Decades From Home - A Podcast About Germany

With all the Easter eggs collected, and chocolate wrappers still littering the floor, Nic & Simon discuss their respective Easter weekends. While Simon has been merrily learning about the Sorbain community of Germany and their Easter traditions, Nic has been in the UK discovering a very odd, and very illegal new delivery service.With Easter behind us, we can fully focus on the important things, like whether Germany will finally have a functioning government. With the coalition agreement signed, we look at some of the finer points, how they may impact Germany, and where the fault lines might be found within the CDU & SPD coalition partners.We also find a little bit of time to share some suprious rumours about the real origin of Germany’s humble Gummistiefel. Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

As Germany celebrates Easter, little do they know that the future is rushing towards them in the form of new rules about passport photos! Okay, maybe it’s not the most futuristic change imaginable, but surely any step forward is better than none…unless you happen to be the owner of one of thousands of Fotostudios across Germany.The topic of boycotting US products has continued to pick up pace across Europe since the global turmoil instigated by the Trump regime in America. Having discussed our own feelings on possible boycotts, we look at how to find replacements for US products, what we’re trying to avoid, and what is really difficult to replace. We finish off the show with a major birthday as Germany sees the end of the first year of new Cannabis regulations. How has semi-legalisation changed Germany, and how might legislation change with a new incoming government?Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Once again, Germany is preparing to celebrate the world’s worst vegetable as Spargelzeit begins in earnest across the 16 Bundesländer, and two thirds of the podcast are delighted to see it’s return. What does 2025 have in store for Spargel lovers, and where will Simon get his regular Spargeleis? The current international economic turmoil caused by US government tarifs leads us back to the question of boycotting US products, which is really only one of many problems Simon seems to be facing on his weekly shop, the other being his fellow early bird customers.Perhaps what we all need is a bit of luck, but it seems all the luck is going elsewhere at the moment, as we discuss an especially fortunate young 8-year-old child who discovered €15,000 while digging a hole at their Kindergarten. With money in the air, we finish with some suggestions for new designs as the EU updates the Eurozone’s bank notes.Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit SoßThe current international economic turmoil caused by US government tarifs leads us back to the question of boycotting US products, which is really only one of many problems Simon seems to be facing on his weekly shop, the other being his fellow early bird customers.Perhaps what we all need is a bit of luck, but it seems all the luck is going elsewhere at the moment, as we discuss an especially fortunate young 8-year-old child who discovered €15,000 while digging a hole at their Kindergarten. With money in the air, we finish things off with some suggestions for designs as the EU looks to update the Eurozone’s bank notes.Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

As regular listeners know, we’re all about the positivity on this here podcast. OK, maybe not Nic, but Simon’s usually fairly positive…or maybe it’s just that he talks about Döner more than the woes Germany’s faced over the last few months.Thankfully for us, our guests this week, Chris Reiter & Will Wilkes, didn’t follow Simon’s example. Instead they confront the problems facing Germany in their excellent book Broken Republik: The Inside Story of Germany’s Descent into Crisis. Chris is a senior editor at Bloomberg News in Berlin, while Will is the automotive and industrial correspondent for Bloomberg News in Frankfurt. Broken Republik was released by Bloomsbury on 6th March. The German edition, Totally Kaputt?, was published by Piper Verlag on 27th Feb.

There’s a lot of good vibes flying around the podcast this week. Producer Simon is quietly delighted with New Zealand’s sporting endeavours, but the real positivity comes in the form of Simon’s story on a Hanoi based Instagrammer who’s memeing themselves to a solid German education.All that positivity puts us in good stead given we do have to quickly look at the bin fire that is politics. We find out if Germany has a government, wonder why pollsters seem unable to take a holiday, and follow up on the changing advice for Germans travelling to the US. In further troubling news for German tourists, we find out why one young visitor to the UK is regretting their trip to London.With all that on the menu, it does make sense to finish things off on a lighter note, so about a quick quiz or two on food? Luckily we have just the thing as Nic and Simon test each other’s love for German food.Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

After a good few weeks of hard podcasting work, it’s time for a holiday, but not just any holiday. No, we need something special, something specific, something…Geordie. Luckily we have someone to guide us as Nic tells Simon all about his Geordie German adventure.In Munich, Nic catches a Sam Fender gig and learns something about the different types of British people who seem to live in Bavaria’s first city, and he returns to the capital to witness some true football history from the comfort of a bar stool in the cellar of an Irish pub.Speaking of Irish Pubs, St Patrick’s Day is our final adventure of this week’s podcast, featuring hangovers, terrible jokes, and a long afternoon in the fine city of Nürnberg.Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

There’s a beautiful bit of symmetry this week as we begin where we left off last week on topic of kebabs, although these ones have nothing to do with football legend Lukas Podolski. No, these kebabs are in a more British variation, as we discuss and award winning kebab pie in the UK, and why Australia seems to have cornered the market in German pies.From pies, we turn to the topic of cups and cupboards as we find out why questioning someone’s mug storage is a major insult in Germany, and why an ill judged remark during the recent election has seen one German politician receive as many as 5,000 mugs and cups in protest.We finish things off by looking at the story of two German tourists who have recently been detained on the Mexico/US border after being refused entry in the USA, highlighting the institutionalised cruelty of border control in America. Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Finally free from covering the Federal Election, we head into less controversial waters this week, by asking which is the correct term: Karneval or Fasching? Thankfully Simon has the perfect compromise, although it might take some time for “Happy German Time” to catch on. No matter, there’s plenty of other pre-Lent celebrations to cover, including the satirical Rosenmontagswagen in Düsseldorf.Having carefully skirted politics, we take a look at some weird goings on in Munich, where it seems paying for parking might also include inadvertently signing up for a gym membership. We find out why, and discover why Simon is deeply scared of joining his local Fitness Studio.From keeping in shape, we shift in the opposite direction as we look at the many and varied health concerns at the Kebab chain of German footballing legend Lukas Podolski. Should we expect kebab shops to be totally clean, should you really house random mice in the kitchen, and most importantly, how much is Podoloski charging for a Döner?Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

If there’s one thing we’re all about on this here podcast, it’s fulfilling dreams. Ok, maybe seeing Bayern Munich isn’t exactly fulfilling a dream, but Simon did see Harry Kane in the flesh, and that’s got to be worth something. We discuss catching a footballer’s attention, matchday atmosphere, and when it’s OK to leave a game early.Leaving seems to be a bit of theme this week, as we finally reach the end of the Federal election campaign. Though we could blame the winter weather, there’s been more than enough gloom hanging over last Sunday’s vote, and though some consider the result a success for the moderates, it’s not so clear cut.We break down the election results for all the major parties, and try to make sense of the many stories coming out since polling ended; who gained, who lost, and what the hell does Rambo Zambo mean anyway?Theme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

The hosts kick off with a hilarious recount of fire safety training, showcasing the competitive spirit of parents and kids. They dive into the social implications of schnitzel choices and debate if chicken is the worst meat. Excitement builds for Sam Fender's concert in Munich, while nostalgia envelopes discussions about Newcastle United's 1995-96 players. Political discourse takes a turn, tackling electoral disenfranchisement in Germany, alongside reflections on the challenges of maintaining democratic values amidst rising extremism.