Germans have been living in a dream
Their energy policy has been a fantasy
The story is old and takes many forms. A fairy-tale version, recorded two centuries ago by the Brothers Grimm, tells of a certain Karl Katz, a goatherd in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. One night a straying goat leads Katz deep into a cave. Tempted by strange men, he drinks a potion and falls asleep. On waking he finds that not hours, but years have passed. The world around him has changed.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Let the sleeper awaken”
From the July 23rd 2022 edition
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