Another fascinating pod. Chris and Katja have clearly shown that there is a great deal more to German history than 12 terrible years.

This is easily my favorite history podcast. What really sets Reichs & Republics apart is how well Katja and Chris balance big-picture geopolitical analysis with everyday, human stories. Each episode starts with a personal story, like 17-year-old schoolgirl Gerlinde in Jena [00:00], which adds a depth that most history shows miss. The format works great, the pacing is easy to follow, and both hosts offer excellent insights. Keep up the great work!

Fascinating to hear about some of the early days of the DDR, great episode!

Fantastic episode. Certainly filled some blanks I wasn't even aware of.
Looking forward to the next episode. I grew up in West- Germany,  but my Dad, Dresden born, fled with his mother to the West. This was shortly before the wall was built. My grandmother had to leave her other three children behind, because it would have been too risky, if all of them would have taken the chance at once. It was planned that the other siblings were gonna follow, but the oldest one decided to go to the cinema that evening. Next day they got on the train without a tickets and were caught and taken to a children home. The youngest was just 2 years and it took years until the family was reunited. So much hardship took place throughout the decates.
Love, Eva ❤

In 1971 when I  was a university student, I spent a summer in Europe. I moved out of my student housing co-op, stashed my belongings, and worked in a summer in Hamburg. "Herr Stieren, Ihr Deutsch ist nicht perfekt," said the woman in the office where I went for a work permit. Still, I got the permit and a job in the computer department of an ad agency in Hamburg. At the end of the summer, I had a visa for a self-guided tour through East Germany and had a great time. People were very friendly and helpful, but at the end of it - including being invited aboard the end of a tour whose East German guide was a retired sports teacher, I got the impression that the only ones really happy about the state of their country were the members of the Socialist Unity Party. There seemed to be a sort of passive acceptance of things by almost all the others. One young lad in Potsdam asked where I was from and when I said "Canada" he offered to show me the sights that evening and took me to Sanssoucci, the Palace of Frederick the Great. He said, "They close the gates to the ground after 5 pm, but we can hop over the fence right about here and I'll show you around the outside." I was shocked.  "We'll be arrested!" I protested. He looked at me and said "The only people in here after dark are the unofficial tourists like us and couples who are courting." So we went over the Fence and he showed me around. I got the impression that the East Germans all knew what rules or regulations could be ignored and which ones had to be obeyed.

I’ve always been so interested in this period of history. I heard Katja several years ago on the “We Have Ways” podcast and loved her then, and I’m very excited that I can get a bigger dose of her now. She and Chris work seamlessly together and tell an easily understandable story. I can’t wait for more episodes.

Recall Brecht’s quip on these events. It should be remembered too that long before the world wars, the east of Berlin, east of the Spree, Schloss, Alexanderplatz, was long the workers section, seat of ‘Red’ Berlin.
Thanks for the memories

Look forward to your weekly podcast.

So enjoyed learning about this time period. This is an excellent podcast thank you!

Appreciate the personal touch on GDR by Katja.....and again things I did not know. And why I keep on listening....can't wait for (north) german federation and 19th century dynamics and nationalism.

This is a wonderful series so far! I’m really curious to hear much more about daily life in East Germany, not only the privations and intrusions but also if there were any public services and facilities like child care or pools/recreational centers. What was the birth rate like compared to West Germany? Were teachers closely monitored? Were kids indoctrinated? How did families handle the new reality of women working? Was there a sense of hopefulness about communism or was it just felt as a yoke? How/when was information from the west limited? All the daily life stuff.

Very interesting. Thank you.

Really interesting. I'm fascinated by the stories of daily life in the GDR, and what the average person thought, so the little you said, Katya about your family is quite interesting.

I love Katya’s accent. German, but with a beautiful English twang in there.

Great show too Ive been enjoying these chats thoroughly

Conceived in Berlin during Stalin's blockade , growing up in the West, I spend most of my vacations in Berlin including the summer of 61. I appreciate your podcasts very much, especially since I was a bit young during many of the events you discuss. Aloha!

Great episode, thank you both😊

This is all fascinating, thank you. I will look out for more episodes.

Katya’s book “Beyond The Wall is a fantastic work on GDR history. I highly recommend it!  Great video!

This was so informative and pertinent to my family history.

Love your podcasts — so informative and well done.