BERLIN ALL-IN
3 HOUR HIGHLIGHTS
JEWISH BERLIN
TURKISH BERLIN
WEIMAR BERLIN
LGBTIQ BERLIN
SACHSENHAUSEN MEMORIAL
ABOUT FINN
I grew up on the North-East coast of Ireland and attended the University of Warwick in England, where I studied literature and cinema and worked as a teacher of film theory and modern history. My doctoral studies on the influence of Germanic folklore upon film piqued my fascination with Berlin, and I emigrated in 2008, completing my Ph.D. here shortly thereafter. I live in my very favourite of Berlin's boroughs, Schöneberg, and continue to learn more about this unique city each day. I have been guiding tours through Berlin and its surroundings since 2009; I also work as a journalist and as a historical advisor for cinematic and televisual productions (most recently for the Golden Globe-winning show 'Transparent'). Additionally I teach Gender Studies and Media Studies at the Council on International Educational Exchange, an English-speaking institute in Berlin. It's a delight to share this city with its visitors and I hope that I can help you make the very most of your trip!
How do we get in touch?
You can contact me via email on finn@finn-ballard-tours.com and I'll get back to you promptly.
What is unique about your tours?
After several years' living and guiding in Berlin, immersing myself in the city and studying its history both inside and outside of an academic context, I can help you to make the very best of every minute you spend here. Particularly if you choose to take one of the 'Extended' tours, you're guaranteed to see more with me.
How long do the tours last?
The length of the tours is entirely flexible in accordance with your wishes! Of the standard tours, 'Berlin All-in' lasts five hours (and can be broken into two segments for touring over two days). The 'Essential' Third Reich, Cold War, Jewish Berlin, Weimar Berlin, and LGBTIQ Berlin tours each take three hours. Potsdam and Sachsenhausen are six-hour tours including travel time to and from Berlin. Leipzig, Dresden and Wittenberg are all-day tours including travel to and from Berlin (if applicable - I can also meet you in those cities, should you prefer, or leave you at your hotel if you will go on to stay there). The 'Extended' and Custom tours can last for a day, or indeed several... So far the winner has been 24 hours' touring over a multi-day period, but you are welcome to set a new record!
How much do the tours cost?
The pricing of tours is dependent upon your requirements; please contact me for further details and to request a quotation.
How will we travel?
In most cases, we will travel on foot and using Berlin's renowned public transportation network. However, should you prefer, we can also tour on bike or with a chauffeur and private car.
We can start and end our tours at wherever is most convenient for you - at your accommodation, in the city centre, or indeed at the airport should you be visiting only on a layover.
✭ ALL-IN
✭ 3 HOUR HIGHLIGHTS
✭ THIRD REICH
✭ COLD WAR
✭ JEWISH BERLIN
✭ TURKISH BERLIN
✭ WEIMAR BERLIN
✭ LGBTIQ BERLIN
✭ SACHSENHAUSEN
✭ CUSTOM TOURS
✭ DRESDEN
✭ LEIPZIG
✭ POTSDAM
✭ WITTENBERG
finn@finn-ballard-tours.com
Finn Ballard Tours
Welcome to Berlin! My name is Finn Ballard, and I'm looking forward to guiding you around this fascinating city.
Never seen such a golden January in Berlin before!
This week, Berliners commemorated the murdered socialist Karl Liebknecht and his Jewish comrade Rosa Luxemburg, with a procession to their gravesite in the Friedrichsfelde Cemetery. During World War One, Liebknecht had vehemently criticised Kaiser Wilhelm II, militarism and destruction; Luxemburg was integral to the formation of the Marxist 'Spartacus League,' and in turn to the German Communist Party. Within weeks of the end of the War, Liebknecht and Luxemburg would be captured by right-wing militia known as 'Freikorps,' many of whom would support the nascent Nazi Party. After torturous interrogation, Liebknecht and Luxemburg were both murdered on the night of January 15, 1919.
Okay, here is a really difficult Picture Quiz! Who knows the story behind this unassuming memorial in the Berlin neighbourhood of Wedding?
Premiere of Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' in Berlin-Schöneberg, January 1927.
Picture Quiz time! Most Berlin buildings weren't enjoying their finest hour in 1945... can you identify this structure?
I love being part of surprise-holiday presents! One day I would like to jump out of a cake, please. Thanks for two super days together!
Tonight, let's remember Dr. Julius Leber, executed by the Nazis on January 5th, 1945. Leber was from a working-class family in Alsace, joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD) as a young man and volunteered for service in World War One, after which he obtained his doctoral degree. He edited a social-democratic newspaper, and became a delegate to the Reichstag in 1924. Immediately after the Nazis ascended to power, he was sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp for four years. Subsequent to his release, no longer able to work in politics, he became a coal merchant - a job which enabled him to support his wife and children, and provided him with camouflage for his ongoing resistance activities. A confidant of Claus von Stauffenberg, whose attempt to assassinate Hitler failed in July 1944, Leber was implicated and taken once more into custody. He was tried (see photo) at the People's Court in Kleistpark, Schoeneberg, and sentenced to death on October 20th, 1944. A few months later, he was hanged at Plötzensee Prison in Berlin.
This evening, a presentation in the 'golden hall' of Schoeneberg's town hall on the life of Social Democratic politician Julius Leber, executed in Berlin on January 5, 1945.
January touring: it can be done (with many layers)!
For this super view of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (its steeple broken in WWII) you'll need to go to the top storey of the nearby Karstadt department store!