
Common Ground Berlin
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson brings together prominent voices from all walks of life to tackle questions on vital and fascinating topics to increase public awareness and understanding.
Latest episodes

Jan 15, 2021 • 1min
Teaser: Coming up on Common Ground...

Dec 13, 2020 • 38min
An American ‘Botschaft’
On the last episode of Common Ground in 2020, host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks to a man who has profoundly influenced Berlin and transatlantic relations for many decades: Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, John Kornblum. Tune in to hear about key moments in Berlin and the Cold War, the public radio station in the German capital he helped create, and the future of transatlantic relations. This show was produced by Dina Elsayed.

Dec 9, 2020 • 25min
Looking back on KCRW Berlin — Part 2
During KCRW Berlin’s last week on air, we're sharing the story behind the story. Listen to the second of a special, two-part episode in collaboration with Studio Berlin, where we reflect on our favorite on air moments from the past year and look ahead to 2021.This show was produced by Monika Müller-Kroll.

Dec 6, 2020 • 28min
Looking back on KCRW Berlin — Part 1
Tune into the first part of a special, two-part episode with Studio Berlin. This show was produced by Monika Müller-Kroll.

Nov 29, 2020 • 27min
Germany’s Christmas season without Christmas markets
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is joined by Christian Gräff, CDU member of the Berlin House of Representatives; Christian Stender, culture manager at Ketering GmbH that organizes the Lucia Christmas Market at Berlin’s Kulturbrauerei, and our Studio Berlin co-host Sylvia Cunningham. This show was produced by Dina Elsayed.

Nov 22, 2020 • 28min
The Future of the Workplace: Where and how will we work after the pandemic?
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks to Helen Arvanitakis, director of London's new Design District; James Andrade, senior vice President and Head of Learning and Innovation at CapitaLand in Singapore and in Düsseldorf, Hans-Hermann Aldenhoff, country head and law partner at Simmons and Simmons. Also featuring Die Linke Berlin’s Tobias Schulze.This show was produced by Dina Elsayed.

Nov 15, 2020 • 28min
Is Germany ready for the new, transatlantic realities?
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is joined by Bundestag member Daniela De Ridder (SPD), who is vice-chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Bloomberg Opinion columnist Andreas Kluth; Stormy-Annika Mildner, who heads the external economic policy department at the Federation of German Industries e. V. and Jana Puglierin, who heads the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations.This show was produced by Dina Elsayed

Nov 8, 2020 • 28min
Becoming German - Should religion count?
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is joined by Said Ahmad Arif, Imam at the Khadija mosque in Berlin; David Wengenroth, editor at the Lutheran news outlet, Idea; Sadiqu Al-Mousllie, Central Council of Muslims in Germany board member; and Ernesto Grueneberg, immigration lawyer in Berlin.This show was produced by Dina Elsayed

Nov 1, 2020 • 28min
The upcoming U.S. presidential election and fraying U.S.-German relations (Originally aired on Oct. 5)
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is joined by John Emerson, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany; Kathryn Watts, Pendleton Miller Chair in Law at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle; Peter Beyer, Germany’s Transatlantic Coordinator; and Ralph Freund, Vice President of U.S. Republicans Abroad in Germany. This show was produced by Dina Elsayed

Oct 25, 2020 • 28min
Airbnb and vacation rental portals - A blessing or a curse for Berlin?
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks to Wenke Christoph, state secretary in the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development and Housing, Christian Eckart, an attorney and partner at Redeker Sellner Dahs and Daniel Hofmann, housing market researcher at the Hamburg-based institute for urban, regional and housing research (GEWOS). This show was produced by Dina Elsayed