German history

Subscribe to NPR's Up First Email

Ambulances drive to the Eduardus Hospital in Cologne-Deutz to evacuate the hospital before specialists defuse three unexploded U.S. bombs from World War II that were unearthed earlier this week in Cologne, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Henning Kaiser/DPA/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Henning Kaiser/DPA/AP

Europe

3 World War II bombs are defused in a German city's biggest postwar evacuation

June 5, 2025 • More than 20,000 residents were evacuated from Cologne's city center Wednesday after the bombs were unearthed on Monday during preparatory work for road construction.

Struggling with its past, Germany's 1,000-year-old choir admits girls for the 1st time

Regensburg Cathedral, where the Regensburger Domspatzen choir performs, on July 14, 2021. Lena Mucha for NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Lena Mucha for NPR

World

Struggling with its past, Germany's 1,000-year-old choir admits girls for the 1st time

September 15, 2022 • Since its founding over 1,000 years ago, this Catholic music school and song group in Regensburg, Germany, has been boys only. Until now.

Struggling with its past, Germany's 1,000-year-old choir admits girls for the 1st time

Listen · 7:54 7:54

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1122712757/1123035546" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">