Michelle and Ted dissect German politics from Spargel to the Schwarze Null, and tell us why Germany isn't as seen on TV. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse
Where does the international relations concept of "realism" come from? Can it be useful for promoting a progressive politics? Or does it support a more imperialist worldview? To discuss, Ted speaks with Matthew Specter of UC Berkeley about his book The Atlantic Realists . They discuss how the school of thought formed and what types of foreign policy mistakes it condemns—as well as other sins that it may condone. Buy his book here: https://www.sup.org/books/history/atlantic-realists ***** Follow ...
Ahead of the next German federal election on February 23rd, what are the main issues for voters, how is the Left doing, and where does Germany find itself in the world? To explain all this and more, Ted speaks to Ingar Solty, a researcher at the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, about what to expect a week from Sunday and beyond. Follow Ingar here: https://x.com/IngarSolty Buy his book here: https://www.vsa-verlag.de/nc/buecher/detail/artikel/usa-nach-der-wahl/ ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter ( ...
What can we learn from Angela Merkel's recently-published memoir, Freiheit / Freedom ? To discuss this massive 700-page book, Ted is joined by Dominik Leusder of Eurotrash . This is part 1, reaching from her childhood to her early political career. Subscribe to our Patreon to hear part 2. Listen to our original Merkel episode " Wir schaffen...was?" here: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/jYZlNuSyDQb Follow Dominik here: https://x.com/NewLeftEViews Read Dominik's 2021 Jacob...
How did the Hapsburgs form a massive, multiethnic empire out of some disorganized principalities? Why was Austria-Hungary a thing? Did the Habsburg Empire really collapse because it was an anachronistic "empire of nations?" And is the Habsburg Empire coming back through a dynastic marriage with future "American Caesar," Barron Trump? To get answers to these pressing questions, we speak with Natasha Wheatley of Princeton University about her book The Life and Death of States: Central Europe and t...
***this is an unlocked episode from our Patreon, subscribe for more bonus content*** On our first premium bonus episode, Michelle and Ted talk about one of the most exciting, innovative, and "dynamisch" people in German politics: the one and only Christian Lindner, leader of the FDP and likely next German finance minister. This episode's reading is courtesy of Politico: Christian Lindner - The Radical from their 2018 list of "the 28 people who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe." Our boy L...
Happy 18 Brumaire! In the honor of the anniversary and this week's election, Spaßbremse has a "guys who don't like democracy" special with special guest Everett Rummage of the Age of Napoleon podcast. We discuss whether comparisons between Hitler and Napoleon are valid and what any traits they share might say about rightwing strongmen in general. Listen to The Age of Napoleon here: https://ageofnapoleon.com/ ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter ( @spassbremse_pod ). Music by ...
**This is a free preview, subscribe to our Patreon here to hear the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse ** ****************** After the disaster at Jena in 1806, how did Prussia recover to defeat Napoleon less than nine years later at Waterloo? What enabled their rise to become the dominant force in the German speaking world? And how did the mythology of the Befreiungskrieg play into subsequent German nationalism? To discuss, Prof. Michael Leggiere comes back on the po...
How did Germany go from a chaotic mix of kingdoms and principalities to a unified empire in less than a century? We all know the story of Bismarck, but in this episode Professor Michael Leggiere outlines the ways in which Napoleon Bonaparte--the Corsican-born Emperor of France--was instrumental in forging a unified Germany. This is part one of a three-part series and covers 1789 to 1806. Part 2 will cover 1807 to 1815, and part 3 will conclude. -Read Prof. Leggiere's book on Napoleon and Germany...
Germany is often lauded for its Vergangenheitsbewältigung . Is the praise it receives for "working through" the past justified? To explore one aspect of how Germany tries to address its dark history, Ted speaks with Berlin-based journalist Peter Kuras about the system of antisemitism commissioners that has risen to prominence since the late 2010s—and has become increasingly controversial over the past year. They explore the role that these institutions play in cultural and political li...
**This is a free preview, subscribe to our Patreon here to hear the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse ** Summer is in full swing, which means the Berlin tourism season is as well. Aside from the crowded sidewalks, do the tens of thousands of historical tours that take place each year have any larger political and ideological meaning? To find out, Ted speaks with longtime (and excellent) Berlin tour guide Ryan Balmer to examine what people come to Berlin looking for, what...
EU electoral politics expert Ciarán of Corner Späti joins to discuss the results from last weekend's European Parliament vote. From the big political shifts to the Continent's most obscure parties, Ciarán and Ted break it down and speculate about what the next five years could hold. ***** Follow 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/spassb...
Continuing our series on German diaspora communities, in this episode we move away from the national-level stories to zoom in to one particular place: the "Queen City" of Cincinnati, Ohio. To help us, Ted and Michelle (!) are joined by a native son of the city: Chris Wade of Chapo Trap House . We talk history, beer, baseball, and what the resurgence of interest in German heritage means for culture and politics more broadly -Follow Chris on Twitter here , check out his personal webpage ...
This episode analyzes the rightward shift in Europe, Germany's foreign policy, and its relationship with Israel. Hans Kundnani discusses his book 'Eurowhiteness' and explores the civilizational turn in the EU, the influence of the far right, and the implications for European identity. The conversation also covers the 'Berlin blob' and the changing meaning of the Holocaust in German historical memory, offering critical insights into contemporary European politics.
In honor of International Worker's Day, this episode features Autumn Chen, designer of the online game " Social Democracy: an Alternate History " to discuss how the late Weimar period could have gone differently--perhaps ending in an SPD or even KPD-led government. She and Ted explore this period through the lens of the game and also talk about the role of computer games in history education more broadly. Thanks to all the Patreon patrons for making this May Day special episode pos...
Boeing's myriad crises are well known, but what explains the success of its (relatively) new European rival, Airbus? To find out, Ted speaks with aviation analyst Scott Hamilton about the history of the firm, Germany's role in it, and what has allowed Airbus to overtake Boeing. They also discuss the different approaches toward the aircraft manufacturing business on both sides of the Atlantic and ask what it says about their respective economies. Finally, they explore the future of "...
The economic news from Germany is bad. But is the reality as dire as it's portrayed? To find out if Germany is really the "sick man of Europe" again, Ted speaks with Professor Sebastian Dullien of the Hans Böckler Foundation's Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK). They discuss the problems Germany faces and what it needs to do to escape them. For background, listen to Episode 1 on Hartz IV here and Episode 8 on the Schuldenbremse here . Prof. Dullien's podcast is here: http...
Acknowledging and atoning for the crimes of the Third Reich is now an essential part of Germany's national identity. This process is comparatively straightforward for ethnic Germans, whose family members may have been complicit during the Nazi era. But where does this "emotional social contract" leave post -WWII immigrants to Germany, particularly those of Muslim backgrounds? To explore these tensions, Ted speaks with Esra Özyürek , professor at Cambridge University, about her rece...
What explains Germany's steadfast support for Israel? Even as Israel's response to the October 7th Hamas attacks has drawn increasing international condemnation, Germany has doubled down on support, proclaiming that Israel's security is its Staatsräson and cracking down on speech deemed insufficiently supportive of Israel. To answer this question from a historical perspective, Ted speaks with Daniel Marwecki , a lecturer at Hong Kong University, about his book Germany and Israel: Whi...
German media and politicians say that the country is experiencing another "migration crisis." But has it ever not been? To explore the history of migration politics in the BRD, Ted speaks with Lauren Stokes ( @laurenstokes ), a historian at Northwestern University, about her book Fear of the Family (2022) and article "The Permanent Refugee Crisis in the Federal Republic of Germany" (2019). They discuss the recurring arguments and contradictory policy responses that surround t...
What is the NATO alliance really for? Grey Anderson's recent book Natopolitanism offers some hints, and the answer is (shockingly) not always what proponents of the Alliance say it is. On this episode, we speak with Grey—an editor and historian based in New York—about the book, the history of NATO, and what the future of the transatlantic relationship might look like. Buy his book here: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3093-natopolitanism Read his NLR piece here: https://newleftrevi...
During a demoralizing year for Twitter, there's been one notable bright spot: the relentless and inspired posting of Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger ( @GunterFehlinger ). With political opinions (and matching selfies) ranging from #exRussia and #exChina to the need for Austria to join NATO , Gunther has risen quickly to become one of the world's most legendary commentators on geopolitics (my favorite "NATO is our sunscreen" Tweet is here ). To further explore Fehlinger Tho...
The far-right Alternative für Deutschland party is surging across Germany and the CDU seems increasingly willing to cooperate with them. Is the "firewall/Brandmauer" taboo of working with the radical right finally crumbling? To answer this, Ted speaks with historian Ned Richardson-Little ( @HistoryNed ) about the postwar history of the far right in both East and West Germany. They discuss how the AfD emerged and evolved and speculate about how its role in German politics might change i...
Ted is joined by historian Quinn Slobodian to discuss his latest book, "Crack up Capitalism," including how his recent work on economic "zones" relates to his earlier thinking on neoliberalism and the tensions between capitalism and democracy. They also discuss the microstate of Lichtenstein and the rise of the far right in Germany. You can buy Quinn's latest book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250753892/crackupcapitalism And read his interview in the New States...
Talk is heating up of an impending split in the German Left Party, Die Linke. Sahra Wagenknecht, who has long been a controversial figure in the party, is now openly considering forming a breakaway party. On this episode, we have Loren Balhorn of Jacobin Germany and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung on to discuss what this would mean for the Die Linke and the potential new party. Ted and Loren also go beyond the recent developments in the party to give more context for the party rift and discuss how t...
With the finals of this year's Eurovision Song Contest taking place this evening, we thought it would be a perfect time to reflect on the weird and sometimes surprising political and cultural history of the world's most-watched non-sporting event. Ted is joined by Kat Friege , a modern European historian at the University of Oxford. For some more info about Eurovision, check out this article that Isaac wrote last year: https://xtramagazine.com/culture/music/eurovision-geopolitics-queer-t...
Ted interviews Arne Semsrott of Freiheitsfonds, a bail fund for people who have been imprisoned for riding public transit without a ticket. Check out the Freiheitsfonds website for more info: https://www.freiheitsfonds.de/ We encourage you to donate if you can! -- Co-hosted by Ted ( @ted_knudsen ) and Michelle ( @shhellgames ). Produced by Isaac Würmann ( @wuermann ). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter ( @spassbremse_pod ). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider....
Ted talks to transport researcher Giulio Mattioli about recent transit-related German news, including Germany’s recent efforts to block a measure ending the sale of internal combustion engine cars at the EU-level. You can read more about that here . For more from Giulio, you can follow him on Twitter: @giulio_mattioli . Following the interview, we consider a recent article in Der Spiegel that says, come on, give the FDP a break! (Spoiler: we will not be giving the FDP a break.) You can check o...
We're talking about something a bit different on this episode, and about a time period much earlier than we usually discuss: the witch trials of early-modern Germany. Why? Because it's Witchy Zeit in Germany! Carnival/Fasching/Fastnacht just happened last month and at the end of April is Walpurgisnacht, also known as Hexenbrennen (witch burning). Michelle and Isaac give a bit of background about these witchy festivals at the start of the episode, before getting into an interview with Dr. L...
Here's a preview of our latest premium episode, where Ted talks about tanks! Specifically, he laments the anglophone media's gratuitous hand-wringing over Germany's alleged reluctance to adequately support Ukraine. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse -- Co-hosted by Ted ( @ted_knudsen ) and Michelle ( @shhellgames ). Produced by Isaac ( @wuermann ). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter ( @spassbremse_pod ). Music by Lee Rosevere . Art by Franziska Schn...
The whole team's back together again to discuss the upcoming repeat election happening in Berlin on Sunday, February 12. Here's a link to the candidates' debate that we reference throughout the episode: https://www.rbb24.de/politik/hintergrund/livestream-ihre-wahl-kandidatencheck-berlin-abgeordnetenhaus.html You can check out the latest polls and coalition possibilities here: https://interaktiv.tagesspiegel.de/lab/wahl-wiederholung-abgeordnetenhaus-2023-umfragen-prognosen-analysen-er...
