Esme Nicholson

The show (now on Netflix) captures a briefly exhilarating time between the world wars, when Berlin had a raging nightlife, a flourishing cabaret scene and a brutal criminal underbelly.

In Berlin, authorities are taking extra security measures ahead of New Year's celebrations. "Safety zones" are being set up for female party-goers, but some people are critical of this move.

Support for the far-right in last Sunday's German election came largely from those in what was formerly East Germany — a sign that the country has still not overcome its Cold War division.

Chancellor Angela Merkel looks set to return for a fourth term as Germans head to the polls Sunday. But who her coalition partners will be, and how influential a far-right party will be, are unclear.

Martin Schulz's main handicap is that his party spent eight of the past 12 years in coalition with the German chancellor's party, so their policies are barely distinguishable from each other.

As it celebrates 500 years since Martin Luther and the Reformation, the Protestant church in Germany is turning to social media to reach those too busy to attend.

Germany's ruling party wants to avoid debating same-sex marriage before this year's election. Unlike most other western nations, "equal marriage" still isn't legal in Germany.

Syrian refugee Monzer Omar, who first spoke with NPR in 2015, has been living in Germany awaiting his wife and young children. After a 10-hour trek out of Syria, they were able to join him in January.

With elections this fall, Germany is bracing for an escalation of fake news. Trust in the traditional press is waning, but some outlets are fighting back.

Esme Nicholson, with NPR in Berlin, was born in England but became a German citizen after Britain voted to leave the European Union. She reflects on what it means to be German in today's Europe.