The History Buff

In the riveting conclusion of The History Buff's Berlin Wall series, I'm joined by fellow tour guide Joerg to delve into the momentous events of November 1989. We discuss the fateful night that marked the end of an era, including the infamous press conference, where an innocent mistake by an East German official led the Berlin Wall to come crashing down.Joerg, who witnessed these events firsthand as a West Berliner, shares his unique perspective on the atmosphere in East Germany leading up to that historic night. We explore what it was like to be there, the immediate and long-term consequences of the wall coming down, and the complex legacy it left behind. Was the fall of the Berlin Wall purely positive, or did it bring unforeseen challenges? How has Germany navigated reunification in the years since? Join us for an insightful discussion that answers these questions and more. Don't miss this chance to understand one of the most pivotal moments in modern history.You can watch the video of the episode on YouTube.You can also follow Joerg on Instagram.For more content and if you'd like to sign up to our mailing list to be notified whenever we release a new episode, then head over to The History Buff website. You can find more History Buff content on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

In this episode, we shift our focus from the Berlin Wall itself to the lives of the people on either side. We'll explore how Berlin evolved into a bastion of counterculture and artistic expression, with distinct influences and circumstances in both the East and the West. Joining me for this discussion is fellow Berlin tour guide Ryan, an expert in this fascinating topic. Together, we'll delve into the unique cultural landscapes that flourished in a divided city.From the East German punk and squatting movements to the cultural melting pot of occupied West Berlin, we explore how this divided city transformed into Europe's epicentre of defiance.You can watch the video of this episode on Youtube.For more fascinating insights from Ryan, you can follow him on Instagram.For more content and if you'd like to sign up to our mailing list to be notified whenever we release a new episode, then head over to The History Buff website. You can find more History Buff content on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

In the next episode of the Berlin Wall series, I am joined by another fellow Berlin tour guide - Tina (or as I call her Miss Ernestina). In this third part of the series, I discuss with Tina the various escapes - both successes and failures - and the tragic deaths at the Wall.With the sealing of the border and building of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, this meant that East Germans that wanted to leave East Germany had to find new ways to do so, and in this episode we delve into those gripping and all-too often tragic stories. Hear about Conrad Schumann's leap to freedom, which became an enduring image of the Cold War. Learn about the multiple daring escapes of the Bethke brothers, involving a blow up mattress, a zip-wire and two light aircraft! And listen to the heartbreaking story of Peter Fechter, whose very public shooting and death at the Wall became a symbol of the it's brutality. Join us as we explore these remarkable tales of courage and the human cost of division.You can also watch the video of this episode on YouTube.Check out the home video of the Bethke brothers escape flight over Berlin here.Tina is a fantastic guide who offers many different fascinating tours of Berlin. Check out her website or her Instagram for more information!For more content and if you'd like to sign up to our mailing list to be notified whenever we release a new episode, then head over to The History Buff website. You can find more History Buff content on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

The History Buff is charting the story of one of history's most infamous barriers - The Berlin Wall, which divided a city in the heart of a divided Europe for 28 years. As a Berlin tour guide, this is something that I talk about a lot, and it's something visitors Berlin continue to be fascinated by. In the last episode, I discussed the end of the Second World War, the division of Germany and the beginnings of the Cold War, which set the stage for the events of this episode.In this second episode of The Berlin Wall series, I am joined by Quincy, a fellow Berlin tour guide, to talk about the events surrounding that fateful night in August 1961 where the last hole in the Iron Curtain, the border between East and West Berlin, was sealed off literally overnight. Berliners woke up on the morning of 13 August to find themselves cut off from friends, family and work.But why was the Berlin Wall built in the first place? How was the mammoth task of sealing off the 155 kilometre border surrounding West Berlin actually put into practice? Who planned it? How did the West react? Listen to find out!This episode is available to watch as a video on YouTube.Quincy is launching his own online magazine about history and culture in Berlin, which you will be able to find here.For more content and if you'd like to sign up to our mailing list to be notified whenever we release a new episode, then head over to The History Buff website. You can find more History Buff content on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

The History Buff is very excited to launch a new series about the Berlin Wall! As a Berlin tour guide, it is obviously a big part of my work as the Berlin Wall is a very prominent (and recent!) part of Berlin's history and is very popular with visitors to the city. Over five episodes we will talk about various aspects of its existence including the events leading up to its construction, the actual building of the Wall, escapes and deaths, life in East and West Berlin and also how the Wall fell and it consequences.In this first episode, I will explain to you the events that led to the Berlin Wall's construction, including the beginnings of the Cold War and the Berlin Crisis, in a simple bitesize episode. For the rest of the series, I will be joined by fellow tour guides here in Berlin to help explain the fascinating and pivotal story of this barrier built to separate a people, but which came to symbolise the division of an entire world and the tension between them during the Cold War.This episode is available to watch as a video on YouTube.For more content and if you'd like to sign up to our mailing list to be notified whenever we release a new episode, then head over to The History Buff website. You can find more History Buff content on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

In 1974, Richard Nixon became the first, and to this day only, US President to resign from office. This followed the scandal surrounding the 1972 break-ins at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Building in Washington D.C., orchestrated by Nixon's administration. Nixon initially tried to cover up his involvement, but his secret recordings of Oval Office meetings were subpoenaed by the Supreme Court, leading to his downfall. The Watergate scandal significantly impacted US politics, fostering widespread public distrust in politics and politicians. Its legacy is seen in the "-gate" suffix attached to contemporary controversies, symbolising scandal (e.g. Billygate, Bottlegate, Partygate, Bountygate, Punchgate, Donutgate and many, MANY more...).For more content and if you'd like to sign up to our mailing list to be notified whenever we release a new episode, then head over to The History Buff website. You can also follow The History Buff on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

Known as "The Nine Days Queen", Jane Grey is often overlooked in history books as an English monarch, simply due to the fact that her reign was so short. In 1553 King Edward VI, Henry VIII's only son, was dying and he wanted to ensure that the English throne passed to another Protestant. On the advice of his scheming Chief Minister, the Duke of Northumberland, he signed over the throne to an obscure fifteen-year-old noblewoman from Leicestershire... who just happened to be Northumberland's daughter in law, Lady Jane Grey. In doing so, Edward sidelined his older half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. Mary was outraged by this, and when Jane was duly proclaimed Queen on 10 July 1553, Mary started gathering forces to support her claim to the throne as Henry VIII's eldest child. Things very quickly unravelled for the poor young Jane, and she lost her crown just nine days later on 19 July. Shortly after being proclaimed Queen Mary I, Mary put Jane on trial for high treason as a usurper, and she was beheaded on 12 February 1554.For more content and if you'd like to sign up to our mailing list to be notified whenever we release a new episode, then head over to The History Buff website. You can also follow The History Buff on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

Get a taste of what to expect on The History Buff...