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00:02Europe I would not want to miss this rich in history and culture absolutely beautiful for
00:13centuries this continent has played a central role on the world stage but this is Europe's
00:21most perilous moment since the Second World War this is the bunker it faces an aggressive Russia
00:31an ambitious China it's quite shocking to hear you say that it is much closer right now to Beijing
00:38than it is to Washington and Europe's most powerful ally can no longer be fully relied on I said if
00:45you're not going to pay your bills we're not going to defend you I'm Katya Adler and after years of
00:54living and working in Italy France Spain and Germany I've got to know them really well you
01:01said that Germans don't have an excellent sense of humor so how are these four countries with mainland
01:08Europe's biggest economies responding to this turbulent new world there are a lot of police
01:15vans behind us what strengthens them oh wow it looks like a shark and what weakens them in this
01:26episode I'll continue my travels through Germany to see how a surprising descendant of this country
01:32has changed everything ancestral home of the troops then I'm off to Spain a country still coming to terms
02:00with its painful past I'm starting this part of my German journey in a quiet corner of the country
02:05in the Bavarian Alps in the far south of all the countries that I'm visiting on this journey I think
02:13Germany is the most misunderstood go often to France Italy Spain on holiday but look at this it's
02:22spectacular and there's only one way to really see this landscape so I'm a bit nervous but I'm quite
02:33thrilled at the same time actually yes I'm quite happy to be up here I'm just a bit nervous about
02:58jumping off that jumping off that I've known these mountains since I was young but I have never
03:03done this you have to run if I tell you to run I have to run okay okay Katja ready
03:15go forward go forward go forward go forward and run run run oh my gosh wow oh my lord
03:30my brain is kind of it's like oh wow this is amazing and then it's like oh my god I'm
03:35so high
03:41absolutely beautiful look at that you know people think of Germany and they think of the Autobahn
03:48and they think of factories here we are not an Autobahn not a factory in sight and I cannot get
03:59the smile off
03:59my face look what we have down there what a castle this castle looks so much like something out of
04:13a fairy
04:13tale that apparently it caught the eye of Walt Disney it's said to be the inspiration for sleeping
04:20beauty's castle and it became part of Disney's logo as well that is impossibly romantic I mean no
04:27wonder Disney fell in love with this castle I think that tells you a lot about Germany there is a
04:34lot
04:34of unashamed romance in this country okay we're gonna land now okay we're getting closer
04:50yeah it was pretty amazing it was I didn't expect I was gonna love it as much as I did
05:01and I would also
05:03say that I've spent a lot of time in my career trying to persuade people how interesting and beautiful
05:14Germany is but I've never gone to those lands before for outsiders Germany is often associated with high-tech
05:25engineering or it's Nazi past but there's another less well-known side to this country which is just as
05:33important to its identity I've stopped off in Fusen a medieval town just a couple of miles from the castle
05:42gorgeous isn't it this is classic Bavaria look at the pharmacy these painted buildings are also you see
05:51them a lot whenever I travel to Germany for work if I have five minutes free I'll always look for
05:59an
05:59old town and I'd love it you find a quaint town centers like this across Germany they are dripping with
06:14nostalgia thank you I grew up in the UK the parts of my family are from Germany and I love
06:23its culture
06:24and traditions not good for the figure but you know it's very good for the soul and actually
06:30coffee and cooking coffee and cake it's like a religion in Germany this is another part of the
06:39German character that isn't so well known there's a word in German the midley Kate it sort of means
06:45comfy coziness it's very hard to translate into English and it's it's it's just very German sit and have
06:52your cup of coffee it's it's not glamorous like in France it's not dramatic like in Italy it's kind of
06:59quiet comforts that inclination towards quiet comfort tells you a lot about Germany long haunted
07:09by the horrors of their country's Nazi past modern Germans have shied away from taking the lead
07:15politically or militarily in Europe the leaders they choose can come across as a little bland compared
07:23to Italy's or France's Angela Merkel one of Germany's longest serving prime ministers was
07:29nicknamed mutty meaning mummy but now Germany is being forced to step out of the shadows like
07:40much of Europe it's facing a new and different kind of threat hybrid warfare Munich Airport has halted
07:49all flights after unidentified drones were spotted in the area airports in Denmark Norway and Poland have
07:56all recently suspended flights due to drones Moscow denies any involvement but these incidents have
08:02raised fears that Moscow is testing Europe's defenses from drones shutting down airports to packages plans
08:10to explode on planes to underwater cables being cut hybrid attacks on Germany blamed on Russia have
08:18increased significantly in the last couple of years Sunka yep hello my god you look busy please join me at
08:30the
08:30table pleased to meet you Sunka Mararins is a colonel in the German air force and a specialist in hybrid
08:39warfare he advises military and political leaders on the attacks that Europe's facing but instead of using a
08:46powerpoint presentation to illustrate the threats he's made a board game it comes from the military war
08:54gaming every time I see an article I create a gaming card so that my players really learned this is
09:01happening not just making stuff up well this was an event in the Baltic Sea and someone fired from a
09:08ship
09:09onto a German helicopter other thing this happens in the UK the nuclear power plant of Sellafield was hacked
09:15you see someone going our real critical infrastructure mines are floating this is something what happened
09:23in the Black Sea affecting now shipping the same like we have seen with the drones around airfields you
09:29have to clear the area you can't go on with that the front line of Russia's war may be in
09:34Ukraine
09:35but all of Europe is under attack now we are in a hybrid war with Russia it's happening every day
09:43all
09:44around us how much has Germany been affected by it Germany is affected almost every day every day every
09:50day every day something's happening somewhere here on this map you really can see what happened over the
09:56the last three years but these are high level events well we have seen much more on a lower scale
10:02but here you see
10:03attacks against governmental organization you see attacks against industry you see attack against critical
10:10infrastructures you see something like a water company which was attacked so I can see the United Kingdom I can
10:16see
10:17Poland Lithuania different countries that have had these high level attacks but most of them are concentrated in Germany why
10:25we are the
10:26second-best provider for Ukraine and in terms of military in some of military support and in terms of humanitarian
10:32aid
10:35none of these attacks feel significant enough to provoke all-out war and that's the point they allow
10:43Russia to cause fear and division they weaken Europeans confidence in their governments and cause rifts
10:50between allies with very little risk of retaliation if Russia would be able to crack the German public
10:58opinion that the German public opinion would say to the politicians please don't use our money for Ukraine
11:03any longer this would be a victory for Russia in Ukraine and this is really the challenge we see in
11:09the 21st
11:12century you know it's not always easy to say with a hundred percent certainty with each individual
11:19incident Russia's behind that or China but it is clear that the number of hybrid attacks in Europe is
11:26on the rise and that when it comes to big countries like Germany or NATO as a whole while they
11:33may have
11:33discussed what to do if tanks roll over borders when it comes to hybrid warfare there is no joined-up
11:41plan
11:47and it's hard to make a plan when NATO's most powerful member appears increasingly disinterested in German
11:54and European security
11:58I'm just arriving at Rammstein Air Base it's the headquarters for US air forces in Europe and Africa
12:05and of NATO Allied Air Command
12:08it's a pretty significant place and I'm not supposed to film going in through the gate so it's cameras down
12:19Hello
12:19Oh hi
12:20Nice to be Asia
12:21Yes, nice to meet you
12:22Hi, I'm Katya
12:23I'm pleased to meet you and I'm looking forward to having a tour
12:27Yeah, absolutely, I'd love to take you around
12:29Fantastic
12:29All right
12:30Okay
12:31Master Sergeant Asia Hinson has been stationed at Rammstein for two years
12:37So, Rammstein is a very unique base just because of how much the base actually does
12:44Yes
12:45Here is kind of like a medical complex
12:48The dental clinic is huge, it's a dental squadron, it's not just a clinic
12:52Dentist squadron
12:53Yes
12:54Yeah, well you do have a lot of mouths to look after
12:56Yes
12:57We also have a dog grooming facility here as well
13:01Rammstein is the largest American air base in Europe
13:05Part of a local cluster of US military bases which are home to 55,000 Americans
13:12Actually, this is the largest American community outside of the United States
13:17Full stop, not just military?
13:19Not just military
13:21The base was built after the Second World War when Germany was split in two
13:27The Soviet Union treated East Germany as a satellite state
13:32The Americans built Rammstein military base in West Germany
13:36And invested heavily in Western Europe as a buffer against the spread of communism from the East
13:43And as Germany was forbidden for a while from having its own military because of its Nazi past
13:49The US provided its defence plus a security guarantee that all of Europe has benefited from
13:57Meanwhile, these American troops benefit from experiencing life in Europe
14:02Well, sort of
14:14It's kind of like a huge mall
14:16It has multiple stores
14:18Highly mean
14:18Yes, so they definitely adhere to all the American traditions
14:23Yeah, so it's like going to a mall back home
14:26Yes, absolutely
14:27You get popcorn, hot dogs, nachos with nacho cheese and all that great stuff
14:32You've got Taco Bells, Starbucks, okay
14:35People would typically flock to Popeyes and Panda Express
14:40So where are we going to get our lunch?
14:42I like Panda Express
14:43Okay
14:45I'd rather take the teriyaki chicken
14:46So you're paying with US dollars?
14:49Yes
14:49Yes
14:50That does feel odd, actually
14:51To see dollars in Europe
14:54Yeah
14:55Thank you, Q
14:56Exciting
14:58Thanks, Asia
14:59You're welcome
15:00I mean, the base is so huge
15:03And this place is so huge
15:05Could you just sort of spend your time in Germany in here?
15:09You know, not really venture outside into Germany?
15:12Yeah, I think you would be missing out, but absolutely
15:14You could live on the base and not go anywhere
15:17These troops seem really settled here
15:21But while Russia remains Europe's most pressing security concern
15:25Washington has new priorities
15:27Donald Trump has made it clear
15:30Europe must be more self-reliant when it comes to defence
15:33He isn't the first US president to say it
15:37But he's certainly the most direct
15:39I said, if you're not going to pay your bills
15:41We're not going to defend you
15:44The threat has worked
15:46Feeling suddenly vulnerable
15:48Germany is massively increasing its defence spending
15:51Roughly tripling its budget over a ten-year period
15:55With more promised if needed
15:58Germany's new drive when it comes to defence
16:00It's the biggest single turnaround I've seen in this country
16:05In all my years reporting on it
16:07The German government now says it wants to build
16:11The biggest army in the whole of the European Union
16:14It's a massive change
16:16But so is the attitude of Germany's European neighbours
16:19They used to fear the idea of a mighty German military
16:23Because of its history
16:24Now they're begging for it
16:38It's hardly a secret that Donald Trump has an uncomfortable relationship with Europe
16:43Shall we say
16:44But Germans feel particularly got at
16:47Even if you look at when Donald Trump was a property magnate in New York
16:51He's said to have talked often about wanting to get rid of German cars on the streets of Manhattan
16:58Yet, as it happens, his grandparents were from Germany
17:02From its prosperous wine country
17:04The vineyard
17:07I'm just down the road from the American airbase
17:13Ancestral home of the Trumps
17:16Wow, look at that church
17:19And vineyards and pretty houses
17:22And no golf course in sight
17:25Trump's first moved here over 400 years ago
17:29And there are still some who live in the area
17:33Oh, look!
17:35Becquerei Trump
17:36Trump Bakery
17:37I am going to go in there
17:42The former owner of this bakery was a distant relative of the American president
17:49They don't want to talk
17:52There's been a lot of grief
17:53Just being associated with the name Trump has caused a lot of problems, it seems
17:58For the family
18:00Trump is not popular in Germany
18:02You don't even need to go on the streets
18:04You can see that very clearly in opinion polls
18:08Apart from the bakery, there are few other signs of this area's most famous descendant
18:14Hello!
18:15But the mayor of Karlstadt, Thomas Javorek, is taking me to see the grave of Donald Trump's grandad
18:28Oh yes, is there a lot of interest in the Trump graves?
18:32No
18:32Okay
18:34Trump's grandfather, Friedrich Trump, grew up in Karlstadt in the 1870s
18:40It was Friedrich Trump who went to the United States just for income reasons
18:49From there he then went to the gold rush
18:52And he bought land in New York
18:55And that's actually the fundament for the
18:58The Trump empire?
19:00Yeah
19:00Friedrich's wife, Elisabeth, Donald Trump's grandmother, was also from Karlstadt
19:06They got married and that's one of the wedding pictures
19:10Who do you think looks most like Donald Trump?
19:14I think none of them
19:15No? I think I can see a bit in Elisabeth
19:19Maybe I'm imagining it
19:21Perhaps for the hair
19:23I do find it intriguing that, you know, Donald Trump's ancestry on his mum's side goes to Scotland
19:30That seems to play in the UK's favour, you know, when it comes to personal relations with Donald Trump
19:36But so far, this link to Germany hasn't helped
19:40I mean, your former Chancellor Angela Merkel, she even writes about it in her autobiography
19:44That he, Donald Trump seemed to be out for Germany, you know, not in a friendly way
19:48It's what it is
19:50Do you hope to tempt him here now?
19:52He's slapping tariffs on German cars and Germany's building its military
19:56So maybe he's more favourably disposed?
20:00Will you invite him?
20:01I think we cannot afford the security taxes to run this invitation
20:06It's a good thought though, it's an interesting thought
20:10Donald Trump used to say his grandfather was Swedish, not German
20:15Now he seems proud of his heritage
20:17But two thirds of Germans, according to polls, look at the US as one of the biggest threats to world
20:23peace
20:24More than China, and just behind Putin's Russia
20:40My next stop is Berlin
20:43Germany's capital city
20:45And before German reunification in 1990
20:48East Berlin was the capital of communist East Germany
20:52A country more or less controlled by the Soviet Union
20:56Which in turn played a huge role in defeating the Nazis
21:04I'm visiting Treptower Park
21:06A memorial to the Soviet soldiers who died here in 1945
21:13You can see the statue to the hero Soviet soldier
21:18With a crushed swastika at his feet
21:23I've never been here before
21:25And the enormity of it all really hits you
21:30There's no way that the Allies would have won the war against the Nazis
21:34Without Soviet help and sacrifice
21:38All in all, 25 million Soviet civilians and soldiers died in World War II
21:52Guilt about the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis
21:55Still shapes Germany in all sorts of ways
21:58Including its relationship with Russia
22:02Professor?
22:03Professor?
22:04Or can I say Jens?
22:05Yeah, just Jens
22:06Hello, I'm Katja
22:08Pleased to meet you
22:09Professor Jens Wendlands father was a senior figure in the Nazi occupation of the Soviet Union
22:15Einen Moment
22:21Das ist mein leiblicher Vater
22:23Und das ist Himmler
22:24Mein leiblicher Vater, Hans-Adolf Pritzmann
22:27SS-Obergruppenführer
22:29Durch persönliche Befehle von Erschießungen
22:32Der Tod von 400.000 Menschen zu verantworten
22:36Muss man sich mal vorstellen
22:38Das kann man sich nicht vorstellen
22:40Und er hat sich folgerichtig zum Schluss des Krieges mit Himmler zusammen umgebracht
22:47Jens says he's sickened by the Nazis' mass murder of Soviet citizens
22:52He's devoted much of his career to building bridges with Russia
22:56Teaching media studies in Moscow
22:59Ich habe es für wichtig gehalten
23:02In Moskau zu arbeiten aus zwei Gründen
23:04Das eine ist
23:05Ja, auch schlechtes Gewissen
23:07Schuldgefühle
23:09Und das zweite war
23:11Ich habe dem Traum angehangen
23:13Im Moment ist es ja nur ein Traum
23:16Dass wirklich Russland zu Europa gehört
23:19Ich habe das immer so empfunden
23:21Und habe immer gedacht
23:23Es ist kulturell gehört es zu uns
23:26Und es gehört zu Europa
23:28Even when it comes to the war in Ukraine
23:31Jens is very open to Russia's perspective
23:34You speak so warmly about Russia
23:37And about your time in Russia
23:40About working in Russia
23:41Do you see Russia though as an aggressor these days?
23:46You know, it marched into Ukraine
23:48A sovereign country
23:49Do you accept that?
23:52Ja, Putin war ein Aggressor
23:54Klar, das war so
23:56Aber es kam ja nicht von ungefähr
23:59Deutschen haben für diese Kooperation
24:02Beziehungsweise für die Bindung Russlands an Europa
24:07Zu wenig getan
24:08Zu wenig Konkretes getan
24:10Dass Misstrauen bleibt
24:12Ist auch nie ausgeräumt worden
24:14Und wir haben auch zu wenig dafür getan
24:16Um Misstrauen auszuräumen
24:21Since the end of the Cold War
24:23Germany has worked really hard
24:25To build close business ties with Russia
24:27And the invasion of Ukraine came as a huge shock
24:32That was really interesting
24:34What a contrast to the UK
24:37Where when it comes to Ukraine
24:39Russia is definitely seen as the aggressor
24:44Jens was explaining it all
24:45Very much from Russia's point of view
24:50Jens is far from alone
24:52In wanting to normalise relations with Moscow
24:54The AFD party
24:56Which regularly leads opinion polls in Germany
24:59Wants to end sanctions on Russia
25:01And start buying cheap Russian energy again
25:10The shadow of Germany's Nazi past hangs over everything in this country
25:15In one way or another
25:17Including attitudes to immigration
25:20I've come to Mannheim
25:22A city in the rich industrialised west of the country
25:31We hear Turkish everywhere here
25:35We've got kebab shop
25:38There's another one down there
25:40And another one
25:41Jewelry shop
25:42The kind that you see all over the place
25:44In Amman and Jordan
25:45There's another one
25:47Two
25:48Three of them down this street
25:49And delicious cakes
25:52I feel like I'm back in the Middle East
25:54Germany's economic rise from the ashes of World War II
25:58Was supported by lots of foreign workers
26:01Germany's large immigrant population
26:03Goes back to the 1950s, 60s and early 70s
26:08When it was looking for workers to come and feed
26:11The booming economy in West Germany
26:13And they came from all over the Mediterranean
26:16And a lot from Turkey
26:18Germany called them Gastarbeiter
26:20That means guest workers
26:22The implication was
26:23You come here and work
26:25And then you go home
26:26But a lot of people stayed
26:29Today a quarter of Germany's population
26:32Is either an immigrant
26:33Or the child of an immigrant
26:36Here in Mannheim
26:37It's almost half
26:42Hello
26:43Hello
26:43Hi
26:45Hello
26:45Hello
26:46I find your business so beautiful
26:48Yeah, thank you
26:49Thank you
26:49Nisa Okal runs a wedding dress shop
26:51Together with her mum
26:53You were born here
26:54You were born here
26:54Yeah, yeah
26:55Tatsächlich
26:55Ich bin hier geboren
26:56Mein Opa
26:57Väterlicherseits
26:58Der ist damals hergekommen aus der Türkei
27:00Der ist dann als Gastarbeiter hergekommen
27:03Meine Vorgeneration
27:04Die hat hier so viel hergebracht
27:06Die hat hier die Brautläden reingebracht
27:08Die hat hier die Goldläden reingebracht
27:10Die hat hier die Goldläden reingebracht
27:11Die ganzen Restaurants
27:11Die ganzen Speisen
27:13Dass wenn man sieht, ey
27:14Die Familie hat sich hier was aufgebaut
27:16Und Steuern bezahlt
27:17Das ist Teil Deutschlands
27:19Genau
27:19Das war die Idee von den Gastarbeitern
27:21Oder
27:21Dass man die Wirtschaft hilft
27:24Ja
27:24Die Wirtschaft einfach ankurbeld
27:27For decades immigrants into Germany
27:29Along with their families
27:31Were broadly accepted
27:32And seen as a necessary part of a growing economy
27:35But in 2015
27:37That changed radically
27:41This year has seen an unprecedented number of migrants
27:44Arriving in Europe
27:47Most have come from Syria
27:49Eleven million Syrians
27:51Have been left homeless
27:52And many have fled abroad
27:53No bus, no train
27:56We are very tired
27:58As over a million Syrian refugees
28:01And other migrants arrived in Europe
28:03Many EU countries shut their borders
28:08But Chancellor Angela Merkel did an extraordinary thing
28:11She welcomed them
28:23Germany expects to take in 800,000 asylum seekers in 2015
28:27Far more than any other country
28:29But Merkel's decision has had profound consequences
28:37A trail of devastation
28:39After a car ploughed in to protestors
28:42Three people have died in a knife attack in southern Germany
28:45About an hour or so this news broke
28:47That a car had driven into a crowd at a Christmas market
28:50Possibly 60 to 80 people being injured
28:58A string of attacks over the last few years
29:01Carried out by asylum seekers and immigrants
29:03Has fueled concerns that immigration is out of control
29:07Many German Christmas markets now have barriers to make people feel safer
29:14There was an attack here in Mannheim's central square too
29:18When an Afghan man stabbed and killed a policeman
29:24All these attacks have made Germans feel incredibly insecure
29:30It's pushed up support for the far right
29:33Because a lot of people feel that migration is totally out of control now
29:38The attacks are fueling support for views that are tough on migration
29:45And breaking taboos that have existed in Germany since the end of the Second World War
29:55As a result of changing attitudes
29:57The AFD has become the first hard right nationalist party
30:02To be voted into the German parliament since World War II
30:05It's Germany's biggest opposition party by far
30:12And it's very well known and liked for its hardline policies on immigration
30:18A very clear statement to all the world
30:22The German borders are closed, dear friends
30:27They are closed
30:31One leading AFD politician was even found guilty of using Nazi slogans
30:37And downplaying the Holocaust
30:38The German borders were forced
30:38We are believed that this is a political world
30:44And a hundred and eighty years
30:54Support for the AFD is particularly noticeable in Germany's east
31:03This is a map of the election results
31:07From the last general election here in Germany
31:10Look at that
31:11The blue is AFD
31:13And you can see a clear split between the country, east and west
31:19I mean, and that is the dividing line between West Germany
31:22And what was former communist East Germany
31:24If this isn't a picture of a country still deeply divided
31:29I don't know what is
31:32I've come to a city in east Germany called Schwerin
31:37Oh, look at that
31:40Now that is...
31:41Wow!
31:43You know, there is a tendency to think of East Germany as an ugly, poverty-stricken, former communist version of
31:56the West
31:58But, oh my God, does it have some beautiful secrets
32:01Look at that
32:02I mean, a fairytale castle on a lake
32:07It's gorgeous
32:09Oh, this is stunning
32:14The reason I'm here is to get a better idea of why the AFD is gaining ground in places like
32:20this
32:22I am on my way to meet a couple of young podcasters, supporters of the AFD
32:32Um, and I'm going to arrive just before they start recording
32:37So we're going to have to be very quick, quick, quick
32:40Punktlichkeit, punctuality, that's what Germans believe in
32:43And I think I've just failed the test
32:45As the AFD has gained popularity, Berlin's position towards it has hardened
32:51In 2025, the German authorities officially classified the party as extremist, describing their policies as anti-democratic
33:01There's even been talk of banning the AFD outright
33:06The local government here is also investigating the man I'm about to meet for extremism
33:12A claim he contests
33:15Hello
33:15Hi, I am so sorry, I hope I'm not too late
33:19It's, it's fine, it's fine, no worries
33:22Okay, fantastic
33:22I'm Katja, sorry
33:23Boris, hello
33:24Nice, nice to meet you Boris
33:26That's Matthias
33:27Hi Matthias
33:27Boris von Morgenstern is a journalist who vlogs on YouTube about immigration and culture wars
33:35I'm just going to sit and observe, so please just carry on as you would
33:39Okay, then we'll start, you can get inside
33:41The inner sanctum
33:43Yeah
33:43Excellent
33:44Where shall I put myself?
33:46You can, you can come through here
33:48Okay
33:48And then...
33:49Today Boris is joined by regular guest Matthias Schröder
33:53So you're going to tell your listeners that we're here today?
33:56They already know
33:57They already know
33:57They already know
33:58I had to tell them it's this time it's not my fault that we're late
34:01Usually it is, but now I have someone to blame
34:05Okay
34:09Einen wunderschönen guten Tag zusammen
34:11Hauptthema geht es heute um Maja T
34:14Dazu entschieden sich als nicht-binäre Person mit neuem Namen und so weiter
34:20Ist Maja eigentlich im Frauenknast?
34:22Soweit ich weiß nicht, aber ich glaube so ein bisschen irgendwie schon irgendwie so ein bisschen separat untergebracht
34:28There are now dozens of AFD supporters like Boris and Matthias
34:35Using social media far more skillfully than traditional parties
34:39And helping to bring the AFD's agenda to huge numbers of young voters
34:44A millionenfach abschieben
34:49Boris and Matthias have invited me to meet some of their friends
34:53Why is it do you think that so many Germans are moving towards the AFD?
35:00Ich glaube, das ist gar keine so einfache Frage
35:03Ich glaube, dass es grundsätzlich mit einer Unzufriedenheit zusammenhängt
35:09Und viele Menschen in Deutschland das Gefühl haben, dass die einzige Möglichkeit, wie man sich Gehör verschaffen kann
35:16Durch diese Partei ist
35:18Und dass ganz viele Themen, die in den letzten Jahren von anderen Parteien ein Stück weit ignoriert wurden
35:27Das Thema Migration als Hauptthema
35:31Es wird immer darüber gesprochen
35:33Und wenn man diese Probleme dann explizit benennt, muss man sich häufig anhören, man sei Extremist in irgendeiner Form
35:40Und ich glaube, auf gut Deutsch gesagt, haben die Leute einfach die Schnauze voll davon
35:47Sie hat sich in den letzten Jahren, so wie sie geführt wurde, von den etablierten Parteien
35:52Schon eher so ein bisschen das Vertrauen entfäuscht hat der Bürger
35:57Ich bin ja selbst auch hier im Osten groß geworden und höre das auch selbst von meinen Eltern, von Großeltern
36:03Dass die ja oft sagen, und das ist natürlich oft so, früher war alles besser
36:07Ich habe mich nur gefragt, wie können junge Leute langen für ein Hausland oder gute alten Tage, die sie nie
36:14wirklich erlebt haben
36:15Ist das wirklich der Traum, dass die AfD sogar sogar verkauft hat?
36:20Es gibt so Filme aus den 70ern, wie die Straßenzüge aussahen
36:24Keine großartigen Absperrungen, es gab keine Betonklötze, die jetzt in Anführungszeichen jeden Weihnachtsmarkt schützen müssen
36:30Es gab keine Einlasskontrollen für Weihnachtsmärkte
36:33Das ist das Gefühl, was fehlt, das ist verloren gegangen
36:36Das Gefühl von Sicherheit im eigenen Land ist komplett verloren gegangen
36:42The AfD has millions of supporters, like Boris and his friends, who feel alienated from traditional establishment politics
36:51For them, classifying the AfD as extremist is just a ploy to weaken support for the party
36:59Das erste Mal, als die AfD als gesichert rechtsextremistisch eingestuft worden ist, war der Zeitpunkt, wo die AfD plötzlich die
37:07CDU überholt hat in einem Land
37:10Are you suggesting that it's the German establishment trying to shut the AfD down?
37:17Yeah
37:17Rather than actually having bona fide arguments why the AfD should be shut down?
37:23That's what you're saying
37:23Yeah
37:24So it's against democracy?
37:25Yeah
37:27Definitiv
37:33You don't have to agree with them but the AfD is huge in Germany and it's growing and it feels
37:42victimised by the German establishment
37:44And the danger of the German establishment trying to shut the AfD up or even shut it down altogether
37:50Is that increasing numbers of its supporters will lose faith in traditional politics here altogether
37:56And become more open to arguments that the freedom of speech or the voice of the people are being muzzled
38:09It's time for me to leave Germany
38:13This is a country in flux at home and under pressure from its European neighbours to step up on the
38:19world stage
38:23Right now Germany is uneasy in its own skin
38:27It's unsure of who or what to be just at the moment that this continent is at its weakest since
38:33the Second World War
38:35And as Europe's biggest economy it is time for Germany to stand up and to take far more of a
38:42leadership role
38:43One that it's been afraid to take since World War II
38:52Next I'm heading to Spain
38:57Of all the countries I'm visiting, this is the one that Brits are most familiar with
39:03We make more than 15 million trips here a year enjoying white sandy beaches and stunning coastal villages
39:14But although we may think of Spain as being united by paella, sangria, flamenco
39:20Living here it can feel less like one nation and more an assembly of 17 often very different regions
39:27With distinct identities
39:31I'm starting in the region of Catalonia in a small town called Villafranca, not far from Barcelona
39:42I've come here on a day when the town celebrates one of its most colourful and craziest traditions
39:50We've got one crew playing something over there
39:53These guys playing something completely different
39:55And I say, you know, this is what I love about Spain
39:58This mix of, you know, festivities
40:02But absolutely chaotic people of all ages all coming together
40:07I love it
40:21But today is about far more than the music
40:26You look at that lady's shirt at the back
40:29The yellow and red stripe, that is the Catalan flag
40:32These aren't very proud Catalans
40:36Today the town is celebrating its Catalan identity
40:39Today the town is celebrating its Catalan identity
40:39With an age-old tradition
40:43Building giant towers made of people
40:51So if you have a look at the people on the bottom here
40:53Everyone is kind of moving forward to give support to the base structure
40:59The lightest scramble to the top
41:04All the little ones are coming now
41:06Like small children
41:08But they're helmets for protection
41:11Okay, here they go
41:19Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
41:21Wow, it can happen
41:25You can see they're shaking
41:26But thankfully everyone's okay
41:28They're okay
41:29They're okay
41:34It's not unusual for a collapse to lead to a hospital visit
41:38But that's not enough to put them off
41:56Oh my god
41:59Oh my god
42:18They did it, they did it
42:19Ten, twelve hours a week of practice
42:20And it lasts a couple of seconds
42:23But it is really impressive
42:26To find out why they do something so dangerous
42:29I'm catching up with one of the climbers
42:31Maria Kamel
42:32Whose young children take part as well
42:35So I have to say first of all
42:37Congratulations
42:38Thank you
42:39That was amazing
42:40What does it mean to you and to everybody here to do these castals?
42:45What does it represent?
42:47It represents a tradition
42:49It's a very strong symbol of the Catalan character
42:54Of the Catalan people
42:55We are strong, we work together
42:57We like to reach the sky
43:01We have Catalan music playing
43:03What happens
43:04Lots of people wearing Catalan flags
43:06What's your mother tongue?
43:08My mother tongue is Catalan
43:10I always speak Catalan at home
43:13And I learn to speak Spanish at school
43:17So later, six or seven years old
43:18Yes
43:19And what about your children?
43:21My children speak Catalan at home
43:23And also in the school
43:25They learn Spanish as a second language
43:27Yes
43:27Or a foreign language
43:28Yes
43:29The main lessons in Catalonia are done in Catalan
43:33Do you feel more Spanish or Catalan?
43:37I definitely feel Catalan
43:38I don't feel Spanish at all
43:40At all?
43:41No, I have nothing against Spanish people or Spanish country
43:46But I don't think I belong to Spain
43:48I think for a lot of people
43:50That's quite a dramatic thing to say in a way
43:53Many tourists come to Barcelona to Catalonia
43:56And they just think
43:58Oh, it's a region of Spain
43:59Yes
44:00Not for you
44:01Not for me
44:04Maria is far from alone amongst Catalans
44:07In not feeling Spanish
44:15Near to Villafranca is the largest city in Catalonia
44:23Barcelona
44:24I've come to Barcelona on a really special day
44:29It's Catalan National Day
44:33Today is about celebrating Catalan culture
44:36But a lot of people aren't just here for a celebration
44:40They're here because they want independence from Spain
44:44The Catalan flag has red and yellow stripes
44:47But on proud display today
44:49Are also Catalan flags with a star
44:52And they symbolise a call for independence
44:56Trying to look for one flag
44:58That's not calling for independence
45:04And I can't see one
45:06I can't see one
45:11From the very, very young
45:13To the very, very old
45:16Catalan nationalists
45:17They do feed that to their children with mother's milk
45:21It is felt so strongly, so deeply
45:27Catalonia does have considerable autonomy from Spain
45:30With its own parliament and police force
45:32But many here feel that isn't enough
45:36Is there a difference between having your language
45:39Having learning catalan
45:42Having your traditions
45:43And wanting to break away from Spain?
45:46Yes, the truth
45:47The problem is that Spain
45:49They don't leave our culture to grow
45:51There are some interests
45:52To eliminate or have the catalan culture
45:57To Spain, live in Cataluña
46:00To Spain, live in Cataluña
46:03To Spain, live in Cataluña
46:04To Spain, live in Cataluña
46:06So much passion on the streets today
46:09A lot of joy
46:11But also anger
46:13And frustration
46:18You know, it does seem remarkable
46:20In modern day Spain
46:22And of course it's not all Catalans
46:25But there are so many people
46:27Who feel hostile
46:30Almost disgusted
46:31At the idea of being called Spanish
46:34Or just being part of this country
46:43So much of that hostility towards Spain
46:45In Cataluña
46:46And other parts of the country
46:48Can be traced back to Spain's civil war
46:50Of the 1930s
46:59First of the actual pictures from Spain in revolt
47:02Tells a graphic story of bloodshed and violence
47:04The land of smiling tomorrow is grim today
47:08After almost three years of fighting
47:11General Francisco Franco's nationalist forces
47:14Defeated Spain's republican government
47:17Franco went on to rule Spain as a dictator
47:20For almost 40 years
47:23The imprisoned political opponents
47:25Sent many to forced labour camps
47:27And executed tens of thousands
47:33In his drive to dominate Spain
47:35He tried to centralise
47:37And control it all from Madrid
47:39Franco violently clamped down
47:41On regional identities
47:43In areas like Catalonia
47:45The Basque Country
47:46And Galicia
47:46Which all had their own languages
47:48And independence movements
47:52Franco felt really threatened
47:54And threatened by regional pride
47:56And local nationalist sentiment
47:58And he tried to crack down on all that
48:01Hard and fast
48:03But the thing is
48:04If you try to repress people's passions
48:07And their sense of identity
48:09They often just come out all that much stronger
48:15Across Spain today
48:16Many still burn with resentment
48:18About the brutality
48:19Inflicted by the Franco regime
48:21Yet just outside Madrid
48:24There's still a giant memorial
48:26Franco commissioned essentially
48:28To glorify himself
48:33That is massive
48:35Massive
48:42Franco claimed this memorial
48:44And its 150 metre high cross
48:47Stand in honour of everyone
48:49Who died during the war
48:50On both sides
48:52But Franco's political prisoners
48:54Were forced to build it
48:55And it's become a symbol
48:57Of what opponents believe
48:58Is lingering sympathy
49:00For his legacy
49:03This place always sends shivers down my spine
49:08It's thought that more than 30,000 bodies
49:11Are buried here
49:12But the families of those who were killed
49:15Opposing Franco said
49:17No one asked them
49:18If the remains of their loved ones
49:20Could be brought here
49:21To a place they saw
49:23And still see
49:25As a homage to right-wing nationalism
49:27And a successful military coup
49:30And ultimately
49:31Where Franco's body
49:33Was laid to rest
49:34In glory
49:35Inside that basilica
49:38After Franco's death
49:39Instead of confronting
49:41What he'd done
49:41And trying to heal the country
49:44Spain's political class
49:45Imposed what they called
49:46A pact of forgetting
49:48But many Spaniards
49:50Have not forgotten
49:54Look
49:56Two banners have just been unfurled
49:57While we've been filming
49:59I've just seen the activists run off
50:021936 and 1975
50:03You know
50:04That's from the start
50:05Of Franco's military coup
50:07Until the end of his dictatorship
50:10That is a message
50:11Saying glory
50:12To a freed Basque country
50:14The activists are showing
50:15The repression
50:16They were put under
50:17By Franco
50:18And his regime
50:22Oh look, they're taking them
50:24They're taking them off now
50:25Yeah
50:28Yeah, the security guards
50:30Making sure they disappear
50:34These aren't images
50:35Spain wants us to see
50:44This remains a hugely divided country
50:47Between those who feel
50:49They still haven't received justice
50:51And those who saw the Franco era
50:53As one of political stability
50:55And economic growth
50:57But a public memorial
50:59Perceived to be celebrating Franco
51:01Is surprising
51:02What a contrast
51:05To the fates
51:05Of two other
51:07Famous European
51:0820th century
51:09Fascist dictators
51:11Mussolini
51:11And Hitler
51:13Franco's body was
51:15Taken away from here
51:16Just a few years ago
51:17But the shadow of this place
51:19Still looms large here
51:34In the 50 years since Franco died
51:37Little has been done
51:38To help the families
51:39Of his victims move on
51:43I've come to the south of the country
51:44To Cordoba
51:45And I'm on my way to a cemetery
51:47That has a mass grave
51:49From the Franco era
51:55At first glance
51:56This cemetery looks
51:57Much like any other
51:59The final resting place
52:00For thousands of loved ones
52:05But tucked in a corner
52:07At the far end
52:08Lie the remains of people
52:10Executed by Franco's followers
52:14Hola Daniel
52:15Hi
52:17I'm Katia
52:19Encantada
52:19Daniel Quiroga
52:21Daniel Quiroga is coordinating
52:22The exhumation
52:23Of the bodies buried here
52:25This is a mass grave
52:27Esto es un fosal comunal
52:28Totalmente
52:29De hecho ya llevamos
52:30Más de 140 vÃctimas
52:33Gente asesinada
52:35En este cementerio
52:37En este cementerio
52:37Sabemos que más o menos
52:38Hay de 1,400 personas asesinadas
52:41And in the city of Cordoba
52:42En la ciudad de Cordoba
52:44Pueden según las últimas
52:45Investigaciones
52:46Llegan a las 5,000 personas
52:47Wow
52:48In all these mass graves
52:49In the city
52:50Yes
52:52How many people in Spain
52:53He disappeared
52:54No te podrÃa dar un número
52:55120,000
52:56140,000
52:58La base de todo este proceso
53:00Es el ocultamiento
53:02It's thought that across Spain
53:04There are up to 6,000 mass graves sites
53:08Around a quarter have been dug up
53:11And while bodies of the Republican leftists
53:14Who fought against Franco
53:15Were tossed into the ground
53:16In unmarked graves
53:18Those who fought for Franco
53:20Were often given proper burials
53:22These are people
53:24Who fell on the front
53:25From the coupable side
53:27From the franquist side
53:28To whom they gave them honor
53:29And they gave them
53:31A space in perpetuity
53:32As you can see
53:33With their names
53:34With their dates
53:35With their death
53:36With a monumental cross
53:37That speaks
53:38That they have been dead
53:39By God
53:40And by Spain
53:41To whom they gave them
53:43Pensiones
53:44To their wives
53:45And they tried to seek
53:46A good life
53:48It's a big contrast
53:50Between this part
53:51Of the graveyard
53:52And an unmarked
53:54Masquerade
53:55Totalmente
53:56Totalmente
53:57Pues pensar que
53:57En España
53:59En esa época
54:00Y a partir de esa época
54:01Ator asÃ
54:02En todos los pueblos
54:03Unos olvidados
54:04Y enterrados
54:06Casi 90 años
54:07Luchando para recuperar
54:09No, unos huesos de los suyos
54:11Que todo el mundo estuviera de acuerdo
54:12Porque son derechos humanos
54:14Son gente asesinada
54:15You're very emotional
54:15Hombre, claro
54:16Claro
54:17It's a real wound
54:18That's open in Spain still
54:21Totalmente
54:21No, nosotros estamos
54:23Intentando cerrar
54:24Esa herida
54:25Que hoy en dÃa
54:26Sigue sangrando
54:29Spain is a modern
54:31Western European country
54:33But it still has one
54:35Of the highest numbers
54:36Of disappeared people
54:37In the world
54:38Hi, I'm Katia
54:41I'm so pleased to meet you
54:42Rafael Amor
54:44And his daughter
54:44Maria Jose
54:45Have been waiting
54:46For decades
54:47To find the remains
54:48Of Rafael's father
55:12Francisco
55:13Was a captain fighting against Franco's army
55:17But he was captured
55:18He was brought to this cemetery
55:21Shot
55:22And thrown into a mass grave
55:26Well, he was the final
55:27That is what
55:29The most emotional
55:30When he knows
55:32Of the date
55:33Of the situation
55:34He starts writing
55:35Cartas of messy
55:37the one that I wrote to my grandmother on my birthday.
55:40She said to my dear wife,
55:44today I die,
55:46I have to know that I die with your name in my eyes.
55:50Do you forgive me the offenses that I have committed with you without wanting?
55:55You will always honor my memory telling my children
55:58the truth of the sad story of his father, my Raffaline.
56:04He has not had the eyes of his father more than twice in his face.
56:09He does not know me.
56:13Give him kisses in my name
56:15and remember always of your husband who loves you,
56:18Francesco Amor.
56:23I'm so sorry, Raffal. I'm so sorry.
56:31This happened so many years ago,
56:34but there's still so much pain.
56:37When the war is dead, people die, that's obvious, right?
56:41But I think everyone has the right to know where their family are
56:45and to have a safe burial.
56:50To be able to take a flower.
56:57Work is due to start soon to unearth the remains in this cemetery.
57:02Once they're recovered, the aim is to identify them through their DNA,
57:06to finally bring some closure.
57:10Francisco Amor Cuadrado.
57:13Just one of so many Spaniards thrown away like rubbish into mass graves by Franco's fascists.
57:21This pain and division in Spain is just going to keep on being passed from generation to generation
57:27until this country confronts its ugly past and then finally puts it to rest.
57:35These old wounds divide and weaken Spain, politically as well as socially.
57:42It's continental Europe's fourth richest power,
57:46but the role Spain plays on the European stage is far off its potential.
57:57Next time I'll come face to face with one of Spain's biggest threats.
58:03Another fire starts there, another there, another there.
58:07Before heading to a European rainforest.
58:10You do not get this in Paris.
58:13And finding out why the heart of France is hurting.
58:17Looking in my wing mirror there, there are a lot of police vans behind us.
58:22And finding out of Muchas vielen Germans are really, yeah.
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