Berlin was recently declared by the Mercer Cost of Living Survey to be the most expensive city to live in Germany. Berlin also has a chronic housing shortage. So how are young people starting out navigating the crisis in the German capital? Join host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her guests: Hypofriend CFO Christian Mulder, Messe Berlin event production assistant Bernadeta Lygnugaryte and Sebastian Sheath of Las Aguas Productions to hear their experiences, prognosis and tips.

Produced by Eden Brockman and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Germany became one country again in 1990. But just how unified is it really? And who is fanning the lingering divisions between eastern and western Germans? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks again with Katja Hoyer, a journalist and historian who is the author of the bestseller, “Beyond the Wall,” and with award-winning producer Joerg Winger, co-creator of the hit series “Deutschland 83” and “Sam: A Saxon,” among others. Their edited conversation was recorded on Oct. 10, 2024.

Produced by Eden Brockman and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Germany’s new Chancenkarte, or Opportunity Card, is supposed to make it easier for skilled foreign workers to find a foothold in the German job market. But how does it work and are there pitfalls? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks to employment-related immigration lawyer Csilla Rostas; Yvonne Koppen, co-creator of Simple Germany, which helps clients navigate Germany’s complex bureaucracy, and Chancenkarte applicant Ben Currey.

Produced by Eden Brockman and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson.

Guest hosts Eden Brockman and Nour Trabelsi talk about Germany’s not-so-easy shift to veganism with Lia Carlucci from Food Campus Berlin and Jens Tuider from ProVeg. Join us to find out what’s cooking in German kitchens!

Produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman

Is it time for immigrants to leave Germany? Or should they instead go out for a non-alcoholic beer? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson joins The Local Germany’s Rachel Loxton, Comedian Josh Telson, and POLITICO Berlin Playbook's Rixa Fürsen, for a deep and humorous dive into German regional elections and more at our fourth annual Stammtisch.

This episode was recorded live at House of Color on Sept. 7, 2024, and was produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman.

The heartbeat of the German capital city’s nightlife and a symbol of its post-reunification identity after a decade-long campaign is now officially recognized by the German National Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage. But what does this recognition for Berlin Techno really mean?

Guest host Eden Brockman speaks with Lutz Leichsenring, co-founder of VibeLab and executive board member of Clubcommission Berlin, and Detroit-born, Berlin-based DJ and multidisciplinary artist Alan Oldham. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson interviews Marlen Meissner, head of the “Heritage, Nature, and Society” department at Germany’s UNESCO branch.

Produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman.

Music: “Techno My EchoOo” by KidNNasty and “Reflecting Pool” by Mr Smith, both courtesy of Free Music Archive (CC BY-SA).

Women’s and girls’ freedoms and opportunities have eroded at an alarming rate in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power there three years ago. But there is little agreement internationally or even among Afghans on how to reverse that trend. Intense ethnic and ideological divisions between Afghan women activists in the diaspora aren’t helping. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson speaks to former Afghan education minister Rangina Hamidi and Human Rights Watch’s Heather Barr.

This episode was made possible by Jutta von Falkenhausen and was produced and edited by Eden Brockman and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson.

Music: “Reflecting Pool” by Mr Smith, courtesy of Free Music Archive (CC BY)