In times when a pandemic unleashes death and poverty, the concept of what is essential to keep society functioning in a lockdown is gripping Europe. That's why Germany is keeping car dealerships open this time, after their closure in the first, spring lockdown hurt the country's huge automobile industry. In the country that coined the term “bella figura” — the art of cutting a fine figure — hairdressers are deemed essential. “Across the border in Belgium, books were deemed essential. “So why order books at an international online giant when the corner bookstore can deliver same-day by bike?"