Cities Offering Sanctuary

Does the Good Life have to mean perfection?

In this episode Dr. Robert Keeling @rokeeling and Sabine Pusch @spuschkin talk to the Italian author Vincenzo Latronico @v.latronico about his highly acclaimed novel "Perfection" which was shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize. The novel describes the seemingly perfect life of a foreign couple in gentrified Berlin. The podcast discusses how Berlin has changed since Covid and the different ways in which the controversial topic of gentrification and urban change in Berlin can be approached. A production by difgl – German Institute for the Good Life Executive Producer: Christoph Henseler, Katja Anclam Hosts: Dr. Robert Keeling and Sabine Pusch Editor: Dr. Kerstin Lücker Sound production: Sasha Polivanov Music: Sebastian Winter Graphics: Ralf Henning, Greta Laux

Berlin — ein Spielplatz für Erwachsene?

Neuer difgl Podcast: LondonBerlinDemocracy Folge #6 mit Wladimir Kaminer In Folge #6 des difgl Podcasts LondonBerlinDemocracy sprechen Dr. Robert Keeling @rokeeling und Sabine Pusch @spuschkin mit dem Autor, Geschichtenerzähler und charmanten Chronisten des Alltags: Wladimir Kaminer @wladimirkaminer. Wladimir Kaminer kam Anfang der 90er Jahre aus Moskau nach Berlin – und blieb. In Prenzlauer Berg, zwischen Wodka, Plattenbau und Partykultur, fand er nicht nur ein neues Zuhause, sondern auch unerschöpfliches Material für seine Erzählungen. Seine Texte sind scharfsinnig, humorvoll, melancholisch – und immer zutiefst menschlich. Kaum jemand hat das Lebensgefühl des postmauerfallenden Berlins so mitgeprägt wie er – mit seinem Debüt Russendisko hat Kaminer Anfang der 2000er eine literarische Liebeserklärung an die Hauptstadt geschrieben, die bis heute Kultstatus genießt. Ein produktiver Schriftsteller, sein neuestes Buch "Das geheime Leben der Deutschen" [https://www.penguin.de/buecher/wladimir-kaminer-das-geheime-leben-der-deutschen/buch/9783442317851] (2025) beschreibt, was ihn am Alltag in Deutschland fasziniert. In diesem Podcast sprechen wir über seine ersten Jahre in Berlin nach dem Mauerfall, wie sich die Stadt seitdem verändert hat, welche Rolle Humor und Literatur dabei spielen und wie Berlin (immer noch) eine Art von Spielplatz für Erwachsene ist. 🎙️ Wladimir Kaminer über Berlin, Literatur und das geheime Leben der Deutschen 🎧 Jetzt reinhören – überall, wo es Podcasts gibt. Eine Produktion von difgl – German Institute for the Good Life Executive Producer: Christoph Henseler, Katja Anclam Hosts: Dr. Robert Keeling und Sabine Pusch Editor: Dr. Kerstin Lücker Sound Production: Sasha Polivanov Musik: Sebastian Winter Grafik: Ralf Henning, Greta Laux

Is Berlin in Danger of Becoming a Normal City?

A Conversation with John Kampfner In episode 5 of the difgl podcast LondonBerlinDemocracy, Dr. Robert Keeling @rokeeling and Sabine Pusch @spuschkin talk to renowned author and journalist John Kampfner about a city in transition. John has lived in Berlin for many years and has formulated a very personal view of the capital in books such as “Auf der Suche nach Berlin” (In Search of Berlin). In this episode, he shares his pointed observations and his view on whether Berlin is losing its uniqueness. What makes Berlin special (still)? What will be lost as the city moves closer to the global mainstream? John Kampfner is an award-winning author, columnist, and foreign affairs expert. He is also the author of the acclaimed non-fiction books “Auf der Suche nach Berlin” (In Search of Berlin) and “Warum die Deutschen es besser machen” (Why Germans Do It Better). John lives in Berlin and in this podcast he shares some personal observations on how the city has changed over the last 30 years, what makes it unique, and the debate about whether Berlin is becoming increasingly mainstream. Topics discussed include everyday life in the city, the use of the German language, and the fate of the Tacheles art house. 🎙️ A personal, provocative episode – straight from Berlin. 🎧 Listen now – wherever you get your podcasts. A production by difgl – German Institute for the Good Life Executive Producer: Christoph Henseler, Katja Anclam Hosts: Dr. Robert Keeling and Sabine Pusch Editor: Dr. Kerstin Lücker Sound production: Sasha Polivanov Music: Sebastian Winter Graphics: Ralf Henning, Greta Laux

Cities Offering Sanctuary

In this episode, Robert Keeling and Sabine Pusch explore a subject close to their hearts: how London and Berlin welcome refugees. Rob volunteered for Care 4 Calais [https://care4calais.org/] in London for many years, giving help and advice to refugees housed in hotels in London. It is through this work that he got to know this week's guest, Sydney Sopher [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-s-91883b194/], who helps us explore the similarities and the differences between how London and Berlin are helping refugees. When he was living in Berlin in 2022, Rob continued his work as a volunteer there at a time when Germany's capital was welcoming the first wave of refugees fleeing from the war in Ukraine. That's when he got to know the organisations he mentioned during this podcast. You can find out more about them by following these links: SFVV | Startseite [https://www.flucht-vertreibung-versoehnung.de/de/home] Home - Interkulturanstalten Westend e.V. [https://interkulturanstalten.de/] Nachbarschaft in Prenzlauer Berg | KulturMarktHalle | Berlin [https://www.kulturmarkthalle.berlin/] Polyrama - Museum für Lebensgeschichten - Polyrama - Museum für Lebensgeschichten [https://www.polyrama.de/] City of Sanctuary - City of Sanctuary UK [https://cityofsanctuary.org/] A production by difgl – German Institute for the Good Life Executive Producer: Christoph Henseler, Katja Anclam Hosts: Dr. Robert Keeling and Sabine Pusch Editor: Dr. Kerstin Lücker Sound production: Sasha Polivanov Music: Sebastian Winter Graphics: Ralf Henning, Greta Laux

A Roof Over Our Heads – Housing with Dr. Tim White

In this episode, Robert Keeling and Sabine Pusch meet Tim White in a lovely square in the heart of London that was once synonymous with London’s homelessness problem: Lincoln’s Inn fields. Here we discuss the history of land ownership and rents in Berlin and London and explore what can be done about this strange loophole that’s now being exploited by corporate landlords across Berlin. To find out more, have a look at Tim’s article in the Guardian Newspaper: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/22/berlin-housing-crisis-germany-rents-flats [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/22/berlin-housing-crisis-germany-rents-flats] A production by difgl – German Institute for the Good Life Executive Producer: Christoph Henseler, Katja Anclam Hosts: Dr. Robert Keeling and Sabine Pusch Editor: Dr. Kerstin Lücker Sound production: Sasha Polivanov Music: Sebastian Winter Graphics: Ralf Henning, Greta Laux