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Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson International correspondent Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is based in Berlin and covers Central Europe for NPR. Her reports can be heard on NPR's award-winning programs including Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
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Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is a NPR foreign correspondent based in Cairo.
Long Plagued By Corruption, Romania Seeks To Make A Fresh Start

Klaus Iohannis was an underdog who was the surprise winner of Romania's presidential runoff election last month. He was sworn into office on Dec. 21 with a promise to crackdown on corruption, a chronic problem in Romania. Gabriel Amza for NPR hide caption

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Gabriel Amza for NPR

Parallels

Long Plagued By Corruption, Romania Seeks To Make A Fresh Start

The country has suffered from graft and poverty since the fall of communism 25 years ago. Can a new president and an anti-corruption crusader make a difference?

Long Plagued By Corruption, Romania Seeks To Make A Fresh Start

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Europe

Romania's Rush To Judge Ceausescu Haunts Retired General

Andrei Kemenici, who was a colonel then, says he still thinks about the 4 days he held Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife in custody before their execution 25 years ago on Christmas Day.

Romania's Rush To Judge Ceausescu Haunts Retired General

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25 Years After Death, A Dictator Still Casts A Shadow In Romania

Romanians burn a portrait of Nicolae Ceausescu in Denta on Dec. 22, 1989, as residents take to the streets to celebrate the downfall of the dictator. Joel Robine/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Joel Robine/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels

25 Years After Death, A Dictator Still Casts A Shadow In Romania

Nicolae Ceausescu ruled with an iron fist for 25 years until he was overthrown and executed on Christmas Day in 1989. A quarter-century after his ouster, the country is still dealing with his legacy.

25 Years After Death, A Dictator Still Casts A Shadow In Romania

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Europe

New Romanian President Vows To Crack Down On Corruption

On Sunday, Romania will swear in a new president, the first from one of that country's ethnic minorities. Klaus Iohannis, a little known mayor from Transylvania with German ancestry, scored a surprise victory last month over Romania's prime minister.

New Romanian President Vows To Crack Down On Corruption

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From German Teen To ISIS Jihadist: A Father's Struggle To Understand

Alfons R. of Hamburg, Germany (shown in this undated photo), converted to Islam at age 17. Later, he went to Turkey, then Syria, to join ISIS. He was killed this past summer. Courtesy of Manfred Karg hide caption

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Courtesy of Manfred Karg

Parallels

From German Teen To ISIS Jihadist: A Father's Struggle To Understand

Manfred Karg's 19-year-old son, a convert to Islam, is one of at least 60 Germans killed fighting alongside ISIS militants. Karg says efforts to stop the flow to Syria and Iraq are taking too long.

From German Teen To ISIS Jihadist: A Father's Struggle To Understand

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German Government May Say 'Nein' To After Work Emails

German Chancellor Angela Merkel uses a mobile phone during a meeting of the German federal parliament in Berlin, on Nov. 28, 2013. The country's labor minister supports a call that would prohibit employers from sending emails to employees after normal business hours. Michael Sohn/AP hide caption

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Michael Sohn/AP

Parallels

German Government May Say 'Nein' To After Work Emails

In a country that strives to protect work-life balance, there are calls to ban employers from sending work email after business hours. Some big companies are already doing that.

German Government May Say 'Nein' To After Work Emails

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Europe

Though Usually Stoic, Merkel Shows Growing Ire With Russia

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has attacked Russian actions in Ukraine, telling the German parliament that it will take long-term sanctions and perseverance to end the crisis there.

Though Usually Stoic, Merkel Shows Growing Ire With Russia

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The Rare Place Where Israelis And Iranians Play Together

What do you get when three Israelis, two Iranians and a German walk into a room? A Berlin-based world music ensemble known as Sistanagila, named after an Iranian province — Sistan and Baluchestan — and the popular Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila." Courtesy of Sistanagila hide caption

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Courtesy of Sistanagila

Parallels

The Rare Place Where Israelis And Iranians Play Together

Iran and Israel are sworn enemies, but Germany is neutral ground where people from those countries can collaborate musically. Sistanagila, an Israeli-Iranian ensemble, is doing just that.

The Rare Place Where Israelis And Iranians Play Together

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Berlin's 'Palace Of Tears,' A Reminder Of Divided Families, Despair

People wait in line to cross the border from East to West Berlin one day after the collapse of the Berlin Wall at Friedriechstrasse railway station in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 10, 1989. The station, known as the Palace of Tears, is now a museum. Michael Richter/DPA/Corbis hide caption

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Michael Richter/DPA/Corbis

Parallels

Berlin's 'Palace Of Tears,' A Reminder Of Divided Families, Despair

The Berlin Wall separated many German families, and their anguish was visible at the former Berlin railway station — now a museum — that was the main crossing between East and West.

Berlin's 'Palace Of Tears,' A Reminder Of Divided Families, Despair

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Europe

Art Installation Commemorates 25 Years Since Berlin Wall Lost Its Power

On Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall stopped being a barrier between East and West Germany, ushering in the end of communist rule across the Soviet bloc.

Art Installation Commemorates 25 Years Since Berlin Wall Lost Its Power

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The Man Who Disobeyed His Boss And Opened The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall fell on Nov. 9, 1989, 25 years ago this weekend. East Germans flooded into West Berlin after border guard Harald Jaeger ignored orders and opened the gate for the huge, unruly crowd. Alain Nogues/Sygma/Corbis hide caption

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Alain Nogues/Sygma/Corbis

Parallels

The Man Who Disobeyed His Boss And Opened The Berlin Wall

A huge crowd gathered at the wall the night of Nov. 9, 1989. Border guard Harald Jaeger was told not to let anyone through. But he was worried it could turn violent. So he opened the gate.

The Man Who Disobeyed His Boss And Opened The Berlin Wall

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'Arbeit Macht Frei' Gate Stolen From Former Dachau Death Camp

The entrance to the former concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, bears the Nazi slogan "Work Makes You Free." The gate was stolen over the weekend. Johannes Simon/Bongarts/Getty Images hide caption

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Johannes Simon/Bongarts/Getty Images

The Two-Way

'Arbeit Macht Frei' Gate Stolen From Former Dachau Death Camp

Authorities are investigating possible neo-Nazi involvement in the theft of the gate at Dachau, the first concentration camp the Nazi regime opened in Germany. A similar 2009 theft targeted Auschwitz.

Europe

Germany Hopes Incentive Plan Will Strengthen Its Military

The German defense minister announced plans to increase the pay and benefits of her country's soldiers as a first step to restoring the effectiveness of Germany's military. The state of the German armed forces is an ongoing national scandal after it was revealed most of the country's military aircraft were grounded and German battle tanks are in need of repair. The defense minister says the shortage of military personnel is equally problematic, rendering half of its submarine fleet unusable because there aren't qualified people to operate them.

Germany Hopes Incentive Plan Will Strengthen Its Military

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Europe

Unusual Candidate Could Be The First Immigrant Mayor Of Berlin

Palestinian-born Raed Saleh is one of three contenders running to fill the remainder of the term of the current mayor, a controversial figure who is resigning.

Unusual Candidate Could Be The First Immigrant Mayor Of Berlin

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In Berlin, Remaking The City Can Rekindle Old Frictions

The broadcast tower at Alexanderplatz looms over the city center. A crossing point of tourists, commuters, shoppers, lovers, artists and bums, Alexanderplatz was rebuilt by the communist authorities of former East Germany in the 1960s. Today, it's a popular gathering place in the reunified city. Sean Gallup/Getty Images hide caption

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Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Cities Project

In Berlin, Remaking The City Can Rekindle Old Frictions

City planners rushed to erase divisions between East and West Berlin after the wall came down in 1989. But the fate of communist-era buildings can still provoke friction a quarter-century later.

In Berlin, Remaking The City Can Rekindle Old Frictions

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