Monuments All measures in the monument ensemble "Old Town of Erfurt" in which the three component parts and the buffer zone are located require permission from the Local Cultural Protection Authority (Untere Denkmalschutzbehörde) municipal statutes and planning such as the preservation and design statutes and the Urban Development Concept ensure the sustenance of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and the protective function of the buffer zone The City of Erfurt is responsible for management as the owner of the property A management plan has been developed as a binding action and planning instrument and will be periodically updated backed up by the Steering Group and the Advisory Board is key to guaranteeing coordination and management effectiveness at the property interpretation and communication of the property is crucial for long-term sustenance of its Outstanding Universal Value In this dark and intriguing episode of Stupiracy Scott and Tim delve into the gruesome details of the Erfurt Latrine Disaster of 1184 Discover how a meeting of European nobles turned into a horrific tragedy when the floor of a church collapsed plunging dozens into a cesspit of human waste and the changes this disaster prompted in medieval sewage systems This episode uncovers one of the most morbid yet fascinating events in history Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info Need help accessing the FCC Public File due to a disability Please contact Melissa Johnson at publicfilestlouis@hubbardradio.com This web site is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area Codices from the famous Bibliotheca Amploniana have been regularly exhibited at the Erfurt City Museum since 2024 CA 4° 78 (digital copy in the Digital Historical Library Erfurt/Gotha) leaf 3 recto (right-hand page) with an ‘M’ decorated in rich colours can be seen for the next six weeks You can find out what the ‘M’ stands for and why the precious material parchment (animal skin) was used so lavishly for this manuscript by viewing the original at‘Haus zum Stockfisch’ Johannesstraße 169Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 to 18.00 You are in the news section of the Erfurt University Library Info material and forms FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Library Rules Monday - Friday: 9 - 22(Service desk 10 - 18)Saturday:  10 - 18Sunday:     13 - 18 Blog "Lesezeichen"YouTube-Channel UB Erfurt University of Erfurt Erfurt University Library (C16) Nordhäuser Str. 63, 99089 Erfurt 0361 737-5800 (Information) 0361 737-5830 (Lending)information.ub@uni-erfurt.de Department of Justice sued six of the nation’s largest landlords accusing them of artificially inflating apartment rents But the lawsuit reveals an even deeper problem When a development project dares to break the Suburban Experiment mold it faces intense scrutiny from both opponents and advocates these are the very projects we should be studying — and even celebrating The Finley Street Cottages project in Atlanta shows how parking mandates can prevent desperately needed development — and how removing those mandates makes housing more attainable and affordable land was treated as a scarce resource and every inch of it was used with ingenuity This created productive and charming places that could meet the evolving needs of residents Here are a few ways we can bring that traditional productivity and adaptable charm to modern cities One of the most powerful things you can do as a strong citizen is to participate in public comment and share appreciation for the things you love about your city easy and free step that anyone can take to start improving their place trained architect and urban designer Edward Erfurt demonstrates how to do so using a recently completed sidewalk project in his community as an example a graduate of the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy was honoured today with the DAAD prize for outstanding international students The prize is awarded annually by the German Academic Exchange Service and enables the member universities of the DAAD to honour international students for their special commitment Vice President for International Affairs at the University of Erfurt The 29-year-old prizewinner comes from Australia and has been studying for a Master of Public Policy at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt on a Franz Haniel Scholarship since 2022 whose project on the internationalisation of the University of Erfurt she was involved in and impressed the jury not only with her academic achievements during her studies Alyssa McIntyre has led the Brandt School's bulletin blog and podcast teams She has also been an active member of the University of Erfurt's integration programme "Fremde werden Freunde" (strangers become friends) since the beginning of her studies in Erfurt and was also active as a student mentor for first-year students She helped them to settle in quickly in Erfurt and was their contact person for questions about studying and living in Erfurt The 29-year-old paid particular attention to the topics of diversity and inclusion she supported the Special Olympics in Berlin as a volunteer she also volunteered at the Brussels-based advocacy group Inclusion Europe where she led a group focusing on the impact of digitalisation on people with intellectual disabilities Europe's largest festival for the digital society which brought together experts from business "Alyssa McIntyre's commitment is an excellent example of international students who have not only found a good balance between their academic achievements and their social commitment but also work with a great deal of passion on topics that are highly relevant to society and drive them both professionally and academically," says the jury's statement Also nominated for the DAAD Prize this year were: Chrispen Gumunyu The opening event of the joint lecture series of the City of Erfurt and the Erfurt universities in the summer semester of 2025 will focus on the role of AI in predicting particularly serious crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children Cases of sexual exploitation of children are increasing every year 29.3 million reports of suspected sexual exploitation of children were received by protection organisations in the USA alone up to 35 per cent of girls and 21 per cent of boys experience sexual violence before their 18th birthday an estimated 750,000 people are seeking contact with children online for sexual purposes posing a major threat to the 800 million children who actively use social media The number of users who consume child sexual exploitation material is much higher especially because the majority of activities take place on the dark web completely anonymously and hardly traceable The sheer number of offences and consumers and the obscuring effect of the dark web pose a major challenge for law enforcement authorities worldwide: the limited resources available should be used primarily where particularly serious offences are likely to occur But how can you filter out those at high risk of sexually exploiting children from the millions of users on the dark web holder of the Professorship for Quantitative Methods in Psychology at the Health & Medical University Erfurt will present an EU-funded project in which artificial intelligence was used to determine this risk Data from many dark web forums was paired with already known scientific findings to develop algorithms to predict the risk of serious criminal offences The result of the project is a programme that can be used by law enforcement agencies worldwide to identify high-risk offenders The other dates of the AI lecture series in the summer semester can be found on our event poster (in German only) Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt Brandt SchoolMaster of Public PolicyFacultyManagement Social Media Channels / Imprint The Bulletin BlogThe Bulletin PodcastNewsletter Contact InfoLocation Violence – whether physical or psychological – is still part of everyday life for women all over the world a worldwide campaign is drawing attention to this the University of Erfurt is also taking part in the campaign and is setting an example with an orange flag at the main entrance there will be an information stand of the Equal Opportunities Office and the Student Council's anti-discrimination office on campus on Monday The ‘Orange the World’ campaign which the University of Erfurt is once again supporting Have you experienced violence yourself at the University of Erfurt and need advice and support Then please contact our Equal Opportunity Office