The first annual issue of “Country Air” opens with a declaration of love for the Rems Valley and its produce from celebrity chef Vincent Klink. A living history guide who plays Gottlieb Daimler speaks with Daimler’s great-grandson Andreas Hoffmann-Daimler, a devoted railfan. Christoph Palm and up-and-coming Green politician Boris Palmer reflect on the region’s culture of radical reform. The world’s greatest bassoon maker, hole-in-the-wall wine bars, and public bakeries complete the scene.

Uli Reinhardt explains how the magazine came into being:

“It was about two year ago when colleagues in Gorleben, hundreds of miles away, sent a copy of their own ‘Country Air.’ We leafed through it, read a bit, and were paralyzed by envy. We’d never suspected Gorleben was a dynamic, joyful, poetic place. We live in a notorious paradise - the gorgeous countryside, the delicious local food, the vibrant local culture, the booming local economy - and have nothing to show for it. We said to ourselves, that’s just not right. So we sat and brainstormed, went to meetings, talked with a lot of people, wrote, took pictures, and stayed in contact with Christian Behning, who publishes the Gorleben magazine. With his support its little brother saw the light of day: 164 pages, weighing more than a pound. Not an easy task, given the local reluctance to advertise.

A sample of photos from the current issue (all by Heinz Heiss):