Affluent, Anxious and Almost Normal: A Journey Through Merkel’s Germany

As Angela Merkel prepares to step down after 16 years as chancellor of Germany, she leaves behind a country profoundly changed — and anxious about changing more.

By Katrin Bennhold

Photographs by Lena Mucha

STUTTGART, Germany — The small silver star at the tip of Aleksandar Djordjevic’s Mercedes shines bright. He polishes it every week.

Mr. Djordjevic makes combustion engines for…

Affluent, Anxious and Almost Normal: A Journey Through Merkel’s Germany

As Angela Merkel prepares to step down after 16 years as chancellor of Germany, she leaves behind a country profoundly changed — and anxious about changing more.

By Katrin Bennhold

Photographs by Lena Mucha

STUTTGART, Germany — The small silver star at the tip of Aleksandar Djordjevic’s Mercedes shines bright. He polishes it every week.

Mr. Djordjevic makes combustion engines for…

Affluent, Anxious and Almost Normal: A Journey Through Merkel’s Germany

As Angela Merkel prepares to step down after 16 years as chancellor of Germany, she leaves behind a country profoundly changed — and anxious about changing more.

By Katrin Bennhold

Photographs by Lena Mucha

STUTTGART, Germany — The small silver star at the tip of Aleksandar Djordjevic’s Mercedes shines bright. He polishes it every week.

Mr. Djordjevic makes combustion engines for…

Affluent, Anxious and Almost Normal: A Journey Through Merkel’s Germany

As Angela Merkel prepares to step down after 16 years as chancellor of Germany, she leaves behind a country profoundly changed — and anxious about changing more.

By Katrin Bennhold

Photographs by Lena Mucha

STUTTGART, Germany — The small silver star at the tip of Aleksandar Djordjevic’s Mercedes shines bright. He polishes it every week.

Mr. Djordjevic makes combustion engines for…