Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany (Guest: Katja Hoyer)
Download MP3Heartland’s Tim Benson is once again joined by Katja Hoyer, research fellow at King’s College London, to discuss her new book, Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany. They chat about the political, social, and cultural landscape that existed in East Germany, the oppressions and hardships implemented and placed on the East German population by the communist regime, and why East Germans were so into blue jeans.
Get the book here: https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/katja-hoyer/beyond-the-wall/9781541602571/
Show Notes:
Commentary: Clare McHugh – “East of Eden”
https://www.commentary.org/articles/clare-mchugh/east-germany-katja-hoyer-matthew-longo/
The Critic: David Goodhart – “The country that went to the wall”
https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/may-2023/the-country-that-went-to-the-wall/
The Economist: “Beyond the Wall adds depth to caricatures of East Germany”
https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/03/23/beyond-the-wall-adds-depth-to-caricatures-of-east-germany
The European Conservative: Jonathon Van Maren – “The Personal Narratives of Hoyer’s Beyond the Wall”
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/reviews/the-personal-narratives-of-hoyers-beyond-the-wall/
Financial Times: Frederick Studemann – “Katja Hoyer: we need to hear ‘the whole story’ about East Germany”
https://www.ft.com/content/3f26324f-081c-47de-a168-4fdf03a1e4ed
Foreign Policy: Allison Meakem – “A Tale of Two Germanies”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/10/01/germany-east-west-reunification-book-review-katja-hoyer-michael-kater/
The Guardian: Jacob Mikanowski – “Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer review – the human face of the socialist state”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/02/beyond-the-wall-by-katja-hoyer-review-far-from-the-gdr-of-the-western-imagination-east-germany-1949-1990
Literary Review: John Kampfner – “Honecker’s Hidden Pleasures”
https://literaryreview.co.uk/honeckers-hidden-pleasures
Los Angeles Review of Books: Matthew Longo – “Ostalgie: Revisiting East Germany”
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/ostalgie-revisiting-east-germany/
The New Republic: Samuel Clowes Huneke – “The Lost History of East Germany”
https://newrepublic.com/article/175286/lost-history-east-germany-katya-hoyer-beyond-wall-book-review
New York Times: Kati Marton – “Life During Cold Wartime in East Berlin”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/books/review/beyond-the-wall-katja-hoyer.html
The Telegraph: Saul David – “Willkommen to the GDR! A warts-and-all history of East Germany”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/beyond-wall-katja-hoyer-review-brilliant-warts-and-all-history/
The Times: Dominic Sandbrook – “Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer review: real life in East Germany”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/beyond-the-wall-by-katja-hoyer-review-real-life-in-east-germany-qjzx603rt
Times Literary Supplement: Karen Leeder – “Goodbye, GDR!”
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/beyond-the-wall-katja-hoyer-book-review-karen-leeder/
Get the book here: https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/katja-hoyer/beyond-the-wall/9781541602571/
Show Notes:
Commentary: Clare McHugh – “East of Eden”
https://www.commentary.org/articles/clare-mchugh/east-germany-katja-hoyer-matthew-longo/
The Critic: David Goodhart – “The country that went to the wall”
https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/may-2023/the-country-that-went-to-the-wall/
The Economist: “Beyond the Wall adds depth to caricatures of East Germany”
https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/03/23/beyond-the-wall-adds-depth-to-caricatures-of-east-germany
The European Conservative: Jonathon Van Maren – “The Personal Narratives of Hoyer’s Beyond the Wall”
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/reviews/the-personal-narratives-of-hoyers-beyond-the-wall/
Financial Times: Frederick Studemann – “Katja Hoyer: we need to hear ‘the whole story’ about East Germany”
https://www.ft.com/content/3f26324f-081c-47de-a168-4fdf03a1e4ed
Foreign Policy: Allison Meakem – “A Tale of Two Germanies”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/10/01/germany-east-west-reunification-book-review-katja-hoyer-michael-kater/
The Guardian: Jacob Mikanowski – “Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer review – the human face of the socialist state”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/02/beyond-the-wall-by-katja-hoyer-review-far-from-the-gdr-of-the-western-imagination-east-germany-1949-1990
Literary Review: John Kampfner – “Honecker’s Hidden Pleasures”
https://literaryreview.co.uk/honeckers-hidden-pleasures
Los Angeles Review of Books: Matthew Longo – “Ostalgie: Revisiting East Germany”
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/ostalgie-revisiting-east-germany/
The New Republic: Samuel Clowes Huneke – “The Lost History of East Germany”
https://newrepublic.com/article/175286/lost-history-east-germany-katya-hoyer-beyond-wall-book-review
New York Times: Kati Marton – “Life During Cold Wartime in East Berlin”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/books/review/beyond-the-wall-katja-hoyer.html
The Telegraph: Saul David – “Willkommen to the GDR! A warts-and-all history of East Germany”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/beyond-wall-katja-hoyer-review-brilliant-warts-and-all-history/
The Times: Dominic Sandbrook – “Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer review: real life in East Germany”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/beyond-the-wall-by-katja-hoyer-review-real-life-in-east-germany-qjzx603rt
Times Literary Supplement: Karen Leeder – “Goodbye, GDR!”
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/beyond-the-wall-katja-hoyer-book-review-karen-leeder/
Creators and Guests
Host
Tim Benson
Ill Literacy, the newest podcast from The Heartland Institute, is helmed by Tim Benson, Senior Policy Analyst for Heartland’s Government Relations team. Benson brings on authors of new book releases on topics including politics, culture, and history on the Ill Literacy podcast. Every episode offers listeners the author’s unique analysis of their own book release. Discussions often shift into debate between authors and Benson when ideological differences arise, creating unique commentary that can’t be found anywhere else.
