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Home story #46/2026
2026/46 | Homestory | Souvenirs usually end up collecting dust. The editorial team at Jungle World buys it anyway and explains what can go wrong. Jungle World
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“I only buy nice things,” says a colleague.
“I only buy nice things,” says a colleague.
Plastic Eiffel Towers, small Statues of Liberty or a T-shirt with the Berlin traffic light men... let's be honest: most souvenirs are crap and after just a few days they lead a miserable existence as dust collectors or closet ballast. And yet: Since the tourism sector has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic, the knick-knack business has been flourishing again.
Souvenirs are classic impulse purchases. A collective member of your favorite newspaper knows from personal experience that they don't necessarily bring joy: “I once got a plaster budgie and a pack of incense sticks from a friend.” Incidentally, the friendship is currently on hold. However, at the time of going to press, it could not be independently verified whether this was due to the things that were brought along.
In the garden house, people make an effort to choose the right souvenir. A Hamas flag that an editor discovered while looking for souvenirs in Skopje did not leave the bazaar there. “I only buy beautiful things,” a colleague explains: pearl earrings in the south of France, carpets in Portugal. The wooden camel, she adds, was acquired under duress. The dealer didn't let her go... of course, who doesn't know that?
The fact that money is chronically tight in journalism - at this point it should be pointed out that a Jungle World subscription is a great thing - is unfortunately also reflected in the way we deal with the souvenirs. “I once took back an opened bottle of wine,” remembers a colleague. The good wine was simply too good to let go down the drain - and the budget was probably too tight for a new bottle. Another colleague conveniently saves herself the souvenirs altogether. Less practical for the travel budget were the broken glasses that an editor brought with him from Brittany. Because he couldn't cope without it, he had to have it replaced with a much more expensive one while on vacation.
With his mouth watering, another colleague reports about the foam rolls that he regularly receives when his friend from Austria visits home. Rumor has it that foam rolling is a better guarantee for a functioning friendship or relationship than incense sticks. The anticipation is correspondingly great: the partner is currently back in Austria.