Other

BBC World Service South Asia

The Compass v2 Podcast

The Compass

Documentaries

Factual: Life Stories

The Compass v2 Standard

With ideas too big for a single episode, The Compass presents mini-series about society

Surprising stories from unusual places. With ideas too big for a single episode, The Compass presents mini-series about the environment and politics, culture and society.

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

The Compass: Soul Music: Soul Music: Lili Marlene

Magazines & Reviews

Factual

Marlene Dietrich - Actor and Singer

22/09/2016 GMT

Soul Music: Lili Marlene

Soul Music

BBC World Service - The Compass, Soul Music, Soul Music: Lili Marlene

Stories of love, loss and friendship through the WW2 song Lili Marlene

Stories of love, loss and friendship through the WW2 song Lili Marlene, made famous by Marlene Dietrich and sung by soldiers on both sides.

It tells the story of Alexander Franks deployed into the desert in World War Two. He remembers listening to the song, surrounded by ‘a million square miles of nothing’ and how they would turn the radio up so the song could be heard by both sets of soldiers. Amidst the carnage and the tension, the haunting melody would raise their hearts, and remind them of their common humanity. After the war he got in touch with the very German men he had been fighting and, to this day, they sing Lilli Marlene to remember the good things and the bad.

(Photo: German born actress Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) at the first inter-allied athletic meeting of Berlin's occupying troops, 25 September 1945. Credit: Fred Ramage/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Compass: Soul Music

A series of programmes about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Compass

Soul Music

Soul Music: Lili Marlene

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC World Service South Asia

About BBC World Service