Jan Fleischhauer

In 2012 German Bundespraesident Christian Wulff declares his resignation in the great hall of Bellevue Palace. At the side of his wife, he had to face the pressure of the media for 68 days while struggling for office of head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany.

An ordinary New Year's Eve at Cologne Cathedral becomes a turning point in recent German history. Told from the perspectives of the victims, the police officers, and the perpetrators, the story reveals how Cologne Cathedral became a chaotic crime scene.

In Germany, left-wingers do not have to justify their views. They have established their opinions across the board, not among the people, but in the circles that set the tone, i.e. where they prefer to be at home. Those on the left have the wonderful feeling of always being right. In politics, the left has often been wrong, but somehow that doesn't matter, they are always credited with the best motives. Why is that? Jan Fleischhauer has spent a large part of his life among left-wingers - from his parents' home to school and university to the journalists' milieu in which he has worked for two decades. Now he takes a close look at them, with the detachment of someone who at some point discovered that he no longer belonged. The book is an analysis, polemic and personal experience report. A foray through the empire of the left.

How did New Year's Eve change Germany? Parts of the press are making a U-turn and heralding the end of the welcome culture. The German government is also realigning its refugee policy. At the same time, refugees in Germany are increasingly experiencing xenophobia. But there are still people who remain unimpressed in their humanism despite these events - that gives hope.