Brit in Germany: Back in Britain. My Thoughts on England after 16 Years Abroad

Nov 17, 2024 | Going back to visit the UK always brings up a mixture of feelings. The country has definitely changed but so have I. It's always interesting to revisit old haunts and previous ideas we might hold. These are my thoughts and feelings about Britain. If you live there how do you feel about the place?

Germany's Downfall: Can a New Government Turn Things Around? | To The Point

Nov 14, 2024 | Germany’s government coalition collapsed the day Donald Trump was announced winner of the US elections. Now, Germans will have to decide who will rule the country in a snap election in February. Until then, little else will get done. Olaf Scholz has become a lame duck chancellor - at a time when Germany needs strong political leadership more than ever: the economy is struggling, society is divided. Europe’s heavyweight has come to a halt, including in foreign policy. That’s especially bitter for Ukraine: while its two biggest supporters, the US and Germany, are stuck in a power vacuum, its war against Russia continues to escalate. On To the Point we ask: Germany's downfall: can a new government turn things around?

Featuring Guests:
Michaela Küfner, DW's Chief Political Editor
Felix Lee, SZ Dossier
Melinda Crane, US Expert

Sabine Hossenfelder: Why I'm Embarrassed to Be German

Jul 6, 2024

WIKIPEDIA: Sabine Hossenfelder »

How the Nazis Conquered German Universities | Sir Niall Ferguson: The Treason of the Intellectuals

Nov 7, 2024 | Listen to Sir Niall Ferguson [talk] about how academia can be perverted so that it incubates and legitimises extremist political groups. Discussing academia from the decades preceding WWII, debating Marxists during the Cold War, and the recent developments in the United States. — In conversation with Sir Noel Malcom.

Sir Niall Ferguson is a British-American historian who is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and a Senior Fellow at Harvard. Previously, he held positions at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The author of many popular books such as 'Empire', 'Doom', and 'Civilisation'. He is a co-founder of the University of Austin.

Hiding and Surviving - Growing Up under National Socialism | DW Documentary

Nov 6, 2024 | "Everyone who survived has a story that you simply can't believe.” Charlotte Knobloch survived the Holocaust - because farmer's wife Kreszentia Hummel passed her off as her own, illegitimate child and kept her hidden on her farm.

Charlotte Neuland was born on 29 October 1932. She was born into a dark time: Just three months after her birth, Adolf Hitler came to power. Once the National Socialists were in charge, years of terror ensued. Boycotts against Jewish businesses and professional bans on Jews, including Charlotte's father, the established Munich lawyer Siegfried "Fritz” Neuland, were just the beginning. As time went on, life for Jewish people became increasingly threatened. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 denounced and banned relationships between Jews and non-Jews. Charlotte's mother, Margarethe Neuland, left the family. She had converted to Judaism but could not withstand the pressure from the Gestapo. Charlotte's grandmother, Albertine Neuland, now became the girl's most important caregiver. On the night of 9-10 November 1938, six-year-old Charlotte witnessed the November pogroms: Jewish stores were destroyed and looted in front of her eyes, people were beaten, abused and taken away.

When the first deportations from Munich to the concentration camps began in 1941, Siegfried "Fritz” Neuland took his daughter to the deeply religious Catholic farmer's wife Kreszentia Hummel in Middle Franconia. With her help, Charlotte Neuland survived the National Socialist dictatorship.

Now Charlotte Knobloch, she’s President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria and former President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. In this film, she tells viewers about her own life - and a past that is full of fear and loss. Despite all her devastating experiences, she would go on to become one of the most important figures representing Jewish life in the German-speaking world. She has dedicated her life to the fight for peace, equality and democracy.

What Can Germany Expect with Harris or Trump? | DW News

Nov 5, 2024 | As US voters head to the polls, Germany is looking with trepidation at who will be the next US President. Berlin says it will foster productive relations with whoever is elected, but a second Trump presidency could spell some trouble for Germany.

Life Under Adolf Hitler: The First Years of Nazi Germany

Jun 17, 2024 | In January 1933, Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany with promises of peace and economic recovery. However, his true agenda soon emerged, targeting Jews and anyone else he perceived as an enemy.

This documentary explores how Hitler and the Nazis manipulated the German populace, transforming the nation into a totalitarian regime. Discover the propaganda, economic strategies, and brutal policies that shaped the early years of Nazi Germany.

Iran Executes German-Iranian Dissident after Years in Captivity

THE GUARDIAN: Berlin warns of ‘serious consequences’ for ‘inhumane regime’ after 69-year-old Jamshid Sharmahd put to death

Iran has executed a 69-year-old German-Iranian political scientist after years in captivity, sparking outrage in Germany and beyond.

Berlin warned of “serious consequences” for Iran’s “inhumane regime” after Jamshid Sharmahd was put to death on Monday, while a Norway-based human rights group labelled the execution the “extrajudicial killing of a hostage”.

Sharmahd, a German citizen of Iranian descent and a US resident, was seized by Iranian authorities in 2020 while travelling through the United Arab Emirates, according to his family.

Iran, which does not recognise dual citizenship, announced his arrest after a “complex operation”, without specifying how, where or when he was seized. » | Agence France-Presse in Berlin | Monday, October 28, 2024

When Paris Was German: German Soldiers in Wartime Paris I Slice History | Full Documentary

Oct 27, 2024 | June 14th 1940, the troops of the Wehrmacht entered Paris. This was the beginning of the occupation of the French capital, which was then relegated to the rank of an open city. The enemy made the law there for more than four years, until August 1944.

Many things have been said and written about the daily life of the French during this very particular period, made of shortages, repressive measures and raids. But never on the side of the occupying forces... What about the German soldiers? How did they live through this period? What were their living conditions like? Did they have any contact with the French population?

Documentary: When Paris was German
Directed by: Barbara Necek
Production: SPICA Productions

How Hitler’s Regime Radicalized the German People | TIMELINE Documentary

Oct 26, 2024 | Discover how Hitler and the Nazis seized power in Germany and ushered in the death of democracy. This video examines how the National Socialists exploited economic turmoil to get into power before leading the nation into an era of militarism and horror.

Inside the Far-right Blueprint for Germany’s Eurasian Future | DW Analysis

Sep 6, 2024 | Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is surging, with breakthroughs in regional and EU-wide elections. Party leader Alice Weidel says her goal is national power, eyeing the 2029 federal elections.

Despite its growing support, the AfD’s vision of foreign policy remains little known around the world. So in this new special report, DW takes a forensic microscope to the party’s blueprint for Germany’s future.

What this reveals is the party’s profound skepticism about the key Western alliances — NATO and the EU — and an outspoken openness to a Eurasian outlook, fostering deeper relations with Russia and China and the international institutions they lead, from the Belt and Road Initiative to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union: prime sources of prestige for Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Xi Jinping in Beijing.

In exclusive interviews with Alice Weidel, foreign policy spokesman Matthias Moosdorf and powerful ideologue Björn Höcke, DW’s Richard Walker and Rosalia Romaniec scrutinize the AfD’s views on Germany’s alliances and NATO Article 5 commitments to the Baltic states and Poland, its skepticism of the United States, possible future architectures for European defense, who should have nuclear weapons, future ties with Russia and China, and how Germany should act in a Taiwan conflict scenario.

Includes analysis from leading international experts on Russia, China, the US and Europe: Alexander Gabuev (Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center), Amanda Hsiao (International Crisis Group), Katarzyna Pisarska (Warsaw Security Forum), Peter Rough (Hudson Institute), and Judy Dempsey (Carnegie Europe).

Germany's Government Confirms Second Year of Recession | DW News

Oct 9, 2024 | The German government has updated its growth forecast for the country’s economy. It is now expecting GDP to drop 0.2 percent for this year, making it the second year in a row with a shrinking economy. We’re talking to ING chief economist Carsten Brzeski about the reasons for Germany’s weakness, how the country stacks up compared to other economic superpowers – and what the future will hold.

Democracy under Threat? The Rise of the Far-right in Germany | DW Documentary

Oct 8, 2024 | Support for the far-right is growing in Germany, raising fears of a new 1933 - the year Adolf Hitler came to power. Does the recent electoral success of the far-right Alternative for Germany party indicate the country’s democracy is under threat?

In the eastern state of Thuringia, the extreme right has become the strongest force in the state parliament for the first time in post-war history. The development has triggered comparisons to the rise of Hitler - it was in Thuringia that the Nazis first entered a regional government, just three years before Hitler took power nationwide.

Some Germans are concerned that democracy is hanging in the balance. Hundreds of thousands of people are now taking to the streets regularly to voice their support for democracy and take a stand against right-wing extremism. But is the Germany of 2024 really comparable to that of 1933?

This documentary explores parallels between then and now, and also looks at other events that took place in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s. Back then, neo-Nazis wanted to make the small town of Langen in Hesse the first "foreigner-free” town in Germany. After German reunification in 1990, right-wing extremist groups also became increasingly influential in East Germany. Is the AfD's election success a further step in the growth of the far-right in Germany and a threat to democracy?

Defending the Legacy of East Germany's Peaceful Revolution | DW News

Oct 3, 2024 | Every year on October 3, Germany celebrates its reunification. But even decades after reunification, Germany remains politically divided. The right-wing populist, anti-immigration AfD is on the rise, especially in the east. Former civil rights activists are outraged.

Inside the Far-right Blueprint for Germany’s Eurasian Future | DW Analysis

Sep 6, 2024 | Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is surging, with breakthroughs in regional and EU-wide elections. Party leader Alice Weidel says her goal is national power, eyeing the 2029 federal elections.

Despite its growing support, the AfD’s vision of foreign policy remains little known around the world. So, in this new special report, DW takes a forensic microscope to the party’s blueprint for Germany’s future.

What this reveals is the party’s profound skepticism about the key Western alliances — NATO and the EU — and an outspoken openness to a Eurasian outlook, fostering deeper relations with Russia and China and the international institutions they lead, from the Belt and Road Initiative to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union: prime sources of prestige for Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Xi Jinping in Beijing.

In exclusive interviews with Alice Weidel, foreign policy spokesman Matthias Moosdorf and powerful ideologue Björn Höcke, DW’s Richard Walker and Rosalia Romaniec scrutinize the AfD’s views on Germany’s alliances and NATO Article 5 commitments to the Baltic states and Poland, its skepticism of the United States, possible future architectures for European defense, who should have nuclear weapons, future ties with Russia and China, and how Germany should act in a Taiwan conflict scenario.

Includes analysis from leading international experts on Russia, China, the US and Europe: Alexander Gabuev (Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center), Amanda Hsiao (International Crisis Group), Katarzyna Pisarska (Warsaw Security Forum), Peter Rough (Hudson Institute), and Judy Dempsey (Carnegie Europe).

Brothers Grimm: The Real Story of Germany's Storytellers | Witness | HD German History Documentary

Sep 21, 2023 | Once upon a time there were two brothers, united for life by their passion for literature and their study of language: Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. Their name is mostly connected with their fairy tales, those wonderful stories of ugly witches and brave girls, of young princes and great dangers. But they collected these stories for political reasons. They wanted to preserve the past in order to change the present. This docu-drama tells the unknown story of the famous fairy-tale collectors.

The Grimms have a very clear vision: a unified Germany based on a common German language. Their fairy tales are meant to serve as a framework for unity. But in 1837, Germany is still divided into many principalities. When they started their careers, Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother had just been installed as King of Westphalia and French was the national language. In deliberately searching out and promoting old German literature, the brothers were engaging in an academic culture war against French foreign rule. But there was nothing specifically German about their stories. Many of their fairy tales can be found in similar forms throughout Europe. What distinguished them were the details.

Using scenes from plays and interview with the two brothers based on original texts, this docudrama shows how close the relationship between the two brother was.

This documentary was produced by A&O Buero and directed by Gabriele Rose. It was first released in 2022.

Germany to Impose Border Controls after Far-right Election Victory in Eastern States

Sep 12, 2024 | Such was the shock of elections in two eastern German states - with one more to come at the end of the month - that the government of Olaf Scholz is introducing measures that go against the very grain of the EU's most sacred principal: the freedom of movement and the Schengen Agreement.

German Court Convicts Activist for Leading ‘from the River to the Sea’ Chant

THE GUARDIAN: Judge says phrase ‘denied right of Israel to exist’ but woman’s lawyer says ruling is a defeat for free speech

A Berlin court has convicted a pro-Palestinian activist of condoning a crime for leading a chant of the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” at a rally in the German capital four days after the Hamas attacks on Israel, in what her defence team called a defeat for free speech.

The presiding judge, Birgit Balzer, ordered 22-year-old German-Iranian national Ava Moayeri to pay a €600 (£515) fine on Tuesday, rejecting her argument that she only meant to express support for “peace and justice” in the Middle East by calling out the phrase on a busy street.

Balzer said she “could not comprehend” the logic of previous German court rulings that determined the saying was “ambiguous”, while to her it was clear it “denied the right of the state of Israel to exist”. » | Deborah Cole in Berlin | Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Germany's Culture of Remembrance | DW Documentary

Aug 5, 2024 | Amid far-right populism and growing support for the AfD, what can Germany do to ensure the atrocities of its history are never forgotten or repeated?

In recent decades Germany has worked to build a culture of remembrance that includes coming to terms with difficult chapters in its history, such as German colonial genocide and the Nazi dictatorship. Remembrance of Nazi crimes and commemoration of the victims should help ensure that these atrocities are never repeated. But increased far-right populism and growing support for the AfD party are a serious cause for concern. What can be done to keep awareness of Nazi crimes and the Holocaust alive in Germany, to prevent people playing down this terrible chapter in its history, and to convey its significance to the younger generation?

Why an AfD Politician Is Accused of 'Whitewashing' Nazi Crimes | Germany's Enemy Within | FRONTLINE

Jul 30, 2024 | Björn Höcke, of Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, is on the brink of a potential state election victory. He has criticized how Germany remembers the Holocaust and been fined for using a Nazi slogan. Watch an excerpt from "Germany’s Enemy Within."