Why independent bookshops strike fear in the heart of Germany’s culture tsar

AI BRIEFING

• ⬤ Germany's culture commissioner, Wolfram Weimer, is consulting the domestic intelligence agency before approving funds to bookshops, citing a perceived threat to 'progressive thinking'.
• ⬤ Independent bookshops are seen as a threat to the government's agenda, as they allow for free thinking and unconventional ideas.
• ⬤ The move has sparked concern among book lovers and artists, who see bookshops as a vital part of German culture and intellectual freedom.