Why does Germany exist? An introduction.

Flipping around the usual format, Berlin-based journalist James Jackson sits in the interview seat in a crossover episode of Spaßbremse and his podcast, Mad in Germany. They discuss Berlin politics, Die Linke's stance in the current Red-Green-Red negotiations, broader problems in German politics, and the fate of the CDU.Listen to the pre-election episode with Loren Balhorn hereUPDATE: Chancellor Merz has now chimed in, urging the SPD to abandon negotiations. https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/das-ware-eine-grosse-belastung-merz-stellt-schwarz-rot-infrage-sollte-die-spd-in-berlin-mit-den-linken-koalieren-16153775.html ___Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse⁠

Speaking on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we talk to Jacobin Germany's Loren Balhorn about the recent election results in Saxony-Anhalt (and the rise of the AfD more broadly) and the increasing militarization of German society—as well as the linkages between the two. We also discuss Die Linke's response to the rise of the right, what's going on with BSW, Germany's shifting relations with the US, and the ongoing echoes of the Global War on Terror in German politics and culture.Read Loren's piece on Die Linke here: https://jacobin.com/2026/06/germany-die-linke-congress-strategyRead Jacobin's interview with Ines Schwerdtner here: https://jacobin.com/2026/03/die-linke-schwerdtner-class-afdSupport us on Patreon here: patreon.com/spassbremse

We've discussed Germany's relationship with Israel and Palestine from several different angles on the show. How can we sum it all up? To offer his perspective, Prof. Dirk Moses outlines the five elements of what he calls the "German Catechism." He and Ted examine its five elements, how it developed, and the ways in which it has evolved after two years Hamas' October 7th attacks and Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza. -Visit Dirk's webpage here: https://www.dirkmoses.com/-Read his "Catechism" essay here: https://geschichtedergegenwart.ch/the-german-catechism/-Read the "Education after Gaza" piece here: https://blnreview.de/en/ausgaben/2025-09/a-dirk-moses-education-after-gaza-after-education-after-auschwitz(this was a light edit becuase I wanted to get it out quickly so might be rougher than usual. Will be back soon with the start of the "Why does Germany exist?" series.)********Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Hosted and edited by Ted. Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

Why does Germany exist? The question isn't as simple as it might seem. To answer this massive question—and several related ones—Ted is embarking on a multi-part series that explores how Germany came to be, from the Romans to the Reichsbürgerbewegung and Caesar to the CDU. This short episode introduces the series, with about a dozen more to follow!*****Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Hosted and produced by Ted. Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

What's going on in the corrupt and captivating world of sports? To get an update, Berlin-based journalist Dave Braneck comes back on the pod to discuss the rise of women's football/soccer, various corrupt dealings in the men's game, and why American sports are colonizing Germany. -Follow Dave here: https://x.com/braneck-Read Dave's work here: https://www.davebraneck.com/work*****Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Hosted by Ted. Edited by Nick. Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

The politics of memory is everywhere in Germany. To discuss how Germany selectively uses the history of WWII and the Cold War--and how the memories of these events are invoked abroad--Ted speaks with Berlin-based journalist Alexander Wells about the politics surrounding the bombing of Dresden, the DDR and Stasi, and the heroic "dissident." Plus, how Australian tourists in Europe relate to all this.-Read Alex's pieces on Dresden here, the Stasi here, Aussies in Berlin here, and WWI here.-Check out his website here: https://sites.google.com/view/ajbwells-Listen to our past episodes on the "Clean Wehrmacht myth" here, and historical tourism in Berlin here.*****Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Edited by Nick. Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

**UNLOCKED premium episode 40, now available for all listeners. Support us here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse⁠**Germany's material and rhetorical support of Israel has long been unyielding, even in the face of genocide charges from international organizations and other European countries' growing condemnations of it's conduct in Gaza. However, in the last few weeks, a growing chorus of German politicians and media figures have begun to finally criticism Israel. Is something finally changing?To answer, Ted speaks to German journalist Hanno Hauenstein (@hahauenstein), a rare media figure with actual expertise in the region and an important voice of reason in Germany's (to date virtually non-existent) Israel debate. They discuss the history of pro-Israel Staatsräson, the radicalization of the concept after October 7, and why the conversation might be now changing.Read Hanno's Substack here: https://hannohauenstein.substack.com/Listen to our episode with Daniel Marwecki (which we reference multiple times) here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spassbremse/episodes/52---Whitewashing-and-Statebuilding-German-Israeli-relations-wDaniel-Marwecki-e2dgpn5/a-aaovn89Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider. Edited by Nick.Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

**FIRST SPAßBREMSE VIDEO PODCAST**GroKo is back! But now it's far less "great" than before. To explore what to expect from the new German government, Ted speaks with Astrid Zimmermann (@zimmermann.av) of Jacobin Germany (@jacobinmag_de).-Watch the first Spaßbremse VIDEO PODCAST here: ⁠https://youtu.be/HdskRf_FmBI⁠Read her articles here (German): ⁠https://jacobin.de/autoren/astrid-zimmermann⁠Read her latest piece on GroKo here (in English): ⁠https://jacobin.com/author/astrid-zimmermann⁠*****Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.

GroKo is back! But now it's far less "great" than before. To explore what to expect from the new German government, Ted speaks with Astrid Zimmermann (⁠@zimmermann.av⁠) of Jacobin Germany (⁠@jacobinmag_de⁠).-Watch the first Spaßbremse VIDEO PODCAST here: https://youtu.be/HdskRf_FmBIRead her articles here (German): https://jacobin.de/autoren/astrid-zimmermannRead her latest piece on GroKo here (in English): https://jacobin.com/author/astrid-zimmermann*****Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

As a follow up to our previous episode on the "fascism debate", writer John Ganz argues for the "yes" side, addressing the points Danny Bessner and other critics have made. He and Ted discuss parallels between the current far right and interwar fascism, suggesting there are important similarities we can learn from.Listen to part 1 (episode 66) here: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/fjeZVKb9ASbBuy John's book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374605445/whentheclockbroke/Read his Substack here: https://www.unpopularfront.news/*****Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.Support us on Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse