Berlin: A Divided City - Half-Day Tour

Wilkommen in Berlin, Welcome to Berlin ! Thank you for choosing us. Hallo, Hello, Bonjour, I am Anne. Not a real surprise, but as many people in Berlin, I am not a true Berliner. I am French, originally from Strasbourg, a city located on the French-German border. So since the beginning of my life I am a little mix of France and Germany. You are probably wondering what brought me to the German capital. Love at the first sight! I know it sounds cliché, but it is the truth. Love for the city, not for a Berliner, I should precise. It is this love that I want to share with you during my tours. My story with Berlin should have started when I was 14 years old as a part of a school trip. Unfortunately the trip was cancelled and I had to wait 15 more years. To be honest, the first minute I was in Berlin, it felt like home. Strange feeling when you think about it. I never felt lost in the German capital. It was like this city was a little part of myself. Living Berlin was heartbreaking and I made the promise to my self, to come back and settle down here. Three years later it was done. It just took me a bit of time to convince my husband to move with me. I am a professional licensed guide since 2013. Why would you choose to be a guide? First reason, my passion for history that I studied at the University of Strasbourg and that I love to share. It is fascinating for me to show to my guests that history is not dead, that the world we are living in today comes from 1945 or even further away 1919 and the Treaty of Versailles. I like to share little stories and events which are making the big History. Second reason, being a guide gives me the chance to meet people from all of over the world and to exchange with them. What is better than that? Having the opportunity to learn about other cultures and other countries through your job. Last reason but not least, my fascination for the 20th century history and for that Berlin is the perfect place. Just let think about it, which other city in the world embodies better than Berlin the best and the worst of the last century? Do you have in mind another city ? Just let me know. But if you think like me that Berlin is the embodiment of the 20th century history, please follow me and I will make sure to make you feel that you are walking in streets full of small and big historical events. One example of these small stories that I love to tell my guests, Peter Fechter. Did you hear about him? Probably not, he is just one more name among the victims of the Berlin Wall. Not far from Checkpoint Charlie, one of the most famous sights of Berlin, there is a Memorial for Peter Fechter. This East Berlin18 year-old boy who tried to cross the Wall in August 1962 was shot and left bleeding for a hour until he died of his injury. He became a symbol of the cruelty of the East German border guards and was nicknamed by the West Berliners "Elvis" as he was dressed as Elvis Presley. Not a real big story as you can read but it makes you touch the reality of the people. In my tours, I would like to share with you my vision of Berlin and its past through the eyes of a foreigner and also perhaps through the eyes of a country which occupied Berlin two times, in the 19th Century with Napoleon and then again in the 20th Century as one the three Allies. During your time with me, you can ask any question that you may have, there is no taboo in my tours. As a French, it is easier to talk about the German past as I can easily put a distance between the topic and myself. Let me show you all the different faces of Berlin and let yourself be amazed by it. A few years ago this motto was used for an advertisement campaign : "Berlin is poor but sexy". So follow me in Berlin and I promise you you won't forget your Berlin experience. - Guiding License since 2012 - Training in Sachsenhause Concentration Camp in 2018 - Training Berlin Guide Institut from January to July 2018 - Bachelor of History University of Strasbourg (France) - Master 1 of Journalism University of Grenoble (France) - Master 2 of Museology University of Strasbourg (France) I am not a driver. I can accompany you in your vehicle or I can arrange for a separate car and driver.