We always knew Producer Simon was award worthy, but now we have definitive proof as we celebrate our stalwart Producer’s first podcast award. Sadly, it turns out he’s been off winning recognition for another podcast…splitter. Anyway, we’re not jealous, especially with so much going on across Germany.Kat catches a moped parade of Santas, Nic discovers the 2024’s Weihnachtsmarkt beverage of choice, and there’s a Krampus run in Munich to discuss. If that wasn’t enough, there’s drama in Berlin over a leaked strategy document for ex-coalition government partners the FDP. The so called “D-Day” paper has caused consternation and no little anger, but what the hell does the “D” stand for? Kat has some ideas.We finish this week’s show with another look at Germany’s never ending supply of hapless criminals as we find out the connection between an escaped burglar, a farm, and 80s favourite Back to the Future.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian AppealSave the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Has Christmas come early? Kat certainly thinks so, especially since her neighbours seem to be putting up their trees even before December has begun. Though we don’t really care when people decide to start the festive joy, Nic is a little worried about how to keep a Christmas tree from falling apart after two weeks.Continuing the festive vibes, we discover what it takes to be the Christkind as the city of Coburg offers would-be Christkinder a seminar and training to prepare for the role. Do they really need lessons on communication, and why should any potential Christkind avoid social media?With the Federal election slowly rumbling on, we bring you an update on the various stories doing the rounds, and we finish on the curious case of a stolen Tiramisu in Leipzig.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

The vibrant Carnival season kicks off with humorous anecdotes about colorful costumes and chaotic festivities. Co-hosts discuss the intersection of the carnival spirit and the heated political landscape in Germany. Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck faces social media critics, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz confronts potential rivals within his own party. The discussion also touches on early Christmas markets, raising questions about pricing and safety, as well as reflections on cultural representation and political transformations.

We welcome the fantastic Kinocow back to the podcast to join regular co-hosts Kat, Nic, and Producer Simon after a week of politcal turmoil. While many eyes were watching the results of the US elections, the German government took the opportunity to collapse itself in a show of solidarity. We sift through the rubble of the Ampelkoalition and wonder what the hell might happen next.Thankfully, politics is only one part of the show this week, with Kinocow back with us, we get a chance to ask all the questions we didn’t have time for on his last appearance. Given that “Kino” is a big part of his name, you may have realised already that he’s very interested in film. Kinocow tells us all about his love of movies, the differences between Indian and German films, and why he’s fascinated by Berlin cinemas. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

It’s been an exciting week for all our hosts, Kat’s in Vienna, Simon has been messing around in his garden, and Nic, well he got himself a haircut. OK, maybe only Kat has had an exciting week, but wait till you hear about Simon’s exciting new topiary!We’re not here for gardening tips though, so we kick off proceedings with the controversy surrounding Russian songstress Helene Fischer and her new album of Kinderlieder, which includes one rather offensive song in particular. We also discuss the financial problems facing a number of German hospitals and why the first cut to the budget seems to be the catering, and we finish on the first Cannabis social club to start distributing legal weed in Germany. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

It’s pretty scary on the podcast this week, although it’s nothing to do with Halloween, and rather more to do with the Germany’s Women’s Football Team having something of a horror story against Australia this week. Luckily for us, Producer Simon was in attendance, and he brings us all the gory details.Slightly less scary, though no less controversial, is the debate around Daylight Savings Time in Germany. As the clocks go back once again, The Hessian teachers' association is less than pleased about it. We discuss why, and whether it’s finally time to stop changing the clocks.We also look at plans for surviving apocalypse as an entrepreneur starts selling bunkers using cryptocurrency, and we find out why the secret ingredient of the a No.40 Pizza in Düsseldorf led to a police raid. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

It’s an action packed episode this week, which isn’t good news for Nic who seems to be a little under the weather. Luckily Kat has a sure fire remedy, although it might not pack as much of a punch as Nic’s less complicated concoction. From medicine to language, we review the vote and various controversies over the 2024 Jugendwort des Jahres and find out which new bit of English will be invading the conversations of under-25s across Germany for the next year or so. We also find time to discuss the media panic in England over the appointment of a German to the top job in English men’s football, discuss the results of a study into the 4-day-week from German companies, and we finish by discovering the best tourist destinations in Germany from an AI influencer. For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

It’s back to school, or rather university, this week as Nic returns to the classroom for another semester of inspiring students with jazzy Powerpoint slides. We discuss issues of technology, where to find an overhead projector, and why a room full of engineering apprentices is a terrifying vision.A story coming out of Stuttgart catches our attention, I mean it’s not often that an opera ends in 18 people needing medical attention. Why has Florentina Holzinger's opera "Sancta" caused so much controversy, and how much does that have to do with a nude rollerskating nun?We finish the show with the curious case of the death of a neo-nazi while climbing Hitler’s favourite mountain, and what it all has to do with Nazi UFOs.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian AppealSave the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

Well look at that, we’ve made it two whole centuries of podcast episodes, who would have thought! By way of a reward to our lovely listeners, we have an action packed episode full of dodgy German pronunciation, brutal Denglish phrasing, and numerous grammar corrections, and that’s only the first five minutes!Continuing a tradition established way back in episode 100, we’ve collected some of the most asked questions about Germany from across the internet (well, Reddit) and we attempt to bring the knowledge with all the authority that 12,000 minutes of podcasting has bestowed upon us.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

It’s feeling very autumnal on the podcast this week, probably because of all the pumpkins we keep seeing around the place. Nic, our man in the Bavarian countryside, has seen piles of them on sale at the side of the road, but Dili’s only seen them in the shops. She’s not complaining though, because she’s found a novel way of getting a discount when she needs a Kurbis.Somewhere that needs a discount or two is Oktoberfest, which Nic learned first hand at the weekend. After his adventure at the Wiesn, we learn how to dance on the tables, and fall asleep on trains after a day on the Festbier.We also follow up on the elections in Thuringia, and how the AfD have begun to sow chaos, and we finish on government plans for national service.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß