In German, there are various nouns that can be used to convey what we mean by the word distance in English: Zwischenraum, Abstand, the cognate Distanz.
With its repellent prefix, Abstand is the one used for social-distancing measures in Germany, with posters calling for a 1,5M or 2M Abstand outside of all establishments. Last Friday, cafés and restaurants in Berlin were allowed to reopen under these restricted conditions for the first time since the lockdown began, nine weeks prior. I had some food and drink that evening at an eerily empty restaurant in Mitte, and then, while cycling home, ran into a friend, the artist Hilla Steinert. This was happenstance, but also likely enough to happen, as we live in adjacent neighborhoods. It had been a while since we had last seen each other. So odd, after all that time, to be unable to reconnect by embracing my friend.
We met in the studio on Monday and made this dance instead. The word "Abstand" in German can also denote an interval of time. Ours is presented at a distance of two minutes, rather than two meters.
— Kathleen Heil, Berlin; May 20, 2020
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