Two versions of history collide as Finland and Sweden seek to join NATO
Finland and Sweden have long kept a careful balance — and neutral position — between the West and Russia. But that changed after Moscow invaded Ukraine.
Berlin Wall
Opinion: 30 Years After The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a concrete manifestation of the barrier between democracy and oppression. NPR's Scott Simon marks the 30th anniversary of the day it began to come down.
The Berlin Wall Fell And Thousands Left This East German City. Now Some Are Returning
Picturesque Goerlitz has appeared in films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Inglourious Basterds. But a lack of jobs led thousands of residents to go elsewhere. The city is trying to woo them back.
David Hasselhoff Is Still Big In Germany 30 Years After His Berlin Wall Show
The Hoff recently sat down with NPR in Berlin and told the story of how he became a rock star there.
In German Coal Country, This Former Socialist Model City Has Shrunk In Half
Thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell, Hoyerswerda is struggling to thrive, a far-right party has gained popularity and many residents worry about the future when Germany phases out coal.
In Reckoning With Confederate Monuments, Other Countries Could Provide Examples
The U.S. isn't alone in confronting sites dedicated to contentious, and often troubling, moments in its history.
Historic Art, Luxury Apartments Battle Over Berlin's Famous Wall
A stretch of the old Berlin Wall has stood for decades as an open-air gallery, covered in fine art and graffiti. Bids for luxury developments in the area have artists hitting the streets in protest.
The Cold War 'Mole' Who Smuggled 1,000 East Germans To The West
Hasso Herschel fled East Germany in 1961 on a false passport. Over the next decade, he helped more than 1,000 East Germans flee by smuggling them through tunnels or by hiding them inside cars.
Germany's Merkel: Fall Of Berlin Wall Shows Dreams Come True
Chancellor Angela Merkel, marking the 25th anniversary of the event, said the destruction of the Wall showed that "nothing has to stay as it is."
The Cold War Broadcast That Gave East German Dissidents A Voice
In the final years before the Berlin Wall fell, East Germans described their grievances on cassette tapes that were smuggled to West Berlin and then broadcast back to the east on Radio Glasnost.