Confronting Memories: The Case of Babylon Berlin

"Babylon Berlin" (2017-present), based on the novels by Volker Kutscher, was distributed by Sky and Netflix across Europe and globally. Set during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), the German European TV series follows the life and investigations of Commissioner Gereon Rath, a man traumatized by his experience during World War I. This chapter addresses creative, production-related, stylistic, and narrative elements of Babylon Berlin. The series' recreation of Weimar Era Berlin allows it to examine the lasting effects of the collective historical traumas experienced by Germany and Europe during the interwar period. More specifically, Babylon Berlin becomes a cultural and symbolic space that facilitates a reflection not only on the legacy of past traumas, but also on the connections between early twentieth-century Europe and the present.