11. Do the Germans Do It Better?

This week's episode investigates the dark origins of post-war Germany. Did the victorious Brits help or hinder their former enemies in the difficult process of denazification? Katja and Oliver are joined by the historian and bestselling author Frederick Taylor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A recent global poll identified Germany as the most admired country on the planet. Echt? This week Katja and Oliver discuss how the reality measures up to these expectations, from the legacy of the Third Reich to the surprisingly chubby eagles in the Bundestag. They are joined by John Kampfner, the bestselling author of Why the Germans Do It Better, and Matt Karnitschnig, chief Europe correspondent for Politico, who is more … sceptical. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few Germans have left as deep a mark on Britain as the Anglo-Saxon settlers. But who were they really? What did they ever do for us? And what were the Vikings if not just another wave of Germanic migrants who picked out the British isles as a plum investment opportunity? Katja Hoyer and Oliver Moody are joined by Marc Morris, the medieval historian and author of the bestselling The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do Germans love Monty Python but Brits couldn't name a single German sitcom? Katja Hoyer and Oliver Moody are joined by comedians Al Murray and Henning Wehn to discuss two nations with very different comedic sensibilities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Katja and Oliver wax lyrical about their countries' literary past. Together with their expert guest, Dr Joanna Raisbeck, they explore the lofty heights of English and German Romanticism. Do you know your Shelley from your Schiller? Produced by Goalhanger Films. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happened when the Beatles went to Hamburg soon after the band’s creation? And did David Bowie really help bring down the Berlin Wall? Katja Hoyer and Oliver Moody explore the musical links between Germany and the UK. Plus they take an affectionate look back on Ostrock, East Germany’s response to the rock music of the west. A Goalhanger Films production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer Tony Pastor Twitter: #TommiesJerries @TommiesJerries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Queen Victoria and her German husband Albert enjoyed a hugely passionate relationship, mirrored later by their daughter Vicky and her German husband, Prince Frederick of Prussia. Katja and Oliver are joined by Clare McHugh, author of A Most English Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria’s Daughter, to explore the conjoining of British and German royals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Never ask a German how they are. You might not like the answer. But who are the rudest people, the Germans or the English? And do Brits really apologise when they switch off a kettle? Katja Hoyer and Oliver Moody are joined by German writer and expert on the British, Peter Littger, to work out which nation really minds its manners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Katja Hoyer and Oliver Moody explore the life and career of former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Chain smoking, cola-glugging, workaholic Schmidt was also an Anglophile. Katja and Oliver are joined for the second half of the pod by Mathias Häußler, who has written extensively on Schmidt. Mathias Häußler’s book, Helmut Schmidt and British-German Relations, is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1108710808/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1632810087&sr=8-2 Produced by Goalhanger Films Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Katja and Oliver try to work out which nation has the best chocolate, cheese and most importantly, bread. How do Brits and Germans differ in their snacking habits? What is the perfect thickness of German bread?  Plus Oliver wonders if MPs buy sausage rolls just to look normal in the eyes of their constituents. Produced by Goalhanger Films Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices