Dig Where You Stand

Kollo Media, The Berliner•shows.acast.com

Thousands of ancestral remains - that is, human body parts - are held in Berlin institutions. Why are they here? How did they get here? What’s going to happen to them? Dig Where You Stand is a podcast from Kollo Media and The Berliner Magazine. Over three episodes, experts, researchers, activists, filmmakers, and museum directors explore the controversial, surprising, and ongoing problem of the ancestral remains held in Berlin, as well as the ongoing fight for repatriation. Follow us at @digwhereyoustandshow, and online at digwhereyoustand.show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last refreshed: July 10th, 2025 at 8:06 PM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Bordering on a Miracle

“An event never before experienced in the history of medicine worldwide is realized here.” Episode 3 of Dig Where You Stand picks up the story where we left off. By examining a recent significant discovery of ancestral human remains in Berlin - when pits filled with human bones were found in 2014 - we continue the story of how German scientists harvested human bodies in the name of racist and unethical science. This episode covers a harrowing chapter of German history, telling the story of the K...

Oct 15, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The Evidence on the Table

Why can’t we give them back? Episode two of Dig Where You Stand examines one of the darkest chapters of German colonial history: The genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples in German South West Africa. In 2011, Germany finally returned 20 skulls from its collection of stolen ancestral remains held at Charité hospital - and the result was a diplomatic scandal. This episode is about the politics behind repatriations, and the symbolic power these ancestors still hold. Content warning: There are som...

Jun 17, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Bonus Episode: The Empty Grave

In between episodes 1 and 2 of Dig Where You Stand, here is our conversation with Cece Mlay and Agnes Lisa Wegner, directors of the new documentary The Empty Grave. The film follows two families in Tanzania as they demand the return of their ancestors’ remains from Germany. Follow them @the_empty_grave_film . A transcript of our conversation is available to our subscribers here . Follow us on @digwhereyoustandshow and visit us at digwhereyoustand.show to stay up to date. DWYS is created by Ben S...

May 14, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1

The Kidnapped Dead

We’re introduced to the topic of ancestral remains through the ongoing search for Mangi Meli’s head - removed after his murder in 1900, and missing ever since. How did these remains get to Berlin, and where are they being held? Who collected them? And we explore the lasting impact on the affected families and communities today. Peter’s article on this topic is the cover story in the current issue of The Berliner , on newsstands now. Content warning: There are some disturbing descriptions and vio...

Apr 29, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Dig Where You Stand: TRAILER

The first episode of Dig Where You Stand will be released on April 29, 2024. Subscribe to the feed now so you’ll be notified when it comes out. Follow us @digwhereyoustandshow and visit us at digwhereyoustand.show , where you can sign up for the material we'll release in the newsletter. DWYS is created by Ben Schuman-Stoler and Peter Matthews. It’s produced by Kollo Media, Ben Schuman-Stoler, Peter Matthews, and Rowan Ben Jackson in partnership with The Berliner magazine. Check out Peter’s cover...

Apr 22, 2024•2 min

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android