Parallel Histories: Wolfgang Herles and the Federal Republic of Germany

Wolfgang Herles is a rare bird in the crowd of the chirping journalists. He is the one who listens. He is quiet when he speaks. He does not spread his feathers. He is not dissimilar to an owl, which is known to have clever eyes and fine hearing and otherwise wears a feather dress in camouflage color. This makes him successful – and somehow pleasantly old-fashioned. He does not report and gag when he has laid an egg, but breeds it quietly until t…