360° Reportage

An hour drive from Berlin, the Spreewald region is a small green paradise, crossed by countless rivers and canals. Some villages are accessible only by boat. This place is frozen in time, with its traditions still a part of local life.

Perched on Mount Ossa in Northern Greece is an orthodox monastery dating back to the 16th century. Around twenty nuns from all corners of the globe call this place home and support themselves by working the land.

In Nepal, in the Thrangu Tara monastery near Kathmandu, nuns have the privilege of creating sand mandalas, intricate geometric configurations of symbols, painstakingly assembled from grains of sand. These astonishingly beautiful creations are destroyed to remind Buddhists of the transitory nature of all things.

The latest adaptation of The Little Mermaid, with Halle Bailey in the title role, definitively buried the cliché of the blonde, blue-eyed siren. Now there are mermaids of every race, gender and body type. The Afro-American mermaids are having their fourth gathering in Miami, organised by Melanee Schneider.

The katana, the legendary samurai sword, embodies Japanese culture, spirituality, and discipline. In Yamagata, in the north of the country, a master swordsmith uses a traditional method to craft a custom-made sword over several weeks: a work steeped in symbolism that combines strength and honour.

For centuries, the inhabitants of the Danish island of Læsø have covered the roofs of their houses with dried-out seaweed. The fire-resistant natural material protected the houses from storms and rain and this sustainable material is still in use today. Roofer Henning is the keeper of this rare craft and wants to pass on his knowledge to the younger generation.