Welcome to the second episode of Was ist das?, which aims to explain some common German phrases that may need some explanation. Today, we’ll figure out what people mean when they talk about creating an “Ich-AG”.

This term was coined in the process of last administrations’ Agenda 2010 reforms. Citizens in mid- or longterm unemployment were encouraged to start their own one-person businesses (e.g. laundering and delivery businesses, chippies) and would in return get state funding and tax advantages. The unofficial term Ich-AG refered to these small businesses, meaning “I-Inc.” – maybe in hope for these miniature companies to turn into successful midrange employers in their area.

Criticism came from all parties in opposition to the social-democratic and green coalition. And in fact, Ich-AGs would regularly have to be closed down shortly after their creation due to a lack in thorough preparation or of consumer demand. The German linguistic Society declared it “Faux-pas word of the year” in 2002.

By 2004, one year after the bill was passed and came into effect, 268,000 Ich-AGs had been created (48,000 had already been terminated up till then). On June 30, 2006 the regulation was concluded, and a combined arrangement for the funding of previously unemployed small business entrepreneurs came into force.

The name “Ich-AG” was subject to a wide range of satire directed against chancellor Schröder’s administration. Left-wing pundits saw the naming as a sign of capitalist egoism, a conversion of every citizen into businesses (similar to the term “Humankapital” – human capital – degrading human beings into plain assets for corporations to acquire). However do not confuse this with a favorite word of Germany’s business and trade press, the “Deutschland AG” – meaning Germany’s top corporations in comparison to a globalized world market.

You may still come across one or the other former Ich-AGs without noticing – some of these actually gained a foothold in their business area and are thriving small businesses with quite a number of employees.

Further information:
- Wikipedia article (German)
- Employment Agency’s article (German)
- German linguistic society: Words of the year (German)

After stumbling upon this article of The Morning News and reading Jason Kottke’s “Rules for the NYC subway”, I was inspired to put together a similar manifest of urban etiquette for Berlin:

1 Don’t smoke on the platform. It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s outside, but there is nothing more nasty than walking through a cloud of thick smoke before breakfast in the mornings.

2 Let people walk off the train, before you try to squeeze yourself to your favorite seat. It really doesn’t speed anything up.

3 If someone has trouble getting on the train (stroller, wheelchair etc.) – go and help. Not necessarily because you’re such a kind guy / girl, but out of sheer egoism: That way the train will spend less time in the station.

4 If the train is waiting for some other train or has some problem starting. Standing in the doors will not help it.

5 For some people, the subway is just another name for “favorite hangout”, “food place” and “sofa”. While you don’t need to stand motionless in a corner, it is still agreeably irritating for others if you lounge on the seats like it’s yours, leave food all over the place (personal favorite: Döner meat), and strech all your belongings out.

6 Leave some space for others. Sometimes people get in the car and push you to into a corner, than turn around and for the rest of the ride, you stare at this person’s wonderful backside. There should be a minimum of about a yard between people to feel comfortable and breathe freely.

7 If the train is full. It’s full. There will be another one coming up, promised.

8 If you take your bike on the train, that’s cool – just keep in mind that you are taking away some extra space and that you need extra time getting off and on the train, as well as taking the bike in and out of the platform and station.

9 Don’t spit. Not on the plattform, not on the tracks. Not in the car. If you really feel like it’s necessary, spit into the trash cans. If you have a flu coming up, take care and don’t spread it. Use tissues if you need to blow your nose, and cover your mouth when you are coughing.

10 Help people find their way to the right line, the right exits, etc. That way they don’t stand in your way if some time you need to hurry to get a train. Use a speedy pace when navigating through stations. If people want to take their time on an escalator, they should stand on the right side. Those that need to catch a train can use the “fast lane” on the left side.

If you think that something is missing from the list, please feel free to e-mail me.

There comes a time when people will tell you of Berlin’s three Airports: Tegel, Schönefeld and Tempelhof. With the beginning of the next year, you can cross the last one out. Berlin’s supreme administrative court ruled today that they see no meaning in further sustaining this inner-city airport since the all new Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI) in Schönefeld will open in 2011. Some carrier companies had sued against the court’s previous ruling beforehand. Shutting Tempelhof down was the current state governments plan, since it had cost the state budget around 115 million euros in the past ten years – unaffordable in the chronically indebted capital. All across the opposition and along Berlin’s local business lobby, enragement had been the first reaction to this. They are mainly stating that it would mean laying off of some hundred employees, complaining about the missing of a long-term concept for the area, and the lack of an idea to fill in the gap before the opening of BBI.

Other than that, there are some emotions tied in with this place. Personally, I loved arriving in Berlin on a 737 and seemingly diving into the city lights at night. Opposing to Tegel and Schönefeld, you actually felt like arriving in a big city. Also historically, THF has a lot to tell:

In 1909, Orville Wright (one of the Brothers Wright) followed Armand Zipfel in presenting his flight demonstrations there. The old terminal was constructed in 1927, and turned into Berlin’s Zentralflughafen (central airport) in 1934, during the third reich – creating an awe-inspiring sight for celebrity visitors flying into the nazi capital. It hosted the headquarters of the German Lufthansa and was never used militarily during the Second World War. When Berlin was divided up into four sectors at the end of the war, Tempelhof fell to the American occupation zone. During the Berlin Blockade, it was there that the allied forces started the airlift – our namesake – the Luftbruecke. It was to be a major airbase of the USAF in Germany. In 1978, a hijacking lead by two eastern German citizens ended in TFH. Afterwards it served as the showcase for several new aircrafts, e.g. Boeing C17A Globemaster III (”The Spirit of Berlin”)

Tempelhof – we’ll sorely miss you.