Spaßbremse

Despite the many controversies—from the deaths of thousands of labourers in horrible working conditions to the corrupt bidding process—the 2022 FIFA World Cup is happening now in Qatar. Instead of focusing on the World Cup, we sat down with journalist Dave Braneck to talk about the politics of German soccer/football. Here are some of the sources we referenced on this episode: Too cool for their own good? Union Berlin’s fight to retain their identity by Kit Holden in The Guardian: https://www...

Ted talks to Fritz Bartel, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M at the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service, about his new book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of Neoliberalism...

Ted chats with the hosts of the Eurotrash podcast: Anton Jäger, Postdoctoral Researcher at KU Leuven and Dominik Leusder, Research Director of the LSE Global Economic Governance Commission. The three discuss all things EU, from the union's economic and political crises, the way these crises get talked about in the media, and how things could have gone differently. 

You can find Eurotrash on Twitter @eurotrashpod and listen to them wherever you find podcasts...

A short preview of our latest premium episode, which features part two of Ted's interview with economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck and reflections from Ted and Michelle on the interview. 

To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse

And make sure to listen to part one of the interview with Professor Streeck if you haven't already! You can find it here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app...

Ted talks with economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck, emeritus director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne and one of the leading scholars and commentators on European capitalism. In this exciting conversation, they discuss Germany's foreign policy role in Europe at this moment of the so-called "Zeitenwende." 

On this main feed episode, we're releasing the first 45 - 50 minutes of the interview...

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Michelle dive into the history of Germany's love affair with sparkling water -- or Sprudelwasser, auf Deutsch -- and sample an assortment of bubbly offerings with the most Sprudel-pilled guy out there, Nick from Corner Späti.

To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon...

We're moving on from trains to talk about what is by far the most dominant mode of transport in Germany: the car. What is it about Germany's history that paved the way for such a pervasive car culture, and what's up with the Autobahn?? Luckily, we have a great guest who recently published a book on exactly these questions. Dr...

We return from our Sommerpause to talk about one of the things dominating conversations in Germany over the past few months: trains! From inter-Europe rail travel to Deutsche Bahn woes to the 9-Euro-Ticket, Ted goes through it all with Jon Worth, a Berlin-based writer and communications consultant who has been documenting his experience crossing every possible internal European border by train this summer.

Follow Jon on Twitter: @jonworth...

First, thanks to our listeners who have been so patient with us as we have been taking a little Sommerpause. Some of us have been travelling, some of us have have COVID, and it's been taking a little longer than usual to put a new episode out. That's why we're unlocking one of our premium episodes that was published on our Patreon back in April...

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Michelle round out our Spaßbremse Grenzen series by discussing the Alsace-Lorraine region on the France-German border.

To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse

If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back soon with another full-length episode.