On Radio 1: How will the attack in Munich affect the German elections?

Ulrike Nagel in a pink sweater and green scarf laughs with headphones on behind an NPO Radio 1 microphone

A tragedy has unfolded in the German city of Munich. This morning, a car plowed into a group of people there. According to the prime minister of the state of Bavaria, the incident is believed to be an attack carried out by an Afghan asylum seeker. What do we know so far, and what does this mean in the run-up to the German elections on February 23?

Host Tijs van den Brink in conversation with:

  • Ulrike Nagel, Germany expert
  • Steije Hofhuis, researcher at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, Department of Migration and Diversity

Continue reading “On Radio 1: How will the attack in Munich affect the German elections?”

Ulrike on Radio 1: Exciting Weeks Ahead for German Voters

Ulrike Nagel in an orange-brown sweater and headphones behind an NPO Radio 1 microphone, with the name caption “correspondent in Germany”

On February 23, Germany will go to the polls, and the situation among our eastern neighbors is tense and turbulent. Earlier this week, a motion to tighten immigration policy was passed, with support from the right-wing AfD. But on Friday, the German parliament suddenly voted against a stricter immigration law.

In the News Forum, Jan Willem Wesselink and Robbert Meeder analyze the political situation in Germany. They are joined by:

  • René Cuperus, Germany expert at the Clingendael Institute
  • Ulrike Nagel, a journalist from Germany
  • Wierd Duk, former Germany correspondent

Continue reading “Ulrike on Radio 1: Exciting Weeks Ahead for German Voters”

Radio 1: 80 Years After the War: How Germany Commemorates

Portrait of Ulrike Nagel in front of an image of a white flower, with the logos of NPO Radio 1 and NOS Het Oog and the title “80 years after the war: how Germany commemorates”

2025 is not only an election year for Germany, but also marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II—a sensitive topic. How will Germany commemorate this event?

Joining us in the studio is Hanco Jurgens from the Germany Institute, and on the line we have journalist Ulrike Nagel, who grew up in East Germany and recently released a podcast on this topic: *Over the Wall*.

Continue reading “Radio 1: 80 Years After the War: How Germany Commemorates”

Over the Wall Podcast – Episode 6 – What Remains of the GDR

Podcast cover of Over de Muur, episode 6: Ulrike Nagel in a striped waistcoat in West Berlin facing a girl in East Berlin, separated by the Wall, with the logos of MAX and NPO Luister

In this episode, Ulrike Nagel explores the lasting impact of the Cold War and German reunification on her life and identity. She travels to a meters-high statue of Lenin in the Groningen countryside. A tangible symbol of her childhood in the GDR. How did that statue end up there? Through conversations with her best friend Jenny and her mother, Ulrike reflects on the legacy of her socialist upbringing. How did that upbringing shape her identity? And what changes did the fall of the Wall bring about? What remnants of the Cold War does Ulrike still find within herself?

Green Spotify logo Yellow NPO Radio 5 logo Purple Apple Podcasts logo

Over the Wall Podcast – Episode 5 – The Day East and West Became One Again

Podcast cover of Over de Muur, episode 5: Ulrike Nagel in a striped waistcoat in West Berlin facing a girl in East Berlin, separated by the Wall, with the logos of MAX and NPO Luister

In this episode, Ulrike Nagel looks back on the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. She explores how that historic event was experienced in the Netherlands and what role Dutch church communities played in the period leading up to it. Ulrike shares personal memories of her childhood in the GDR, such as watching the state funeral of Soviet leader Chernenko. Ulrike also speaks with experts about the changes that led to the fall of the Wall. She meets with former NOS reporter Pauline Broekema, who witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall up close.

Green Spotify logo Yellow NPO Radio 5 logo Purple Apple Podcasts logo

Radio 1: The Legacy of Angela Merkel, a Child of the GDR

Portrait of Ulrike Nagel next to a photo of Angela Merkel, with the logos of NPO Radio 1 and VROEG! and the title “The legacy of Angela Merkel”

This week sees the release of Angela Merkel’s memoirs: the life of the once most powerful woman in Germany, in her own words, spanning over 700 pages. It goes without saying that “Mutti” Angela Merkel has had a major impact on world politics. In her memoirs, she writes at length about Putin, the Pope, and her meetings with Donald Trump. But how did her East German childhood influence her politics? And what, aside from “wir schaffen das,” is her legacy in Germany itself? Our guest is Ulrike Nagel, an expert on Germany who herself grew up in East Germany—a topic she explored in the podcast “Over de Muur,” available on NPO Luister and Spotify.

Continue reading “Radio 1: The Legacy of Angela Merkel, a Child of the GDR”