ZEITGEIST - The Podcast by Katja Hoyer

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, images of celebrating Germans went around the world. But there is another story, too. Nearly a quarter of East Germans have since left their home and moved west. One of them is journalist Sabine Rennefanz. On ZEITGEIST, we talk about her life in the GDR, her new book Kosakenberg and what it means to be East German today.



Get full access to ZEITGEIST at www.katjahoyer.uk/subscribe

In 2019, one of the last Nazi trials began. 93-year-old Bruno Dey stood accused of aiding the murder of over 5,000 people at Stutthof concentration camp where he was deployed as an SS guard when he was 17.
Tobias Buck followed the trial as a journalist. But as a German, he soon realised this was more to him than a job. As the trial unfolded, he began to grapple with huge moral questions about justice, about Germany and about his own family.
At the heart of the book stands the question of who should be held accountable for Nazi crimes. I spoke to the author in London about one of the last Holocaust trials.



Get full access to ZEITGEIST at www.katjahoyer.uk/subscribe

German car making is nearly as old as the state itself and woven into the national fabric. It fuelled the country’s innovative zeal during its ‘second’ Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th century. It was a crucial pillar of Hitler’s social and economic vision for Nazi Germany. The lack of automotive desirability made East Germans yearn for more while its presence restored West German confidence. And now? What is Germany’s mighty car industry falling behind in the race for Green mobility? And if so, what does this mean for the nation’s economy and its psyche?
I left my VW Polo at home, hopped on a train and made by way to Central London where I met the legendary car journalist and TV presenter James May in London to discuss what made German cars so ‘nice’, what they mean to people in Germany and around the world and where he thinks this is all headed. A history enthusiast as well as a car man, James is ideally placed to give us a whistle-stop tour of German cars from Benz and Beetle to Trabant and TT. Enjoy!
ZEITGEIST is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



Get full access to ZEITGEIST at www.katjahoyer.uk/subscribe

A little-known group of diplomats attempted to save the lives of thousands of Jewish men, women and children trapped in Nazi-occupied Europe. Earlier this week, I spoke to Roger Moorhouse about his new book.


Get full access to ZEITGEIST at www.katjahoyer.uk/subscribe