William L. Shirer discusses his book "The Collapse of the Third Republic". Shirer talks about the fall of the third republic of France. Shirer also discusses World War II Europe.

Werner Burkhardt, German music journalist, critic, and translator, discusses his life and work with Studs. Mr Burkhardt speaks about his life during the time of Adolph Hitler, the Hitler Youth, and World War II. They end the interview talking about Jazz in Munich, a recording of "My Man" by Billie Holiday closes the interview.

Thomas Keneally discusses the book "Schindler's List," detailing the actions of Oskar Schindler saving Jews during WWII.

Terkel comments and presents German Lach und Schiess Gesellschaft (political cabaret). Freilien Margo Schtega is the interpreter for Sammy Drechsel. However, Terkel comments that Sammy understands him 'just fine'.

Interviewing Ed Ruff, Joe Polowski, and Leroy; three veterans of the meeting of U.S. and Soviet forces at the Elbe River on April 25, 1945. The result of this meeting was the splitting of Nazi Germany into two parts and the ensuring of victory in Europe.

Erich Lüth discusses his experiences, observations, and accounts of life in Hamburg, Germany during the rise and fall of Hitler. He recounts how as a member of Parliament he brought in Hitler's, "Mein Kampf" and read portions aloud and was laughed at by his colleagues. He states they were blind to what Hitler declared in his book he would do and some are still blind by wanting to rub out their past, their history.

Friedrich Luft, Chief Drama Critic for Die Welt discusses German theater and Bertolt Brecht as well as new playwrights such as Peter Weiss. Unlike American theaters, Germany has over 200 theaters that are subsidized and each town of 50,000 has a theater. Just like the days of The People's Stage (which still exists) the grocer and cobbler of Germany enjoy the theater. They are as devoted to the theater as going to a museum or church. They are treated to 12 to 16 new or old plays from Sophocles to Sartre or Pinter.

There is a silence in the tape from 3:48 to 3:58 due to Studs changing the tape. It should be noted that the word "clever" in this discussion means intelligent. The interview concludes at 35:36 where Studs offers his reflections on his stay. Luth is the retired Press Chief of Hamburg and has also helped with remunerations for the Jewish people in the aftermath of World War II. He has also facilitated detente between Israel and West Germany.

Erich Lüth's discussion with Studs Terkel is similar to part 3 but Luth offers a more in-depth conversation on the role of teachers in schools and how the time of Hitler is taught. There were those teachers that joined the party to continue their love of teaching and those teachers that were brought into the Nazi Party to follow their convictions. This lack of courage to resist influences pupils today because teachers are not saying they were cowards. The relationship is altered out of shame, and embarrassment.

Studs engages the former Chicago Symphony Orchestra conductor, Sir Georg Solti, in a wide-ranging conversation about his life and career. From his early studies in Budapest with Béla Bartók, his string of good-luck opportunities before, during, and after World War II, meeting Toscanini in Lucerne, and starting on top conducting in Frankfurt, London, and finally Chicago. He discusses his many German and European musical influences and contemporaries, and stresses the importance of education, arts funding, and hard work.

Studs interviews Rolf Liebermann, director and composer, at the Hamburische Staatsoper in Hamburg, Germany. Liebermann explains some history of previous directors and performances. Many artists and operas are mentioned, but only a few were focused on in detail. Liebermann explains details about the operation of the opera highlighting the budget and the functions of the opera house. The recording stops short toward the end of the interview.

Born in Hamburg, Nicola Geiger, recalls her upbringing and her life under Nazi Germany. She lost two children in World War II. Later in life, she worked in both Japan and Korea. Geiger knew that she alone could not change the world but that she worked tirelessly to get other people to work on peace, too.

Muriel Gardiner's background and her time spent in Austria are the topics of "Code Name 'Mary': Memoirs of an American Woman in the Austrian Underground". With her book, "The Deadly Innocents: Portraits of Children Who Kill," Gardiner studies the lives of 10 kids who kill or attempt to kill.

Interviewing historian Martin Broszat while visiting Munich, Germany at the Institute of Contemporary History(Institut für Zeitgeschichte). They discuss National Socialism(Nazism) in German & European History between World War I and World War II. As well as a brief discussion of the Neo-Nazi Movement in the 1960's in Germany.