Life in the former German Democratic Republic, known as East Germany or the GDR, holds an ongoing fascination for many people. Hosted by Steve Minegar and John Paul Kleiner, Radio GDR is a history podcast designed to educate and inform on the life and times of a country whose wall once symbolized the Iron Curtain.
We are apolitical and do not seek to glorify the GDR, but rather preserve the history and stories of a place at the forefront of the Cold War.
Join us at Radio GDR - East Germany Podcast as we explore firsthand accounts of life and travel behind the Berlin Wall. Whether your interest is history, architecture, music, fashion, football or even stamp collection, you will find your interest satisfied.Meet the Radio GDR Team
Steve Minegar
Hi, I'm Steve! East Germany and the Cold War have held my interest since I was a child, and preserving the history of that time by telling your stories is truly an honor. Having studied abroad in Chile, I have a particular interest in Latin America's historical connections with the GDR.
John Paul Kleiner
While I am old enough to have been to the GDR several times in the mid- to late 1980s, my fascination with "the Workers and Peasants State" only emerged after it had ceased to exist. In 1999, in an attempt to get closer to the GDR past, I spent a year living and working in Leipzig and my experiences in the "former-East" inspired me to go back to pursue a Master's degree in East German history. In the years since, I have used my GDR Objectified blog and contributions to the Radio GDR podcast as ways to engage further with various aspects of this fascinating period of modern German history.
Matthew Sigley - Audio Production
I performed with a band I was in at the Wave Gotik Treffen festival in Leipzig in 2017. It was my first visit in the east of Germany. After exploring Leipzig, Dresden and Berlin and talking to East Germans about their experiences growing up there, I became interested in the history and the culture of the GDR and the stories it’s citizens have to tell. Since then I have read numerous books on the GDR, watched many East German films and immersed myself in the underground music of East Germany.