Main content

Jewish and returning to Germany

Heart and Soul looks at why Jewish descendents are applying to reclaim German nationality.

Eighty years ago, just days before the outbreak of the Second World War, a young woman, Kaethe Berliner, fled Nazi Germany. She made a new life in Great Britain and like many others was determined to leave the evils of Nazi Germany firmly behind her.

Naomi Scherbel-Ball is the granddaughter of Kaethe Berliner, and after years of deliberation, she has decided to reopen that door to the past. Naomi will be the first in her family to apply to reclaim German nationality and she is being joined by thousands of descendants of German Jewish refugees doing the same.

Despite the revival of both religious and secular German Judaism, the recent success of the far-right has awakened old fears. Has contemporary Germany changed enough for descendants of Jewish refugees to overcome the tragedy of the past?

Presented and Produced by Naomi Scherbel-Ball.

Picture credit: 成人快手

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 8 Sep 2019 22:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 12 Apr 2019 12:32GMT
  • Sun 14 Apr 2019 08:32GMT
  • Sun 14 Apr 2019 16:32GMT
  • Sun 14 Apr 2019 19:32GMT
  • Sun 14 Apr 2019 22:32GMT
  • Fri 6 Sep 2019 12:32GMT
  • Sun 8 Sep 2019 08:32GMT
  • Sun 8 Sep 2019 16:32GMT
  • Sun 8 Sep 2019 19:32GMT
  • Sun 8 Sep 2019 22:32GMT

Podcast