The economic news from Germany is bad. But is the reality as dire as it's portrayed? To find out if Germany is really the "sick man of Europe" again, Ted speaks with Professor Sebastian Dullien of the Hans Böckler Foundation's Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK). They discuss the problems Germany faces and what it needs to do to escape them. For b…

Acknowledging and atoning for the crimes of the Third Reich is now an essential part of Germany's national identity. This process is comparatively straightforward for ethnic Germans, whose family members may have been complicit during the Nazi era. But where does this "emotional social contract" leave post-WWII immigrants to Germany, particularly t…

What explains Germany's steadfast support for Israel? Even as Israel's response to the October 7th Hamas attacks has drawn increasing international condemnation, Germany has doubled down on support, proclaiming that Israel's security is its Staatsräson and cracking down on speech deemed insufficiently supportive of Israel. To answer this question f…

German media and politicians say that the country is experiencing another "migration crisis." But has it ever not been? To explore the history of migration politics in the BRD, Ted speaks with Lauren Stokes (@laurenstokes), a historian at Northwestern University, about her book Fear of the Family (2022) and article "The Permanent Refugee Crisis in …

What is the NATO alliance really for? Grey Anderson's recent book Natopolitanism offers some hints, and the answer is (shockingly) not always what proponents of the Alliance say it is. On this episode, we speak with Grey—an editor and historian based in New York—about the book, the history of NATO, and what the future of the transatlantic relations…

During a demoralizing year for Twitter, there's been one notable bright spot: the relentless and inspired posting of Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger (@GunterFehlinger). With political opinions (and matching selfies) ranging from #exRussia and #exChina to the need for Austria to join NATO, Gunther has risen quickly to become one of the world's …

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland party is surging across Germany and the CDU seems increasingly willing to cooperate with them. Is the "firewall/Brandmauer" taboo of working with the radical right finally crumbling? To answer this, Ted speaks with historian Ned Richardson-Little (@HistoryNed) about the postwar history of the far right in b…

Ted is joined by historian Quinn Slobodian to discuss his latest book, "Crack up Capitalism," including how his recent work on economic "zones" relates to his earlier thinking on neoliberalism and the tensions between capitalism and democracy. They also discuss the microstate of Lichtenstein and the rise of the far right in Germany. You can buy Qui…

Talk is heating up of an impending split in the German Left Party, Die Linke. Sahra Wagenknecht, who has long been a controversial figure in the party, is now openly considering forming a breakaway party. On this episode, we have Loren Balhorn of Jacobin Germany and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung on to discuss what this would mean for the Die Linke an…

With the finals of this year's Eurovision Song Contest taking place this evening, we thought it would be a perfect time to reflect on the weird and sometimes surprising political and cultural history of the world's most-watched non-sporting event. Ted is joined by Kat Friege, a modern European historian at the University of Oxford. For some more in…

Ted interviews Arne Semsrott of Freiheitsfonds, a bail fund for people who have been imprisoned for riding public transit without a ticket. Check out the Freiheitsfonds website for more info: https://www.freiheitsfonds.de/ We encourage you to donate if you can! -- Co-hosted by Ted (⁠@ted_knudsen⁠) and Michelle (⁠@shhellgames⁠). Produced by Isaac Wü…

Ted talks to transport researcher Giulio Mattioli about recent transit-related German news, including Germany’s recent efforts to block a measure ending the sale of internal combustion engine cars at the EU-level. You can read more about that here. For more from Giulio, you can follow him on Twitter: ⁠@giulio_mattioli⁠. Following the interview, we …

We're talking about something a bit different on this episode, and about a time period much earlier than we usually discuss: the witch trials of early-modern Germany. Why? Because it's Witchy Zeit in Germany! Carnival/Fasching/Fastnacht just happened last month and at the end of April is Walpurgisnacht, also known as Hexenbrennen (witch burning). M…

Here's a preview of our latest premium episode, where Ted talks about tanks! Specifically, he laments the anglophone media's gratuitous hand-wringing over Germany's alleged reluctance to adequately support Ukraine. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shh…

The whole team's back together again to discuss the upcoming repeat election happening in Berlin on Sunday, February 12. Here's a link to the candidates' debate that we reference throughout the episode: https://www.rbb24.de/politik/hintergrund/livestream-ihre-wahl-kandidatencheck-berlin-abgeordnetenhaus.html You can check out the latest polls and c…

We're joined by journalist Ruairi Casey to talk about the evacuation of the climate protest in Lützerath earlier this month, and what it can tell us about climate politics in Germany. Read the piece Ruairi wrote on this subject here: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2023/january/in-luetzerath For more from Ruairi, follow him on Twitter: @Ruairi_Casey -- Co-hoste…

Happy (belated) New Year! Here's a short preview of our latest premium episode featuring part two of Ted's interview with Fritz Bartel, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M at the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service, about his new book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of…

Back by popular demand, we’re joined by Nathan to talk about this year’s Christmas market scandals! Check out last year’s two-part episode “The Twelve Days of Christmas Market Scandals” for more holiday drama. This year, we’re discussing six different scandals: 1. Not heeding the energy-saving restrictions https://www.insuedthueringen.de/inhalt.eis…

Despite the many controversies—from the deaths of thousands of labourers in horrible working conditions to the corrupt bidding process—the 2022 FIFA World Cup is happening now in Qatar. Instead of focusing on the World Cup, we sat down with journalist Dave Braneck to talk about the politics of German soccer/football.Here are some of the sources we …

Ted talks to Fritz Bartel, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M at the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service, about his new book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of Neoliberalism. It's a fascinating account of how two processes that we agree happened roughly simultaneously…

Ted chats with the hosts of the Eurotrash podcast: Anton Jäger, Postdoctoral Researcher at KU Leuven and Dominik Leusder, Research Director of the LSE Global Economic Governance Commission. The three discuss all things EU, from the union's economic and political crises, the way these crises get talked about in the media, and how things could have g…

A short preview of our latest premium episode, which features part two of Ted's interview with economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck and reflections from Ted and Michelle on the interview. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse And make sure to listen to part one of the interview with Professor Streeck if …

Ted talks with economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck, emeritus director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne and one of the leading scholars and commentators on European capitalism. In this exciting conversation, they discuss Germany's foreign policy role in Europe at this moment of the so-called "Zeitenwende." On this …

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Michelle dive into the history of Germany's love affair with sparkling water -- or Sprudelwasser, auf Deutsch -- and sample an assortment of bubbly offerings with the most Sprudel-pilled guy out there, Nick from Corner Späti. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.pa…

We're moving on from trains to talk about what is by far the most dominant mode of transport in Germany: the car. What is it about Germany's history that paved the way for such a pervasive car culture, and what's up with the Autobahn?? Luckily, we have a great guest who recently published a book on exactly these questions. Dr. Conrad Kunze is a res…

We return from our Sommerpause to talk about one of the things dominating conversations in Germany over the past few months: trains! From inter-Europe rail travel to Deutsche Bahn woes to the 9-Euro-Ticket, Ted goes through it all with Jon Worth, a Berlin-based writer and communications consultant who has been documenting his experience crossing ev…

First, thanks to our listeners who have been so patient with us as we have been taking a little Sommerpause. Some of us have been travelling, some of us have have COVID, and it's been taking a little longer than usual to put a new episode out. That's why we're unlocking one of our premium episodes that was published on our Patreon back in April. Th…

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Michelle round out our Spaßbremse Grenzen series by discussing the Alsace-Lorraine region on the France-German border. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be ba…

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland could soon have its own state-funded political foundation called the Desiderius Erasmus Stiftung (DES). We speak with freelance journalist Ruairi Casey about why this matters, and ask him what the deal is with all these political Stiftungen anyway. Read Ruairi's recent article in Foreign Policy on the subje…

Pride Month in North America may have just ended, but here in Germany the local Pride festivals — or "Christopher Street Days" — are just beginning. To talk about the complicated history of Germany's queer movements, we're joined on this episode by writer and historian Ben Miller, co-host of the podcast Bad Gays and co-author of the book Bad Gays: …

On our thirtieth episode on the main feed (!!) we have an interview that Ted did with historian Jan Tattenberg about the "clean Wehrmacht" myth, or the idea that members of the German Wehrmacht were not complicit in the crimes and atrocities of the Holocaust. Ted and Jan go into quite a bit of detail about why this myth doesn't hold water, so we ha…

Ted and Michelle sit down with journalist David de Jong to talk about his new book, Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties. Longtime listeners will know that this is a recurring subject on Spaßbremse. You can listen to our three-part series about the history of some specific Nazi businesses on Patreon: Pt. 1: Nazi Piz…

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which we discuss the beloved German "Mittelstand" and why your favourite family-owned screw company might not be as cool and relatable as you think. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get…

It's Spargelzeit! For those of you lucky enough to be unfamiliar, that's the time of year when Germany's most prized vegetable — the white asparagus — is in season. On this episode, we try to get in the mind of the Germans to understand their obsession with this mediocre dish by sitting down with some Spargel and Schnitzel. We give a bit of backgro…

As we celebrate May Day, we’re asking: Why do things keep getting worse for so many workers around the world? For one answer to that question, we look at the neoliberalisation of formerly “left-wing” parties such as the SPD. To walk us through this history, Ted spoke with Stephanie Mudge, a professor of sociology at the University of California at …

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Isaac discuss the Danish-German border. This is part 3 of our ongoing series "Spaßbremse Grenzen" about the histories and legacies of Germany's borders. To listen to the full episode and all other premium episodes — including parts 1 and 2 of our Grenzen series, in which we discuss the…

They're the largest ethnic group in the United States but remain relatively invisible, despite contributions that include beer, kindergartens, and Kissinger (oops). That's right, we're talking German Americans on this episode, joined by special guest Matt Christman of Chapo Trap House. How, when, and where did Germans immigrate in such huge numbers…

Transport researcher Giulio Mattioli returns to talk about the ongoing debates over introducing a "Spritpreisbremse"—a limit on the price of fuel—in Germany. To hear more from Giulio, you can follow him on Twitter: @giulio_mattioli. He also has a recent book chapter out on transport poverty and car dependence. Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Mi…

We have on repeat guest Dominik Leusder, researcher at the economic policy thinktank Dezernat Zukunft and the London School of Economics, to react to the developing situation of sanctions on Russia in the wake of the country's invasion of Ukraine last week. Sources referenced on this episode include: America's Generation Gap on Ukraine by Peter Bei…

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which we try to wrap our heads around the rapid changes to Germany's foreign policy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Featuring a short conversation with Julia Wiedemann of Die Linke's foreign policy department which was recorded prior to the invasion. To listen to the full episode, support us on …

We continue our series on German foreign policy with an interview with Hans Kundnani (@hanshundnani), director of the Europe Programme at Chatham House and author of the book The Paradox of German Power. On this episode, Hans references two books: Oliver Nachtwey's Die Abstiegsgesellschaft: Über das Aufbegehren in der regressiven Moderne and Peo Ha…

On the first episode of our (long-awaited) German foreign policy series, Ted (@ted_knudsen) sits down with Berlin journalist James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) to talk about why the British and American liberals are mad at Germany. They talk about Ukraine, of course, and end with what may be a Spaßbremse first… Read James’ piece in Jacobin here: http…

A short preview of our latest premium episode, where we discuss the changes to East German universities in the wake of reunification. Featuring an interview with Markus Kienscherf, junior professor of sociology at the JFK Institute of North American Studies at FU Berlin. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbre…

Ted, Michelle, and Isaac answer some listener questions to start off the new year! We will be having our second live show ***tomorrow (Jan. 23)*** with our friends at Corner Späti at Donau 115 in Neukölln. Join us at 7:30 p.m. as we celebrate (mourn?) the death of 2021. For more details, see the Facebook event page: https://fb.me/e/315PJyXpt Some o…

While we work on putting together some great new episodes for 2022, here's a premium episode we first released on the Patreon back in November to tide you over. On this episode, producer Isaac joins Michelle and Ted to talk about the Nazi history of some notable German companies. You can listen to parts 2 and 3 of this series by subscribing to our …

After a few more mugs of Glühwein, we round out our twelve days of Christmas market scandals with some Schwabenhass and culture wars. Thanks so much to Nathan for joining us on this episode to share his expertise as a local entrepreneur and thought leader. For more of Nathan, you can find him on Twitter at @nthnashma. You can also find his second-h…

To celebrate the holiday season in true Spaßbremse style, we convened a panel with Nathan (@nthnashma) to walk you through the twelve days of Christmas market scandals, from selling Glühwein to minors in Frankfurt to tax evasion in Kiel. We were drinking some Glühwein (mit Schuss!) ourselves and as we went through the twelve days we went on more an…

A short preview of our fourth premium episode, where we round out our three-part series about German companies during the Third Reich. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back in a few days with another full-length episod…

This week, Ted (@ted_knudsen) interviews TU Dortmund transport researcher Giulio Mattioli about German transport and climate policy in light of the recent traffic light coalition agreement and the COP 26 climate summit. To hear more from Giulio, you can follow him on Twitter: @giulio_mattioli. He also has a recent book chapter out on transport pove…

What's with the bizarre obsession that some Germans have with Indigenous people from North America? Every year, thousands of Germans gather to dress up and play "Indianer"—or at least their imagined, naive stereotype of what it's like to be a First Nations person—complete with appropriated powwow dances, regalia, and living in tipis. On this episod…