The BBC documentary Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany charts the rise of a new musical movement in post war Germany and the importance of music to young people in their attempts to forge a new German identity. Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany
Sunday Documentary: Stauffenberg – Operation Valkyrie
The National Geographic documentary Stauffenberg: Operation Valkyrie tells the story of Claus von Stauffenberg and the attempt to kill Adolf Hitler on 20 July 1944. A number of plots were hatched to assassinate Hitler but von Stauffenberg’s attempt, in which a bomb was planted during a meeting at the Wolf’s Lair (Wolfsschanze), came closest to […]
Sunday Documentary: Real Scenes – Berlin
Real Scenes – Berlin by Resident Advisor, like a previous Sunday Documentary post, Children of Berlin, explores the explosion of Techno in Berlin after the fall of the wall. People who lived through and shaped the development of the Techno scene in Berlin discuss the factors that led to the city becoming the go-to destination […]
Sunday Documentary: Lost Worlds – Hitler’s Supercity
In today’s Sunday Documentary, Lost Worlds – Hitler’s Supercity, I return to a subject covered in two previous documentaries posted here – Hitler’s Henchmen – Speer – The Architect and Hitler’s Hidden City – Hitler’s unrealised plans for Welthauptstadt Germania as drawn up by Albert Speer. From around the 15-minute mark there is a very […]
Sunday Documentary: The Real Cabaret
In this BBC Documentary, The Real Cabaret, actor Alan Cumming sets out to explore the inspiration for Cabaret, the musical based on Christopher Isherwood’s book, Goodbye to Berlin. Christopher Isherwood moved to Weimar-era Berlin in 1929 – a city in flux, a heady mix of sexual freedom and political upheaval. Alan Cumming meets with Liza […]
Sunday Documentary: Children of Berlin
Today’s Sunday Documentary, Children of Berlin charts the development of the Berlin Techno scene after the fall of the wall. People involved in the vibrant world of Berlin Techno, including DJs, clubbers and club owners, discuss how the city’s divided past and the unique conditions created by its reunification helped to shape the scene. Children […]
Sunday Documentary: Hitler’s Hidden City
Probably the best Berlin Documentary I’ve watched, Hitler’s Hidden City by National Geographic follows the work of Berliner Unterwelten (Berlin Underworld Association) – a group of researchers and explorers dedicated to uncovering underground bunkers and tunnels in Berlin. Amongst the most impressive discoveries are the train and car tunnels designed to carry traffic below Unter den […]
Sunday Documentary: Al Murray’s German Adventure
British comic, Al Murray, most famous for his character ‘The Pub Landlord’ sets out to dispel some myths about the German people in the BBC4 documentary: Al Murray’s German Adventure. Murray explores the German people and their culture as he travel around the country and encounters some of the greats of art and science, amongst […]
Sunday Documentary: Berlin (by Matt Frei for BBC)
The documentary, Berlin, produced for the BBC by Matt Frei, a German-born journalist, charts the development of the city and examines the forces that shaped its people. It was this documentary that introduced me to Teufelsberg and the Schwerbelastungkörper and made me determined to learn more about Berlin’s history and to seek out the unusual […]
Sunday Documentary: Hitler’s Henchmen – Speer – The Architect
Mixing archive footage and interviews with Speer’s children and contemporaries, Hitler’s Henchmen – Speer – The Architect, is the sixth and final part of a documentary series based on the book, Hitler’s Henchmen by Guido Knopp. The documentary shows the faith that Hitler placed in Speer: In January 1934 Troost died. Speer, who had not […]