Journalist | Editor | Chairperson | Germany expert / correspondent | in Hilversum & Berlin
Radio 1: Interview in VINK: The Netherlands’ Podcast Guide
November 9, 2024 — 35 years after the fall of the Wall. Listen to the interview with Mischa Blok on Radio 1 about the podcast “Over de Muur”: Ulrike Nagel looks back on her childhood in the GDR from today’s perspective and wonders how much of the GDR is still inside her.
In this conversation
Journalist Ulrike Nagel discusses her podcast “Over de Muur” on the “Vink Podcast Guide” on NPO Radio 1, which delves deeper into her childhood in East Berlin and its lasting influence.
Radio 1: Ulrike Nagel interview in VINK: The Netherlands’ Podcast Guide
Memories of the Fall of the Wall [00:00]: Ulrike Nagel does not specifically remember the moment the Wall fell on November 9, 1989, because she was 10 years old at the time and was asleep. Her mother was busy at the time preparing for a trip to Iceland. Nagel does remember crossing the border that Saturday with her father and great-grandmother [00:29].
Motivation for the Podcast [01:20]: The idea for the podcast “Over the Wall” arose years ago from her desire to track down old classmates and see what had become of them. The 35th anniversary of the fall of the Wall and the 100th anniversary of Lenin’s death served as the impetus to bring the idea to life. Nagel moved to the Netherlands at the age of 19 after meeting her current partner during a vacation in Spain in 1994, a move made possible by the fall of the Wall [02:38].
Experiences in the Netherlands and the Image of the GDR [03:59]: In the Netherlands, Nagel was surprised by the overwhelming selection in supermarkets. Through her podcast, she tries to provide a more nuanced view of the GDR, as people often associate it with poverty and war. She emphasizes that her childhood in the GDR was carefree and safe, despite the strict regime [07:56]. It wasn’t until she arrived in the Netherlands that she learned to view her own past with some distance.
Confrontational Conversations [10:40]: While producing the podcast, Nagel gained new insights. For example, she found herself laughing at a story her mother told about an absurd visit to a bus wash in the GDR—a story her editors didn’t understand [11:15]. Even more confrontational was a conversation with her father, who told her about a colleague who was shot dead while attempting to escape; a story that was merely an anecdote to her father, but which gave Dutch listeners a shocking insight into the dictatorship [12:35].
The Influence of Peer Pressure and Upbringing [13:43]: Nagel’s school years were marked by military discipline and peer pressure. She had to participate in socialist salutes, such as “Freundschaft” or “Seid bereit,” and this was considered normal. Although she now disapproves of it, her memories of that time as a child were happy ones, because she didn’t know any different [16:16]. The podcast reveals how quickly people conform within a system, as seen in a guest lecture on the GDR, where students follow the teacher’s instructions without question [17:15].
Longing for the Past and Current Identity [18:47]: Nagel does not long for the GDR itself, but she does miss aspects such as the freedom children were given and the focus on community rather than individualism [19:19]. She now feels at home in both Germany and the Netherlands and is able to switch easily between the two cultures [20:49].
Looking for listening recommendations? Have you already listened to all the episodes of “Deventer Mediazaak” and “Brand in het Landhuis,” and are you on the hunt for new podcast gems? Help is on the way. VINK is the go-to podcast guide in the Netherlands! NPO Radio 1 host Mischa Blok invites podcast creators to give a behind-the-scenes look. How do you actually make a podcast? The guests also recommend a series they’re completely hooked on, and Mischa shares a recommendation as well.
