Duels of History

This vertical slum was a hotbed of crime, but also full of factories, cheap shops and a strong community.

Chinese influencers are convincing people from across the country to colonise Xinjiang.

The tankas have been part of the cultural landscape in southern China for centuries. But today their distinctive way of life is under threat.

Could the Spanish have conquered Mexico without the help of Malinche, a Native American slave who became Hernan Cortés' translator? 

Did French Queen Marie-Antoinette really betray her adopted country? And was Robespierre a dictator or a democrat?

In her battle against Ronald Reagan, activist Angela Davis became the icon of an entire generation.

Why is Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of Pope Alexander VI, still viewed as a Machiavellian manipulator? 

Friedrich Ebert and Rosa Luxemburg comrades on the left - and yet became bitter enemies.

Were the two empresses of Roman antiquity really the criminals and depraved women described by chroniclers of the time?

How can we have more fulfilling sex? Ronja von Rönne meets couples and singles who have reinvented their sexuality.

Vanessa Wagner performs Philip Glass’s Piano Etudes with dancers from the Accrorap company.

They are reclaiming their bodies and freely expressing their sexuality: A focus on sex positive popstars in contemporary culture.

Bach’s St John Passion from Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie with the NDR vocal ensemble and Concerto Köln conducted by Klaas Stok.

Paris city hall is pursuing a green traffic policy: Less cars, more bicycles. But not everybody is pleased.

White sand, white citrus blossom, white houses – Spain’s Costa Blanca is aptly named.

An encounter between piano and dance in a former foundry.

Using the latest technology, researchers are discovering the bright colours of ancient Greek art and architecture.  

A complex feeling that is both problematic and useful, the latest research on boredom.

How can we age well? Ronja von Rönne trys to find out by talking to chimney sweep Norbert Skrobek, who is close to retirement and Monika Gutte who defies age with a zest for life