Beyond Berlin

Stories —big and small— that start in Berlin and look eastward, where Europe´s heart beats and its future unfolds. A blog, a podcast and a journey connecting past and present of our continent, as seen from Berlin and looking beyond, toward the East.

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Today's episode:

📖 "Berlin Underground" (”Der Schattenmann”) by Ruth Andreas-Friedrich: Uncle Emil's Silent Resistance in Nazi Berlin

In the heart of Nazi Berlin, a group of courageous citizens led by journalist Ruth Andreas-Friedrich said "NO" to the regime, risking everything to save lives and preserve human dignity. Through Ruth's diary, we discover the story of the "Uncle Emil" group, an underground network that helped Jews, forged documents, and organized acts of sabotage, while the world around them descended into horror. This episode traces their deeds, from chalk marks on walls to the liberation of the city, and reflects on the legacy of those who chose to resist when silence would have been easier.

📖 The book has been published in various languages. In late 2024, it was republished in German as “Der Schattenmann” (link here) and in English as “Berlin Underground” it has been republished several times, though not recently.

🎧 This episode, the complete text with notes and illustrations are published on Substack in the blog beyondberlin.substack.com, where Valentina Giannella chronicles – in English, German, and Italian – Europe of yesterday and today from Berlin, looking eastward, where Europe's heart beats and its future is being defined.

📌 Subscribe for free at beyondberlin.substack.com to receive upcoming episodes and read other posts: stories of yesterday and today, photographs from Berlin and beyond, voices and books.

Music Credits

🎶 Intro/Outro music & theme: “Happy Klezmer” by zec53

🎶 Main theme: "Hevenu shalom aleichem" Royalty-Free

🎶 Altri segments: DELOSound

🎶 SFX from Freesound Community