Beyond Berlin

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Beyond BerlinStories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. A blog, a podcast and a journey connecting past and present of our continent, as seen from Berlin and looking beyond, toward the East. Subscribe on beyondberlin.substack.comToday's episode:📖 Giacomo Casanova, the twilight of a man and the birth of a mythWhat remains of Giacomo Casanova, three hundred years after his birth? An adventurer, a libertine, a swindler? Or the protagonist of one of the greatest autobiographies ever written?In this episode, I take you to Duchcov, a remote Bohemian village where Casanova spent the last thirteen years of his life. Alone, ill, yet tireless, he transformed his existence into literature, leaving us over 3,600 pages of his Histoire de ma vie.A "Central European twilight" that gave birth to a myth: controversial, ambiguous, sometimes scandalous, but impossible to erase. From the censored pages of the nineteenth century to the interpretations of Schnitzler, Zweig and Tsvetaeva, to Fellini's cinema, each era has reinvented its own Casanova.🏰 Duchcov in Bohemia: The place of legend📅 The tercentenary (1725-2025)👴 The Duchcov years (1785-1798)✍️ The birth of the literary myth📚 The fate of the manuscript🏺 The legacyCasanova in Central European Literature: my selection🎭 Arthur Schnitzler - "Casanova's Homecoming" (1918)📖 Stefan Zweig - "Three Poets of Their Lives" (1928)🎪 Marina Tsvetaeva - "The End of Casanova" (1922)Memorable Quotes"He had lived as no other; and did he not live in his own way even today?" — Arthur Schnitzler"No man can read Casanova's memoirs without furious envy" — Stefan Zweig"Time has passed. My hour strikes." — Casanova in Marina Tsvetaeva's versionSuggestions📚 Books**:**Leo Damrosch - "The Life and Times of Giacomo Casanova" (2022) - analysis of the "dark side"Lothar Müller - "Die Feuerschrift" (2025) - Casanova as a witness of his time🎬 Film adaptations:Federico Fellini (1976) - "Fellini's Casanova"French film (1992) with Alain DelonGabriele Salvatores (2023) with Toni Servillo"Casanova at Dux Castle" (Casanova auf Schloss Dux) (1981), GDR TV film📍 Places to visit:Schloss Duchcov - his apartments in the castlePalazzo Mocenigo, Venice - exhibition "Casanova: myth through art, history and cinema" (until 2 November 2025)Music Credits🎶 Intro/Outro music & theme: “Happy Klezmer” by zec53🎶 Music segments:Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046 (1721)Christoph Willibald Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance of the Blessed Spirits (1762)Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni / Overture (1787)🎶 SFX from Freesound CommunityAt beyondberlin.substack.com you will have access to the full text and illustrations.📌 Subscribe for free at beyondberlin.substack.com by Valentina Giannella to get all upcoming episodes and explore our other content—compelling stories from past and present, stunning photographs, diverse voices, book recommendations, plus downloadable e-books. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit beyondberlin.substack.comBeyond Berlin @ Substack++ Stories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. ++Stories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. A blog, a podcast and a journey connecting past and present of our continent, as seen from Berlin and looking beyond, toward the East. Subscribe on beyondberlin.substack.comToday's episode:Jew Süss: The Many Lives and Deaths of Joseph Süßkind OppenheimerThis episode dives into the tangled legacy of Jud Süß—a story that has been told, distorted, and weaponised for centuries.We follow Joseph Süß Oppenheimer’s journey from an 18th-century court Jew in Württemberg to the literary redemption in Lion Feuchtwanger’s 1925 novel, and finally to his grotesque reinvention in Goebbels’ 1940 propaganda masterpiece.Through historical research, archival discoveries, and cinematic analysis, we uncover how the Nazi regime used the power of film to spread antisemitic hatred—on screen, in the streets, and even in concentration camps.The poison of that propaganda still circulates today. The truth still waits to be heard.You’ll hear about:The real trial and execution of Joseph Süß OppenheimerHow Feuchtwanger reclaimed the story in his novelGoebbels’ direct involvement in creating the 1940 propaganda filmThe film’s distribution, reception, and role in Nazi ideologyPostwar trials, black market circulation, and its enduring toxic legacy📖 Book references. At beyondberlin.substack.com you will have access to the full text and illustrations. Paid subscribers can download the post as an e-book, complete with a guide to book and digital references.📌 Subscribe for free at beyondberlin.substack.com by Valentina Giannella to get all upcoming episodes and explore our other content—compelling stories from past and present, stunning photographs, plus diverse voices and book recommendations.Music Credits🎶 Intro/Outro: “Happy Klezmer” by zec53🎶 Segmenti musicali:Music background by 🇺🇦 Serge Pavkin MusicGeorg Friedrich Handel, Wassermusik (Water Music) 248 III. IV.

Beyond BerlinStories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. A blog, a podcast and a journey connecting past and present of our continent, as seen from Berlin and looking beyond, toward the East. Subscribe on beyondberlin.substack.comToday's episode:Sofi Oksanen's "Same River, Twice" and Victoria Amelina's "Looking at Women Looking at War." Two books, one message, three words: woman, war, justice.What does justice look like in the middle of a war? And what does it mean to be a woman facing that war—documenting it, resisting it, surviving it?In this episode, we follow the voices of two writers—Finnish writer and activist Sofi Oksanen and Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, killed by Russians in 2023—who were also PEN friends, and whose books speak to one another across borders.From Soviet-occupied Estonia to Putin's Ukraine, from raped ancestors to defiant librarians, from family trauma to battlefield diaries—this is a journey through a war that doesn't only happen on the frontline, but inside homes, language, and memory.We talk about sexual violence, imperial lies, and the myth of the Great Patriotic War. We talk about the silence of one woman, and the thousands who found their voices and took action. And we talk about justice—not only as a deserved verdict in international courtrooms, which we might wait a long time to see, but as an act of storytelling. Which is happening now.Women. War. Justice.📖 Books referencesSame River, Twice: Putin's War on Women by Sofi Oksanen. Published in Finland in 2023. Translated into several languages between 2024 and 2025.Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary by Victoria Amelina, published worldwide in 2025.🎧 This episode and others are available on Substack at beyondberlin.substack.com, where Valentina Giannella shares stories in English, German, and Italian about Europe's past and present. Writing from Berlin, she turns her gaze eastward to where Europe's heart beats and its future takes shape.📌 Subscribe for free at beyondberlin.substack.com to get all upcoming episodes and explore our other content—compelling stories from past and present, stunning photographs, plus diverse voices and book recommendations.Music Credits🎶 Intro/Outro music & podcast theme: “Happy Klezmer” by zec53🎶 Musical Theme: 230 Days of Winter by Ukrainian musician Serge Pavkin (buy me a coffee) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe

Beyond BerlinStories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. A blog, a podcast and a journey connecting past and present of our continent, as seen from Berlin and looking beyond, toward the East. Subscribe on beyondberlin.substack.comToday's episode:📖 "Berlin Underground" (”Der Schattenmann”) by Ruth Andreas-Friedrich: Uncle Emil's Silent Resistance in Nazi BerlinIn the heart of Nazi Berlin, a group of courageous citizens led by journalist Ruth Andreas-Friedrich said "NO" to the regime, risking everything to save lives and preserve human dignity. Through Ruth's diary, we discover the story of the "Uncle Emil" group, an underground network that helped Jews, forged documents, and organized acts of sabotage, while the world around them descended into horror. This episode traces their deeds, from chalk marks on walls to the liberation of the city, and reflects on the legacy of those who chose to resist when silence would have been easier.📖 The book has been published in various languages. In late 2024, it was republished in German as “Der Schattenmann” (link here) and in English as “Berlin Underground” it has been republished several times, though not recently.🎧 This episode, the complete text with notes and illustrations are published on Substack in the blog beyondberlin.substack.com, where Valentina Giannella chronicles – in English, German, and Italian – Europe of yesterday and today from Berlin, looking eastward, where Europe's heart beats and its future is being defined.📌 Subscribe for free at beyondberlin.substack.com to receive upcoming episodes and read other posts: stories of yesterday and today, photographs from Berlin and beyond, voices and books.Music Credits🎶 Intro/Outro music & theme: “Happy Klezmer” by zec53🎶 Main theme: "Hevenu shalom aleichem" Royalty-Free🎶 Altri segments:  DELOSound🎶 SFX from Freesound Community This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe

Beyond BerlinStories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. A blog, a podcast and a journey connecting past and present of our continent, as seen from Berlin and looking beyond, toward the East. Subscribe on beyondberlin.substack.comToday's episode:Two on a Jeep: Éric Schwab and Meyer Levin's Journey into the Heart of DarknessIn April-May 1945, photographer Éric Schwab and writer Meyer Levin embarked on a harrowing journey from Paris to Prague through the remnants of Nazi-occupied Europe. Their mission was both professional and deeply personal: Levin aimed to document what remained of Jewish life in Europe, while Schwab searched for his mother, Elsbeth, who had been deported in 1943. Their journey took them into the heart of Nazi Germany's evil, from Ohrdruf to Buchenwald, Dachau, and Theresienstadt.- From Paris to the Front: Where Éric Schwab and Meyer Levin Join Forces- What Did People Really Know About the Concentration Camps?- The Discovery of Ohrdruf: April 4, 1945- April 11, 1945: Buchenwald: "Comrades, We Are Free!"- On the Road to the Elbe: Where American and Soviet Troops Met- From Dachau to Austria: Among the Masses Fleeing East- Terezín, Theresienstadt: Mission Accomplished- Epilogue: The Jeep and the Torah- The Legacy of Éric Schwab and Meyer LevinBooks references📖 The story of Éric Schwab and Meyer Levin is scattered across books, articles, and memories. The most detailed first-hand account comes from Meyer Levin’s autobiographical book In Search (1950), where he recounts in vivid detail his and Éric Schwab’s journey from Paris to Prague in 1945. For many years, Levin was largely forgotten in Europe.📖 In 1995, Levin’s son, Mikael Levin, retraced the path his father and Schwab had taken through postwar Europe. He photographed the same locations and created a powerful project titled “War Story”, which brought together images and text in both an exhibition and a book.📖 More recently, in 2015, French historian Annette Wieviorka used the journey of Levin and Schwab as a narrative thread to recount how Allied troops discovered the Nazi concentration camps. Her book, originally published in French as “1945: La Découverte”, is both thoroughly researched and emotionally engaging. In 2021, it was translated into German under the title “1945: Als die Amerikaner die Lager entdecken”. This last book has served as the primary source for the podcast and is my highest recommendation.🎧 This episode and others are available on Substack at beyondberlin.substack.com, where Valentina Giannella shares stories in English, German, and Italian about Europe's past and present. Writing from Berlin, she turns her gaze eastward to where Europe's heart beats and its future takes shape..📌 Subscribe for free at beyondberlin.substack.com to get all upcoming episodes and explore our other content—compelling stories from past and present, stunning photographs, plus diverse voices and book recommendations.Music Credits🎶 Intro/Outro music & theme: “Rise & Fall” (Loudly)🎶 Music background by 🇺🇦 Serge Pavkin Music🎶 SFX from Freesound Community This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe

Show Notes: What Happened to German Memory Culture? Part Three: United and Confused (1990-2025)Episode Overview:This episode explores how German remembrance culture evolved following reunification, examining the challenges and transformations in how Germany processes its past.Key Moments:Post-Reunification ChallengesGermany as social and cultural laboratory ● Contrasting memories between East and West Germany ● Rise of neo-Nazi violence and xenophobia in early 1990sKey Memorial DevelopmentsThe Neue Wache controversy and its transformation ● Creation of Stolpersteine memorials ● Development of the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin ● Wehrmacht Exhibition & Public Response: Groundbreaking exhibition on Wehrmacht war crimes Balkan Wars and German military involvementInterpreting "Never Again" in foreign policy ● NATO participation and Kosovo interventionContemporary ChallengesIntegration of immigrant perspectives ● Colonial past recognition ● Debates over Holocaust uniqueness ● Current institutional uncertaintiesLooking Forward:The episode concludes by examining recent attempts to reform German remembrance policy and the potential development of a broader European memory culture.Deep dives and references: On Beyondberlin.substack.com, you'll find footnotes and a bibliography providing access to the most important literature on German Erinnerungskultur (memory culture) and its debates.This podcast is adapted from a three-part series published on beyondberlin.substack.com titled: What Has Happened to the German Culture of Remembrance?Curated by: Valentina GiannellaMusic Credits: Intro/Outro Music via Loudly This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe

What Has Happened to the German Culture of Remembrance?A Historical Review: Debates, Discourse, Pivotal MomentsIn this episode: The Roots, 1945–1989In this episode of Beyond Berlin, we explore the History of the Culture of Remembrance in Germany from 1945 to 1989. We begin by examining the controversy surrounding the bombing of Dresden, which was a military target during World War II.We then address the initial silence of the German people after the Holocaust's horrors were revealed, the Allies' efforts to re-educate Germans, and how some German Protestant Churches in 1945 spoke up to acknowledge the atrocities committed by the German government.Next, we discuss how, after Germany's division, the Eastern government blamed the Holocaust on the West—portraying the West as the capitalistic continuation of the fascist regime while positioning the East as an anti-fascist state populated by victims and resistance fighters. Meanwhile, the Western government attempted to make amends with Jewish people worldwide, partly to regain its place on the world stage, though not without resistance from its citizens.We also examine how the GDR conducted high-profile trials to hold the West accountable for employing former Nazi party members in their government.The final section covers both German governments' efforts to educate their citizens and the world about the Holocaust through trials and media. In 1979, the American miniseries "Holocaust" brought the issue to the forefront, sparking a genuine reckoning with the past in Germany and leading to greater introspection and refugee support.Despite this progress, debates persisted in Germany about whether the Holocaust was a unique event in human history and how to reconcile the past with the present. The 1980s laid the foundation for "Erinnerungskultur" (remembrance culture): after 1979, silence gave way to expression through books, family memoirs (spawning a genre of descendants coming to terms with their families' Nazi past), and conferences. Nevertheless, certain debates revealed Germany's struggle to come to terms with its Nazi history, acknowledge the Holocaust as a unique crime, and accept its permanent connection to Germany.Key moments:Today: Dresden: Memory, Hijacked.1945-1949: The Great Silence.Reeducation through the media: memory, imposed.Breaking the Silence: The 1945 "Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt".The Great Reframing in Occupied East Germany.1950–1967: Coming to Terms with the Past or Drawing a Line Under It?West Germany Starts Investigating Nazi Crimes.East Germany Celebrates its Anti-fascist Struggle.East Germany and its Relationship with Jewish Victims.The "Better State" against the "Still-Nazi" West Germany.Germans Facing The Big Trials.1968-1970: We Need to Talk!Looking Eastward: Ostpolitik and Memory-Building.1970-1978: Filming Between Memory and Propaganda.1979: "Holocaust" and a Nation's Catharsis.1980–1989: Foreign Policy Challenges, Social Tensions, and Historical Debates.1980: The United States Holocaust Memorial project.1985: The Limits of Inclusive Memory.May 8, 1985. Federal President Weizsäcker's speech.1986/87 The Historians´ Dispute: “The Past That Will Not Pass”.1987 Topographie des Terrors: The Material Response to the Historians' Debate.1988: Shadows of the East.Audio segments from public speeches:Dr. Navid Kermani - Speech at the ceremony "65 Years of Basic Law" 2014Speech by Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker on May 8, 1985Music credits:Serge Pavkin Music - Keep WalkingSerge Pavkin Music - Time to say GoodbyeFootnotes, bibliography and more on the topic:Beyondberlin.substack.com: Stories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds.Here you will find the original post, the second of a three-part series dedicated to exploring the genesis, struggles, and contradictions that make German Remembrance Culture still unresolved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe

Show Notes: "We Fight to Survive"Between 1942 and 1944, a group of families from Nazi-occupied western Ukraine hid in the local caves, with some never leaving for almost one year. This is their story.What does it take to survive in the darkest of times? How can humans endure months or even years without sunlight, fresh air, or certainty of survival? From Kyiv’s sewers to the forests of Poland, from the extermination camps of the Holocaust to modern-day hostage situations, the resilience of the human spirit continues to defy comprehension.This episode brings you the extraordinary story of survival by a group of Jewish families who, between 1943 and 1944, hid in the caves of western Ukraine to escape Nazi persecution. These caves, among the largest in the world, became both a sanctuary and a prison as the families navigated their way through unimaginable conditions for nearly a year.We connect this story with Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, exploring how purpose and meaning can become the ultimate tools for survival. This is not just a Jewish story—it’s a European story, a human story.Along the way, we’ll delve into:• The unique geography of western Ukraine’s cave systems.• The heroic efforts of the Stermer family and their fight for survival.• How meaning and community can sustain life in the face of absolute despair.• Modern-day parallels to these harrowing experiences.Key Moments:Introduction – Why survival stories like this still matter today.Discovering the Story – From a Wikipedia footnote to a museum exhibit: how this history came to light.The Caves of Ternopil Region – Exploring the geography, history, and cultural significance of the caves.Life Underground – How the Stermer family and others adapted to life in total darkness.Betrayals and Bravery – The dramatic capture and escape of Esther and her family.The Role of Meaning in Survival – Insights from Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy.Modern Echoes – What this story teaches us about resilience in the face of ongoing conflicts today.--The story was featured in National Geographic Adventure in 2004 and inspired both a young adult book, The Secret of Priest's Grotto (2007), and a 2013 documentary featuring Nicola and four survivors. The movieReleased in 2012, is available on Amazon Prime and on YoutubeSources online* Christos Nicola, Peter Lane Taylor, The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story, 2007* Europe Between East And West, blog: Caving In – Optymistychna: The Ukrainian Underworld, 2021* Відвідай туроператор (Vidvidai Tour Operator): 5 the Most Interesting Caves in Ternopil Region* Smow Journal, Natalia Romik. Hideouts. Architecture of Survival at the Jewish Museum, Frankfurt, 2024 / also in the Frankfurt Jewish Museum website* Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, Media Portal, 11 min. documentary on the Ozernaya Cave, 2011* National Geographic Magazine, The Darkest Days, July 2004, via WebArchive.org* Haaretz, How Caves That Have Sheltered People for 6,000 Years Saved Jews From the Holocaust, Jul 22, 2023* Mykhailo P. Sokhatskyi’s scientific contributions on Research Gate focused on the prehistoric history of Verteba and Priest´s Grotto* (Video) Hideouts. The Architecture of Survival. - lecture by Natalia Romik at the Art Biennale Budapest, Nov 2024Credits:Research and narration by Valentina Giannella, based on the sources listed above.Music & SFX:Serge Pavkin “Prolonged Rain”A segment featuring Frank Birnbaum singing Avinu MalkeinuSome personal recordingsSound effects by ElevenLabs and PixabaySound Design: Valentina GiannellaDiscover more and subscribe at beyondberlin.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe

Rosa Luxemburg – “I Was, I Am, I Shall Be”: Empathy in the Face of Oppression: Rosa Luxemburg's Universal Appeal, Beyond Politics and Revolution. On January 15, 1919, Rosa Luxemburg was murdered in Berlin, marking the tragic end of one of the most extraordinary lives of the 20th century. On the anniversary of her death, we delve into her legacy and ask: why does Rosa Luxemburg, a Marxist theorist and revolutionary from over a century ago, still resonate with us today?In this episode:• The Final Hours of Rosa Luxemburg: A harrowing account of the events leading to her assassination amidst the chaos of the Spartacist uprising in Berlin.• The Revolution’s Myth: Why her final prophetic words—“I was, I am, I shall be”—endure, not as a call to revolution but as a symbol of her humanity and ideals.• The Controversies of Memory: How Luxemburg’s legacy has been claimed, reshaped, and contested across ideologies, from East German state propaganda to her erasure in Poland.• Her Jewish and Polish Identity: Luxemburg’s complex relationship with her Jewish roots and her stance on nationalism, which continues to spark debate.• The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg: A glimpse into the poetic soul of a revolutionary through her correspondence, revealing her love of nature, humanity, and a universal empathy that transcends time.Highlights:• Luxemburg’s famous statement on freedom: “Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters.”• The rediscovery of her literary genius in her letters, which became cultural touchstones and even social media memes.• How Luxemburg’s universal humanism challenges the divisions of our polarised world.Music credits: • Sinfonia In D Minor F.65 Adagio - Johann Sebastian Bach• Music background Serge Pavkin• Soundeffects: PixabayON Beyondberlin.substack.com• Photo highlights of key locations from Luxemburg’s life, including the Landwehr Canal and Zamość, her birthplace.• Quotes from Luxemburg’s letters, including her reflections on global suffering and the interconnectedness of all humanity.SUBSCRIBE TO BEYONDBERLIN.SUBSTACK.COM to get the next episodes and blog posts into your inbox. Beyondberlin.substack.com: Stories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. By Valentina Giannella, Berlin This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondberlin.substack.com/subscribe