Once again, the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, is on a visit to Germany. This time, his visit is unlikely to turn into a sensational event like last year.

Obviously, the German government wants to avoid another open confrontation with Beijing. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is on a trip to South America and Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier will not meet the Dalai Lama.

And yet the Tibetan spiritual leader enjoys a very high degree of popularity in Germany. That was however not always the case.

Report: Mathias Bölinger / Angelika Ditscheid / Nina Haase