For anyone interested in history, Berlin is your playground. From old Slavic and Germanic tribes through Crusaders, alchemists and feuding houses to Prussian expansion, Emperors and world wars, including the Cold one.

But next to big events, which often changed the world - and not always for the better - myriads of smaller things happened here daily, turning the city into what it is today: a melting pot of cultures, languages and stories. And a treasure trove of trivia.

This podcast aims to tell some of the most interesting lesser-known stories about Berlin from day one all the way until now. In no particular order, it will give you small insights into what's often forgotten or overlooked. Or is too small to make it into big history books.

So join me as we explore the nooks and crannies of Berlin. Welcome to Berlin Companion Podcast!


Main theme for the podcast: “Assembly Line Frustration" © Ionics Music | TerraSound.de

Support the show

Read fascinating stories from Berlin's past and present, and listen to all the episodes from Season 1 and 2 of the podcast on Substack: theberlincompanion.com

Enjoy Berlin audio-tours created by yours truly: download Berlin Companion Audio-Walks App (free access code for all annual Substack blog supporters).

You can also find me at: @kreuzberged, @berlincompanion.bsky.social, The Berlin Companion on Instagram.

And if you would like to become a regular subscriber to this show and help me spend more time digging in my vast archives, chasing new stories and turning these into shiny new episodes - get a subscription and become Berlin Companion's Companion:-)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1459384/support

Support the show

Read fascinating stories from Berlin's past and present, and listen to all the episodes from Season 1 and 2 of the podcast on Substack: theberlincompanion.com

Enjoy Berlin audio-tours created by yours truly: download Berlin Companion Audio-Walks App (free access code for all annual Substack blog supporters).

You can also find me at: @kreuzberged, @berlincompanion.bsky.social, The Berlin Companion on Instagram.

And if you would like to become a regular subscriber to this show and help me spend more time digging in my vast archives, chasing new stories and turning these into shiny new episodes - get a subscription and become Berlin Companion's Companion:-)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1459384/support

In the 1920s elegant Berliners fell in love with a scent called "Treffpunkt 8 Uhr" (Rendezvous at 8PM). Made by a legendary local manufacture Schwarzlose - which still exists today - it stood for the Exciting and the Romantic but also for what Berlin seemed never to have enough of: time.

From 1787 when the first public clock appeared in Unter den Linden, clocks dictated the pace of the city. Many appointments were scheduled under the chronometer. Later, the areas around public city clocks, the Normaluhren, became traditional meeting points for Berliners. So when in 1969 a new public clock was unveiled on the main East Berlin plaza, on Alexanderplatz, it became clear that the Weltzeituhr (World Clock) would be a witness to many a rendezvous in the years to come. As it has been until today.

Here's the story of two famous Berlin chronometers.

Support the show

Read fascinating stories from Berlin's past and present, and listen to all the episodes from Season 1 and 2 of the podcast on Substack: theberlincompanion.com

Enjoy Berlin audio-tours created by yours truly: download Berlin Companion Audio-Walks App (free access code for all annual Substack blog supporters).

You can also find me at: @kreuzberged, @berlincompanion.bsky.social, The Berlin Companion on Instagram.

And if you would like to become a regular subscriber to this show and help me spend more time digging in my vast archives, chasing new stories and turning these into shiny new episodes - get a subscription and become Berlin Companion's Companion:-)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1459384/support