Podcasts about Central Europe

"Projects always go wrong." That's not us being cheeky, that's a direct quote from a VP of Development. This week, Florian's got Jan Heringa, VP Development and Project Management at Leonardo Hotels, in the SMACK spotlight. From kitchen chaos at 15 to masterminding the launch of iconic brands like NYX Hotels by Leonardo Hotels across Europe, Jan's career is pure, unfiltered hotelier grit. But trust us, it's not all smooth openings and clinking champagne glasses. They're tearing down the curtain on: - The investment strategy that powered Leonardo Hotels' massive Central Europe expansion, fifteen new properties in just one year - The absolute chaos of hotel construction, and the learning process behind budget overruns, timeline nightmares, and finding five layers of tiles during a renovation - Why sustainability became a must in the hospitality industry—it's gone from “nice-to-have” to the only way to sign new deals and secure financing in today's market Now, here's Jan's unvarnished advice for young hoteliers: forget shortcuts. Walk the talk, get your hands dirty in every department, and build that solid foundation. Ready for the truth about building a hospitality empire, straight from the guy who lives it? Enjoy the show!

In dieser Kurzfolge von RaDiHum20 führen wir unsere Reihe zur DHd2026 in Wien fort und sprechen mit Maria Vargha, die an der Universität Wien an der Schnittstelle von Digital Humanities, Mediävistik und Spatial Humanities forscht und lehrt. Im Interview erzählt Maria von ihrer aktuellen Forschung, die sich besonders auf die Spatial Humanities konzentriert. Ein wichtiges Projekt ist das ERC-Projekt RELIG, das sie gemeinsam mit Kolleg*innen an der Universität Wien und am Naturhistorischen Museum Wien durchführt. Dabei geht es darum, wie die Christianisierung und Staatsbildung im frühmittelalterlichen Mitteleuropa (vor allem in Böhmen, im mittelalterlichen Ungarn und im heutigen Österreich) das Leben der "normalen" Alltags-Bevölkerung beeinflusst haben. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen historischen Studien, die sich auf Eliten konzentrieren, richtet dieses Projekt den Fokus bewusst auf lokale Gemeinschaften, Begräbnislandschaften, kirchliche Netzwerke und materielle Überlieferungen. In this short episode of RaDiHum20, we continue our series on DHd2026 in Vienna by talking to Maria Vargha. Maria is a researcher and teaches at the intersection of Digital Humanities, Medieval Studies, and Spatial Humanities at the University of Vienna. In the interview, Maria discusses her current research, which focuses particularly on Spatial Humanities. One of the key projects is the ERC project RELIG, which she is conducting with colleagues from the University of Vienna and the Natural History Museum Vienna. This project examines the impact of Christianisation and state formation in early medieval Central Europe (particularly Bohemia, medieval Hungary, and present-day Austria) on the lives of ordinary people. Unlike many historical studies that focus on elites, this project deliberately shifts attention to local communities, burial landscapes, ecclesiastical networks, and material remains.

Wojciech Przybylski speaks with Maria Repko, Deputy Director at the Centre for Economic Strategy in Kyiv, about how Ukraine's economy functions under winter blackouts, missile attacks and a war-driven defence industry boom.In this episode:– What daily life looks like in Kyiv at -20 degrees with rationed electricity and broken heating– Why Ukrainians reject the ‘resilience' label and what it obscures– Poland–Ukraine cooperation after Donald Tusk's visit and the shift from ‘emotional' to ‘rational' politics– The SAFE mechanism, EU defence funding and why Ukraine's defence industry iterates faster– What to expect from the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk– Why ‘closing the sky' matters more than any reconstruction cheque– Frozen Russian assets and what Europe signals by keeping them immobilisedSubscribe for more conversations on democratic security, security policy and political economy in Central Europe.Support independent journalism and analysis: https://visegradinsight.eu/membership-account/membership-checkout/Podcast listeners' code: visegrad35 (35 per cent off yearly subscription)Watch on YouTube: Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wOAm6tjBMzvqgtAX7XaIg?si=qapxXc0JTUKBU0ddYk9RjAListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/ukraines-economy-is-growing-despite-genocide/id1515725435?i=1000749271637&l=en-GB00:00 Guest intro: Ukraine's economy under war00:25 Podcast intro and context01:38 Kyiv winter, vulnerability and survival02:08 Heating destruction and electricity rationing04:21 ‘We do not like the word resilience anymore'05:16 Poland's visit to Kyiv, new cooperation agenda07:58 From ‘emotional' to ‘rational' bilateral politics11:16 Subscription message (promo code)11:40 Ukraine Recovery Conference and diplomacy track13:15 Why the conference matters (Berlin, Rome, now Gdańsk)14:23 A new defence pillar and business-driven recovery15:13 ‘Close the sky': prevention over recovery17:21 Where frozen assets sit and why it stays opaque18:50 Europe's credibility and deterrence signal29:51 Why financial support underpins state capacity30:56 Deterrence logic and Russia's military spending32:29 Why Russia is not preparing to stop34:07 Outro

This week, I sat down with Pavel Streblov to unpack how one of Central Europe's most established private real estate groups is entering the UK market, why London still matters, and what it really takes to build and deliver at scale as a developer in today's environment. Pavel is Business Director at Penta Real Estate, a privately owned investment group founded by five university classmates, with major interests spanning healthcare, banking, media, and large scale urban real estate. Pavel leads Penta's UK platform and is responsible for its expansion into London, bringing institutional capital, long term thinking, and a developer led mindset into a market facing structural supply constraints. In this conversation, Pavel explains why Penta chose to expand beyond its home markets in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, how the group reached scale domestically, and why development requires a fundamentally different approach to buying standing assets. We explore why building a credible pipeline matters more than one off success, and how local knowledge, council dynamics, and delivery track record determine whether a developer is taken seriously. We discuss Penta's first major UK move, a joint venture with Ballymore across two residential schemes totalling around 700 homes and approximately £700 million of development value. Pavel shares how Penta thinks about quality, amenity, and long term ownership, and why entering the market at the bottom of the cycle can create asymmetric opportunity when supply is constrained. The conversation also goes deep on the UK market itself. Pavel offers a blunt comparison between the UK and the Czech Republic, explaining how stamp duty, transaction costs, and mortgage pricing actively discourage ownership and push local buyers into renting. We unpack Gateway 2, viability pressure, delivery delays, and why flexibility and speed of decision making have become critical advantages in a market full of stalled and so called zombie projects. We close by looking ahead. Pavel explains how Penta is already using AI in early stage design and option testing, and why being a developer ultimately requires optimism. If you fully price every risk, nothing ever gets built.   Key Topics Covered in This Episode   ✅ Why Penta Chose the UK How scale limits in home markets pushed Penta to expand and why London stood out. ✅ Development Versus Standing Assets Why development is a long term commitment that requires local conviction and pipeline depth. ✅ The Ballymore Joint Venture 700 homes, £700m of value, and why scale matters from day one. ✅ Ownership, Stamp Duty and Market Friction Why UK tax structures discourage buying and reshape demand dynamics. ✅ Gateway 2 and Viability Pressure How regulation and delays are constraining supply and reshaping opportunity. ✅ Zombie Projects and Flexible Capital Why creativity, speed, and structure now unlock returns. ✅ AI and the Developer Mindset How technology supports decision making and why optimism still matters.   And of course, I asked Pavel the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.  

Stephan Sander-Faes is a professor of history teaching European civilization at the University of Bergen, Norway (faculty profile: https://www4.uib.no/en/find-employees/Stephan.Sander-Faes). His work focuses mainly on post-mediaeval (Central) Europe. He blogs semi-anonymously about European affairs at https://fackel.substack.com/ (click and sign up, it's free). When he's not teaching, he tends to his livestock (follow his sheep at https://bsky.app/profile/ramsesandhisgang.bsky.social). In whatever spare time he has left, he explores our analogue, pre-internet world cataloging his late grandfather's vintage picture postcard collection, which you may as well check out over at https://espc.substack.com. The KunstlerCast theme music is the beautiful Two Rivers Waltz written and performed by Larry Unger

In this episode, I talk about the real phenomenon of travel anxiety. I give 2 poignant stories, and also make the funny analogy of solo travel to approaching girls in a bar. Please enjoy!My book "Going Solo" is a how-to book - How to Travel Solo: Please get it here: Amazon: Going Solo 

Send us a textCroissants: The Surprising History of France's Most Iconic PastryIn the first episode of Season Six of Fabulously Delicious: The French Food Podcast, we're diving into the irresistible world of the croissant — one of the most iconic pastries in French cuisine and a beloved breakfast staple around the globe. With its golden crust, delicate flakes, and rich buttery layers, the croissant is instantly recognisable, but its story is far more complex than many people realise.This episode explores the croissant's surprising origins, tracing its roots back to Central Europe and the Austrian kipferl, long before it became a symbol of France. We unpack the myths, legends, and historical milestones that shaped its evolution — from crescent-shaped pastries linked to Vienna's past, to the cultural exchanges that helped bring the croissant into French baking tradition.You'll also learn how French bakers transformed the croissant into the light, laminated masterpiece we know today, using refined techniques, leavened dough, and layers of butter to create its signature texture. We explore the rise of viennoiserie in France, the impact of influential figures like August Zang, and how baking innovations — including new ovens and methods — changed Parisian pastry forever.Finally, we look at how the croissant became a cornerstone of French daily life, inspiring regional variations, spin-off pastries like pain au chocolat, and ongoing debates about shape, ingredients, and authenticity. Whether you're a passionate baker, a lover of French food, or simply someone who enjoys a perfect pastry with coffee, this episode reveals why the croissant remains one of the most delicious cultural icons in the world.Support the showMy book Paris: A Fabulous Food Guide to the World's Most Delicious City is your ultimate companion. You'll find hand-picked recommendations for the best boulangeries, patisseries, wine bars, cafés, and restaurants that truly capture the flavor of Paris. You can order it online at andrewpriorfabulously.com For those who want to take things further, why not come cook with me here in Montmorillon, in the heart of France's Vienne region? Combine hands-on French cooking classes with exploring charming markets, tasting regional specialties, and soaking up the slow, beautiful pace of French countryside life. Find all the details at andrewpriorfabulously.com You can help keep the show thriving by becoming a monthly supporter. Your support helps me create more episodes celebrating French food, history & culture. Here's the listener support link. Every contribution makes a huge difference. Merci beaucoup! Newsletter Youtube Instagram Facebook Website

Marsh Moyle is an interesting man. He’s an Englishman but he grew up in Malta. He and his wife Tuula lived for 17 years in Vienna when the Iron Curtain divided Europe. There they organised book translation and distribution while researching the beliefs, practices, and problems of life under communism. In the post-communist period, they lived in Slovakia for 16 years, establishing publishing houses in seven countries. They also ran a learning community and held seminars with student groups in Central Europe, Russia, and Ukraine, committed to awakening the imagination, encouragng critical thinking, and fostering a deeper practical understanding of biblical ideas. Marsh is the author of Rumours of a Better Country: Searching for Trust and Community in a Time of Moral Outrage. In this episode, Marsh and Jonathan Rogers talk about utopianism, individualism, and the surprising truth that we can only be our true, distinct selves when our selves are shaped by the people around us.Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

German military history is typically viewed as an inexorable march to the rise of Prussia and the two world wars, the road paved by militarism and the result a specifically German way of war. Peter Wilson challenges this narrative. Looking beyond Prussia to German-speaking Europe across the last five centuries, Wilson finds little unique or preordained in German militarism or warfighting. Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples Since 1500 (Harvard UP, 2023) takes as its starting point the consolidation of the Holy Roman Empire, which created new mechanisms for raising troops but also for resolving disputes diplomatically. Both the empire and the Swiss Confederation were largely defensive in orientation, while German participation in foreign wars was most often in partnership with allies. The primary aggressor in Central Europe was not Prussia but the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, yet Austria's strength owed much to its ability to secure allies. Prussia, meanwhile, invested in militarization but maintained a part-time army well into the nineteenth century. Alongside Switzerland, which relied on traditional militia, both states exemplify the longstanding civilian element within German military power. Only after Prussia's unexpected victory over France in 1871 did Germans and outsiders come to believe in a German gift for warfare--a special capacity for high-speed, high-intensity combat that could overcome numerical disadvantage. It took two world wars to expose the fallacy of German military genius. Yet even today, Wilson argues, Germany's strategic position is misunderstood. The country now seen as a bastion of peace spends heavily on defense in comparison to its peers and is deeply invested in less kinetic contemporary forms of coercive power. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

German military history is typically viewed as an inexorable march to the rise of Prussia and the two world wars, the road paved by militarism and the result a specifically German way of war. Peter Wilson challenges this narrative. Looking beyond Prussia to German-speaking Europe across the last five centuries, Wilson finds little unique or preordained in German militarism or warfighting. Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples Since 1500 (Harvard UP, 2023) takes as its starting point the consolidation of the Holy Roman Empire, which created new mechanisms for raising troops but also for resolving disputes diplomatically. Both the empire and the Swiss Confederation were largely defensive in orientation, while German participation in foreign wars was most often in partnership with allies. The primary aggressor in Central Europe was not Prussia but the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, yet Austria's strength owed much to its ability to secure allies. Prussia, meanwhile, invested in militarization but maintained a part-time army well into the nineteenth century. Alongside Switzerland, which relied on traditional militia, both states exemplify the longstanding civilian element within German military power. Only after Prussia's unexpected victory over France in 1871 did Germans and outsiders come to believe in a German gift for warfare--a special capacity for high-speed, high-intensity combat that could overcome numerical disadvantage. It took two world wars to expose the fallacy of German military genius. Yet even today, Wilson argues, Germany's strategic position is misunderstood. The country now seen as a bastion of peace spends heavily on defense in comparison to its peers and is deeply invested in less kinetic contemporary forms of coercive power. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

German military history is typically viewed as an inexorable march to the rise of Prussia and the two world wars, the road paved by militarism and the result a specifically German way of war. Peter Wilson challenges this narrative. Looking beyond Prussia to German-speaking Europe across the last five centuries, Wilson finds little unique or preordained in German militarism or warfighting. Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples Since 1500 (Harvard UP, 2023) takes as its starting point the consolidation of the Holy Roman Empire, which created new mechanisms for raising troops but also for resolving disputes diplomatically. Both the empire and the Swiss Confederation were largely defensive in orientation, while German participation in foreign wars was most often in partnership with allies. The primary aggressor in Central Europe was not Prussia but the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, yet Austria's strength owed much to its ability to secure allies. Prussia, meanwhile, invested in militarization but maintained a part-time army well into the nineteenth century. Alongside Switzerland, which relied on traditional militia, both states exemplify the longstanding civilian element within German military power. Only after Prussia's unexpected victory over France in 1871 did Germans and outsiders come to believe in a German gift for warfare--a special capacity for high-speed, high-intensity combat that could overcome numerical disadvantage. It took two world wars to expose the fallacy of German military genius. Yet even today, Wilson argues, Germany's strategic position is misunderstood. The country now seen as a bastion of peace spends heavily on defense in comparison to its peers and is deeply invested in less kinetic contemporary forms of coercive power. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

German military history is typically viewed as an inexorable march to the rise of Prussia and the two world wars, the road paved by militarism and the result a specifically German way of war. Peter Wilson challenges this narrative. Looking beyond Prussia to German-speaking Europe across the last five centuries, Wilson finds little unique or preordained in German militarism or warfighting. Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples Since 1500 (Harvard UP, 2023) takes as its starting point the consolidation of the Holy Roman Empire, which created new mechanisms for raising troops but also for resolving disputes diplomatically. Both the empire and the Swiss Confederation were largely defensive in orientation, while German participation in foreign wars was most often in partnership with allies. The primary aggressor in Central Europe was not Prussia but the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, yet Austria's strength owed much to its ability to secure allies. Prussia, meanwhile, invested in militarization but maintained a part-time army well into the nineteenth century. Alongside Switzerland, which relied on traditional militia, both states exemplify the longstanding civilian element within German military power. Only after Prussia's unexpected victory over France in 1871 did Germans and outsiders come to believe in a German gift for warfare--a special capacity for high-speed, high-intensity combat that could overcome numerical disadvantage. It took two world wars to expose the fallacy of German military genius. Yet even today, Wilson argues, Germany's strategic position is misunderstood. The country now seen as a bastion of peace spends heavily on defense in comparison to its peers and is deeply invested in less kinetic contemporary forms of coercive power. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies

German military history is typically viewed as an inexorable march to the rise of Prussia and the two world wars, the road paved by militarism and the result a specifically German way of war. Peter Wilson challenges this narrative. Looking beyond Prussia to German-speaking Europe across the last five centuries, Wilson finds little unique or preordained in German militarism or warfighting. Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples Since 1500 (Harvard UP, 2023) takes as its starting point the consolidation of the Holy Roman Empire, which created new mechanisms for raising troops but also for resolving disputes diplomatically. Both the empire and the Swiss Confederation were largely defensive in orientation, while German participation in foreign wars was most often in partnership with allies. The primary aggressor in Central Europe was not Prussia but the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, yet Austria's strength owed much to its ability to secure allies. Prussia, meanwhile, invested in militarization but maintained a part-time army well into the nineteenth century. Alongside Switzerland, which relied on traditional militia, both states exemplify the longstanding civilian element within German military power. Only after Prussia's unexpected victory over France in 1871 did Germans and outsiders come to believe in a German gift for warfare--a special capacity for high-speed, high-intensity combat that could overcome numerical disadvantage. It took two world wars to expose the fallacy of German military genius. Yet even today, Wilson argues, Germany's strategic position is misunderstood. The country now seen as a bastion of peace spends heavily on defense in comparison to its peers and is deeply invested in less kinetic contemporary forms of coercive power. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Wojciech Przybylski talks with Radu Albu-Comanescu (Babeș-Bolyai University, Visegrad Insight Fellow) about what the World Economic Forum revealed about geostrategy, defence and the new rules of engagement from Washington, with uncomfortable implications for Central and Eastern Europe.In this episode: – Why this Davos felt ‘geopolitically consistent'– Reactions to the ‘Board of Peace' idea from Central and Eastern Europe– Greenland and the High NorthRomania and Poland's balancing act: economic security in the European Union, hard security with the United StatesThe China question Europe keeps postponing, at its own riskFollow Visegrad Insight for analysis on democratic security, geopolitical risk and the future of Central Europe. Subscribe for our newsletter and more exclusive content: https://visegradinsight.eu/membership-account/membership-levels/Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zR_rnyT6dzY

"There is a way to do small-scale experiments-"Are you interested in governance experiments? What do you think about decentralisation efforts? How can we utilise blockchain and crypto to create better governance systems?Interview Bradford Cross, CEO of Alpha City and Managing Partner at Pronomos Capital and Two Lions. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, difference between governance and governments, government and governance experiments, and many more.Bradford Cross is founder and CEO of Alpha City, a federation of frontier cities in Africa built from first principles to unleash local ambition and global talent. He runs Two Lions, his family office and startup lab, and co-manages Pronomos Capital, backing new jurisdictions and governance models. A two-decade AI veteran, he started CEAI in Central Europe in 2002 and co-founded DCVC, a deep-tech VC managing billions. His earlier ventures span clinical trials, anti-money-laundering, newsfeed AI, flight prediction, cyber insurance and real-estate lending. Dad, gym junkie, sharp dresser, jungle-to-nightclub explorer - and still outlasting his iPhone battery.Find out more about Bradford through these links:Bradford Cross on LinkedInBradford Cross on Substack@bradfordcross as Bradford Cross on X@bradfordmode as Bradford Cross on InstagramAlphaCity on LinkedIn@alphacityinc as AlphaCity on X@alphacityinc as AlphaCity on InstagramPronomos Capital websitePronomos Capital on LinkedIn@PronomosVC as Pronomos Capital on X@pronomosvc as Pronomos Capital on InstagramTwo Lions on LinkedInConnected episodes you might be interested in:No.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Prospera HondurasNo.380 - Interview with Adam Miller about voting when you wantNo.397R - Urbanisation and entrepreneurship in development: Like a horse and carriage? What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ assistance (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay

The Routledge Handbook of 1989 and the Great Transformation analyzes the pivotal year of 1989 and the transformation processes that resulted from a historical perspective. It brings research done over the past five years at the Research Center for the History of Transformations (RECET) into dialogue with cutting-edge scholarship by political scientists, sociologists, historians, literary scholars and anthropologists at institutions across Europe and beyond. In this episode of the Transformative Podcast, two of the handbook's editors Rosamund Johnston and Jannis Panagiotidis (both RECET) talk through the four main arguments made by the book: that the “great transformation” presented here started earlier than 1989; that its legacies linger in spaces, practices, and objects; that in order to grasp the scale of what happened around 1989, it is important to bring Eastern and Central Europe into conversation with other global regions; and that the former Eastern Bloc served as an important node in a larger, global transformation. They also reflect upon how the events of that momentous year can be used as a hinge to explore longer-term processes of economic, social, political, and cultural transformation linked to the rise of neoliberalism and globalization since the 1970s. Find out more about the Routledge Handbook. Rosamund Johnston is a postdoctoral researcher at RECET. She is the author of Red Tape: Radio and Politics in Czechoslovakia, 1945-1969 (Stanford UP, 2024) and Havel v Americe (Host, 2019). Jannis Panagiotidis is the Scientific Director of RECET. He wrote the books: Antiosteuropäischer Rassismus in Deutschland (Anti-East European Racism in Germany) (Beltz/Juventa, 2024), The Unchosen Ones. Diaspora, Nation, and Migration in Israel and Germany (Indiana UP, 2019) and Postsowjetische Migration in Deutschland: Eine Einführung (Beltz/Juventa, 2021).

Political scientist and journalist Tomáš Klvaňa, now Executive Director of Aspen Institute Central Europe, speaks about how power really works and why liberal democracy is facing growing pressure. Drawing on his experience as an academic, journalist and former spokesman for President Václav Klaus, Klvaňa reflects on the decline of traditional media and the rise of populism. 

Here's the thing nobody tells you: the way you order at a restaurant says A LOT about how you move through life.Are you the person who waits to hear what everyone else is getting before you decide? Do you need everyone's opinion before you can choose? Are you picking what you want, and it feels weirdly vulnerable?Yeah. We need to talk.In this episode, I sit down with Jillian Reilly, author of Ten Permissions: How to Stop Waiting and Start Living, to talk about why so many of us can't make the smallest choices for ourselves, and what that says about the bigger life we're (not) living.We dig into:Why approval-seeking starts at lunch and ends with your whole identityThe terror of wanting something no one else validatesHow to build choice-making muscles before you blow up your lifeWhy pleasure isn't selfish (and might be the most strategic thing you can practice)What happens when the old rules stop working, and there's no new manualThis conversation is for the overthinkers, the people-pleasers, the ones who've spent decades being "good" and are now sitting in the rubble of what that actually got them.About Jillian ReillyJillian Reilly is a founder, author, and keynote speaker. Having spent her 30-year career working in social, organisational, and individual change across Africa, Asia, and Central Europe, Jillian's focus is on helping people unlock their ability to navigate change and accelerate growth and learning. Jillian's book, The Ten Permissions, guides readers in permitting themselves to update how they operate in the 21st century and design lives that fully leverage the possibilities of this disruptive world. Jillian is a TEDX speaker and podcast host who has been published on international affairs in the Washington Post, Newsweek and the LA Times. Find JillianWebsite: tenpermissions.comSend me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change.

The remarkable and variegated Jewish Community of the capital city Czernowitz, which ran the gamut from Hasidim (Sadegur and Vishnitz) to Germanized Meshumadim ... and everything in between!

In this episode of the Review of Democracy Podcast,historians Tara Zahra and Pieter Judson discuss their book TheGreat War and the Transformation of Habsburg Central Europe (Oxford University Press, 2025), which presents an intriguing reinterpretation of the First World War and the collapse of the Habsburg Empire. Rather than treatingthe war as a mere endpoint or the Empire's dissolution as inevitable, the conversation explores how wartime social and political transformations reshaped everyday life and reconfigured relations between state and society. The episode examines fears of democratisation and elite decision-making, the management of refugees and mass displacement, and the emergence of new welfare practices and administrative experiments, showing how these processes laid the foundations for the post-1918 order. By foregrounding shared experiences of scarcity,mobilisation, and repression across the Monarchy, the discussion examines what the Empire's often improvised wartime policies reveal about processes ofdisintegration as well as unexpected capacities for adaptation.

Prague is one of the truly great cities of Central Europe.  Prague is noted for its preserved medieval and Baroque architecture, the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Astronomical Clock, and its Gothic Old Town. In addition, it has one of the world's greatest beer and brewing cultures. They also happen to like to throw people out of windows.  Learn more about the defenestrations of Prague, why they happened, and their impacts on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Chubbies Get 20% off your purchase at Chubbies with the promo code DAILY at checkout! Aura Frames Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/DAILY. Promo Code DAILY DripDrop Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code EVERYTHING for 20% off your first order. Uncommon Goods Go to uncommongoods.com/DAILY for 15% off! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Hero or Villain, Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop evaluate the military career of Josip Broz Tito, the "titan of Central Europe" who led the Yugoslav partisans during World War II and served as President until 1980. The discussion traces his journey from a decorated Austro-Hungarian sergeant major to a revolutionary swayed by communism while a POW in Russia. The hosts highlight his strategic brilliance in liberating Yugoslavia largely through indigenous guerrilla efforts and his notable "independent streak" in defying Stalin to pursue a "Third Way" during the Cold War. While acknowledging the high human cost of his tactics and post-war repressions like the Bleiburg repatriations. What do you think? Is he a hero or a villain? Cast Your Vote! Join the debate and cast your vote on Josip Tito: https://forms.gle/wbcib4kLXs66E9P19 If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elections in Hungary are not expected until April, but who is leading in the polls? Péter Magyar's Tisza party or Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz? To better understand the situation, I spoke with Daniel Hegedüs, Regional Director for Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund. He writes and speaks extensively on populism and democratic backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe, and we discuss what Orbán may be willing to do to remain in power. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Ambassador Karpetova links the Czech Republic to Luxembourg through the life of the beloved Charles IV Ambassador Barbara Karpetová, the Czech Republic Ambassador to Luxembourg, is a Doctor of Social Anthropology. As such, she is fascinated by the way in which our world is shaped by humans and their choices or actions. Charles IV, a man so omnipresent in the lives of Czech people still today, is a man worth the study of a social anthropologist, as his life is far from ordinary. And indeed, his father was from Luxembourg.  Few historical figures embody Europe's interconnected identity as vividly as Emperor Charles IV. Born in 1316 to a Luxembourgish father and a Czech mother, Charles would become one of the most enlightened rulers of the Middle Ages: the greatest Czech of all time according to so many Czech polls, and arguably the most influential Luxembourger in European history. Yet many in Luxembourg remain unaware that this remarkable visionary, whose reign transformed Central Europe, was one of their own. Charles IV's early life was shaped by trauma and displacement. Taken from his mother at the age of three amid political turmoil, he spent his formative years at the French court, where he absorbed languages, diplomacy, and intellectual rigour. His father, John the Blind of Luxembourg, a charismatic but restless knight-king, embodied glory and instability in equal measure. His mother, Elizabeth of Bohemia, offered emotional depth, cultural identity, and spiritual grounding, although her own tragic life imprinted upon him a lifelong empathy and introspection. These tensions forged a ruler who sought stability, reflection, and humane governance rather than the cycle of destruction so common in his era. Unlike many medieval monarchs who fashioned their legacy through conquest, Charles IV built his through construction and culture. In Prague, he imagined and executed a city worthy of an imperial capital: Charles Bridge, St Vitus Cathedral, the New Town of Prague, and the glittering fortress of Karlštejn, his sanctuary for meditation and prayer. These were not monuments of vanity but investments in civic life, education, and international exchange. Above all, his founding of Charles University in 1348, the first in Central Europe, signalled a radical belief: that a prosperous society begins with knowledge, openness, and shared intellectual endeavour. Charles IV was also a political architect. His Golden Bull of 1356 established clear rules for imperial elections and gave the Holy Roman Empire centuries of stability. This was an achievement so visionary that historians still marvel at its durability today. His reign was defined by diplomacy, multilingual engagement, and the kind of pragmatic cooperation that Luxembourg cherishes today. A fluent speaker of five languages, he travelled extensively, preferring personal dialogue over emissaries. His political style, rooted in listening and persuasion rather than coercion, made him a quietly transformative figure in a turbulent century. Though he carried Luxembourgish blood and Czech devotion in equal measure, Charles IV saw Europe as a unified web long before the concept existed. He moved between courts, cultures, and identities with the ease of a modern European statesman. His values of multilingualism, education, peaceful leadership, and cultural openness mirror those of Luxembourg today, a nation where diversity is not a challenge but a strength. In many ways, Charles IV was Europe before Europe: a bridge between peoples whose life story reminds us that one person, or small countries, can shape the continent in profound ways. This Advent season, his legacy carries a particularly resonant message. In an age of fast decisions and constant noise, Charles IV was a ruler who stopped, reflected, prayed, and reshaped his world with intention. He believed deeply in service, in building rather than breaking, and in leading through wisdom rather than force. His life encourages us to pause, to examine our direction, and to choose the kind of leadership—personal or political—that uplifts rather than divides. For Luxembourg and the Czech Republic, Charles IV is not just shared history; he is shared inspiration. A child of two nations, a builder of cities, a scholar-king, a European long before the invention of the term. He is a reminder that greatness can arise from unlikely circumstances, and that values rooted in openness, stability, and compassion endure across centuries. And in the heart of Prague, where his bridges cross the Vltava and his university still thrives, Charles IV continues to welcome the world, just as he did in life.

On Today's Episode –Snow has returned to Michigan and Winter is Here. Mark and Matt are jpioned by returning guest Bart Marcois. We meet Bart, and get a little back story. We move into Mark talking about Sec. of War Pete Hegseth being attacked on all fronts. Mark talks us through how we have been running clandestine operations for as long as we have been policing the world. People act like Trump is doing something different than Obama never did, which is preposterous.Tune in for all the Funhttps://aminutewithbart.com/ Bart Marcois is an international expert in energy, foreign affairs, and national security with experience in Europe and NATO, the Arabian Gulf, and East Asia. A senior corporate, government and foundation executive, Mr. Marcois has managed delicate negotiations in uncertain and changing environments.A media analyst in print and broadcast, he has served as a career Foreign Service Officer and as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs. At the Department of Energy, Marcois was the chief operating officer of a department with over 100 senior specialists and a $20 million budget to formulate U.S. domestic and international energy security policy. More recently, he managed an Administration effort at the FERC to streamline the permitting process for large infrastructure projects.As an American diplomat, Mr. Marcois conducted political analysis. He assisted the development of civil society, the rule of law, and democratic institutions in the context of Islamic societies. Mr. Marcois provided early warning of Islamist ideology, at a time when most American officials were oblivious to the threat. He is fluent in Arabic and Dutch.Marcois is a prolific contributor to the national debate about politics, culture, and national security affairs. He has authored over 200 articles in The Hill, American Greatness, OpsLens.com, and The Daily Caller, and is a frequent guest on television and radio broadcasts. He has appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Fox and Friends, National Public Radio, The Hugh Hewitt Show, and The Blaze, among other programs.In the private sector, Mr. Marcois has served as a corporate director in a DC-based investment partnership managing activities in highly regulated sectors in Eastern and Central Europe. He was a director and executive in a Washington-based investment banking and commercial intelligence firm, and was a confidential advisor to several government entities. He conceived and executed public relations campaigns that achieved national impact.Mr. Marcois has served as a consultant to a federal advisory council on energy policy, and has been a course developer and instructor at both the Institute for Public-Private Partnership and The Leadership Institute.He has served as an executive and board member of several non-profit organizations, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of a coalition of 28 Christian churches that cooperate to provide early childhood care and education, food, rental assistance, furniture, and other services to low-income families of all denominations.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when a simple idea—men working out around a fire and following Christ—jumps across the ocean into post-Soviet Europe?In this episode, we sit down with Pro from Braveheart Tribe in Budapest, Hungary to talk about how Men's Alliance has taken root in Europe and why Hungary might become a hub for Christian men's ministry.Pro shares his story of growing up in the Netherlands, moving to Central Europe after the Iron Curtain fell, meeting his wife in Hungary, and slowly moving from career-first to ministry-first. We dig into: • The difference between Western Europe and Central Europe when it comes to faith • Why Hungary is still largely Christian while other European nations are turning secular • The rise of Islam in Europe and why we must train ambassadors for Christ • How Braveheart Tribe launched in Budapest and what MA looks like in an urban European context • Why hard workouts, cold weather, and real discomfort are essential for discipling men • How Carry the Fire apologetics training is preparing men to share and defend their faithYou'll hear how God used a doctor who had been in a Men's Alliance tribe in Alaska… moved him to Budapest… and then used that connection to help launch multiple tribes in Hungary—including Braveheart and a neighboring tribe led by “Blade Runner.”If you've ever wondered what God is doing among men outside the U.S., or how to reach a culture that's forgotten its Christian roots, this conversation will fire you up and give you a bigger vision for Men's Alliance.Follow Men's AllianceInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/mensalliancetribe/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mensalliancetribeTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mensalliancetribeWebsite - https://www.mensalliancetribe.com/Explore Battlefield Coaching today and find yourself a Coach with experience overcoming a battle you are currently facing - https://battlefieldcoaching.comOrder the Book - Answer With Truth: The Ambassador's Field Manual for Leading Your Family Spiritually - https://amzn.to/3BmnuKV

In this week's Conscious Living Podcast, I'm joined by the brilliant Jillian Reilly—founder, author, keynote speaker, and lifelong catalyst for change. For more more than 30 years, Jillian has worked across Africa, Asia, and Central Europe driving social, organizational, and individual transformation. Today, her mission is clear: to help people unlock their inner capacity to navigate change, expand possibility, and grow in ways that match the complexity of the world we now live in.Here's what you will discover in this new podcast episode:1. Why self-permission is essential in a disruptive world2. How the old linear life path is collapsing3. The rise of agency, adaptability, and self-direction4. Shifting from following the way to finding your way5. How AI and automation are reshaping careers6. The power of intuition and experimentation in modern lifeIf you're ready to reimagine what's possible for your life—and give yourself the permissions you've been waiting for—you won't want to miss this inspiring episode.Jillian's new book, The Ten Permissions, is a powerful guide for anyone craving a more adaptive, self-directed, and intentionally designed life. She invites us to give ourselves permission—to evolve, to experiment, and to update the way we operate in the 21st century.Be sure to grab Jillian's upcoming book, The Ten Permissions, to take this conversation even deeper and start transforming the way you live and lead in a rapidly changing world.https://tenpermissions.com/book

From Web Summit Lisbon, Somewhere on Earth explores how Poland is becoming Central Europe's tech hub. Meet the innovators behind AI-powered greenhouses, a nationwide mobile ID app, and a virtual fertility clinic—all transforming everyday life. Poland is rapidly growing as a tech hotspot, with startups raising €180M last year alone. Its skilled workforce, creative mindset, and engineering heritage are driving global expansion.  We hear about how AI is being used to optimize greenhouse growth, reducing water and energy use while boosting yields. Farmers can control everything via an app, making sustainable farming easier than ever.  The m-obywatel (mCitizen) app turns smartphones into digital IDs, streamlining government services for Poles across the globe. Upcoming EU interoperability could let citizens access services across Europe seamlessly.  And a virtual fertility clinic app uses AI and wearables to guide couples through diagnosis and treatment. Secure, personalized, and medically backed, it empowers informed decisions on reproductive health.  The show is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz from Web Summit in Lisbon. Production Manager: Liz Tuohy Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz  For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/  If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Contact us by email: hello@somewhereonearth.co   Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484    Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World   

One of the most important empires in history was the Ottoman Empire.  It wasn't the biggest empire, but it had an outsized impact on the world due to its strategic location and its moment in history.  The Ottomans shocked the world by capturing the city of Constantinople and later almost conquering much of Central Europe. Despite having a six-hundred-year run, as with all empires, it eventually weakened and collapsed. Learn more about the Ottoman Empire, its rise and its fall, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Stash Go to get.stash.com/EVERYTHING to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. Newspaper.com Go to Newspapers.com to get a gift subscription for the family historian in your life! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Web Summit's main stage to global expansion, discover how Poland became the undisputed tech heart of Central Europe. We explore the startups securing record funding and breaking into markets from the Middle East to the US. Join us as we uncover the story behind the boom.  

Today's guest is Robert Kubin, Head of Sales for Central Europe at Amundi. Amundi is a European asset manager, ranked among the top 10 globally by assets under management. It provides savings and investment solutions across active and passive management, in both traditional and real assets. Its offering includes IT tools and services (Amundi Technology) that cover the savings value chain. Amundi is listed on the stock exchange and manages more than €2.3 trillion in assets. A senior executive with more than 20 years of international experience across asset management, insurance, and consulting, Robert brings deep expertise in investment strategy and operational leadership. He joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how AI can move beyond legacy technology to improve decision-making and automate manual processes in asset and wealth management. Robert also shares practical strategies for embedding AI into core workflows, reducing manual workload, and enabling smaller teams to operate at scale while driving measurable ROI. This episode is sponsored by FE fundinfo. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1. Join an exclusive circle of AI executives shaping the conversation. Share your insights as a guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast and be recognized among peers driving innovation: emerj.com/expert2.

Thomas Lorman, historian of SSEES University College London, talks about 1989 in Central Europe; Jana Kirschner, Slovak star singer living in London, brings back her memories of November 1989

Western Miscalculation and the Core Problem of Russia's Dominance Ideology. Professor Eugene Finkelargues that debates about Ukraine joining NATO or the EU are secondary, as the core problem remains Russia's deeply rooted ideological belief that it must control Ukraine. Western powers, including the US and Southern and Central Europe, have repeatedly misread Russia as transactional and rational, failing to recognize it as a revanchist neo-imperialist power. This miscalculation led to poor decision-making and a lack of preparation. Eastern European countries, who understood the enduring Russian threat, were wrongly dismissed. The professor concludes by noting his grandfather's brave refusal of a KGB recruitment offer after World War II. Guest: Professor Eugene Finkel. 1855

Adam P. Dixon has extensive experience in Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union as a consultant, businessman and entrepreneur, working mostly in aviation and telecommunications. He is currently working on a range of innovative military technologies, including a platform for the removal of landmines. Mr. Dixon studied at Harvard, Oxford, and Leningrad State University.----------LINKS:https://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-men-behind-vladimir-putins-forever-warhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-dixon-ba9758238/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube's algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, I respond to Agnes Callard's controversial New Yorker article "The Case Against Travel," which argues that travel makes us the worst versions of ourselves. After visiting dozens of countries, I explain how traveling is just another hobby that a person can pick up. I also concede a few points in the article, but ultimately argue why the article is incorrect. But, just like trial law, cross-examination is the best way to seek the truth, so it's good to see the counter-argument to travel. Book Here -> Going Solo

Pack your bags for Budapest, Vienna, and Prague!

Anastasija Ropa joins Jana Byars to talk about The Medieval Horse (Reaktion, 2025), a book that explores the role of horses across the medieval world, from the Kievan Rus' and Scandinavia to Central Europe, Byzantium, the Arab world and Asia, including China and India. Covering the early medieval period to the late Middle Ages, it examines how horses shaped societies, warfare and culture and how their legacy persists in traditional equestrian sports today. Drawing on little-known primary sources, artefacts, and the author's hands-on experience with historical horsemanship, the book offers a vivid account of the deep connection between people and horses. Combining scholarly insight with practical knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of medieval horses in Europe and Asia to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Anastasija Ropa joins Jana Byars to talk about The Medieval Horse (Reaktion, 2025), a book that explores the role of horses across the medieval world, from the Kievan Rus' and Scandinavia to Central Europe, Byzantium, the Arab world and Asia, including China and India. Covering the early medieval period to the late Middle Ages, it examines how horses shaped societies, warfare and culture and how their legacy persists in traditional equestrian sports today. Drawing on little-known primary sources, artefacts, and the author's hands-on experience with historical horsemanship, the book offers a vivid account of the deep connection between people and horses. Combining scholarly insight with practical knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of medieval horses in Europe and Asia to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Anastasija Ropa joins Jana Byars to talk about The Medieval Horse (Reaktion, 2025), a book that explores the role of horses across the medieval world, from the Kievan Rus' and Scandinavia to Central Europe, Byzantium, the Arab world and Asia, including China and India. Covering the early medieval period to the late Middle Ages, it examines how horses shaped societies, warfare and culture and how their legacy persists in traditional equestrian sports today. Drawing on little-known primary sources, artefacts, and the author's hands-on experience with historical horsemanship, the book offers a vivid account of the deep connection between people and horses. Combining scholarly insight with practical knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of medieval horses in Europe and Asia to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

Anastasija Ropa joins Jana Byars to talk about The Medieval Horse (Reaktion, 2025), a book that explores the role of horses across the medieval world, from the Kievan Rus' and Scandinavia to Central Europe, Byzantium, the Arab world and Asia, including China and India. Covering the early medieval period to the late Middle Ages, it examines how horses shaped societies, warfare and culture and how their legacy persists in traditional equestrian sports today. Drawing on little-known primary sources, artefacts, and the author's hands-on experience with historical horsemanship, the book offers a vivid account of the deep connection between people and horses. Combining scholarly insight with practical knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of medieval horses in Europe and Asia to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sports

In this episode of the CEU Review of Books Podcast, I sat down with Cynthia Paces to talk about her new book, Prague: The Heart of Europe (Oxford UP, 2025). Prague is the first English-language book to trace the history of the city from the tenth century to the present. Cynthia discusses her personal connection to Prague, highlights key moments in the city's history, and shares a few tips for those planning to visit. You can purchase the book from Oxford University Press here. The CEU Review of Books Podcast Series explores the questions that affect us all through in-depth talks with researchers, policy makers, journalists, academics and others. We showcase the most current research linked to Central Europe through these discussions. At the CEU Review of Books, we encourage an open discussion that challenges conventional assumptions to foster a vibrant debate. Visit our website to read our latest reviews, long reads and interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode of the CEU Review of Books Podcast, I sat down with Cynthia Paces to talk about her new book, Prague: The Heart of Europe (Oxford UP, 2025). Prague is the first English-language book to trace the history of the city from the tenth century to the present. Cynthia discusses her personal connection to Prague, highlights key moments in the city's history, and shares a few tips for those planning to visit. You can purchase the book from Oxford University Press here. The CEU Review of Books Podcast Series explores the questions that affect us all through in-depth talks with researchers, policy makers, journalists, academics and others. We showcase the most current research linked to Central Europe through these discussions. At the CEU Review of Books, we encourage an open discussion that challenges conventional assumptions to foster a vibrant debate. Visit our website to read our latest reviews, long reads and interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Jillian Reilly is a founder, author, and keynote speaker.  Having spent her 30-year career working in social, organizational, and individual change across Africa, Asia, and   Central   Europe,   Jillian's   focus   is   on   helping   people   unlock   their   ability   to navigate change and accelerate growth and learning.  Jillian's upcoming book, The Ten   Permissions,   guides   readers   in   permitting   themselves   to   update   how   they operate in the 21st century and design lives that fully leverage the possibilities of this disruptive world.Jillian is a TEDX speaker and podcast host who has been published on international affairs in the Washington Post, Newsweek and the LA Times.  Her memoir, Shame: Confessions of an Aid Worker in Africa, chronicles her early career in international development and the profound lessons it offered on the failings of the aid industry to drive growth across the developing world. Book: https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Permissions-Redefining-Adulting-Century/dp/1963827295Connect and tag me at:https://www.instagram.com/realangelabradford/You can subscribe to my YouTube Channel herehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDU9L55higX03TQgq1IT_qQFeel free to leave a review on all major platforms to help get the word out and change more lives!

The Christmas markets in Europe are completely magical! That Christmas magic you feel as a kid comes rushing back to life once you wander around the European Christmas markets, admiring the lights, enjoying the music, and eating delicious holiday cuisine.   After having visited many Christmas markets in Europe across Germany, France, Central Europe, and more, here are our Christmas market superlatives like best food, best decor, best vibes, best Christmas market mugs, and more!   Christmas Market Blog Posts: -10-Day Christmas Market Itinerary: https://worldwidehoneymoon.com/european-christmas-market-trip-in-10-days/ -Cologne Christmas Market: https://worldwidehoneymoon.com/christmas-markets-in-cologne-germany-itinerary-cologne-christmas-market-map/ -Prague Christmas Market: https://worldwidehoneymoon.com/christmas-in-prague-best-christmas-markets-in-prague/ -Vienna in December: https://worldwidehoneymoon.com/vienna-in-december-best-christmas-markets-in-vienna/ -Alsace Christmas Market Itinerary: https://francevoyager.com/best-alsace-christmas-markets/ -Colmar Christmas Market: https://francevoyager.com/colmar-christmas-market-dates/ -Strasbourg Christmas Market: https://francevoyager.com/strasbourg-christmas-market-dates/ -Kaysersberg Christmas Market: https://francevoyager.com/kaysersberg-christmas-market/ -Obernai Christmas Market: https://francevoyager.com/obernai-christmas-market-dates/ -Ribeauville Christmas Market: https://francevoyager.com/ribeauville-christmas-market/ -Paris at Christmastime: https://francevoyager.com/paris-at-christmastime-best-christmas-markets/   Relevant Links (may contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through these links, we earn a small commission-at no additional cost to you!): -Culture Craving Couple: https://culturecravingcouple.com/most-romantic-christmas-markets-in-europe/ -Bratislava in a Day: https://worldwidehoneymoon.com/bratislava-in-one-day-vienna-to-bratislava-day-trip/   Traveling to France? Check out our Facebook Group called France Travel Tips to ask/answer questions and learn more! Don't forget to follow along! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldwidehoneymoon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldwidehoneymoon TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@worldwidehoneymoon World Wide Honeymoon Blog: https://worldwidehoneymoon.com France Voyager Blog: https://francevoyager.com Subscribe to the World Wide Honeymoon blog here for monthly updates and tips + get our FREE trip planning guide: https://www.subscribepage.com/o4e5c2

Roger Moorhouse is a British historian specialising in Nazi Germany and Central Europe. | We use Ground News. Click https://ground.news/triggernometry to save on a subscription. | Hypnozio: Expert hypnotherapy https://sponsr.is/hypnozio_Triggernometry Buy Roger's new book 'Wolfpack' - https://amzn.eu/d/1WZzcm4 Triggernometry is proudly independent. Thanks to the sponsors below for making that possible: - We use Ground News to escape the echo chamber and stay fully informed. Go to https://ground.news/triggernometry to save 40% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan. - We're honoured to partner with Hillsdale College. Learn for free at https://hillsdale.edu/triggerr - Go to https://sponsr.is/hypnozio_Triggernometry and use our code TRIGGER15 to grab 15% off your first subscription with Hypnozio - Augusta Precious Metals: Protect Your Retirement with Physical Gold. Rated #1. Click to learn more: https://bit.ly/4as3C6J Join our exclusive TRIGGERnometry community on Substack! https://triggernometry.substack.com/ OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Shop Merch here - https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media: https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry: Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians. 00:00 - Introduction 01:39 - How Much Of A Threat Were The German U-Boats? 10:29 - What Were The Working Conditions Like On A U-Boat? 24:00 - U-110 And How The Enigma Machine Was Obtained 39:27 - The Technology Being Used Was Not Very Good 44:33 - Mass Production Would Have Been A Better Focus Than Super Weapons 56:34 - U-Boat Crews Had More Free Speech 01:09:53 - Nuremberg 01:14:35 - The End Of The War 01:21:12 - What's The One Thing We're Not Talking About That We Really Should Be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 16th century, the peasants of Central Europe were being overtaxed, overworked, and underfed, and the lords of the lands kept making things worse. Things worsened, after which they worsened some more, snails got involved, and then there was the biggest peasant revolt in Europe before the French Revolution. If you're a native English speaker, and you haven't heard of it, great though it be, don't feel bad; there is only one book in English on the Great German Peasants' War, and it was published this year. Michelle has a new hero, a badass knight beloved by Goethe, Sir Walter Scott, and the Internet, and Anne is quite perturbed about the snails.  By the way. As far as we're concerned, the revolt wasn't the crime; killing 100,000 peasants was. 

Show Notes: Miruna studied art history at Harvard, focusing on Renaissance art. After taking a year off to travel and visit Romania, she decided to study Latin American Studies and Spanish and Portuguese at Yale. She found the graduate experience at Yale challenging, especially the sense of isolation that can come with graduate work when it is not socially or politically involved. Miruna began traveling to Mexico for her research on colonial Latin America, focusing on the intersection of history of science, literature, and ritual. Teaching History of Science Miruna moved to Mexico City, where she still resides. She works at a public university, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, in the Humanities Department where she  works on narratives that have to do with the history of science. She also teaches courses on collecting and museum formation  from a material culture perspective. She works with the national archeological collection in Mexico City, focusing on how collections are formed and the role of material culture in shaping history. Arriving in the U.S. As a Refugee Miruna shares more about her experience as a refugee and her journey to the US. Miruna was 13 when she left Romania with her parents, staying in a refugee camp near Vienna before moving to the US. Her parents applied for asylum in Australia, Canada, and the U.S., and the U.S. was the first to grant it. Miruna describes the cultural shock of arriving in Los Angeles in March with heavy winter coats, highlighting the differences between Central Europe and Southern California. The Cultural Importance of Understanding the Past Miruna discusses her teaching at a public university in Mexico, where she encourages students to question and engage with the past. She explains the hierarchical nature of Mexican society and how public universities provide a space for people from different backgrounds to meet. Miruna emphasizes the importance of understanding that the past is not fixed and that there are always opportunities to intervene and shape the present. In her courses on the history of archeology and collecting, she encourages students to develop their own relationships with the past. Archeological Collections and Community Ownership Miruna shares a story from the 19th century about the National Museum of Mexico and how archeology became a central part of the country's national heritage. She explains how archeological collections were moved from communities to the capital, often with resistance from local people. Miruna discusses a specific incident where urns from the Pacific coast were shattered during transportation, highlighting the different ways of caring for objects. While disciplinary narratives insist that museums care for objects, this episode shows how the opposite is true as well: objects and their meanings can be destroyed, physically and conceptually in their transfer to museum. She further discusses  a more recent event, involving state violence and local resistance, when a 168-ton monolith was moved from  a village outside Mexico City to the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, in 1964. Practices and Norms in Archeology The conversation turns to changes in archeological practices and norms over the years. Miruna notes that younger archeologists are more likely to seek permission from local communities and give credit to local guides and people working on excavations. She mentions the increasing difficulty of accessing certain areas in Mexico due to organized crime, which has reduced the number of archeological projects in some regions. Miruna emphasizes the importance of local museums and community collections in providing more inclusive and contextualized narratives. The Rise of Political Parties and the Zapatista Movement Miruna shares her experience of arriving in Mexico and the political changes she witnessed, including the rise of new political parties and the Zapatista movement. She describes the vibrant and dynamic nature of Mexican society, with ongoing efforts to find new ways of relating to the past and imagining the future. Miruna discusses the challenges of prejudice and hierarchies in Mexican society, despite progress in areas like gay marriage and feminist marches. Science Fiction as a Form of Resistance Miruna teaches science fiction written from the Global South, which she sees as a form of resistance against dominant narratives. She explains that this genre is relatively new in Latin America and is influenced by writers from the Global North like Octavia Butler and Ursula Le Guin. Miruna highlights the work of young writers like Gabriela Damian and Fernanda Trias, who explore social and cultural realities through science fiction. She discusses the importance of imagining open networks and connected worlds, rather than closed systems and technological fantasies. Archeological Points of Interest in Mexico Miruna offers a few recommendations for visitors interested in archeology in Mexico. She suggests visiting the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, which focuses on archeology and pre-Hispanic history. She also recommends a trip to Teotihuacan, highlighting the importance of visiting the mural paintings in the residential compounds. Miruna also recommends exploring the center of Mexico City, which is a palimpsest of different centuries and cultures, with the Templo Mayor, a pre-Hispanic structure from the 16th century, which is rising out of the ground due to shifts in soil and shifts in the water table. Harvard  Reflections Miruna mentions Joseph Koerner, who taught Northern Renaissance art, and John Sherman, who taught Italian Renaissance art. She also recalls Oleg Grabar, who taught Islamic art and read poems such as Yeats' poem "Sailing to Byzantium" to inspire students to see art with different eyes. Miruna expresses regret for not taking classes with other influential professors like Stephen Jay Gould, which she would have loved to do now. Timestamps: 01:35: Studying Art History and Latin American Studies 03:20: Life and Work in Mexico City 04:43: Experiences as a Refugee and Arrival in the US 08:43: Teaching and Research in Mexico 13:41: Historical Context of Archeology in Mexico 21:43: Changes in Archeological Practices 24:33: Miruna's Experience in Mexico and Political Context 29:38: Teaching Science Fiction from the Global South Featured Non-profit The featured non-profit of this week's episode is recommended by Becca Braun who reports: “ Hi. I'm Becca Braun from the class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 Report is the Lawrence School in Sagamore Hills, Ohio. The Lawrence School is a leading school in teaching students with ADHD and dyslexia, and its wonderful tagline is “Great Minds Don't Think Alike.” Lawrence School has been transformative for our youngest child with ADHD, and he went from thinking that he was a troublemaker and problem student to completely believing in himself and loving going to school every day. Every child should have this opportunity, regardless of their financial means. We have donated and hope that you might so that more children with ADHD or dyslexia, those who are unable to thrive in large public school classrooms might have the opportunity to attend this transformative school. Thanks a lot. You can learn more about their work at Lawrence school.org, Lawrence L, A, W, R, E, N, C, E, school.org, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode.” To learn more about their work, visit: www.lawrenceschool.org. 

In this episode, Jiří Žák describes the two main orogenies whose remnants figure prominently in central European geology: the Cadomian orogeny that lasted from the late Neoproterozoic to the early Cambrian (c. 700 Ma to c. 425 Ma) and the Variscan orogeny that occurred in the late Paleozoic (c. 380 Ma to 280 Ma). The Cadomian took place on the northern margins of Gondwana, only later to rift and travel north to form what was to become Europe. The Variscan was caused by the collision of Gondwana with Laurussia in the final stages of the assembly of the supercontinent Pangea. Both orogenies have been heavily eroded, and we see their imprint in the form of metamorphic rocks, volcanic rocks, granites, and deformation structures. These are scattered across Europe, from southern Britain to eastern Europe.Žák has been studying the geology of central Europe for over 25 years using methods ranging from structural studies in the field to detrital zircon geochronology.  He  is a Professor in the Institute of Geology and Paleontology at Charles University in Prague.

In this episode of the IoT For All Podcast, Harald Fuchs, CEO of Freeeway, and Mark van den Berg from KPN IoT join Ryan Chacon to discuss how rising data consumption in connected cars is reshaping the automotive industry and turning connectivity from a cost to a monetized service. The conversation covers IoT monetization strategies, connected cars as entertainment hubs, autonomous driving, digital services within vehicles, including payment integrations, connected cars in China, and evolving business models in automotive IoT.Harald Fuchs is a technology and telecom executive with over 25 years of international experience leading high-growth businesses and driving innovation in connectivity. Under his leadership, Freeeway has become a trusted partner for OEMs, industrial agriculture companies, and the automotive sector - pioneering flat IoT device pricing models for consumer device resellers. Before founding Freeeway, Harald served as Commercial Director for Central Europe at Ericsson.Mark van den Berg is Strategic Business Developer for IoT at KPN, the leading ICT provider in the Netherlands. With extensive experience in the IoT domain, he has built deep expertise in eUICC/Global SIM technology, long-term connectivity strategies, and international partnership building.Freeeway AG is a Vienna-based software and IoT connectivity provider. Operating as an MVNO and IoT Monetization SaaS platform, Freeeway enables businesses to transform connected devices from a cost driver into a scalable revenue stream. The company's Monetization Hub integrates global connectivity with powerful software that manages customer identification, legal compliance, taxation, data usage tracking, charging recognition, and payment collection - all in a single SW suite.KPN IoT is a division of KPN, a leading provider of telecommunications and IT services in the Netherlands for over 140 years. In collaboration with a network of partners worldwide and with extensive experience across industries, including automotive, manufacturing, logistics, EV charging, and healthcare, KPN IoT empowers customers with the best global IoT connectivity solutions.Discover more about IoT monetization at https://www.iotforall.comFind IoT solutions: https://marketplace.iotforall.comMore about Freeeway: https://freeeway.comMore about KPN IoT: https://m2m.kpn.com/enConnect with Harald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harald-fuchs-8392078/Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markvandberg/(00:00) Intro(00:11) Harald Fuchs, Mark van den Berg, Freeeway, and KPN IoT(05:16) Explaining IoT and connected cars(11:03) The impact of rising data consumption on OEMs(13:56) How OEMs can monetize connectivity(20:35) Digital services inside of vehicles(24:38) Are OEMs ready to think like digital service providers?(28:11) The business model of connected cars(30:40) The future of IoT monetization(34:23) Learn more and follow upSubscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2NlcEwmJoin Our Newsletter: https://newsletter.iotforall.comFollow Us on Social: https://linktr.ee/iot4all

In 1897, Gustav Klimt led a group of radical artists to break free from the cultural establishment of Vienna and found a movement that became known as the Vienna Secession. In the vibrant atmosphere of coffee houses, Freudian psychoanalysis and the music of Wagner and Mahler, the Secession sought to bring together fine art and music with applied arts such as architecture and design. The movement was characterized by Klimt's stylised paintings, richly decorated with gold leaf, and the art nouveau buildings that began to appear in the city, most notably the Secession Building, which housed influential exhibitions of avant-garde art and was a prototype of the modern art gallery. The Secessionists themselves were pioneers in their philosophy and way of life, aiming to immerse audiences in unified artistic experiences that brought together visual arts, design, and architecture. With:Mark Berry, Professor of Music and Intellectual History at Royal Holloway, University of LondonLeslie Topp, Professor Emerita in History of Architecture at Birkbeck, University of LondonAndDiane Silverthorne, art historian and 'Vienna 1900' scholarProducer: Eliane GlaserReading list:Mark Berry, Arnold Schoenberg: Critical Lives (Reaktion Books, 2018)Gemma Blackshaw, Facing the Modern: The Portrait in Vienna 1900 (National Gallery Company, 2013)Elizabeth Clegg, Art, Design and Architecture in Central Europe, 1890-1920 (Yale University Press, 2006)Richard Cockett, Vienna: How the City of Ideas Created the Modern World (Yale University Press, 2023)Stephen Downes, Gustav Mahler (Reaktion Books, 2025)Peter Gay, Freud, Jews, and Other Germans: Masters and Victims in Modernist Culture (Oxford University Press, 1979)Tag Gronberg, Vienna: City of Modernity, 1890-1914 (Peter Lang, 2007)Allan S. Janik and Hans Veigl, Wittgenstein in Vienna: A Biographical Excursion Through the City and its History (Springer/Wien, 1998)Jill Lloyd and Christian Witt-Dörring (eds.), Vienna 1900: Style and Identity (Hirmer Verlag, 2011)William J. McGrath, Dionysian Art and Populist Politics in Austria (Yale University Press, 1974)Tobias Natter and Christoph Grunenberg (eds.), Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern Life (Tate, 2008)Carl E. Schorske, Fin-de-siècle Vienna: Politics and Culture (Vintage, 1979)Elana Shapira, Style and Seduction: Jewish Patrons, Architecture and Design in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna (Brandeis University Press, 2016)Diane V Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds and Megan Brandow-Faller, Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902-1911 (Letterform Archive, 2023)Edward Timms, Karl Kraus: Apocalyptic Satirist: Culture & Catastrophe in Habsburg Vienna (Yale University Press, 1989)Leslie Topp, Architecture and Truth in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna (Cambridge University Press, 2004)Peter Vergo, Art in Vienna, 1898-1918: Klimt, Kokoschka, Schiele and Their Contemporaries (4th ed., Phaidon, 2015)Hans-Peter Wipplinger (ed.), Vienna 1900: Birth of Modernism (Walther & Franz König, 2019)Hans-Peter Wipplinger (ed.), Masterpieces from the Leopold Museum (Walther & Franz König)Stefan Zweig, The World of Yesterday: An Autobiography (University of Nebraska Press, 1964)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio ProductionSpanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.