Past episodes

Episode 17: The Kindertransport

In 1939, Maria Ault and Kurt Marx managed to escape Nazi Germany and were brought to the UK on the Kindertransport. They told London-based German radio correspondent Gabi Biesinger their moving stories: what it was like to arrive in the UK as children, their journeys, whether they saw their parents again, and the importance of Holocaust education.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 16: Illustrating children's books with Axel Scheffler and Rosie Goldsmith

Generations of children have grown up with children’s books illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Most recently, he read The Gruffalo to school pupils in Hamburg with Her Majesty The Queen Consort during a state visit in Germany. Before the royal visit, journalist Rosie Goldsmith sat down with Axel Scheffler to ask him about his work, his influences and his life as a German in the UK.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 15: Comedy in the UK and Germany

Comedian Henning Wehn, the self-styled 'German Comedy Ambassador to the UK' sits down with FT journalist and occasional stand-up comedian Josh Spero to chat about comedy in the UK and Germany. The pair discuss why some UK humour would never go down well in Germany, why Germans are obsessed with a 1960s British comedy sketch called 'Dinner For One' and more.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 14: Christmas traditions in Germany and the UK with Jürgen Krauss and Oliver Moody

In this festive episode of our Staying Connected podcast, the Berlin correspondent of The Times Oliver Moody sat down with GBBO legend Jürgen Krauss to talk all things Christmas, including, of course, food. The most famous German baker in the UK also talks about what brought him to the UK and how he got into baking. Warning: listening to this episode might well make you very hungry.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 13: Football in the UK and Germany - a joint passion

How do football fans in England and Germany perceive each other's top flights? Is the rivalry between England and Germany one-sided? As the Premier League and Bundesliga pause for the World Cup in Qatar, football journalists Raphael Honigstein (based in London for 'The Athletic') and Kit Holden (based in Berlin for the 'Tagesspiegel') have a wide-ranging chat about the different approaches to football in the UK and Germany and also discuss the controversy surrounding the Christmas World Cup.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 12: What role do Honorary Consuls play in connecting countries?

There are 17 German Honorary Consuls in the UK. But how does one become a Honorary Consul? How do Honorary Consuls contribute to UK-German relations? In this episode of our podcast, Peter Barnes of the British-German Association speaks to Helga Rother-Simmonds, Honorary Consul in Cardiff, and Richard Cutler, Honorary Consul in Southampton, about their work, the image of Germany in their regions and the living connections between their areas and Germany.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 11: Women’s Euros Special Edition

Women's football in England and Germany is on an upwards trajectory, with this summer's Women's Euros in England set to draw record crowds. Germany international and Chelsea Women's Melanie Leupolz speaks with Guardian journalist and author Susanne Wrack about her experiences playing in the Women's Super League and the Frauen-Bundesliga, how big tournaments can be used to develop the women's game and how English and German football culture compares.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 10: How to counter disinformation?

How can we deal with deception and lies on social media, for example in the context of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine? In episode 10 of our #StayingConnected podcast, Stefanie Bolzen of German daily Die Welt discusses this topic with Shayan Sardarizadeh, journalist at BBC Monitoring, and Felix Kartte, Senior Policy Advisor at RESET.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 9: How teaching and learning German in the UK keeps us connected

Language classes at school bring about some of our earliest encounters with foreign languages and cultures. In this episode, Stamatia Kalogeropoulou and Emma Whittle, winners of the German Teacher Award, talk about the joys and challenges of getting pupils, parents and headteachers interested in German. In conversation with Bernardette Holmes, expert on education policy, they share the secret of how 'Vanillekipferln' can keep nations connected.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 8: Staying Connected through town twinnings – how cities bring countries together

Almost 500 town twinnings and other partnerships connect UK and German cities through projects as varied as school exchanges, sports days, joint council meetings and much more. Our guests Ann Kennard and Petra Pilger are actively involved in the Hanover-Bristol twinning, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2022. They talk to Peter Barnes, Chairman of the British-German Association, which actively supports and promotes British-German town twinnings.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 7: Why are British musicians drawn to Berlin?

J. Willgoose Esq. from Public Service Broadcasting speaks with Gabi Biesinger of ARD about his band's latest album 'Bright Magic', which was inspired by and recorded in Berlin. They explore why Berlin has been such a magnet for British musicians, such as David Bowie and Depeche Mode, discuss what it's like to record in the hallowed halls of Hansa Studios and look at the German lyrics and British-German collaborations on PSB's new Album.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 6: Staying Connected Special Edition: German Unity

What was it like for a British journalist to report on the fall of the Berlin Wall? What was the mood like in our two countries at that time? And how has the relationship between the UK and Germany changed since then? Journalists Anne McElvoy and John Kampfner, who were reporters in Germany at the time of the fall of the Wall, speak with Quentin Peel, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, in this special edition of our podcast.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 5: Staying Connected through Creativity - Designing our future bilateral relations

How do we ensure that the voice of creativity is heard in relations between Germany and the UK? Victoria Broackes, Director of the London Design Biennale, and Thomas Geisler, Director of the Museum of Decorative Arts of the Dresden State Art Collections, discuss the influence and reach of design in the context of national perceptions with Dr Jana Scholze, Associate Professor at the Kingston School of Art.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 4: Joint Task of Climate Action - COP26, G7 and UK-German cooperation

What are the joint German-UK ambitions to tackle climate change on the way to COP26 (and beyond)? How and where can cooperation be expanded? Journalist Christoph Prössl talks to renowned policy advisors Jennifer Tollmann (E3G) and Susanne Dröge (SWP), who assess their countries' goals for COP26 and analyse why both countries are seen as world leaders on climate policies. Introduction by Oliver Schramm, Head of the Economic Department of the German Embassy London.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 3: From foe to friend

How does the military help connect Germany and the UK? What are major insights from history and pointers for the 21st century? Deputy Head of Mission Julia Gross introduces a discussion by two military historians: Dr Peter Johnston, curator of the 'Foes to Friends' exhibition at the National Army Museum, and Professor Matthias Strohn, from the University of Buckingham and the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 2: Special Culture Edition – Germany and Britain: A Tale of Two Nations

Former director of the British Museum and former founding director of the Humboldt Forum in Berlin Neil MacGregor and journalist Birgit Maaß from “Deutsche Welle” take us on a journey through our joint cultural history and highlight the continuing strong ties between our countries. Introduction by Ambassador Andreas Michaelis.

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

Episode 1: Does journalism connect Germany and the UK?

Journalists Stefanie Bolzen from 'Die Welt' and Philip Oltermann from 'The Guardian' discuss whether journalism connects Germany and the UK, or whether it too often focuses on societal differences. What does each country's different style of journalism say about its political culture? How have the pandemic and Brexit changed how journalists report?

Listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / RSS / Amazon / Google Podcasts

The British Embassy in Berlin's episodes can be listened to here.​​​​​​​