John Kampfner

Travelling this morning from Charlbury (Oxfordshire) to Manchester. Three trains, one missed connection, the last train packed liked sardines. One hour late. Could have walked more quickly. Come back German railways, all is forgiven

Big trouble in ‘Little Berlin’: the tiny hamlet split in two by the cold war A new museum in Mödlareuth tells the story of how a settlement of only 50 people straddled Bavaria in West Germany and Thuringia in the east

This coming weekend a new museum is opening in the village of Mödlareuth in southern Germany. For decades, its 50 inhabitants were divided by a wall built over a tiny creek. The Americans called it Little Berlin. All these years later it remains incredibly moving
www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...

An extraordinary group of next-gen Germans and Brits, from all walks of life, super talented, coming together for the annual Young Königswinter conference in Berlin. It's been my pleasure to co-chair it for past four years with @birgitbujard.bsky.social with thanks @diplo.de and the British Embassy

All ready for this years’ Young Königswinter Conference, starting tomorrow at Europäische Akademie Berlin. Looking forward to this autumn edition of our summer conference! @johnkampfner.bsky.social @birgitbujard.bsky.social

The Embarrassing Demotion of Europe How the continent became a second-class citizen on the global stage.

No matter which way Trump swings, on Ukraine or on Gaza, Europe's demotion is firmly established. My latest @foreignpolicy.com
foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/e...

Start of quick swing through Saxony Anhalt and Thuringia to write various pieces. First stop: the Bauhaus Museum in Dessau

Berlin today

Two years ago today I published 'In Search of Berlin', a personal take on the 800 years of my adopted home. I first lived here (in the East) as a young reporter in 1988. I'm so grateful for the reception the book received, and to the many people over the years who've been on the journey with me

Had the privilege of seeing Daniel Barenboim conducting the Berlin Phil last night, Schubert's 'Unfinished' and Beethoven's 7th. He was so frail but he commanded the orchestra, and the audience was in raptures. What a servant to music and the cause of peace in Israel/Palestine

Off to the Romanian city of Timisoara later today for the last chapter of my book (more on that anon) and as a speaker at a summit on EU enlargement. Atmosphere will be buoyed by Moldova's (momentary) escape from Putin's clutches
timisoarasummit.eu

CDU wins big in local German vote as AfD fails to secure any cities After Germany's local elections, the CDU made significant gains, winning in Dortmund, Leverkusen and Bielefeld. Despite setbacks, the SPD celebrated victories in Cologne and other cities.

Moldova isn't the only (small) ray of anti-populist sunshine in Europe this morning. In the run-off for a series of mayoralties in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's largest state, the far-right AfD lost decisively. Good night for Merz's CDU. SPD & Greens not trashed
www.euronews.com/2025/09/28/g...

The many faces of Tikhon Khrennikov who controlled the Soviet Union of Composers for 42 years. On @bbcradio3bot.bsky.social I map his influence over decades of cultural control. Can music ever be apolitical in a dictatorship? Listen here from Sunday evening: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Dear city of Munich, Free State of Bavaria and Government of Germany. There is no moral equivalence in these two flags

The Trump (& Reform) playbook to nowhere After all his mishaps, can Starmer find something better to stand for?

open.substack.com/pub/johnkamp...

Starmer Is the Dog Who Caught the Car Britain’s prime minister fulfilled his quest for power but never knew what to do with it.

On the day Starmer and King Charles welcome the terror that is Trump, why Britain, post-Brexit, has become a leader in Europe in terms of panic-laden and short-lived governments.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/16/s...

YouTube video by New Labour Tony Blair's famous Downing Street celebration 1997

Writing a piece this morning on Starmer's woes @foreignpolicy.com and decided to insert these two videos, Blair 97 and Obama 08. Brings chills down the spine.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Za...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk17...

So Mandelson is sacked. What I find amusing is the extent to which many Brits still cling to the view their politics are cleaner than others'. That's not my experience in 30 years of covering it (and dealing with people who got away with things) - and now watching it from one step removed

This is the third shortlist this summer/autumn for @lucyaash.bsky.social. Not bad, I'd say...

Nice of you to say @codendahl.bsky.social, though - if I was being reductive (perish thought) - I would be a little less worried about the state of 🇩🇪 than I would of government-less 🇫🇷 and a 🇬🇧 in thrall to Farage and other extremists and clowns

Just pressed the button on my eighth & most ambitious book yet. Nothing beats this moment for excitement & relief. ‘Braver New World’, to be published spring 2026, looks at 10 countries where people & government have lessons for us in dealing with the world’s many problems. More in coming months

Excellent piece on Germany's difficulty with Israel/Gaza.

I work with Germans who commute across the swiss border and they echo the torment John K highlights in his piece.

DE is in serious danger of being on the wrong side of history. Again.

Germany’s Israeli Dogma Lives On The German government has changed its tone on Israel policy—but not much else.

Germany's paralysed torment on Israel/Gaza. This wasn't an easy piece to write. If you can't access it @foreignpolicy.com it's also on my Substack
foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/20/g...

After a torrid 100 days, Germany’s Friedrich Merz is mocked as a ‘dead man walking’. He must fight back | John Kampfner With the AfD surging, it could soon be the largest party here. But, if he acts now, that dark scenario need not come to pass, says author John Kampfner

The Trumpification of German politicians and the far-right threats facing Friedrich Merz. My take on the first 100 days (this week) of the new German Chancellor
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

(S+) Meinung: Hundert Jahre »Mein Kampf«: Wo Adolf Hitlers Gedankengut wieder an Einfluss gewinnt Vor hundert Jahren erschien Hitlers Hetzschrift »Mein Kampf«, in der er seine politischen Vorstellungen erläuterte. Wie seine unmenschlichen Theorien trotz Aufarbeitung in der modernen Politik und Ges...

Today unhappily marks the centenary of the publication of the first volume of Mein Kampf. Following my BBC Radio 4 one-hour documentary, and pieces for the Sunday Times and other UK outlets, here is my piece for Der Spiegel (in German)
www.spiegel.de/geschichte/h...

The British-German conversation deserves more than tired old cliches. Over to you, Merz and Starmer | John Kampfner The chancellor’s first London visit is an opportunity for a modernising reset – on business, defence and even school trips, says author John Kampfner

Refreshing read by @johnkampfner.bsky.social.

On the school trips: as much as I always argue for more Franco-German and more Erasmus, we also desperately need more UK-GER (+ UK-EU) school/uni exchange - can't afford another generation Brexit.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The British-German conversation deserves more than tired old cliches. Over to you, Merz and Starmer | John Kampfner The chancellor’s first London visit is an opportunity for a modernising reset – on business, defence and even school trips, says author John Kampfner

Starmer and Merz are opening a new chapter in elations. Until now the political conversation between the two countries hasn’t kept pace with the lived experience of Brits in Germany and the Germans in the UK. I see it all the time here in Berlin www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

In Search of Berlin by John Kampfner

Preparation for post-exams trip to Berlin. Looking forward to being boring dad on a city break.

A cracking book which mixes history and personal reflection. Perfect primer for a visit, or just if you want to read about one of the world’s great cities.

#BookSky

‪🗞️ Our latest issue is on sale today - The comeback edition

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BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, 100 Years of Mein Kampf John Kampfner read the world’s most notorious book so you don’t have to.

"100 Years of 'Mein Kampf'" - Fellow @johnkampfner.bsky.social, whose Jewish father fled Czechoslovakia in 1939, sets out to explore the book’s origins, its impact and its disturbing echoes in today’s world www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Archive on 4 - 100 Years of Mein Kampf - BBC Sounds John Kampfner read the world’s most notorious book so you don’t have to.

It’s 100 years since publication of Mein Kampf. Highly recommend this programme by @johnkampfner.bsky.social on what happened to it during that time and why we should know about it today

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...