Trotzdem

16:22 Aug 17, 2019 

Is the first "Trotzdem" applied only to the first picture's caption (per Birgit Gläser's advice), or can it also be interpreted as a kind of mini-heading that applies to all three captions?
The latter would be like: "Brave: (1) Joe Smith fought off a bear with bare hands; (2) Jane Brown tackled a mugger; (3) ...." in which all three vignettes illustrate bravery.

Are there any other examples of similar punctuation in the article, or elsewhere in the same magazine?

Actually, when I first read it, I thought the first "Trotzdem" had been inserted by the Asker to emphasise what the Question was about!

19:30 Aug 13, 2019 

Since the asker named everyone involved, basically, I think it's OK to post the page that shows all of this year's nominees:
https://www.mut-zur-nachhaltigkeit.zeit.de/nominierte

@asker
The German caption is really bad, IMO. I'd probably omit the first word; it seemingly serves no purpose and could be a typo for something akin to "trotzen."

It certainly is not beating the odds or not easily disssuaded, though nevertheless or something like it won't really work either, IMO.

Good way to deal with this is to write what you think they should have; e.g., the captions in US and UK news reports don't necessarily match those in German newspapers.

Plus, repeating trotzdem a sentence later just doesn't sound right, not even in German.

What they might have had in mind: Bienen jagen + Zuhause geben is a bit of an oxymoron (I mean, his company manufactures pesticides and, yet, he advocates for giving insects "a home"). But this is pure speculation.

Trotzdem needs to have some reference point somewhere in the article; but that is exactly the reason why this snippet won't do--despite all of the information the asker provided.

Best

17:15 Aug 13, 2019 

This is in reference to eco activism... not directly beating the odds, but doing something before it's too late... around here they are planting flowers in window boxes etc. to susstain bees who are slowly becomng extinct thus endangering the pollinaiton of future crops... the people from Langeroog Island are probably suing because of rising ocean levels so that they will not be up to their neck in water on that island.... no idea what the sewing is about.. ;-)

16:55 Aug 13, 2019 

Could it be something like "Beating the odds"?
"Trotzdem" also appears further down, but that may just be coincidence.
What's all the stuff about being in up to their necks and suing the EU?