Back in The East German era, Merkel bought a villa in a village near Berlin called Hohenwalde, and was a place to relax while she was still facing a global crisis.
Germany's Focus Online reported that Hornwald is located about 80 kilometers north of Berlin, along national highway 23, along a forest trail. At the bend, a tree fell on another, and behind it was a gravel road of several hundred meters, which was sometimes cut off by asphalt and mud. Merkel and Mr. Sauer live here.
It's just a 20-minute drive from Templin, where Merkel spent her childhood, and she still has many relatives and friends living in Templin.
▲ Image source: Gregor Mayntz
A few hundred meters in front of Merkel's house, there is a small bus stop, but there are no buses passing through here, and the waiting station has become a notice board and advertising wall in the village.
Snow and forests are the curtain of the village's winter and summer seasons. The annual Christmas market is the liveliest time of the year, with small stalls open from 15:00 to 18:00 where people can enjoy mulled wine.
A local villager said he had lived here since 2005, and Merkel was elected Chancellor of Germany that year. The prime minister became a "part-time neighbor" around him, which made him feel incredible.
He said Merkel was no different from the other villagers here, and the other day, he and his wife were buying bread at the bakery and were discussing which one to choose when they found "Ms. Merkel standing behind us and smiling at us." ”
The bakery clerk also confirmed Merkel's low profile. One summer, Merkel came to buy bread while recuperating in the village, and she lined up for ten minutes.
▲ Image source: Soeren Stache
Although Merkel is not an ordinary customer in the absolute sense: every time she travels, there are cars opening the road, ranging from 2 to 6 cars, and there are always bodyguards around, but this simple and low-key is also incomparable to many heads of government.
Merkel's house was fenced off only by a few fences, and a camera was installed on the doorbell. The police station here is also difficult to find. Security was reduced to the lowest level, but people could detect it and could not talk to her.
Elke Grabowski, the village chief of Hornwald, although she never dealt with Merkel privately, said Merkel was "not arrogant" and that "low profile" was the word she used most when describing Merkel.
A villager, who asked not to be named, said Merkel's regular returns to the village did not change much. "I think it's right, otherwise it feels bad."
Merkel and her husband are on vacation in Italy. Image source: dpa
Merkel can occasionally be seen jogging or walking around the lake. Even villagers, who have been critical of Merkel's policies for many years, have not said anything bad about Merkel.
During her visit to the United States, Merkel was intrigued by the president's wife's garden and was known to the world for a time. Merkel likes to grow potatoes in her garden because "growing cauliflower is too laborious and easy to attract snails." She explained it.
The peaceful atmosphere of Hohenwald explains why Merkel loves it so much. Media reports said Merkel had postponed U.S. President Joe Biden's phone talks over his return to the village. The world may change dramatically, but Hornwald remains the way it was.
Originated in the British circle