"Gather 'round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun,

A man whose allegiance

Is ruled by expedience." 

🎶 “Gather 'round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun,
 A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience…” – Tom Lehrer

In this first installment of our deep dive into Wernher von Braun, we finally tackle one of the most controversial figures in modern history — a man who helped launch humanity into space… but got his start building weapons for the Nazis.

This episode explores von Braun’s early life, his obsession with rocketry, and his pivotal role in developing the V-2 missile program during World War II — a technological feat built on the backs of forced labor and human suffering. With German mustaches, unexpected Space Camp references, and yes, an unwelcome Hitler cameo, we take a closer look at how ambition, ideology, and survival intersected in von Braun’s story.

Was he a brilliant visionary or a morally compromised opportunist? (Spoiler: why not both?)

For more on Von Braun, check out Erin's main source for this episode: Michael J. Neufeld's biography on him, "Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War."

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If you have a judgement on any of the figures that we have covered (it can be a voice memo or an email that we can read!) or have a recommendation for a historical figure, please contact us at [email protected]!