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The History behind “Babylon Berlin”

On August 19, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., Marion Brasch will be moderating a discussion on the production and historical background of the popular German series at Freie Universität Berlin

№ 132/2022 from Aug 12, 2022

“Babylon Berlin”– the award-winning, global hit television series set in Berlin during the final years of the Weimar Republic – will be the subject of a panel discussion open to the public on August 19, 2022, in the Max Kade Auditorium at Freie Universität Berlin. Co-director Henk Handloegten will be discussing how this major production is filmed and the historical references it makes – as well as historical depictions in film, television, and literature – with historian Dr. Hanno Hochmuth from the Leibniz Center for Contemporary History in Potsdam, who is also a lecturer at Freie Universität Berlin, and film scholar Bettina Köhler. Dr. Hochmuth is a specialist in the history of Berlin during the 1920s, while Bettina Köhler was involved in costume design for the series. Journalist and writer Marion Brasch will be moderating the panel. Attendance is free, and no registration is required. This public event, held in English, is being organized as part of the World Conference of the International Federation for Public History (www.ifph2020.berlin/index.html), which will be taking place from August 16–20, 2022, at Freie Universität Berlin.

The series “Babylon Berlin,” which has won the acclaim of millions of fans around the world, tells the story of the fictional Inspector Gereon Rath in Berlin, starting in 1929. The depiction of historical events and fictional stories set against historical backgrounds has captured the interest of history scholars as well, and the subject has become an object of study in the field of public history. Scholars in this field analyze the ties between real historical facts, their adaptation in films, television shows, and novels, and the impact this has on how we view and interpret history.

Freie Universität’s master’s degree program in Public History, which has been run in collaboration with the Leibniz Center for Contemporary History in Potsdam since 2008, has been essential to establishing the field in Germany and across Europe.

Time and Venue for “Babylon Berlin – Public History on TV”

  • Friday, August 19, 2022, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • Max Kade Auditorium (Audimax), Henry Ford Building, Freie Universität Berlin, Garystraße 35, 14195 Berlin-Dahlem (Subway station: Freie Universität/Thielplatz)

Further Information

https://www.ifph2020.berlin/index.html

Contact

  • Prof. Dr. Paul Nolte, Friedrich Meinecke Institute at Freie Universität Berlin, Email: paul.nolte@fu-berlin.de
  • Dr. Hanno Hochmuth, Leibniz Center for Contemporary History in Potsdam, Tel.: +49 (0)331-28991-58, Email: hochmuth@zzf-potsdam.de