Carol Schaeffer

@ThenCarolSaid

Carol Schaeffer is a journalist based in New York. She was a 2019–20 Fulbright Scholar in Berlin, Germany, where she reported on the far right. She has written for Smithsonian Magazine, ProPublica, The Atlantic, and other publications.

Man with a microphone stands onstage as he speaks.

The Far Right Just Made Terrifying New Gains in Germany The Far Right Just Made Terrifying New Gains in Germany

One lesson from an Alternative für Deutschland rally and this weekend’s election results: The Cold War never ended.

Feb 24, 2025 / Carol Schaeffer

Mourners hug in front of a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles for the victims of a car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on December 23, 2024.

A Far-Right Attacker Kills 5 in a Christmas Market. The German Far Right Takes Advantage. A Far-Right Attacker Kills 5 in a Christmas Market. The German Far Right Takes Advantage.

The eastern German city of Magdeburg mourns as the Alternative für Deutschland party sees an opportunity after one of its supporters plowed into a fairy-tale Christmas market.

Dec 23, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

Activists protest against fossil fuels and for climate finance at the COP29 Climate Conference on November 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The “Worst COP” Concludes With a “Heartbreaking” Climate-Finance Deal The “Worst COP” Concludes With a “Heartbreaking” Climate-Finance Deal

Activists say the climate agreement effectively signed away the 1.5-degree Celsius target—”our only real chance to safeguard humanity’s future.”

Nov 27, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

Activists, including one holding a piece of paper with “Pay Up!” written on it, in reference to demands for climate finance for developing countries, arrive to attend the “People’s Plenary on day 10 at the UNFCCC COP29 Climate Conference on November 21, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Rich Countries Must Pay Up or Humanity Will Pay the Price Rich Countries Must Pay Up or Humanity Will Pay the Price

The climate activist Lidy Nacpil says the climate bill owed to developing nations is in the “trillions, not billions.”

Nov 25, 2024 / Q&A / Carol Schaeffer

Participants walk and network in front of the main entrance during the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 at Baku Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 14.

The “Dark Joke” of Having a Climate Summit in Azerbaijan The “Dark Joke” of Having a Climate Summit in Azerbaijan

COP29 in Baku reveals the contradictions of having climate negotiations in a petro-state.

Nov 19, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

American flags on a makeshift memorial honor Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers killed in action on Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 5, 2024.

Behind Closed Doors, Ukraine Anxiously Watched the US Election Unfold Behind Closed Doors, Ukraine Anxiously Watched the US Election Unfold

Ukrainian officials maintain an optimistic, bipartisan approach to the US, but in private, many Ukrainians are pessimistic about an increasingly bleak war and the US role in it.

Nov 7, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

Man walks by the Ukranian National Opera building in Kyiv

Dispatch From Kyiv: Ballet in a Time of War Dispatch From Kyiv: Ballet in a Time of War

While Ukraine’s capital has mostly returned to normal, reminders of the brutal fighting are everywhere.

Mar 7, 2023 / Carol Schaeffer

How the West Failed Bosnia

How the West Failed Bosnia How the West Failed Bosnia

The Dayton Accords and privatization have kept Bosnia and Herzegovina in a tragic limbo.

Dec 27, 2022 / Feature / Carol Schaeffer

Why So Many Ukrainians Are Returning Home

Why So Many Ukrainians Are Returning Home Why So Many Ukrainians Are Returning Home

Many Ukrainian men leave little behind when they head back.

Apr 28, 2022 / Carol Schaeffer

Aleksander Hemon, a bald author with glasses and a goatee, looks directly at the camera.

Aleksandar Hemon on What’s Different About the War in Ukraine Aleksandar Hemon on What’s Different About the War in Ukraine

A conversation with the author about nationalism, displacement, and the importance of dancing.

Apr 27, 2022 / Q&A / Carol Schaeffer

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