Common Ground Berlin

It used to be older Germans who flocked to Alternative for Germany. But nowadays, it’s actually younger Germans – especially men – who are casting their ballots for the far-right faction and helped the historic surge of AfD in the recent German federal election. What's happening in Germany is similar to the move of young voters to the fringes in the United States. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks...

In the second of three episodes, host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson  explores how and why Alternative for Germany is embracing voters and leaders with immigrant backgrounds and what that means for the far-right party and the federal republic. Featuring Hesse MP Anna Nguyen , (AfD), Robert Benson, associate director at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. as well as insights from Warsaw Ma...

In the first of three episodes, host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson  explores the real impact Alternative for Germany has on Germany institutions and laws as well as mainstream parties and government leaders. Featuring insights from Robert Benson, associate director at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. , Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony. Music: "Sad Bo...

Happy New Year and what's next for Common Ground Berlin!

Jen Palacios  of Simple Germany in Dusseldorf and Matthias Roth  of Asphalt-Profis in Berlin join host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson in an informative and humorous conversation about the woes of getting a driver’s license in the land of Autobahns. Produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson explores whether people who move to Germany actually need to learn German with Steffen Sottung , managing director of international affairs at the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg; Britta Schneider , professor of language use and migration at Europa-Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), and Patric Prager , a consultant in Cologne helping immigrants integrate i...

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks with Berlin Chapter President Constance Chucholowski of Democrats Abroad and Research Director Jeremy Shapiro of the European Council on Foreign relations about the aftermath of one of the most tumultuous elections in U.S. history, including in Germany, the EU and Ukraine. The live discussion, recorded on Dec. 2 via Zoom featured an audience from both sides of the...

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks with Senior Fellow Rachel Tausendfreund of the German Council on Foreign Relations and Berlin Chapter President Constance Chucholowski of Democrats Abroad about the aftermath of one of the most tumultuous elections in U.S. history. This episode was recorded live in Berlin at the FAWCO Region 5 meeting on “Women in Democracy.” Produced by Eden Brockman and Soraya S...

Since World War II, Germans have struggled with how best to deal with their history. But even with a formal government policy of “Never Again,” anti-Semitism is on the rise in Germany and other atrocities aren’t always acknowledged. Guest host Eden Brockman speaks with historian and City College of New York professor Dirk Moses , author of German Intellectuals and the Nazi Past about the changing...

Berlin was recently declared by the Mercer Cost of Living Survey to be the most expensive city to live in Germany. Berlin also has a chronic housing shortage. So how are young people starting out navigating the crisis in the German capital? Join host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her guests: Hypofriend CFO Christian Mulder , Messe Berlin event production assistant Bernadeta Lygnugaryte and Sebastian...

Germany became one country again in 1990. But just how unified is it really? And who is fanning the lingering divisions between eastern and western Germans? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks again with Katja Hoyer , a journalist and historian who is the author of the bestseller, “Beyond the Wall,” and with award-winning producer Joerg Winger , co-creator of the hit series “Deutschland 83” and “Sam...

Germany’s new Chancenkarte, or Opportunity Card, is supposed to make it easier for skilled foreign workers to find a foothold in the German job market. But how does it work and are there pitfalls? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks to employment-related immigration lawyer Csilla Rostas; Yvonne Koppen , co-creator of Simple Germany, which helps clients navigate Germany’s complex bureaucracy, and Cha...

Guest hosts Eden Brockman and Nour Trabelsi talk about Germany’s not-so-easy shift to veganism with Lia Carlucci from Food Campus Berlin and Jens Tuider from ProVeg. Join us to find out what’s cooking in German kitchens! Produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman 

Is it time for immigrants to leave Germany? Or should they instead go out for a non-alcoholic beer? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson joins The Local Germany’s Rachel Loxton , Comedian Josh Telson , and POLITICO Berlin Playbook's Rixa Fürsen , for a deep and humorous dive into German regional elections and more at our fourth annual Stammtisch .   This episode was recorded live at House of Color on Sept....

The heartbeat of the German capital city’s nightlife and a symbol of its post-reunification identity after a decade-long campaign is now officially recognized by the German National Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage. But what does this recognition for Berlin Techno really mean?   Guest host Eden Brockman speaks with Lutz Leichsenring , co-founder of VibeLab and executive board member of Clu...

Women’s and girls’ freedoms and opportunities have eroded at an alarming rate in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power there three years ago. But there is little agreement internationally or even among Afghans on how to reverse that trend. Intense ethnic and ideological divisions between Afghan women activists in the diaspora aren’t helping. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson speaks to former Afghan...

Will Germany’s federal budget end up in court? Can Germany deliver on its global military commitments? And what's happening with German beer? It may be summer, but the news is hopping with Common Ground Berlin host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Berlin Briefing’s Rina Goldenberg  bringing you the latest on German politics and society. Produced by Eden Brockman.

Eighty years after the sexual liberation movement began, many people are still uncomfortable talking about sexually transmitted diseases and infections. But in our explicit and provocative episode commemorating the late Dr. Ruth, you will learn what’s going on with STDs and STIs in Berlin and beyond, along with tips on protecting your sexual health. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Audio and Visual...

It’s Pride Month in Germany and we are discussing the new Self-Determination Act, or “Selbstbestimmungsgesetz,” which will soon make it easier for transgender, intersex and non-binary teens and adults to legally change their names and gender. The new act, which takes effect in part on Aug. 1 and in full, on Nov. 1, will replace a costly, red-tape-laden law that’s been in effect for more than 40 ye...

You’ve decided to become an “expat” and live in Germany. But how do you navigate the bureaucracy and German culture? Can an English-speaker even make it here? What are some ways to ease the transition?  Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson gets the answers to those key questions and more from fellow immigrants and experts Jenna Davis of Life in Germany , Sigrid Arteage of Surviving in Berlin , Bastien Alli...

The funny and emotional conclusion as host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her journalist husband Erik Nelson walk from Portugal to Spain on their first-ever Camino. Hear about the “arrow” debacle, spiders and singing nuns! And whether they actually make it to Santiago de Compostela. Featuring Casa Alternativo “albergue” host and Camino veteran Dries Nuitten ; Camino veteran, author and co-founder of t...

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her journalist husband, Erik, begin their Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, Spain and quickly learn the meaning of “The Camino provides!” Join them on their challenging, rewarding and even funny adventure, and hear from the experts: Author and “Senior Travelers on the Camino’ Facebook group co-founder Anne Pedersen ; German political scientist...

Have you ever done a Camino? Or wanted to do a Camino? Or wonder what a Camino even is? Learn from the experts, including authors Brian John Skillen and Anne Pedersen (pen name Lele Beutel ) who started the popular Facebook group “Senior Travelers on the Camino,” political scientist and Pilgerwahnsinn.de creator Joerg Steinert; Stingy Nomads ’ Alya Akhmetgareeva , and our host, Soraya Sarhaddi Nel...

Berlin has been referred to as a “creative utopia,” where the arts and cultural scene exploded after the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Nowadays, the city’s draw as an artist hub is fading and its spaces are being displaced, thanks to skyrocketing real estate prices and limited space, among other things. But does this mean Berlin’s artists are leaving? And how are Berliners in creative fields coping wi...