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Now that we’ve got April Fools Day out of the way – never a good time to make short, medium or long-term plans – The Local has the low down on everything you need to know about April in Germany.  

From celebrating books, Bach and – of course – beer, April is a great month.

Berlin’s African book festival

From the April 4th-7th, Berlin is holding its second African Book Festival at Babylon Kino in Mitte. 

The event gathers writers, commentators and artists from across Africa to discuss the African literary scene. The festival will include panel discussions, book readings and interviews as well as concerts, spoken word and theatre performances. 

Curated by Zimbabwean writer and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga, this year’s theme is ‘Transitioning From Migration’. The event dissects the idea of being “on the move” from an African perspective. 

Over 1,000 attended the inaugural festival in 2018, where 40 writers discussed their works, its connection to the continent and socio-political issues. 

Thuringia’s Bach Weeks

Starting on the 12th of April and running until the fourth of May, the central German state of Thuringia holds its annual Bach Weeks in celebration of the life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach. 

Born in the picturesque village of Eisenach, Bach went on to become one of the world’s best known composers. 

The Festival is held in 16 towns and cities across Thuringia connected to Bach. The festival welcomes classical artists from across the globe to play Bach and Bach-inspired compositions. 

Bonn’s Cherry Blossom Festival

Nothing showcases entry into a German spring better than the Bonn Cherry Blossom Festival (Kirschblüte), held each year in the Bonn Altstadt. 

The dates vary from year to year depending on when the blossoms are in bloom. The 2019 festival is expected to be in full swing in the middle of April, with the Cherry Blossom Blog giving live photo updates of the state of the blooming. 

Social media has given the festival a new lease on life in recent years, with visitors and locals alike trying to win the ‘like’ and ‘comment’ battle on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

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Wir lieben die Kirschblüte in der Altstadt.⠀ Hier seht Ihr einmal einen etwas anderen nicht alltäglichen Blick auf die Heerstraße – eingefangen von @pixelkladde⠀ ⠀⠀ #BestofBonn #kibo18 #kirschbluetebonn ⠀ ⠀ ***⠀ ⠀ We love the cherry blossom in the old town.⠀ Here you can see a somewhat different view of the Heerstraße – captured by @pixelkladde⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #bonn #bonntravel #meinbonn #igersbonn ⠀ #visitnrw #deinnrw #ig_nrw ⠀ #loves_united_germany #germanvision #ig_deutschland⠀ ⠀ #kirschblütenbonn #kirschblüte #kirschblüten #bonn #bonneraltstadt #heerstrassebonn #cherryblossom #cherryblossom2018 #? #vonoben #dronephotography #drone #dronestagram #djispark #adroneworld ⠀ ( ? @pixelkladde )⠀ ⠀

A post shared by Bonn.de (@bonn.de) on Apr 20, 2018 at 12:29am PDT

House trip to the Frauenmuseum in beautiful, blossomy Bonn! #spring #kirschblüten #iloveboarding pic.twitter.com/FXYE2Q2Mmr

— SGSC Boarding Sch (@SGSC_Boarding) May 1, 2018

Nuremberg Spring Volksfest

Welcoming two million people per year, the Nuremberg Spring Volksfest includes concerts, local food and drink along with amusement park rides and traditional folklore performances. 

The festival started in 1826 to celebrate the birthday of King Ludwig the First, and has continued ever since. 

The festival takes place on the banks of Nuremberg’s Dutzendteich lake and is timed to coincide with Easter celebrations each year, with a traditional Easter egg hunt taking place for the children. 

This year’s festival starts on April 20th and continues until May 12th. 

READ: How to celebrate Easter just like a German

Berlin Games Week

Berlin Games Week – stylized as gamesweekberlin – is an annual conference and networking platform for the gaming industry in Europe. 

Welcoming 15,000 people per year, the event includes games experts and enthusiasts from across the company. The event runs from Monday, April 8th to Sunday, April 14th, with tickets available online. 

No matter whether you consider yourself a Tetris tycoon, a Meister of Mario Kart or just simply fabulous at Fortnite, Berlin Games Week will have something for you. 

FestungsLeuchten (Fortress Lights), Koblenz

On the April18thl, the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz will be illuminated in diverse lights and colours to celebrate the coming summer. 

Every night from the 18th to the 22nd, and the 26th to the 28th, will see light and sound installations established in the historic fortress on the east bank of the Rhine.

The highlight of this year’s FestungsLeuchten will be a 75-metre-long light show which “tells a story of the region’s Roman traditions” alongside showcasing “modern cutting-edge technology”. 

Femininity in Pop exhibition: Cologne

The highlight of German-based Canadian artist Sharon Ventura’s ‘Femininity in Pop’ exhibition, featured at the Klopffleisch Gallery in Cologne, will take place on April 13th when the gallery hosts a ‘meet and greet’ with the artist. 

Ventura will discuss her diverse works and the artistic process behind the exhibition. 

One of the works on display in the exhibit. Image: Sharon Ventura

The exhibition seeks to reframe much of the established attitudes to women in the art world from being “rude, crude and crass” with “questionable artistic integrity” to being “positive, respectful, sexy and provocative”. 

Ventura’s exhibition endeavours to “offer an alternative to the sexual agenda of art”. Works featured include ‘Play Me’, ‘Bon Appetit’, ‘Mow My Lawn’ and ‘She Is Not For Sale’. 

The exhibition began on March 24th and will continue until May 12th. 

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