Flying Eze

Society is aging, especially in Japan. By 2035, one third of the Japanese population is estimated to be 65 or older. To better care for the elderly, robots are already being used in retirement homes.

In this senior citizen facility in Tokyo, the human-like robot "Pepper" conducts a training session. With an electronic voice, he politely gives the participants instructions: "Right, left, well done!" Pepper is already used in about 500 Japanese nursing homes. He can not only lead sports groups, but also conduct simple conversations, tell jokes and recognize moods.

Robots at the Shin-tomi retirement home also replace pets with which the elderly can interact. Here is a woman playing with the robot dog "Aibo". The caregivers use 20 different models in this elderly care facility to employ the residents.

This robotic seal does not just have a fluffy fur - "Paro" also makes sounds and moves when someone strokes it. The development took ten years. There are now 5000 robotic seals worldwide - 3000 of them in Japan. But "Paro" costs: 3800 dollars in Japan, in Europe 5000 euros are to be paid per piece.

Even in Germany, Paro has been cuddly companion in geriatric care for more than ten years. The robotic seal is used in occupational therapy and is intended to stimulate dementia patients emotionally. Paro not only reacts to touch, but also to language and light. She then moves her head, blinks her eyes, or howls like a real seal.

Digitization in nursing also produces technologies other than robots. This baseboard can recognize the fall of a human. According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, 76 percent of the German respondents believe that they can live independently for a longer time with the help of digitization. Almost two thirds would rather be monitored digitally at home than to go to a nursing home.

Robots should also help the carers and assist them in carrying the residents - as the "muscle suit" does. It strengthens the nurse's power and makes it easier to raise seniors. This prevents back pain in the staff and patients can feel safer.

Machines also help seniors to walk again - they provide balance and indicate where to put down their feet. Despite the many advantages, the Japanese government is confident that the robots can not replace humans, but with strength, mobility and surveillance support the caregivers and thus give them more time for other tasks.

In Germany, there are also concerns: About half of those surveyed by Bitkom expressed the fear that nursing could be less people-oriented because of digitization and old people could be isolated. Whether or not an innovation will be successful also depends on people's acceptance. In Japan, broken robot dogs are now buried.

Saxony's only UNESCO World Heritage Site is the park landscape near Bad Muskau. From 1815 Hermann Fürst von Pückler put on this masterpiece of garden architecture. It extends on the German and the Polish side of the border river Neisse. The Muskauer Park offers extensive meadows, numerous lakes, rivers and bridges as well as the center of the park the New Castle Muskau.

Even without a World Heritage title, art and culture make Saxony's provincial capital Dresden a tourist magnet. The Frauenkirche (left) was destroyed at the end of the Second World War and remained a warning ruin for decades. It was not until the fall of the Wall that reconstruction began, using as much original material as possible. Since reopening in 2005, Dresden has lost its landmark.

The well-known silhouette with the baroque old town can be seen well from the opposite riverbank. The undeveloped Elbwiesen on large sections, which extend in Dresden over 30 kilometers along the river, especially in summer for walks or a picnic. For culture lovers there are movie nights and concerts in the open air.

If one follows the Elbe Valley upstream, it is only a few kilometers to the Saxon Switzerland, as the Elbe Sandstone Mountains are also called. The hallmarks of the National Park region are bizarre rock formations that are up to 730 meters high. If you want to climb or hike, this is the place for you.

Leipzig recently celebrated its millennial existence. However, the city is not old-fashioned. Especially with young people, it is celebrated as the better (and even cheaper) Berlin. In the abandoned cotton mill in the west of Leipzig, for example, many artists have moved into their studios. Also in the numerous pubs and galleries reflects the living and creative of the city.

Founded as a trading and trade fair city, Leipzig's name is closely linked to Johann Sebastian Bach. Although the world-famous composer and organist was not born there, the city is considered his main site. This is remembered by the Bach Archive, the Bach Museum and the annual Bach Festival. In the Thomaskirche, where he ran the St. Thomas Choir from 1723 to 1750, there is also his grave.

Hiking in summer, skiing in winter and in two countries. In the Ore Mountains runs the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. On the German side, on the Fichtelberg, lies Oberwiesenthal - with 914 meters the highest town in Germany. A cable car takes visitors up to Fichtelberg.

The city of Meissen is known internationally for its porcelain. In 1708, for the first time in Europe, the noble material was produced here. The symbol of the porcelain manufactory are two crossed swords. Meissen porcelain is today one of the internationally most famous German products.

The easternmost city of Germany was almost spared devastation during the Second World War. That is why Görlitz shines today with 4000 historic buildings from different eras. This also attracts the international film scene: Görlitz was the location for several Hollywood films, such as "Grand Budapest Hotel". Many call the city lovingly Görliwood.

Recognized as a national minority in Germany, the Sorbs are a Slavic people living in Lower Lusatia in Brandenburg and Upper Lusatia in Saxony. The Sorbs are known among other things for their costumes. Mostly, these are only worn on special holidays. Or as here at the annual "International Folklore Festival Lausitz".