Kat Nickola

Germany

Writer and Editor at Stars and Stripes

Writer and Editor for #Stripes Europe | Grad Student at #UHIArchaeology | #PSUGeography Alum

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Articles

Delicious German Dampfnudel

1 week ago | okinawa.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

(German dampfnudel with vanilla sauce and poppy seeds) These mildly sweet dumplings are a mainstay at German festivals and markets. The softball-sized hot steamed bun is served in a bowl with your choice of topping. At fests, the most common topping is a tasty vanilla sauce, while other sweet fruits like cherries or even chocolate are also popular.
Congratulations to DoDEA’s 2025 graduates!

3 weeks ago | europe.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

Wiesbaden 2025 graduates (provided by Wiesbaden HS) “Here is a look at the 2025 graduating classes from the 21 DoDEA high schools across Europe and the Middle East. Congratulations to these incredible military-affiliated students; we can’t wait to see the incredible things you do.
Chasing the Checkered Flag: F1 Racing Europe

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

F1 race pit team performing a tire change (Martin Barraud/KOTO - Adobe Stock) You are cheering from the packed bleachers as 20 compact open-cockpit one-seater racing cars blitz past as a flurry of noise mixes with the smell of rubber; this is Formula One (F1), and the Grand Prix race has just begun. In Europe, most auto racing is governed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FiA), whose headquarters is in Paris, France.
Tackling bullies in “Mean Girls Jr.”

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Rachel Smith |Kat Nickola

“Mean Girls Jr.” at Bavaria Performing Arts () When homeschooler Cady Herron (Emmalyn Taylor) starts at a public school for the first time in her life, she discovers the most popular girls and paves her way to become one of them. This fun, fast-paced musical at Bavaria Performing Arts is directed by Rachel Harper and features an all-youth cast tackling the bullies of today.
Europe’s fabulous food halls

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

Markthalle Neun is an indoor market in Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany (von EnginKorkmaz - Adobe Stock) It’s 10 p.m. and my family wanders inside a large steel and glass structure, perusing the options amidst noisy bustling and delicious smells. My son meanders while he munches on a few croquettes. I help my daughter choose an adorable pizzetta with fresh mozzarella and basil while my husband is a few feet away eyeing the pintxos.
The Medieval German Waldumgang

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

Slim Jim checking out a stone boundary marker near Kaiserslautern, Germany (Kat Nickola) The image below is the back of a Notgeld issued by the Kaiserslautern government in the year 1923. Notgeld was emergency money printed to counteract inflation and currency shortages during World War I. On it, they have chosen to highlight one of the city’s unique medieval traditions: the Waldumgang (and it’s interesting spanking ritual).
Friendship is center stage at “Charlotte’s Web”

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Rachel Smith |Kat Nickola

“Charlotte’s Web” at Bavaria Performing Arts in Grafenwöhr (Alia Carita Tompkins) An inspirational story of friendship, the youth performance of “Charlotte’s Web” at Bavaria Performing Arts in Grafenwöhr follows the unexpected bond between a pig and a spider. Based on the popular children’s book and directed by Rachael Harper, this family-friendly show found the audience immersed in the sights and sounds of farm life.
Join the run for a new world record

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

Inclusion athlete Abdul Dogan joins with Kaiserslautern-connected runners to tackle the world record for Longest Cumulative Distance Run by One Team in 90 days. (Westpfalz-Klinikum GmbH©) Have you ever dreamed of being part of a world record? Now is your chance! Local inclusion athlete Abdul Dogan has long been active in wheelchair sports and decided to pursue setting a personal world record.
Germany’s Love of Forests

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

A German Forest during sunrise (Von zeitraffer - Adobe Stock) Like most groups, any gathering of Germans citizens will find people who disagree on everything from politics to diet, however what they will find consensus on is the value of German forests. More than just locations for recreation or an environmental green lung (though they very much are revered as such), forests hold a deeper, nearly mythological, space within the German psyche.
Science is on display in Kaiserslautern

1 month ago | europe.stripes.com | Kat Nickola

The “Night That Creates Knowledge” or Nacht, die Wissen Schafft is an open-door free event at research institutes across Kaiserslautern on Friday May 9, 2025. () The “Night That Creates Knowledge” or Nacht, die Wissen Schafft is an open-door free event at research institutes across Kaiserslautern. It gives you the chance to see what is happening in the world of science here in our local community.