Duels of History

The new ARTE talk format visits exceptional thinkers throughout Europe and invites them for in-depth conversations.

Whilst far-right groups are treated with impunity in Orban’s Hungary, those protesting against them are not.

Author of Death in Venice and The Magic Mountain. Who was Germany’s most important writer of the twentieth century?

The US and Israel’s war is inevitably also Europe’s war. But Europe is divided on how to act.

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?

Sculptors Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel had a passionate affair, but things turned sour.

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

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.

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

42-year-old Armen Grigoryan is the youngest barber in the timeless atmosphere of the oldest barbershop in Armenia.

From queer cake sitting to sex positive tasting evenings, Tracks finds out about food and sexuality.

Opened in 1932, the art deco cinema is a major venue for film premieres with its huge auditorium.

Was everything better in the past? Twist meets nostalgia enthusiasts to find out.

Hybrid warfare and new technologies are putting intelligence services under serious pressure worldwide.

The UN is in crisis as its Special Rapporteur accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. Will Palestine be its downfall?

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

How can you feed yourself self-sufficiently in the desert? An ancient superfood could hold the answer.