Reichs & Republics: The German History Podcast
Two academic historians, one German and one British, explore the complexities and lesser-known stories of German history beyond the usual clichés.
A narrative history podcast where two academic historians guide listeners through complex German historical events, from the Holy Roman Empire to the modern era. Hoyer and Dillon alternate presenting the story, using questions to transition between topics and create a structured, scholarly, yet engaging dialogue. They aim to dispel popular myths and explore the telling details often overlooked in broader histories.
“The primary distinction is the co-host dynamic between a German-born historian (Hoyer) and a British historian (Dillon), providing a unique blend of insider and outsider perspectives. The show stands out by tackling nuanced, often dark, topics like the Stasi or the Eulenburg Affair with scholarly rigor, rather than focusing only on the most famous periods.”
Who hosts this show
Reichs & Republics is hosted by Katja Hoyer and Dr. Christopher Dillon. Hoyer is a German-British historian, journalist, and author of the bestselling books "Blood and Iron" and "Beyond the Wall". She is a Visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Dr. Christopher Dillon is a Senior Lecturer in Modern German History at King's College London, specializing in the Weimar and Nazi periods with a focus on political culture and violence. He is the author of "Dachau and the SS: A Schooling in Violence" and is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Credentials & credits
- Katja Hoyer: MA in History, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
- Katja Hoyer: Visiting Research Fellow, King's College London
- Katja Hoyer: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
- Dr. Christopher Dillon: PhD, Birkbeck, University of London
- Dr. Christopher Dillon: Senior Lecturer in Modern German History, King's College London
- Dr. Christopher Dillon: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Other ventures
- Katja Hoyer: Author of "Blood and Iron" and "Beyond the Wall"
- Katja Hoyer: Columnist for Berliner Zeitung and contributor to The Washington Post, The Spectator
- Katja Hoyer: Co-host of "The New Germany" podcast
- Dr. Christopher Dillon: Author of "Dachau and the SS: A Schooling in Violence"
- Dr. Christopher Dillon: Contributor to academic publications on the Weimar Republic and Nazism
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01The Most Totalitarian Surveillance State in HistoryJun 26, 2026 · 1 min
- 02Even Hair Salon Complaints Went Straight to the StasiJun 25, 2026 · 2 min
- 03The Brutal Quote About MielkeJun 24, 2026 · 1 min
- 04The Eulenburg Affair and the Kaiser's Secret Circle | The German History Podcast: 15Jun 23, 2026 · 48 min
- 05Erich Mielke and the Origins of the Stasi | The German History Podcast: 14Jun 16, 2026 · 49 min
- 06Austria and Germany: The Anschluss | The German History Podcast: 13Jun 9, 2026 · 44 min
- 07Why is Austria not in Germany? | The German History Podcast: 12Jun 2, 2026 · 49 min
- 081923 The Ruhr Crisis with Mark Jones | The German History Podcast: 11May 26, 2026 · 1h 02m
Notable episodes
- 01Erich Mielke and the Origins of the Stasi | The German History Podcast: 14
Provides a chilling, detailed account of the East German secret police, making a stark comparison that the Stasi's surveillance network was far denser than the Nazi Gestapo's.
- 02The Eulenburg Affair and the Kaiser's Secret Circle | The German History Podcast: 15
A deep dive into a lesser-known but highly consequential scandal in Imperial Germany, exploring themes of power, the press, and homosexuality at the turn of the 20th century.
- 03Austria and Germany: The Anschluss | The German History Podcast: 13
Explains the complex political, economic, and ideological factors leading to the 1938 union, detailing the role of Austrofascism and the failed 1934 Nazi putsch.
- 04Why is Austria not in Germany? | The German History Podcast: 12
Tackles a fundamental question of German identity by tracing the long historical rivalry between the Habsburg and Hohenzollern dynasties that created two competing centers of German culture.
What you'll be asked on this show
This is a co-hosted narrative podcast, not a standard interview show. Episodes typically open with a dramatic reading of a historical quote or audio clip before the hosts introduce the topic. Hoyer and Dillon alternate narrating segments, building the story together. While the vast majority of episodes feature only the two hosts, they occasionally bring on a guest expert for a specific subject.
Signature segments
- · Opening with a historical quote or audio clip
- · Co-host narrative exchange
- · Academic introductions by name and title
- · Dispelling common myths about German history
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
When guests are featured, they are typically academic historians and authors who have published significant, specialized work on the episode's topic, such as Mark Jones on the 1923 Ruhr Crisis.
- Mark Joneson 1923 The Ruhr Crisis with Mark Jones | The German History Podcast: 11
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast does not appear to feature third-party advertisements in the episodes reviewed. It promotes its own membership community, "The Stammtisch," for listeners who wish to support the show and receive ad-free versions.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Reichs & Republics?
- The podcast is hosted by two historians: Katja Hoyer, a German-British author and journalist, and Dr. Christopher Dillon, a Senior Lecturer in Modern German History at King's College London.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It is a co-hosted narrative show. The two hosts alternate telling a historical story, asking each other questions to guide the discussion. It is not an interview show, though it occasionally features a guest expert.
- Is this podcast still active?
- Yes, based on the recent episode release schedule, the podcast is actively producing new content weekly.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Podbean, and other major podcast platforms. An ad-free version is available to members on their official website.
- What does 'Reichs & Republics' mean?
- The title refers to the distinct chapters of German political history, which can be sequenced into different 'Reichs' (empires) and 'Republics', a structure the hosts use to frame their storytelling.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Reichs & Republics - Podcast - Battle Guidebattleguide.co.uk
- [02]Katja Hoyer - Author Profile | Penguin Bookspenguin.co.uk
- [03]Dr Christopher Dillon - King's College Londonkcl.ac.uk
- [04]Katja Hoyer - Foreign Policy Research Institutefpri.org
- [05]Katja Hoyer - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [06]Christopher Dillon & Kim Wünschmann - German Historical Institute London Blogghil.hypotheses.org
- [07]Reichs & Republics Official Websitereichs-and-republics.com
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