Great Continental Railway Journeys (2012)
S07E03 Berlin to Stuttgart
Episode Overview
Title: Berlin to Stuttgart Plot: Michael Portillo sets off on a train adventure across Germany, guided by a 1936 edition of Bradshaw’s Continental Railway Guide. This journey offers him a glimpse into a volatile chapter of German history, where the country’s initial democratic ideals and its flourishing artistic scene were overshadowed by the rise of fascism, nationalism, and the looming threat of conflict. In a grand stadium, he discovers the construction of new railways designed to ferry fans to the 1936 Nazi Olympic Games. Michael uncovers the failure of a proposed boycott by the U.S. and other nations, and how a triumphant black American athlete challenged Nazi notions of racial superiority.
