With its vast lobbies and unfussy functionality, the concrete-and-glass Deutsche Oper building was considered an audacious statement of democratic ideals when it first opened in 1961 on the western side of the Berlin Wall…
Not everyone is welcome on the beach in Italy this summer. The Russians are discovering that the locals, while partial to their cash, find them too gauche for words. A new Cold-Shoulder War has broken out.
At the height of socialist East Germany’s power, workers from Mozambique and Vietnam came to the GDR thanks to the political ideologies their countries shared. But when the Wall came down, they had to make the decision…
In the rugged terrain of northern Norway, Nato is conducting one of the largest military drills in its history – and its first since Russia invaded Ukraine. As some 30,000 troops rehearse for war, we ask: what lies ahead…
Bikini Berlin is a newly redesigned complex mixing retail, culture and creative thinking about public space. Once a fading relic of the Cold War, intelligent ideas from its new tenants are helping to redefine the shopping…
The capital of Newfoundland and Labrador blossomed during its oil boom but it will need all the fierce optimism born of a harsh past to weather the slump.
The UN Security Council is the iconic roundtable heart of diplomacy that decides when to act on some of the globe’s most pressing issues. But is the historic body still fit for purpose? We paid a visit to its HQ to find out…
We speak to Lithuania’s foreign minister about his ambitious blueprint for shaking off the nation’s dependency on bad actors. Bigger countries should take heed.
The functional concrete bungalows hastily built after the Second World War to house the US troops are becoming a popular option for young Japanese looking for more living space.
Which countries get their way in the world without having to resort to military might? Who are the soft power leaders who know the value of well-placed aid or a good pop star? Over the following pages we name the top 25…
The Russia-Finland border was once the focus of Cold War hostility. Now the Finns and Russians are working together to stop people and drug traffickers opening up new smuggling routes. Monocle goes on patrol with the Fin…
The sheer breadth of countries covered by the defence-themed analyses in this issue illustrates the dizzying scale of modern-day conflicts. Some are in full flow, others are receding and many are threatened; all require our…
Relations with Russia are improving, it escaped the economic crisis and young entrepreneurs are returning with new ideas and cash. Monocle reports on how Poland, despite the odds, became the European nation to watch.
Bikini Berlin is a newly redesigned complex mixing retail, culture and creative thinking about the public space. Once a fading relic of the Cold War, intelligent ideas from its new tenants are helping to redefine the sho…
Monocle has drawn up a shortlist of 20 people – from politics, business, music and design – who we want to hear more of in 2009. By overcoming the odds, finding gaps in the market and thinking creatively, they’ve already…