Spaßbremse

We've discussed Germany's relationship with Israel and Palestine from several different angles on the show. How can we sum it all up? To offer his perspective, Prof. Dirk Moses outlines the five elements of what he calls the "German Catechism." He and Ted examine its five elements, how it developed, and the ways in which it has evolved after two years Hamas' October 7th attac...

Why does Germany exist? The question isn't as simple as it might seem. To answer this massive question—and several related ones—Ted is embarking on a multi-part series that explores how Germany came to be, from the Romans to the Reichsbürgerbewegung and Caesar to the CDU. This short episode introduces the series, with about a dozen more to follow! ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

What's going on in the corrupt and captivating world of sports? To get an update, Berlin-based journalist Dave Braneck comes back on the pod to discuss the rise of women's football/soccer, various corrupt dealings in the men's game, and why American sports are colonizing Germany. -Follow Dave here: https://x.com/braneck -Read Dave's work here: https://www.davebraneck.com/work *****...

The politics of memory is everywhere in Germany. To discuss how Germany selectively uses the history of WWII and the Cold War--and how the memories of these events are invoked abroad--Ted speaks with Berlin-based journalist Alexander Wells about the politics surrounding the bombing of Dresden, the DDR and Stasi, and the heroic "dissident." Plus, how Australian tourists in Europe relate t...

**UNLOCKED premium episode 40, now available for all listeners. Support us here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse⁠ ** Germany's material and rhetorical support of Israel has long been unyielding, even in the face of genocide charges from international organizations and other European countries' growing condemnations of it's conduct in Gaza. However, in the last few weeks, a...

**FIRST SPAßBREMSE VIDEO PODCAST** GroKo is back! But now it's far less "great" than before. To explore what to expect from the new German government, Ted speaks with Astrid Zimmermann ( @zimmermann.av ) of Jacobin Germany ( @jacobinmag_de ). -Watch the first Spaßbremse VIDEO PODCAST here: ⁠https://youtu.be/HdskRf_FmBI⁠ Read her articles here (German): ⁠https://jacobin.de/autoren/ast...

GroKo is back! But now it's far less "great" than before. To explore what to expect from the new German government, Ted speaks with Astrid Zimmermann ( ⁠@zimmermann.av⁠ ) of Jacobin Germany ( ⁠@jacobinmag_de⁠ ). -Watch the first Spaßbremse VIDEO PODCAST here: https://youtu.be/HdskRf_FmBI Read her articles here (German): https://jacobin.de/autoren/astrid-zimmermann Read her latest pie...

As a follow up to our previous episode on the "fascism debate", writer John Ganz argues for the "yes" side, addressing the points Danny Bessner and other critics have made. He and Ted discuss parallels between the current far right and interwar fascism, suggesting there are important similarities we can learn from. Listen to part 1 (episode 66) here: https://spotifycreators-web...

Over his long career, Friedrich Merz has gone from rising CDU star to Blackrock executive and back to the very top of German politics. To discuss his trajectory—and the country's likely future—Ted speaks with NYC-based journalist Lukas Hermsmeier to discuss the "back to the future" qualities of Merz's political outlook. Read Lukas' NYT piece on Merz here: https://www.nytimes....

Is America (and Europe) descending into fascism? And can the term ever be applicable outside the specific historical context of interwar Europe? To review the "fascism debate" of Trump I and revisit it given the political shifts in the US and Europe since 2020, Ted speaks with Daniel Bessner of the American Prestige podcast. Danny is a firm "no" and he tries to stop Ted from drifting into the "yes...

Support us on Patreon here to listen to the full thing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse⁠ **** What does "military Keynesianism" portend for Germany and the world? On this subscriber-only episode, Ted breaks down the recent momentous changes in German attitudes toward debt and defense, with Merz's rewriting of the Schuldenbremse  and a massive infrastructure...

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...

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.vs...

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....

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 Natash...

***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 Ra...

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://ageofna...

**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 Befreiungskr...

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 wi...

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...

**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 (...

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...

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 f...

With a month to go until the European Parliament elections—and the right's vote share expected to surge—what is the state of conservatism in the EU? To find out, Ted speaks with returning guest Hans Kundnani ( @hanskundnani ), a fellow at NYU's Remarque Institute and Chatham House. They discuss his recent book Eurowhiteness as well as several recent articles on Germany's relationship w...

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 e...