The History Hour

Josephine McDermott sits in for Max Pearson presenting a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes.We hear from the author who stumbled across the story of Oskar Schindler while shopping for a briefcase in Beverly Hills.Our guest is Dr Anne-Marie Scholz, from the University of Bremen in Germany, who reflects on the impact of dramatizations of World War Two.We also hear about the start of Drum magazine, credited with giving black African writers a voice in the time of Apartheid. The devastation of the earthquake in the port city of Kobe, Japan, is recalled by a child survivor. Plus, the New Deal created by President Franklin D Roosevelt to drag the United States from the Depression of the 1930s. Finally, the family intervention of American former First Lady Betty Ford, which led to the world-famous rehabilitation clinic being started. Contributors: Thomas Keneally – author of Schindler’s Ark.Dr Anne-Marie Scholz - author of From Fidelity to History: Film Adaptations as Cultural Events in the 20th Century.Prospero Bailey - son of Jim Bailey on the origins of Drum magazine.Kiho Park – survivor of the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Adam Cohen – expert on Roosevelt's New Deal.Susan Ford Bales – daughter of Betty Ford. (Photo: Nazi SS troops in Germany. Credit: Getty Images)

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes. We hear a first-hand account of the attack at the offices of French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Our expert guest is Dr Chris Millington, who leads the Histories and Cultures of Conflict research group at Manchester Metropolitan University. We also hear about Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War Two. Plus, the Bosphorus boat spotter tracking Russian military trucks in Turkey. Russian military trucks on a civilian ship bound for Syria.Also, the Norwegian man who invented the hotel key card in the 1970s.Finally, we’re sparking joy with Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo. Contributors: Riss – Charlie Hebdo cartoonist.Dr Chris Millington - Histories and Cultures of Conflict research group at Manchester Metropolitan University. Yörük Işık – boat spotter.Archive recordings from 2015. Anders – son of Tor Sornes.Marie Kondo - organising consultant. (Photo: Charlie Hebdo mural. Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes.We hear two stories from the deadly 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which killed thousands of people in south-east Asia.Our expert guest is Ani Naqvi, a former journalist who was on holiday in Sri Lanka when the wave hit.We also hear from the two Polish students who created the voice of Alexa, the smart speaker.Plus, the story of Klaus Fuchs, the German-born physicist who passed nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union while working on the first atomic bomb.Finally, we find out about Robert Ripley, the American cartoonist who made millions from sharing bizarre facts.Contributors:Choodamani and Karibeeran Paramesvaran – couple whose three children died in the Boxing Day tsunami.Dendy Montgomery – photographer who captured the tsunami devastation.Ani Naqvi – former journalist who was caught up in the tsunami.Lukasz Osowski and Michal Kaszczuk – creators of Alexa.Klaus Fuchs-Kittowski – nephew of atomic spy Klaus Fuchs.John Corcoran – director of exhibits at Ripley’s.(Photo: Tsunami devastation in Indonesia. Credit: Getty Images)

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews which all relate to food. First, Dinner for One, the British TV sketch that's become a German New Year’s Eve tradition. Our expert guest is Ingrid Sharp, professor of German cultural and gender history at the University of Leeds. She tells us about some other festive traditions in Northern Europe including Krampus – the horned figure said to punish children who misbehave at Christmas. We also hear about when South Korea and Japan had a diplomatic row over kimchi. Plus, the arrival of instant noodles in India and how they changed people’s cooking habits. Next we find out how the BBC's Masterchef conquered the world of TV cookery. Finally, the first woman to become White House head chef describes what it’s like to cook for five presidents.Contributors:Thomas Frankenfeld – son of Peter Frankenfeld who produced Dinner for One.Ingrid Sharp - professor of German cultural and gender history at the University of Leeds.Dr Chaelin Park - World Institute of Kimchi. Sangeeta Talwar – former executive vice president of Nestle India.Franc Roddam – creator of Masterchef.Cristeta Comerford – former White House chef.(Photo: Dinner for One. Credit: Getty Images)