With the SPD-led coalition government freshly installed, Chris Clark talks with Norbert Röttgen about Germany's place in Europe and the world. Is 'European sovereignty' still in reach? And if it is not, what does that mean for Germany? Are these the end-times for the 'western liberal order'? A conversation about coalitions, threats, values and uncertainty. This podcast was recorded on 20 January 2022. Norbert Röttgen is a member of the Bundestag (CDU). He has been Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. You can find Norbert Röttgen on Twitter @n_roettgen Professor Chris Clark is Regius Profe ..read more

In this episode, Chris Clark talks with Esra Özyürek about the backstories behind conversions to Islam in today’s Germany. Converts to Islam in Germany number about 100,000 according to current estimates. What motivates German converts to take this step? And what kind of step is it? How are converts viewed by the communities they seek to join and how are they seen by mainstream German society? And what does the convert’s journey across boundaries tell us about national and social belonging? A conversation about identity, difference and the place of religion in a secular society. Professor Esr ..read more

With the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war still unfolding, Chris Clark talks with Andreas Kossert about how Germany and other European states are handling the current Ukrainian refugee crisis. How does today’s emergency fit into a history of forced displacement that is as old as humanity itself? A conversation about danger, survival, displacement, arrival, memory and the meaning of home. Dr Andreas Kossert worked at the German Historical Institute in Warsaw and has lived in Berlin as a historian and author since 2010. His books include Masuria (2001) and East Prussia (2005).&nbs ..read more