The German Ambassador to Ireland, Deike Potzel, has been touring the country since her appointment last November in a bid to learn about Ireland from the Irish. Her Excellency has worked in the diplomatic corps since the late 1990s, with postings in Singapore and Tehran in the past. On today's podcast Ambassador Potzel speaks to Kathy Sheridan about growing up in East Berlin before the wall came down in 1989 and about how life for women in the east was very different to the west when that happened. They also speak about the recent referendum on the 8th amendment and Germany’s abortion laws, before delving into Brexit, the rise of the far right, immigration and Germany’s role in Ireland’s austerity after the collapse of the banking system… just a few light topics of a Thursday.