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Silver bars on display at a precious metal dealer in Munich, Germany, on April 4, 2025
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa/picture alliance

Silver

Silver was once a global currency, remains a safe-haven investment and is now a vital component for electronics, solar panels and medical devices.

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All Content on this topic

Film: The silver screen

From blockbusters to documentaries, what we see on the screen shapes our lives.
January 25, 2013
Norbert Haug and Michael Schumacher embrace at the circuit Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, late in the 2012 season. (Photo via dpa)

Haug and Mercedes part ways

Norbert Haug and Mercedes Benz have announced the end of a 22-year partnership. Haug, a former writer and racer, helped Mercedes win multiple titles and bring the fabled Silver Arrows back to Formula One.
December 13, 2012
ARCHIV - Ein Mitarbeiter von Thyssenkrupp zieht am 08.02.1011 in Duisburg am Hochofen im Stahlwerk eine Probe. Für ThyssenKrupp kommt es knüppeldick. Der größte deutsche Stahlhersteller gilt wegen eines milliardenschweren Expansionsabenteuers in Brasilien ohnehin als einer der größten Sanierungsfälle unter den deutschen Großunternehmen. Er schreibt einen Verlust nach dem anderen. Und nun droht mit der sich eintrübenden Konjunktur auf dem Heimatmarkt eine weitere wichtige Stütze wegzubrechen. ThyssenKrupp reagiert und führt Kurzarbeit in seinen Stahlwerken ein. Foto: Oliver Berg dpa/lnw +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++

Metal rain

ThyssenKrupp's Rio de Janeiro steel plant is pumping graphite dust into the air.
November 19, 2012
Thomas Lurz of Germany competes in the Men's Marathon 10km swim on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Hyde Park on August 10, 2012 in London, England.

Silver splash for Germany

With just three days of Olympic competition to go, the pressure is on Germany to equal its 2008 gold medal count. Thomas Lurz had a chance in the men's 10 kilometer swim, but he had to settle for silver.
August 10, 2012
Marcel Nguyen of Germany competes on the parrallel bars during the Artistic Gymnastics Men's Parallel Bars final on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena on August 7, 2012 in London, England.

Nguyen takes second silver

Germany's Marcel Nguyen won silver Tuesday in the men's parallel bars, his second of the London games. Earlier a former Chinese hurdles world champion once again had his hopes dramatically crushed in the Olympic heats.
August 7, 2012
Germany's Lilli Schwarzkopf (C) competes in the 800m of the Heptathlon event during the London 2012 Olympic Games Athletics, Track and Field events at the Olympic Stadium, London, Britain, 04 August 2012. Photo: Michael Kappeler dpa

Silver saga for Schwarzkopf

Lilli Schwarzkopf has won silver in the heptathlon, but she suffered a nasty scare after the final discipline, the 800 meters. The scoreboards initially said she was disqualified; officials apologized for the mistake.
August 5, 2012
Britta Heidemann

Germany's first medal

Fencer Britta Heidemann has won silver in the women's individual epee, Germany's first medal of the London Olympics. Her loss to Ukraine's Yana Shemyakina in the final came after a controversial semifinal.
July 30, 2012
aircraft

Airlines woes compound

While Ryanair saw profits slump by a third, Air France-KLM posted a huge loss in the second quarter of 2012. High fuel costs, low consumer spending and the euro crisis are compounding the woes of Europe's carriers.
July 30, 2012
German Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel

New hardware for Vettel

German Forumla One driver Sebastian Vettel has another trophy to add to his collection: the Silver Laurel Leaf, which recognizes sporting achievement.
February 24, 2012
Vittorio Taviani (left) and Paolo Taviani

Italians triumph at Berlinale

Italian directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani have won the coveted Golden Bear prize at the Berlinale, for their documentary "Caesar must die." Germany's Christian Petzold scooped the award for best director.
February 18, 2012
Still from Farewell My Queen FRA/ESP 2011 Regie: Benoït Jacquot Xavier Beauvois, Diane Kruger © Carole Bethuel

Lights, camera, action

The Bear awards are just a small part of the Berlinale, which shows some 400 films.
February 8, 2012

Silberblick

Silberblick
September 13, 2011
Director Aleksandr Sokurov holds the Golden Lion for best film for Faust, during the award ceremony of the 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011. (Foto:Andrew Medichini/AP/dapd)

'Faust' wins

A film retelling the German tale of Faust has won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival.
September 11, 2011
Dominos in the colors of European flags around a euro coin

No silver bullet

The search for a solution to the Greek debt crisis turns up no silver bullets.
July 14, 2011
Asghar Farhadi and actors from "Nader and Simin, A Separation" at the awards ceremony

And the winner is...

Iran was the big winner at this year's Berlin International Film Festival.
February 20, 2011
A rubbish dump

The worth of waste

Experts believe that waste has the potential to become an important raw material.
February 8, 2011
silver crystals

Searching for silver

One German firm finds its silver-recovery business growing in importance.
November 24, 2010
Scene in Berlin

On screen

Berliners no longer have to decide between the cinema and TV. Now they can have both.
August 20, 2010
German Federal Cross of Merit

National honors

Jogi Loew is the latest recipient of Germany's highest civilian award - the Cross of Merit.
August 7, 2010
Matthias De Zordo during qualification

Four more medals

German athletes have notched up four more medals in Barcelona to bring the tally to 11.
August 1, 2010
Silver medallist Stephanie Beckert waves to the crowd

Vancouver Games

Stephanie Beckert wins a second speed skating silver medal for Germany in the 5,000-meter event.
February 25, 2010
cross-country skiers taking a curve during a race

Solid performance

Germany's Tobias Angerer has won a silver medal in the men's 30-kilometer cross-country pursuit.
February 21, 2010
Kerstin Szymkowiak of Germany, right, is hugged by Anja Huber of Germany after Szymkowiak posted a good time, during the final run of the women's skeleton competition at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Skeleton medals

Kerstin Symkowiak won silver and Anja Huger grabbed bronze for Germany in the women's skeleton.
February 20, 2010
IMF officials present their Global Financial Stability Report at the Istanbul Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey, 30 September 2009.

Financial stability

The International Monetary Fund warns restrictive lending conditions could harm recovery efforts
September 30, 2009
Germany's Tobias Rehberger posing with Venice Biennale curator Daniel Birnbaum after receiving the Golden Lion award for best artist

Art Extravaganza

The storied Venice Biennale exhibition highlights the pioneers of the contemporary art world.
June 7, 2009
Man tinkers with a machine

Plunging demand

German industry searches for signs of hope at this year's edition of the Hanover Fair.
April 20, 2009
Holy man mit cell phone in india

Metal Shop

The Swedish recycling initiative Mobile Compost aims to turn old cell phones into valuable metals.
January 18, 2009
Dressage rider Heike Kemmer and horse Bonaparte compete in Dressage Individual Grand Prix of the Equestrian event on 13 August 2008

German Equestrian Dominance Continues

Germany claimed a third equestrian gold of the Olympic Games by beating the Netherlands to the team dressage title to continue the nation's domination at the event. Two other German athletes also won medals.
August 14, 2008
German players cheering with world cup award in September

Laurels for Soccer Women

German President Köhler bestows women's soccer team highest honor for sporting achievements.
December 5, 2007
Elderly woman sitting at computer

Move Over, Junior

Senior citizens in Germany are increasingly discovering computer gaming isn't just for the kids.
August 25, 2007
Palme d'Or

Politics Rule at Cannes

Politics are the dominating theme at this year's 60th Cannes film festival.
May 21, 2007

The Real Miss Marple

A 95-year-old lady turned detective after a series of thefts at her retirement home.
April 6, 2007

Soccer on the Silver Screen, Brazilian Style

A film festival currently running in Berlin shows what the so-called beautiful game has to do with Brazilian film history. From historic clips to extraordinary film essays, there's something in it for everyone.
June 20, 2006

"Villa Ritz" to Blur Line Between Day Care and Day Spa

In a wealthy neighborhood outside Berlin, the toddlers of the very rich are soon to be offered trilingual child care at exorbitant prices. Silver spoon included.
March 14, 2006

Berlinale Golden Bear Goes to Bosnian Drama

The 56th Berlinale, the first major European film festival of the year, awarded its Golden and Silver Bear prizes for best film, director and actors. International productions with a political touch were singled out.
February 18, 2006

World Cup Fever Hits Berlinale's Silver Screen

In a preview of the thousands that will descend on Berlin for the World Cup final on July 9, a number of remarkable soccer films, and fans, have already made an impression at the city's international film festival.
February 18, 2006

Richest Germans: Silver Spoon Baby

Albert II, Prince of Thurn and Taxis was born into his wealthy surroundings, and at the tender age of just 22, he is not only the hereditary head of the family estate, but officially Germany's youngest billionaire.
December 10, 2005

The Silver Lining in Press Tampering Case

The dawn raid on the offices of a German political magazine and one of its journalists prompted a parliamentary hearing and concerns of government tampering with the free press. The furor is good -- for press freedom.
October 20, 2005

"Perfume" on its Way to Silver Screen

It took two decades but production of the movie version of "Perfume," the blockbuster novel by Patrick Süskind, has begun. The big-budget production is now shooting in Europe and scheduled for release in September 2006.
August 11, 2005

Silver Cod in Sha-Cha Sauce

Alan Yan, who runs the Hakkasan restaurant in London, won the first Michelin star in Britain for his Chinese cuisine.
June 2, 2005

Discovering the Silver Economy

In TV ads, most people are young and beautiful. But this is changing in Germany and elsewhere in Europe as businesses discover that seniors have lots of money they'd prefer to spend on products created for their needs.
March 2, 2005

The Best of Germany's Silver Screen

While much of the movie world awaits the nominations for the Oscars, the likelihood of a German film making it onto the list is remote. But that is not to say there are no good home-grown movies out there.
January 23, 2005

A Silver Jubilee for Germany's Greens

The German government's junior coalition partner has come a long way since its birth 25 years ago: The formerly pacifist Green party now supports military missions, but the environment still tops its agenda.
January 13, 2005

Arndt Unhappy After Taking Silver in Cycling

Judith Arndt showed the German Cycling Federation what she thought of them as she claimed second place in the women's road race on Sunday. Arndt was unhappy with their exclusion of sprinter Petra Rossner.
September 3, 2004

German Men's Tennis Double Takes Silver

Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schüttler Sunday failed to repeat Boris Becker's and Michael Stich's victory in the men's doubles 12 years ago, taking home silver while the Chileans celebrated their first gold medal ever.
August 22, 2004

German Film Wins Silver Leopard

August 16, 2004

Cannibals Come to the Silver Screen

The German cinema is courting controversy again with a planned film on the cult practices of cannibals.
July 6, 2004

Germany to Sell Last 'Family Silver'

The German cabinet on Wednesday approved the 2005 budget: It includes plans to sell the country's last major stakes in former state-owned companies, a move that has been criticized as short-sighted.
June 24, 2004

Senior Citizens Keep on Surfing

Internet chat rooms and late night surfing are no longer the sole domain of the square-eyed younger generation. Senior citizens are taking to the World Wide Web as the number of 'Silver Surfers' soars.
October 9, 2002

Selling the Conservative Family’s Silver?

Opposition leader Angela Merkel's calls for her party to focus more on families and the environment to woo voters away from the Greens and Social Democrats have spurred a major split among Christian Democrats.
October 7, 2002