Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Bundesliga Bulletin: Bayern Munich extend lead at the top, Borussia Dortmund climbing
A fine performance saw Bayern Munich extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga. Borussia Dortmund also won, but Borussia Mönchengladbach suffered another defeat as their dismal run under Marco Rose continues.
Did Bayern Munich win in the Bundesliga this weekend?
They did, and quite comfortably. They traveled to Werder Bremen, where they clinched the Bundesliga title last season, and it was another happy return for Hansi Flick's league leaders. Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry and, of course, Robert Lewandowski scored the goals in a 3-1 win. While Gnabry is showing signs that he is returning to his best at the stage of the season when it really matters, Bayern's star performer was Thomas Müller. He assisted Bayern's first two goals, the second of which was a classy control and pass for Gnabry. After their post-Qatar wobble, the champions appear to be back on track. And, after RB Leipzig were held to a 1-1 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, Bayern's lead is extended from two points to four — an important cushion with RB Leipzig hosting Bayern on April 3.
Did Borussia Dortmund win in the Bundesliga this weekend?
They beat Hertha Berlin 2-0 — but it was a three points they had to work hard for. Hertha may be in the bottom three following Arminia Bielefeld's shock win at Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday (more on that below) but under Pal Dardai they seem to be rediscovering their reputation for being difficult to beat. They achieved what few teams have and kept Erling Haaland at bay.
Julian Brandt stepped up and substitute Youssoufa Moukoko wrapped up the points with a great finish from an acute angle. Dortmund's top-four hopes are looking much brighter than a few weeks ago.
Were there any surprises in the Bundesliga this weekend?
The big one was Arminia Bielefeld's 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen, who somehow lost despite enjoying 75% possession and having peppered Arminia's goal with 20 shots.
Arminia were compact, soaked up the pressure and saw them off with two sucker punches. Ritsu Doan and Masaya Okugawa seized their opportunities in front of goal, rendering Patrik Schick's late strike a mere consolation. The three points are huge for Arminia, who occupy the final survival spot and are now level on points with Cologne. Hertha have been nudged into the relegation playoff spot, level on points with Mainz, whose 1-0 win over Freiburg was also something of a surprise.
What was the game of the weekend in the Bundesliga?
The first one. Borussia Mönchengladbach's dismal run just goes on and on, despite the fact that they were quite good in the first half against Augsburg on Friday night. But failure to put away their chances opened the door to Augsburg. Florian Neuhaus led the Gladbach fightback after Augsburg's opener, but this helter-skelter game swung back in Augsburg's favor – with former Foal Andre Hahn sealing Gladbach's fate with an impudent chip over the keeper to really rub salt in the wounds.
What does the top six look like in the Bundesliga?
1. Bayern Munich — 58 points
2. RB Leipzig — 54
3. Wolfsburg — 48
4. Eintracht Frankfurt — 44
5. Borussia Dortmund — 42
6. Bayer Leverkusen — 40 Who is in the Bundesliga relegation zone?
16. Hertha Berlin — 21 points
17. Mainz — 21
18. Schalke — 10 Who scored the best goal in the Bundesliga this weekend?
Bayern Munich's second goal against Bremen, finished by Serge Gnabry, was a thing of beauty. An incisive move involving Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Müller, whose touch and lay-off was pure silk, was finished
first time by Gnabry, against his former club. A wonderful team goal that was very easy on the eye
hat happened in the Women's Bundesliga this weekend?
Bayern Munich won their 22nd straight game of the season, beating SGS Essen 3-0 as Lea Schüller scored twice in Bayern's quest to wrestle the Bundesliga title away from Wolfsburg, who have won it for four consecutive seasons. The top four teams — Bayern, Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Turbine Potsdam — all won this weekend.
What was the best thing said in the Bundesliga this weekend?
"No!" — Borussia Mönchengladbach coach Marco Rose snapping back when asked by Sky whether he has considered resigning.
A visitor to the House of Austrian History, the country's contemporary history museum, located in the curved colonnaded Neue Burg wing of Vienna's imperial Hofburg Palace, can walk right up to doors that lead to one of the most infamous balconies in Austrian history: the site of Adolf Hitler's speech on March 15, 1938, in which he announced to cheering Austrians that his birth country had been incorporated into the Third Reich, an event known as the Anschluss.
Yet the doors stay closed, making it impossible for a visitor to step out onto what is sometimes called the "Hitler balcony."
Monika Sommer is pushing to change this. The director of the House of Austrian History is calling for the balcony to be incorporated into the contemporary history museum's collection and made open to the public as a way to strengthen both the country's collective historic memory and its democratic present.
"We know that we will break a taboo by doing this, since up until now, this balcony simply hasn't been publicly accessible," she told DW.
Though referred to as a balcony, it is architecturally more similar to a terrace, as it sits directly atop a covered entrance leading to the palace
from Heldenplatz, or Heroes' Square, the site of political protests and gatherings, both past and present.
For Sommer, opening up the balcony would be part of a longer process that the museum, which is housed in the Neue Burg, would like to undertake. "The first step would be to open the balcony to the public and allow registered tours to access it," she told DW, explaining that further developments or installations could follow.
The site of Austrian history
The balcony has long been one of Austria's most prominent symbols of its Nazi past, though its role in history extends beyond that era.
It was built in the late 19th century as part of the Habsburg monarchy's residence, just as the Austro-Hungarian Empire was enjoying its last glory days before WWI and its eventual dissolution.
In the early 20th century, rival political ideologies of the interwar years played out on Helden
platz, with pan-German nationalists, anti-war international socialists and Austrofacist politicians all giving speeches from the balcony to crowds gathered in the square below. Guests of honor were often also seated on the balcony.
On March 15, 1938, roughly 200,000 Austrians gathered on Heldenplatz to cheer Hitler as he announced "the entrance of my homeland in the German Reich" from the palace balcony. Crowds also gathered in subsequent years to celebrate the anniversary of the Anschluss.
A second speech and a turning point
After WWII, the balcony was closed off. Austria styled itself as the "first victim" of Hitler and refused to bear responsibility for both the Anschluss and the subsequent Nazi crimes. It was only in the early 1990s that the nation began to critically examine its role in that era.
The balcony was made publicly accessible only once in its post-war history: In 1992, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel gave a speech from it, calling on listeners to fight racism and confront the country's past. "The balcony is nothing. It is a symbol, nothing more. The purification, the change cannot come from the balcony. It must come from below," he said.
While it is the only other speech to be made from the balcony since WWII, Sommer said it is not very well known. "Interestingly, this speech is not deeply anchored in collective memory," she said. The potential to expand the balcony's meaning therefore exists, she added: "It could also be a symbol for Austria's new political understanding of its history … which critically analyzes contemporary Austrian history."
"The national self- understanding that we bear joint responsibility absolutely dominates. A lot has changed in this respect," Sommer said, explaining how present-day Austria has discarded the "first victim" theory and instead acknowledges and addresses its complicity in Nazi crimes. "That's also precisely why I think it would be good to underline this with a strong sign," she added, referring to the balcony's opening.
A view of democracy
Some of Austria's most important political sites are visible from the balcony: Along with Heldenplatz, the Greek-columned Austrian Parliament, the neo-Geothic Viennese City Hall and the government and presidential chancelleries are all visible, as well.
"It's a wonderful view you have from up there, and a very, very good opportunity to speak to a group about the meaning of democracy," Sommer said. She would like to combine guided visits to the balcony with democracy-building education initiatives that the museum offers.
To try and gather support for the balcony's opening, the House of Austrian History lets visitors vote on whether they support the initiative. As of midMarch, more than 60,000 people had voted, with nearly 51,000 in favor. The museum also hosts an online site, "The balcony, a site in construction," where people can upload their ideas for the balcony's potential future appearance.
Sommer doesn't know if her push to open the balcony will be successful; there structural and security concerns that must be taken into account, for instance, avoiding the possibility that the site could become a destination for neo-Nazis. Yet she is committed to spurring public discussion onward and remains confident that a solution can be found: "Ifthereispolitical will, thenthere will be a way."