Germany

Investigative journalist Tom Powers has written a new book about the German attempt to get an atomic bomb, the threat that terrified American scientists and military during World War II. The book is "Heisenberg's War." At the center of the story is German physicist and Nobel laureate Werner Heisenberg. While other preeminent scientists left Germany with the rise of the Reich, Heinsenberg chose to stay to defend what was left of "good science." The program weapons program failed.

Documentary filmmaker Marcel Ophuls. He is best known for his 1970 work "The Sorrow and the Pity," about the conduct of the French people during the Holocaust. He also made the film "Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie." His latest work is about life behind the iron curtain and the changes underway in Europe since the fall of the Berlin wall.

German Film Director Volker Schlondorff. His films include "The Tin Drum," and as "The Handmaid's Tale." He's also directed for television: "Death of a Salesman," starring Dustin Hoffman and "A Gathering of Old Men." His new film is "Voyager," starring Sam Shepard. He talks with Terry about the new film as well as how life has changed for he and his friends since the reunification of Germany.

Writer and political essayist Peter Schneider. Schneider's new book, "The German Comedy: Scenes of Life After the Wall," looks at some of the ironic and funny results of the unification of the Germanys. (It's published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux).

German film director Volker Schlöndorff. He just finished the film adaptation of Margaret Atwood's best-selling novel, "The Handmaid's Tale." It stars Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth McGovern, and Robert Duval. Schlondorf's other films include "The Tin Drum," which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, "The Lost Honor of Katherina Blum," and "Swann in Love."

The German-born writer's memoir documents her parents' involvement in World War II. Reichel grew up in Hamburg after the end of the war, as the country dealt with the guilt of its Nazi past. She says the pain of that history was felt by all citizens, even if it was deeply repressed.

The groundbreaking psychoanalyst didn't trust future biographers, even going so far as to destroy some of his personal papers. Nonetheless, historian Peter Gay has found enough material to write his second book on Freud. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about Freud's personal life, theories, and views on female sexuality,

The African American diva says she faced few racial barriers in the opera world. She credits the work of black singers who came before her, as well as the myriad performance opportunities available to her in Germany, for helping launch her career.

Petra Kelly's frustration in Parliament was one of several factors which inspired her to cofound the political party, which promotes non-violence, feminism, and environmentalism. She is currently advocating against NATO's installation of missiles in her country.