Ten podcasts about Berlin history, German history, and history in general
I love podcasts. I think they’re the only thing I’ve genuinely got into “before it was cool”. Back in 2009, when I was living in Copenhagen, I used to go on long walks in the late afternoon and listen to Answer Me This, the Adam & Joe Show, and loads of others. I listen to podcasts more than I listen to music! Well, here we are in the 2020s, and having your own podcast has basically become a meme. I’d love to start my own podcast someday.
Photo by Ben Szymanski on Unsplash
Until then, here are my favourite podcasts about Berlin. Some of them are still updated, some are one-and-done, and some aren’t operating anymore but are timeless.
I’ve thought about making this Berlin podcast post for a long time. The fact is that there aren’t (perhaps can’t) be that many podcasts about Berlin out there, but what makes Berlin so fascinating is the sheer amount of history there is here, and how much it affected the rest of the world. So, these aren’t necessarily all Berlin podcasts, but they’re podcasts that are about Berlin and Berlin-adjacent things. They’re also really, really good. Enjoy!
The Quick Version
Here are the ten Berlin podcasts I recommend in this article. If you want to hear my thoughts and detailed recommendations on each of them then scroll down, if you just want to read the list and hear the shows then, well, here are the bullet points:
Learn Curious Berlin Facts from The Berlin Companion Podcast
I have been following Beata Gontarczyk-Krampe’s Kreuzberged blog since I first moved to Berlin. There is no one that knows more about Berlin, and no one who is more generous with their knowledge than Beata. She is absolutely astounding. The Berlin Companion podcast is only one string in Beata’s bow, she writes blog posts with detail and regularity, her Twitter presence is fantastic, she’s recorded audio tours and she’s just started a column for the German newspaper, the Tagesspiegel.
Listen to The Berlin Companion Podcast on:
Hear how Nazis Escaped to South America on Intrigue: The Ratline
This excellent BBC podcast by Philippe Sands charts the possible escape to South America of a high-ranking Nazi, Otto Wachter, after World War Two. The story spans multiple countries, includes a castle and explains how many perpetrators of the Nazis crimes were able to escape to South America with the aid of the Catholic Church in Rome.
Listen to Intrigue: The Ratline on:
If you can’t find the Ratline episodes then scroll down. It was released in 2018.
You can follow Philippe Sands on Twitter here.
Why would an East German refugee start tunneling back under the Berlin Wall? Intrigue: Tunnel 29
Each season of Intrigue is a different story. In 2019 Intrigue tackled one of my favourite stories to tell people on my Cold War & East Berlin Tour up at the Berlin Wall Memorial. Helena Merriman’s Tunnel 29 tells the wild story of Joachim Rudolph, who escaped East Berlin only to start tunnelling back in! The story has many unexpected twists and turns that are best not spoiled here.
Listen to Intrigue: Tunnel 29 here:
My favourite history podcast: The Rest is History
For me, this is the best history podcast out there at the moment. When I see there’s a new episode I immediately stop what I’m doing and put it on. Hosts Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland are funny, and their irreverence can make difficult topics, or those I don’t know much about really entertaining. Like having a cup of tea with two good and (very knowledgeable) friends. They cover all sorts of topics, so don’t expect Berlin or even German-focused content every time.
The Rest is History episode covering the White Rose resistance movement to the Nazis. You may have heard of Hans and Sophie Scholl before, but this short podcast is a brilliant overview of their lives and resistance to Hitler’s dictatorship.
You can listen to The Rest is History on:
You can find the White Rose episode here:
Settle in for a marathon with Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
Who doesn’t know Hardcore History already? Dan Carlin’s marathon podcasts, sometimes going over 5 hours long. No surprise we only get one or two per year. My friends and I message each other as soon as they come out. It’s like podcast Christmas! Like The Rest is History, Dan Carlin’s podcasts are not specifically about Germany, but the World Wars often come up. The episodes don’t stay up forever, so subscribe and just wait for them to come to you. Earlier episodes are available for purchase. I particularly recommend his series on World War One.
Listen to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History on:
World War Two every week with We Have Ways of Making You Talk
Comedian Al Murray and historian James Holland bring you all the World War Two content you can handle! Want something (almost) specific to Berlin? Check out their episode on the Potsdam Conference. If you’re interested in visiting Potsdam and seeing where Truman, Churchill and Stalin met then you can book me for a Potsdam day trip from Berlin.
Listen to the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast here:
Have a drink with History Ago Go
I’ve got to be honest, this is far from my favourite show. The content is great, it’s just a matter of personal taste. The super-slick American presentation style really isn’t for me, though I respect that they do a great job. So, if I don’t like the show, why am I recommending it? For the wonderful Katja Hoyer! Katja is a brilliant historian that grew up near Berlin and moved to the UK, like a backwards version of my journey with a lot more success involved. She was the guest on a recent episode of History Ago Go discussing her book Blood & Iron, focusing on the German Empire from 1871-1918.
Listen to Katja Hoyer’s Blood & Iron: Germany 1871-1918 History Ago Go episode here:
A lighthearted look at Berlin news in English with Megan’s Megacan
Berlin and German news in English with humour and alcohol. Excellent stuff. Megan’s fun and approachable style softens some of the difficulties for foreigners living in Berlin. Try this one out if you’re thinking about moving to Berlin, but don’t be turned off when it sounds like it’s impossible to deal with the language, bureaucracy, and the politeness of the Berliners. I managed it, so you can, too!
Listen to Megan’s Megacan on:
The unbelievably infuriating How to F#€k Up An Airport by Radio Spaetkauf
You may have heard of Berlin’s shining new airport. It arrived 9 years late and hugely over budget. Honestly, it’s easier to ask what didn’t go wrong. From planning to construction to running an empty train through an empty tunnel to a closed airport for years. You have to hear this story to believe it!
Listen to How to F#€k Up An Airport by Radio Spaetkauf on:
Get under the skin of modern Berlin with Berlinology by Wouter Bernhardt
This excellent podcast by fellow guide Wouter Bernhardt is the best way I can think of for outsiders to get an understanding of modern Berlin. Sadly, Wouter is not currently working on Berlinology, but there are all sorts of nuggets to find in here! A look into Germany’s Harz IV welfare system, how Berlin’s bottle collectors live, and everything you need to know about Berlin’s greatest delicacy: the döner kebab.
Listen to Berlinology on:
Get lost in history with the In Our Time podcast by Melvyn Bragg
One of the BBC’s most famous podcasts! Like a lot of history podcasts of course they don’t just focus on Berlin, but due to what a friend of mine calls “Germany’s difficult relationship with the 20th Century” the Hauptstadt comes up often.
You can find the In Our Time podcast on the BBC website here.
Here are some key In Our Time episodes to check out for fans of Berlin & German history:
Bauhaus - radical modern early 20th German design school shut down by the Nazis
Hegel’s Philosophy of History - Hegel lectured at the University of Berlin
Fritz Lang - influential Weimar Germany director
The Manhattan Project - the first nuclear weapon in WWII
Alan Turing - WWII code cracker
Rosa Luxemburg - German communist murdered in Berlin after WWI
…and there’s a lot more to discover beyond that!
What about you?
Did I miss something? Is there a Berlin podcast you love that I haven’t heard of? Do you have a podcast you want me to listen to? Follow & get in touch with me on Twitter and/or Instagram and let me know!
