#341: Lotto millions, Art counterfeiter, Corona tests
And the historic Rixdorf Christmas market
Hello 20 Percent!
You know that saying, “There’s a German word for it”?
It’s a pet peeve because there often isn’t actually a German word for it — more likely there’s a German COMPOUND word for it. Any language that you can use like a Lego set or Ikea shelf system is going to have a word for any- and everything because you can just assemble until you have what you’re looking for.
Is there a German word for our newslettter? Yes: Nachrichtenfürleutediekeinendeutschenpasshabenaberinberlinwohnen.
Amazing!
I say this because the German language association this week announced that the 2024 word-of-the-year is “Ampel-aus”, which looks like two words to me — it means “traffic-light-off”, or, really, the failure of the current German coalition government.
The runner up is a similar compound word (that I’ve never actually heard): Klimaschönfärberei, or green-washing.
Have a good Adventswochenende!
Andrew
Free money
Two people (or possibly one?) have yet to pick up a total €1.5 million in Lotto winnings from an unspecified Späti in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, according to t-online. Someone guessed enough numbers right to win €400,000 in May 2023 and another all seven numbers in a November drawing to reel in €1.1 million — both bought the tickets at the Späti but neither has claimed their prize. Imagine if you suddenly found one laying in a puddle outside a Steglitz Lidl... The winner has until Dec. 31, 2026 to claim the booty.
Warhol but not really
Speaking of free money — a 69-year-old Berlin art collector was sentenced to one year and 10 months of parole Tuesday after peddling a knock-off Andy Warhol screenprint to a fellow collector as an original for €770,000, according to RBB24. The crook ordered the screenprint online for $676 (it’s the one where Warhol added pastel accents to a picture of Marilyn Monroe) and pocketed €500,000 in the deal. The mistake — the work was supposedly from 1962 but included a picture of the artist from … 1975.
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A mayoral give-away
Oh, did you say free? Former mayor Michael Müller (SPD) had a “zu verschenken” (give-away) box in front of his Charlottenburg office in Bleibtreustrasse this week, further proving he is a true Berliner. Passersby could choose from more than a handful of used items including a lighted mirror, clock, Motorwelt magazine and decorative pictures of questionable taste, according to Tagesspiegel, which has a picture of Müller’s unwanted detritus. Although I admittedly have a light and trash can from “zu verschenken” piles, they generally annoy me on my daily walks as they get spread across the sidewalk. Because let’s be honest: Nobody wants your worn out shoes.
One last free money
And if we’re going to go with this free money theme then we can’t leave out Corona tests — Germany’s top court Thursday said a local court must re-hear the case of a Späti operator who swindled the German government out of as much as €9.7 million, according to RBB24. He registered his 18 convenience stores and restaurants as corona test centers and then submitted fictitious tests to rake in the cash. But the ruling may not be good for the man, who was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison — the court discovered more cases of fraud than were considered in the original sentencing and told the lower court to review whether the man should be forced to re-pay the €9.7 million. Maybe he should start playing the Lotto or hawking weak Warhol counterfeits instead.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
🎄 Christmas market terror attack thwarted
🏛️ Century-old camp guard to (finally) face charges
👴 Still-chancellor says no peacekeepers in Ukraine
👵 Merkel’s book is the year's bestseller
Factoid
The historic Rixdorf Christmas market in Neukölln will turn 50 this weekend. It’s always held on the second Advent weekend on Richardplatz and is unique because stands are run by charities. Once a secret, it’s more recently become very, very crowded.
Opening times:
Friday, Dec. 6
5pm – 9pm
Saturday, Dec. 7
2pm – 9pm
Sunday, Dec. 8
2pm – 8pm
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I feel like there's a Müll pun in the zu verschenken story somewhere...
Nachrichtenfürleutedieentwederkeinendeutschenpassoderkeinenbiodeutschenhintergrundhaben