Hitler’s teeth and the Leaning Tower of Pisa

The History Hour

BBC

Personal Journals, History, Society & Culture

4.4 • 913 Ratings

🗓️ 11 April 2026

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Sahar Saleem, an Egyptian paleoradiologist specialising in using medical imaging technology to study mummies and ancient artefacts.

We start with the story a Jewish interpreter who helped guard Adolf Hitler's teeth in the final days of the Second World War.

Then, the engineering efforts to reduce the tilt of the Leaning Tower of Pisa - which kept it closed to the public for 11 years.

We hear a Nepalese activist recall the massive protests that led to the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990.

Plus, a childhood memory of the first major surrealist exhibition in New York.

Finally, we hear of the current whereabouts of Jorge, a popular Argentine sea turtle.

Contributors:

Lyubov Summ - granddaughter of interpreter Yelena Rzhevskaya.

Nunziante Squeglia - professor of geotechnics at the University of Pisa.

Durga Thapa - Nepalese activist.

Carroll Janis - performer at the first major surrealist exhibition.

Nicky Salapu - former goalkeeper for American Samoa,

Alejandro Saubidet - Argentine marine biologist.

(Photo: Pisa Leaning Tower and Pisa Cathedral, in the celebrated Piazza dei Miracoli. Credit: Getty)

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.
0:07.3	Their company's success helped build a nation.
0:10.9	The company is such a big part of Korea's economy.
0:13.5	But who are the family behind one of the world's tech giants?
0:17.2	They often say, look, we built the nation.
0:19.5	And without us, South Korea as it exists today,
0:22.6	would simply not be here. Inheritance, Samsung explores the real-life dramas of the Lee family
0:28.3	and their company. They are the equivalent of royalty. Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:34.1	We did something that no one else had ever done there was such a excitement and energy about
0:39.9	this moment it opened the door for everything that rapidly followed witness history history as
0:46.0	told by the people who were there i was walking in space the first man ever to do so i felt
0:52.6	almost insignificant like a tiny ant compared to the
0:56.5	immensity of the universe. Witness History from the BBC World Service. Listen now. Search for
1:03.0	Witness History wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Hello and welcome to The History Hour with me Max Pearson, the past brought to life by those who were there in this week's connection from witness history.
1:20.3	Coming up, the troubled history of multi-party democracy in Nepal.
1:24.1	They were just students. Then they opened fire. So many people died. There are no records.
1:32.1	American Samoa's record defeat in a football World Cup qualifier against Australia,
1:37.4	31-0. Because it's like you just beat Tonga 22-0. How many goals that you need to have the differential. You know, I don't think
1:48.0	that was very smart to do that. Also, how the Leaning Tower of Pisa was stabilized and reopened to the
1:54.4	public. The Tower has been not only stabilized, but 10 years ago has been also restored all the surfaces.
2:03.5	And a childhood memory of the first major surrealist exhibition in New York.
2:08.2	Don't talk to anybody. And if somebody tries to stop you, you can say, Marcel Duchamp,
	...

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