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BBS - Berlin Guides Association

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BBS - Berlin Guides Association

BBS - Berlin Guides Association We are Berlin's official tour guides association comprised of expert guides working in and around Berlin.

We use our network to establish partnerships with reputable museums and institutions and to further educate each other to become even better guides We are a Berlin guide association for experienced guides. We use our network to educate each other further to become even better guides.

27/01/2025

Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the voices of survivors and reflect on the lessons of history.

In a moving interview conducted by one of our members, Campbell Bews for the Berlin Guides Association (BBS), Holocaust survivor Leon Weintraub shared his extraordinary story. Now 99 years old, Leon recounted his childhood in Lodz, Poland, growing up in poverty, the unimaginable cruelty of the Lodz Ghetto, and his survival through Auschwitz, Gross-Rosen, and Flossenbürg concentration camps.

Leon credits his instincts, luck, and the ability to work as key to his survival, though it came at a devastating cost. His mother and other family members were taken to the gas chambers upon arrival at Auschwitz. He narrowly escaped death several times, once by blending into a group of workers, a decision that saved his life.

After the war, Leon rebuilt his life in Sweden, became a renowned obstetrician, and has spent his later years as an educator, sharing his story to fight racism and promote democracy. His latest book, *Reconciliation with Evil* (Kadmos, Berlin 2024), delves deeper into his experiences and his hope for a future where humanity triumphs over hate.

Campbell’s article captures not only the horrors Leon endured but also his unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and teaching future generations.

The complete article can be found on our blog
https://www.berlinguidesassociation.com/blog/a-life-of-resilience-leon-weintraubs-journey-from-the-holocaust-to-hope

02/01/2025

If you are in Berlin, we hope you eat as much schnitzel and as many currywursts as possible, but don't forget about the döner kebab! This delicious street food was supposedly developed in Istanbul in the 1960s, but took off in popularity in Germany in the 1970s, as Turkish immigrants opened little restaurants selling food for on-the-go. The meat (usually beef or chicken) is cooked while spinning all day on a vertical spit. When you order, the meat is carved off, put either in a pita (kebab) or in a wrap (durum), with various sauces and veggies. They are not as cheap as they once were, but if you want a quick, delicious, and filling meal, let your nose lead you to the nearest döner stand!

26/12/2024

In the northwestern part of Berlin, you will find an industrial area home to the Borsig Factory, an locomative manufacturer. The Borsig Company was founded by August Borsig in 1827 and first located near the old Oranienburger Gate (where the U6 Oranienburger Tor subway stop is now), but soon after moved to a larger area outside of central Berlin. The area looks much different now than it did before, but the Borsig Arch is still there, a reminder of the industry the existed in Berlin prior to World War II.

19/12/2024

One of Berlin's most famous symbols isn't a building or a historic site, but rather the crosswalk man found on the pedestrian street signal lights! He is called the Ampelmann and was created by traffic psychologist Karl Peglau in 1961. The design was meant to be simple enough for children to understand, but also easy to produce. And it turned out to be very charming as well! After reunification, efforts were made to standardize all traffic and pedestrian signs, but the East German Ampelmännchen were so popular, that campaigns were held to save him. Those campaigns were successful, and now, not only can you still find the Ampelmännchen helping pedestrians to cross the street, you can also find him in stores as a souvenir in every form imaginable.

12/12/2024

Another one of our BBS excursions this year took our members to the Schloss (Palace) Bellevue, the office of the German President. The building was constructed for the Prussian royal family in the late 1700s and was first home to many mulberry trees, meant to provide a home for silkworms, since silk was a precious commodity back then. The mulberry trees did not survive long in the northern winters, but the palace remained an important location. It was bombed badly during World War II and ended up in the British Zone. The new West German government was headquartered in Bonn, but Schloss Bellevue was rebuilt in a simple and sleek manner to serve as a second location for the German president's office. After German reunification, Berlin again became the German capital, and Schloss Bellevue regained its importance. Today it serves as a place to host foreign officials, local ambassadors and diplomats, and tour guides interested in its history. We really enjoyed this peek behind the curtain of Germany's government!

05/12/2024

Back in the summer, members of the Berlin Guides Association had the great opportunity to explore a part of Berlin that most of us rarely visit with our guests - Luisenstadt in central Mitte. Our member Falko Hennig () developed this special tour after researching the history of this part of Berlin for a long time. The neighborhood is named after Queen Luise of Prussia. 100 years ago, Luisenstadt was what Silicon Valley is today. Among the factories located there were very important facilities for radio and radio technology, along with electromobility companies and the world's first airplane factory. Today the neighborhood is known for the Tresor night club and the prefabricated East German buildings, but you can discover the neigborhood's earlier history by going on a tour!

28/11/2024

One of the great things to do while visiting Berlin is exploring the courtyards. Berlin has big city blocks with lots of apartments, but if you go a bit behind the facades, you will sometimes find beautiful courtyards. Many are for residents only, but some are public spaces and they are truly hidden gems. A great one can be found in central Berlin on Oranienburger Strasse, just next to the New Synagogue. It is called the Heckmann Höfe. The history of the courtyard can be traced all the way back to the late 1600s, but the name dates from the early 1900s, from the son of city developer Carl Justus Heckmann. Over the years, the space was used as a barn, as a place to sell wood, as an engineering office, and finally now as a commercial space, with a candy manufacturing company, several stores and restaurants, and a theater.

21/11/2024

Way off the beaten path to the north of Berlin is an incredible place called the Weissensee Jewish Cemetery. The Jewish community of Berlin was flourishing before the N***s came to power, and in fact, this cemetery was the third one that had been established in the city. It is the largest Jewish cemetery in size in Europe (there is one with more graves in Poland) and for reasons largely unknown, it was not destroyed by the N***s. Jews were buried there starting from the 1880s and records still survive as to who is buried where. The cemetery is dotted with amazing mausoleums, a few of which were used to hide Jews during the Holocaust. The cemetery is open to the public on most days and is absolutely worth a visit. Our members took a fascinating tour of the cemetery earlier this year to learn more.

14/11/2024

One of Berlin's most historically important buildings is perhaps the New Syngagogue, built in the 1860s, after the Jewish population in Berlin had grown by leaps and bounds. It was designed in the Moorish style by architect Eduard Knoblauch. The Jewish community wanted it to stand tall and proud, in contrast to the Old Synagogue, built in the early 1700s, hidden in a courtyard and restricted to just one story. It was not destroyed during Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, due to a brave police officer, but was later bombed during World War II. It sat as a ruin for many decades, until the front portion was finally rebuilt in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. To learn more, take a tour from one of our members!

07/11/2024

Anyone who comes to Berlin knows Museum Island, but in fact, the entire island is called the Spree Island, after the river that runs around it. On one end are the famous museums, but in the middle used to sit the Hohenzollern Prussia Royal City Palace, first built in the early 1700s. During World War II, the Palace was somewhat damaged, and then the remains were taken down by the East German government. In its place, they built the Palast der Republik, where the East German parliament met. Once the Wall fell, this building became obsolete, and partly due to the asbestos inside, it was destroyed in the early 2000s. After much intense discussion, the city decided to re-build the palace with a replica of the facade and a more modest interior. It is now called the Humboldt Forum and is home to several museums and a cultural institutions.

04/11/2024

Our final October excursion was in fact a galactic expedition to the oldest and largest observatory still open to the public in Germany, the Archenhold Observatory. It is located in Treptower Park, built in 1896, and is home to the longest moveable telescope in the world. Our members learned not only about the history of the observatory, but also about the solar system, constellations, and light pollution. The Observatory has another claim to fame - it is the first place where Albert Einstein gave a public lecture about his theory of relativity. The Observatory was founded by Friedrich Simon Archenhold and his son Günter took over in 1931, but as the family was Jewish, Günter was forced to resign. There are several Stumbling Stones in front of the Observatory to remember the family's fate - several were murdered by the N***s, but a few were able to escape and survive.

31/10/2024

In mid-October, the Berlin Guides Association hosted a trip to Greifswald, a city in northern Germany in the state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. About 15 members came along. We started our day with a walking tour of the old town, which included the market square, a monument honoring the famous German painter Caspar David Friedrich, the university (founded in 1456), and the harbor. Afterwards, we had the great fortune of viewing the excavation site of a medieval hospital by archaeologist Dr. Claudia Melisch, the wife of one of our members. We then took another tour, this time of the outstanding Pommersches Landesmuseum, and ended our day with a delicious dinner. Many members ordered fish, a speciality on the coast. It was a wonderful experience and we were all so glad to learn more about another city in Germany!

28/10/2024

In early October, the Berlin Guides Association organized a tour of the exhibit "The Romanesque Cafe in 1920s Berlin" at the Europa Center in Berlin, which is running until late January 2025. The special thing about the exhibit is that it takes place where the Romanesque Cafe was located about 100 years ago, near the famous Kurfürstendamm and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. We were welcomed by three of the curators of the exhibition - Arne Krasting, Katja Baumeister-Frenzel, and Michael Bienert. While enjoying a glass of sparkling wine, we learned about the "Golden Twenties" and the guests of the Cafe, which included the painter Max Liebermann, the poet Mascha Kaleko, the painter Jeanne Mammen, and the playwright Bertolt Brecht. Many of those guests were later persecuted in under the N**i regime; some were able to flee, while others committed su***de or were murdered.

24/10/2024

Berlin's most famous boulevard is without a doubt Unter den Linden, the royal road leading from the Prussian's city palace out to their royal hunting grounds (Tiergarten) and their first summer palace (Schloss Charlottenburg). Along this street is also a beautiful neo-baroque building, built in the early 1900s by architect Ernst von Ihnes - the State Library of Berlin. It is actually one of several state libraries, but this one is the most prominent. In front of it is an iconic statue of Frederick the Great, who was not only an exceptional statesman, but also a patron of the arts. He is remembered as Prussia's most important king and helped turn Berlin into a world-class city.

17/10/2024

Berlin is a very flat city; the only hills you will find contain quite a fascinating secret - they are rubble mounds from the rubble of World War II! The largest one can be found in the southwest of the city, in the forest of Grunewald, called "Teufelsberg," or "Devil's Mountain." This rubble mound covers a partly-finished N**i building and was so tall, that the Americans and British built a listening post on top, the remains of which can still be visited today. Not only is it historically signficant, but the area is now covered with incredible street art. It is a bit of a hike, literally, but definitely worth a visit!

10/10/2024

Behind Friedrichstraße Train Station is an unusual blue building with very long windows. Today it is a museum, but during the Cold War, it was an arrival hall for visitors from West Germany coming to East Berlin to visit family and friends. Friedrichstraße was the first train station to be accessed from West Berlin and was turned into a checkpoint for train passengers. The building earned the nickname "Tränenpalast," or "Palace of Tears," because so many tears were cried upon seeing family and friends after such a long time, but then also when those family and friends had to leave again. When the Wall fell, the building was briefly occupied in the 1990s by young Berliners and turned into a night club, but then later it was taken over by the city and turned into a public museum which is free to visit. It has a small but illuminating exhibit about the Friedrichstraße crossing and every day life in East Germany - check it out!

03/10/2024

Today is German Unity Day, a holiday in Germany celebrated the reunification of former West and East Germany. The most infamous symbol of the German separation was the Berlin Wall, which was erected on August 13, 1961 and encircled former West Berlin. It lasted 28 years, until it fell on November 9, 1989. Most of the Wall was torn down, but you can still find several pieces intact. But what about the big stretches in between those leftover pieces? Many people wanted the Wall to be completely destroyed, but for remembrance, keeping a symbol of that past is important. So in central Beriln, if you look closely, you can find a brick path in the pavement running exactly where the Wall used to be.

26/09/2024

As a visitor to Berlin, going to a bookstore probably isn't high on your list of things to do. But if you live in Berlin, Dussmann is *the* place to go for books. It is a huge store with not only books, but also movies, calendars, souvenirs, and stationary. They even have an English-language book section. When our members want to expand their knowledge about Berlin, Dussmann is often their first top to discover new books.

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The BBS - Berlin Guides Association

The Berlin Guides Association (Bündnis Berliner Stadtführer e.V) is the German capital’s official association of professional tour guides. We use our network to establish partnerships with reputable museums and institutions in and around Berlin and have the best tour guides that the city’s tourism industry has to offer, who offer energetic and educational tours in the native language of your choice: Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Mandarin, Russian, and Swedish. We are Berlin.