When you meet people who are generally regarded as being creative, you almost always encounter an enthusiastic attitude to work as well. This applies as much to scientists as it does to artists, managers, doctors or politicians. “Germany should aim to be a land of ideas. In my opinion, that implies curiosity and experimentation. And that means courage, creativity and a delight in the new, in all realms of life, and not to the exclusion of the old, or old people.” This quotation is from Horst Köhler, Germany’s new federal president. And he is doing more than just describing a presidential vision; he is also encouraging us to take a look at our own egos. Ideas! A delight in the new! Courage! A good mixture for creative action.

Creativity is the main focus of this issue of “Deutschland”. In our main article we introduce some “creative people” and their recipes for success. Tim Raue, for example, the shooting star on the Berlin food firmament, or techno star Sven Väth, whose Cocoon Club in Frankfurt is trendier than any other in the whole of Germany. But also established greats, like the Hamburg advertising gurus Holger Jung and Jean-Remy von Matt, whose agency of the same name is one of the most imaginative in the country. It would seem that the German capital exerts a magical influence on creative people: as Time magazine recently proclaimed with great enthusiasm, “Forget Paris and London. Berlin is the new capital as regards creative inspiration!” Research by the magazine’s journalists uncovered hip ideas, open-minded people but also very practical advantages, like comparatively low rents for lofts and studios. Scene connoisseur Harald Fricke strolled through the metropolitan jungle of “Berlin-Mitte” and met people for whom the city on the Spree is simply the right place at the right time. A place full of ideas, action 24 hours a day, non-stop excitement. The experimental physicist Gerd Binnig has devoted half of his life as a researcher to work on the phenomenon of creativity. In an interview, the Nobel Prize laureate talks about his insight into the creative process. His conclusion: atmosphere is decisive, and the capacity to simply drift: “Just ticking off themes from a list destroys creativity.” By the way, you can find out more about your own creative potential in our big creativity test.

Finally we meet up with a “creative” person who has just assumed a difficult post: Jürgen Klinsmann. This world-class ex-striker has just been appointed manager of the German national football team, and his task is to get the recently none too brilliant team into championship form by June 2006. Klinsmann, who has resided in sunny California for years, crossed the Atlantic with a suitcase full of new ideas about team tactics and methods, and innovative football association politics. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for him and the World Cup – and we wish you pleasant reading.

Peter Hintereder is editor-in-chief of “Deutschland” magazine.