In this episode, Chris Clark talks with Esra Özyürek about the backstories behind conversions to Islam in today’s Germany. Converts to Islam in Germany number about 100,000 according to current estimates. What motivates German converts to take this step? And what kind of step is it? How are converts viewed by the communities they seek to join and how are they seen by mainstream German society? And what does the convert’s journey across boundaries tell us about national and social belonging? A conversation about identity, difference and the place of religion in a secular society.

Professor Esra Ozyurek joined University of Cambridge after having taught at the London School of Economics and University of California, San Deigo. She completed her PhD at the University of Michigan and prior to that she received a completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Political Science at Bogazici University, Istanbul. You can follow her on Twitter @esragozyurek

Chris Clark is the Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge. He was made Knight Bachelor in the 2015 birthday honours list for services to British-German relations.

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With the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war still unfolding, Chris Clark talks with Andreas Kossert about how Germany and other European states are handling the current Ukrainian refugee crisis. How does today’s emergency fit into a history of forced displacement that is as old as humanity itself? A conversation about danger, survival, displacement, arrival, memory and the meaning of home.

Dr Andreas Kossert worked at the German Historical Institute in Warsaw and has lived in Berlin as a historian and author since 2010. His books include Masuria (2001) and East Prussia (2005). He recently published the bestseller Kalte Heimat. The history of the German expellees after 1945 (2008), East Prussia. Story of a Historical Landscape (2014) and Escape - A Human Story (2020).

You can see Dr Kossert's books here : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Andreas-Kossert/e/B001JOPZGK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1648830693&sr=1-2

Professor Chris Clark is Regius Professor of History at Cambridge University.

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With the SPD-led coalition government freshly installed, Chris Clark talks with Norbert Röttgen about Germany's place in Europe and the world. Is 'European sovereignty' still in reach? And if it is not, what does that mean for Germany? Are these the end-times for the 'western liberal order'? A conversation about coalitions, threats, values and uncertainty. This podcast was recorded on 20 January 2022.

Norbert Röttgen is a member of the Bundestag (CDU). He has been Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. You can find Norbert Röttgen on Twitter @n_roettgen

Professor Chris Clark is Regius Professor of History at Cambridge University.

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