Reichs & Republics | The German History Podcast podcast artwork
History

Reichs & Republics | The German History Podcast

by Katja Hoyer & Dr. Christopher Dillon
History

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Latest episodes

  • ‘The Greatest of All Revolutions’. November 1918 and the Fall of the Kaiserreich

    October 27, 2026 · 57 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the German Revolution of 1918–19, when a mass popular uprising swept away the Kaiser and every other German dynasty. Tracing its roots to the thwarted revolutions of 1848, they follow the upheaval…

  • The Curious Cult of St Oswald: Kings, Ravens and Mermaids with Sarah Bowden

    October 20, 2026 · 55 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris are joined by Sarah Bowden, Professor of German and Medieval Studies at King’s College London, to explore one of the strangest puzzles of medieval Europe: why hundreds of churches and chapels across…

  • The Making of Baldur von Schirach and the Hitler Youth

    October 13, 2026 · 60 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the life of Baldur von Schirach, leader of the Hitler Youth and one of the more unlikely figures in the Nazi elite. Born into a wealthy, cosmopolitan family with American roots, Schirach enjoyed the…

  • Augustus the Strong - Europe's Worst King? with Prof. Tim Blanning

    October 6, 2026 · 59 min

    In this week's episode, Katja and Chris are joined by Professor Tim Blanning to discuss Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. Famous for his strength, mistresses and lavish parties, Augustus has been called one of…

  • The Guillaume Affair: A Stasi Spy in the Chancellery

    September 29, 2026 · 55 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the Guillaume Affair, one of the Cold War's most dramatic spy scandals. Günter Guillaume was an East German Stasi officer who spent nearly two decades climbing the ranks of the SPD to become…

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  • Wilhelm I with Jan Markert

    September 22, 2026 · 56 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris are joined by historian Dr. Jan Markert to look past the myth of Wilhelm I as a passive "soldier on the throne" and uncover the shrewd, hands-on monarch who shaped Germany's path to unification. They trace…

  • The Hidden Germans of the White House

    September 15, 2026 · 50 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the hidden history of German America in the White House. From Friedrich Trump's secretive teenage flight from Kallstadt in 1885 to the presidencies of Dwight Eisenhower, Herbert Hoover, Richard…

  • A Bureaucracy of Death: Nazi Germany's T4 Programme

    September 8, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris examine the origins and implementation of Aktion T4, the Nazi regime’s systematic programme of mass murder targeting disabled people. They trace the intellectual and political foundations of the programme…

  • The Dark Legacy of Nietzsche’s Sister

    September 1, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the extraordinary life of Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, the sister who became the architect of her brother Friedrich's public legacy. From a devout Protestant upbringing in Saxony and a doomed…

  • From the Rhine to the Reich: German Jewish Life Before 1871

    August 25, 2026 · 54 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris trace the long and sometimes misunderstood history of Jews in German-speaking Europe, from Roman Cologne to the founding of the German Empire in 1871. They explore how Jewish communities settled along the…

  • Building Socialism: How the GDR Tried to House a Nation

    August 18, 2026 · 56 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the East German regime's ambitious drive to build socialism one prefabricated apartment at a time. Between 1971 and 1989, the GDR pledged to build millions of new homes, using concrete, steel and…

  • How Germany Invented the Way You Eat with Claudia Kreklau

    August 11, 2026 · 46 min

    In this episode, Katja and Chris are joined by historian Dr Claudia Kreklau to uncover the surprising German origins of the way the world eats today. They explore how chefs fleeing the French Revolution found new homes in Prussian courts…

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About the show

Takes you beyond the familiar clichés to uncover the richness and diversity of the German past. Join us as we untangle this complex story, dispelling the popular myths and misapprehensions about a national history that still shapes the world we live in.  Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon ⁠⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host⁠⁠ To comment and ask questions, please join our community:⁠ https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters⁠ Support via Paypal:⁠⁠ http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal⁠⁠⁠ Merchandise and Shop: ⁠⁠https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all⁠ Our WW1 Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/⁠ Our WW2 Podcast:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com⁠⁠ Untitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/ Battle Guide YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT⁠⁠ If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter:⁠⁠ ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter⁠⁠ Katjas socials X (Twitter): ⁠ https://x.com/hoyer_kat Substack: Zeitgeist ⁠https://www.katjahoyer.uk/ General Enquiries: republics@battleguide.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits: - Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon - Production: Linus Klaßen