BOOK ONLINE

LIFE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN

The REPUBLIC
OF FEAR Tour

5

hour
private van tour
– max 6 person group

925€

includes 19% VAT, guide fee, booking fee, admin fee, transportation and driver costs, and tourism insurances

Our Republic Of Fear Tour can start wherever is best for you – at your accommodation or elsewhere

Explore what life in the Workers’ and Peasants’ paradise of East Germany was like; examine the reality of utopian socialism up to the ‘Fall of the Wall’ – the phenomenon of Marxism-Leninism in practice – and the curious collapse of this single-party Soviet satellite state.

Consider not only the normalcy that grew in the shadow of the Wall and under the watchful eye of the infamous East German state police – the STASI – but the many tragedies of those who in their rejection of this ‘Republic of Fear’ sought to escape and met their deaths.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

…the former East German secret police headquarters, the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Karl Marx Allee, Alexanderplatz, the former East German government quarter, and much more…

TOUR GUIDES

Matt

Jim

Jörg

Forrest

Nick

We also offer private walking tour variations of all our famous private transportation tours

Get in touch for bigger groups tours – we also offer bus tours for companies and schools

English language tours with native English speakers – in other languages on request

Book directly with a local company – 18 years experience offering guided tours of Berlin

Pay online with any major credit card – VISA/Mastercard/Amex or direct bank transfer

From spy novel tropes to Kennedy’s famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech: no city epitomises the Cold War as much as Berlin.

Here, East and West – capitalism and communism – clashed within the narrow confines of the city, leaving their marks on buildings, streets, and on the lives of countless ordinary Berliners.

This tour considers not just history with a capital-H, but also the stories of life (and of lives uprooted) on either side of the Wall.

Hear about a society that deemed itself a workers’ paradise while waging a war of surveillance on its citizens, about subcultures carving out their own little niches of freedom, and about the events that ultimately led to the fall of the Wall.

Berlin’s pivotal role on the frontline of the ideological conflict played out between East and West during the Cold War period is undeniable. There is no greater symbol of the absurdity of the era – and the atmosphere of paranoia, secrecy & fear that permeated the city for much of the 20th century – than that of the Berlin Wall. Still scattered across the cityscape in minor pieces.

Carved into two competing zones, Berlin became a truly stage managed city – with each side seeking to prove the supremacy of their system. The glamourous individualistic excesses of West Berlin standing in contrast to the planned economy utopianism of the East. The city grew to become the playground for numerous international intelligence agencies vying for control – Berliners struggled alongside various plotting acronyms and government actors – the CIA, MI6, the KGB, the STASI and the BND.

While what normality that existed was played out in the looming shadow of The Bomb.

This Republic Of Fear tour explores the story of life in the workers’ and peasants’ paradise of East Berlin.

Addressing the many aspects of life behind the Iron Curtain, the realities of living in a Marxist-Leninist single-party Soviet satellite state – exploring the Alexanderplatz central square, the famous TV Tower (Fernsehturm) and Weltzeituhr (World Clock), the impressive Karl Marx Allee boulevard and famous Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood. But also visiting the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall in the city to discuss the many escapes and unfortunate deaths on the border, as the East German government sought to stop its population from fleeing to the West.

British author John le Carré famously said that the “secret services were the only real measure of a nation’s political health, the only real expression of its subconscious”. A major highlight of the tour is the unique opportunity to explore the former Stasi headquarters – the inner sanctum of the East German Secret State Police.

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

Alexanderplatz

The Former East German Government Quarter

The Fernsehturm (TV Tower)

The Weltzeituhr (World Clock)

Museum Island

Site of the East German Parliament

Unter den Linden

The Neue Wache

Checkpoint Charlie

The North Korean Embassy

Potsdamer Platz

The Brandenburg Gate

The Site of the 1953 East German Uprising

The Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears)

The Former Geisterbahnhof (Ghost Station) at Nordbahnhof

The Berlin Wall Documentation Centre

The Site of Tunnel 57

The Site of the Conrad Schumann Escape

The Site of the first Berlin Wall Death

The Preserved ‘Death Strip’ On Bernauer Strasse

The Former Bornholmer Straße Crossing – The Bösebrücke

Eberswalder Straße/Dimitroffstraße

The Prenzlauer Berg Neighbourhood

Karl-Marx-Allee (formerly Stalin Allee)

The East German Secret Police Headquarters (Stasi Museum)

The Socialists Cemetery

The Oberbaumbrücke Border Crossing

The Soviet Memorial In Treptower Park

The East Side Gallery

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

We will not only examine the physical remnants of this era but also discuss the myths and realities of this period.

Why is Berlin the capital of Germany?

Who built the Berlin Wall?

Was the Fall of the Berlin Wall an accident?

Was East Germany part of the Soviet Union?

What was Checkpoint Charlie?

Did East Germany have nuclear weapons?

What was the East German government plan for Day X?

Was the Stasi the largest secret police organisation in history?

How many people escaped to West Berlin?

How many people died trying to escape from East Germany?

Was Angela Merkel an East German spy?

Was the Currywurst invented in Berlin?

Was the Döner Kebab invented in Berlin?

Was East Germany a Communist country?

Was the East German Stasi worse than the Nazi Gestapo?

What is special about Berlin’s pedestrian traffic lights?

Did US President JFK call himself a jam donut in Berlin?

Has German reunification been a success?

Did anyone escape across the Berlin Wall to the East?

Did West Berliners help East Berliners escape?

What was Coca-Colonisation?

What was the Berlin Airlift?

What was the Bridge of Spies?

Why are there so many Japanese cherry blossoms in Berlin?

What remains of the Berlin Wall?

Was anyone ever sent to prison because of the Berlin Wall?

What happened to the East German secret police?

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

Walk Through The Brandenburg Gate

Explore The State Musems On Museum Island

Visit The Berlin TV Tower – The Fernsehturm

Cross The Cold War Border At Checkpoint Charlie

Visit The Site Of Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker

Explore The Reconstructed Berlin Palace

Visit The Reichstag Cupola At Night

Explore The Forum Fridericianum

Step Inside The Neue Wache

Visit The Remains Of The Berlin Wall

Walk Across The Bridge Of Spies

Enter The Palace Of Tears – The Tränenpalast

Walk Along Karl Marx Allee

Visit The Oldest Church In Berlin – The Nikolaikirche

Explore The Berliner Dom

Stand On The Platz Des Volksaufstandes

Visit The Soviet War Memorial In The Tiergarten

Visit The Soviet War Memorial In Treptower Park

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

"Matthew was an excellent guide for our family of four. He was very affable and caring, and extremely knowledgable. We couldn't have engaged a better guide to show us Berlin's sights and history. His previous career as a journalist shows through during the tour as he gave in depth illustrations and narrations of Berlin's role in WWII and the unification of Germany. His partnership with Markus as the driver added an extra special touch to the day. Will highly recommend Matthew as a guide for Berlin!"

"Matthew was a very informed, professional, and yet personable and energetic guide for our day in Berlin! He is a truly amazing guide, with a breadth of understanding of Berlin, its past, relevancy for the present, and potential to impact the future. He also explained both macro and micro moments in history with amazing clarity. We would very highly recommend him for small group or even family travel. If there were 6 stars, that's how we would rank him and Markus his driver."

"Matt is undoubtedly the top guide we have ever had. Matt guided us for three days in Berlin and Potsdam and every moment was great. His depth of knowledge is impressive on its own. However, Matt has a unique ability to tell stories and use language and historic photos to create experiences that made us 'feel' like we were a part of the history in the moment. Matt was also very flexible and tailored our experience to our needs."

"Matt Robinson is, simply put, a fantastic tour guide. His knowledge of World War II & the Cold War is exceptional & he is a great storyteller. Matt has the wonderful ability to put political, cultural, social & military history into context as he guides you through the streets of Berlin. Matt made the history of Berlin come alive."

"Matthew provided an excellent five hour tour of the highlights of Berlin. His use of a tablet with photos, maps & videos added another level of understanding to the sites. Our group would definitely contract with Matthew on any future visits."

"Matthew was prompt, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about Berlin and historical facts contributing to why it is the city it is today. We were a group of nine friends and he started the tour at the hotel where most of us were staying. Very accommodating! I would highly recommend Matthew, especially if you are first-timers to Berlin as we were."

"Matthew was a great guide, very thorough on historical knowledge. We let him suggest a restaurant for lunch, and he made a great choice. His driver Markus was also great at getting us up close to the venues before we walked. Markus had his own fascinating story to tell about his escape from East Berlin. Matthew made sure we had plenty of time at each stop. We are only in Berlin 3 days, so his City Tour was awesome for hitting many high points. We definitely recommend Matthew and Markus !!"

"What a wonderfully informative and enjoyable day! Matthew was a brilliant guide, providing all the historic background to this intriguing city. Best of all was his story telling - the human side of Berlin, with a combination of tragic and positive stories, brought it all alive. We also enjoyed the little hidden coffee and local food gems! And the combination of driving, then walking for periods, was perfect. Well worth a price premium for this level of personalised tour. Thanks, Matthew!"

"Spent a really special day with Matt and our Driver Markus during a recent 5 day visit to Berlin. It's possible we could have taken a tour, even two, a lot less costly for just 2 people, but we were in a very comfortable van and Matt took us to locations I doubt we'd have seen on a typical tour. They made it effortless for us, a nice day of just relying on Matt and Markus. It was amazing that Markus actually escaped East Berlin during the Cold War! Thanks to both of them for a lovely day."

"It was a wonderful day trip with a lot of exciting facts, incredible sightseeing and several handy points for our further staying in Berlin. Mattew combined all our wishes - a walking tour, a bicycle ride, a panorama overview - in a solid and fascinating journey through old times, recent history, and nowadays Berlin. Our high recommendations!"

"What an incredible introduction to Berlin! Matthew led us on a 6-hour tour (assisted by a van with driver) of Cold War history and sights, World War II landmarks, the German capitol center, and neighborhoods in the center. He story-told history in a super engaging way and with a book of visual aids - maps, photos, articles. He introduced us to the Turkish contribution to German lunch (the Doner kabob) and dropped us off at his favorite Biergarten a lovely 20-minute walk back to our hotel. A great day!"

"We booked Matt online for a walking tour of the Third Reich and Cold War sights of Berlin. We were not disappointed. Matt is friendly, extremely knowledgable, super attentive to his clients’ needs and flexible. We spent a fascinating 3 hours with him and packed in a lot. There ywas no question to which he didn’t have the answer. I would highly recommend Matt if you want to get under the surface of Berlin with a guide who has a deep understanding of the history of this fascinating city."

"My wife Rhonda and I spent 2 days with Matt Robinson covering various highlights of Berlin including The Third Reich, The Cold War and Contemporary Berlin. Matt's knowledge of history is outstanding, and his story telling is fascinating and unique. From the booking procedure, to then meeting Matt at our hotel, the tour organisation was effortless, professional and nothing was too much trouble. Matt was also extremely helpful & considerate of my limited mobility and offered to organise a driver to accompany our tour."

"Our Tour Guide Matt was Absolutley AMAZING, he gave very good insight in and around Berlin as well as other historic events, He was kind enough to show us some of the most amazing things as well as good places to eat in the Area, He is very knowledgeable and was a great catch, I highly recommed him as a tour guide for a one of a kind experience!"

"I am sure there is no one better to experience all the history and fun facts about Berlin than Matt. It was 1st class service since the 1st email, he was so helpful and made it the best ever tour. He makes learning fun. 100 % worth having a private tour. Thanks for everything Matt, the Canadians loved both tours, and thanks to your driver, also the best."

"Our tour was lead by Matt. He is English speaking, having grown up in England and then relocated to Germany. This man is a wealth of knowledge that far exceeds what you would expect on a standard tour. Matt was never at a loss for information when our group of 10 threw questions at him. It is hard to quantify how much he knows, but we were unable to stump him on anything we asked about. Matt is passionate about the history, but not one of those who is forcing his opinions or views down your throat. He would give us his take on it and actually encourage we formed our own thoughts. Truly a class act. I highly recommend the Berlin Experience."

"My family spent two days touring with a Matt and the two of us did another long bike ride along the Berlin Wall trail. It is a misnomer to call Matt a tour guide. It was a long conversation with an experienced journalist who will give you a highly nuanced look at the city. We used a car and driver who picked us up between stops. It was a good investment in the blistering heat. Matt also arranged our airport transfers and even found a friend ho accompanying me to inline skate at Flaeming Skate south of the city. He has a range of ideas for every interest. Native English speaker but long time resident of Berlin who is fluent in German."

"Matt Robinson was an excellent guide. Not only did we efficiently experience many top sites but the historic background information provided by Matt made our visit very meaningful. His language skills are excellent and he is humorous with quick responses. I would love to do another tour with him again."

"We recently had a financial conference in Berlin and I was tasked with arranging a tour for our clients. Matt was incredibly professional and helpful, and tailored the tour for our exact requirements. In the lead up to the tour, Matt was fast at responding to mails, he helped plan the route, he advised on drinks (saving us money) and literally thought of everything! On the day, he was an absolute hit with our guests. Matt you a dream to work with, thank you for all of your help and making our event go so smoothly. Best of luck with your company and we will definitely be sending recommendations your way!"

"My son (20yr old History student) and I spent several days in Berlin this week, part of our tour of Germany and Austria this week. On a day of sleet and even snow in April Matt was great and informative company, the Passport office was an authentic touch, and tip for dinner at Reichstag most useful, all this and some of the key spots via foot train and bus for a meaningful and insightful local experience - the view of the Wal and its area to cross, the denouement of a car park for The 3rd Reichs final rites really interesting If you want to get a First class experience tailored to your needs with people who are smart, passionate about Berlin and great company then sign up you won’t regret it"

"We did a private tour with a car of Berlin with Matt. It was a 5 hour tour which is basically highlights of Berlin tour. He is well versed with the WW-II history and beyond. Our time hours with him went way to quick. He did take us to a special cafe that has a roof top terrace where you could get the best views of Berlin which include the iconic TV tower in the back drop. I would recommend you look no further for a private guide and book him. Ps: He is booked out probably 2-3 months out."

"Had the great pleasure of spending the day with Matt on our tour of Berlin. My son is a fanatic on military history, so this tour was one he was particularly excited about. I also had my wife, mother-in-law and daughter (studying film in Bonn). The day was nothing short of spectacular! Matt did a fabulous job explaining the history of the city. We also enjoyed a nice mix of humor: Matt shared a great story about the granite bowl at the museum (why it's not indoors and extracurricular uses by the locals), certain visitors "recognition" for Hitler's bunker and the night job for the "sentries" at Checkpoint Charlie.”

"I contacted Matt Robinson at Berlin Experience having read a favourable review in Conde Nast Traveller. I was promptly send a choice of interesting themed tours but with his help I selected from them the things that I most wanted to see. Matt then provided a Mercedes with driver and was our Guide. Andreas, the driver, was helpful and Matt was charming and answered all of our questions so we had a most instructive and enjoyable afternoon which provided a perfect foundation for the rest of our week in Berlin."

"My friends and I had an incredible day touring the city of Berlin with our tour guide Matt. An English ex-pat who has called Berlin home for over a decade he knew the city inside and out. What we really appreciated was that he didn't regurgitate a script but that he tailored it by putting an emphasis on our fascination of Cold War Berlin. He gave us a lot of tips about what we could do for the rest of our time as well as great restaurant recommendations. I miss Berlin already!"

"My tour was with Matt, who I think is actually the founder of the company - I was so impressed by the depth of knowledge he had about the political history of the country, and of Berlin itself... historical knowledge, but also recent history, bits of weird trivia, which museums to go to, day trips out of the city, where to eat, cool areas to visit, etc...literally a wealth of knowledge. I was lucky to get to chat to him a bit on the tour, it was such a brilliant orientation / insight into the city - and it's such a an amazing city - I would recommend it to anyone."

"We booked a private tour with Berlin Experiences without any expectations and we were more than pleasantly surprised! The knowledge of our guide Matthew was beyond what your usual tour guide could offer. Not only was he able to provide extensive knowledge of the city and its different layers of history but his synthesis of different points of view gave us a different outlook of Berlin, which made us feel like we were let in on a secret a few people have a chance to know about or even experience."

PHOTO CREDITS

A German civilian looks at a large poster portrait of Stalin on the Unter-den-Linden in Berlin, 3 June 1945/Public Domain
Berlin, 25. Jahrestag zur Errichtung der Mauer/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1986-0813-054 / Mittelstädt, Rainer / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Children play in the Soviet-controlled section of Berlin circa 1958. The signs in the background include slogans promoting socialism and an East German youth group called Berlin Pioneers. From the CIA booklet “A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall.”/Public Domain
Berlin, Stasi-Zentrale gestürmt/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1990-0116-014 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Bernauer Straße, Blick auf Eberswalder Straße, Grenzanlage Wedding/Prenzlauer Berg/Karl-Ludwig Lange CC-BY-SA 3.0
East German police officers check the documents of East Berliners trying to pass from Potsdamer Platz to West Berlin. From the CIA booklet “A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall.”/Public Domain

BOOK ONLINE

LIFE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN

The REPUBLIC
OF FEAR Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

TOUR GUIDES

Matt

Jim

Jörg

Forrest

Nick

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

Walk Through The Brandenburg Gate

Explore The State Musems On Museum Island

Visit The Berlin TV Tower – The Fernsehturm

Cross The Cold War Border At Checkpoint Charlie

Visit The Site Of Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker

Explore The Reconstructed Berlin Palace

Visit The Reichstag Cupola At Night

Explore The Forum Fridericianum

Step Inside The Neue Wache

Visit The Remains Of The Berlin Wall

Walk Across The Bridge Of Spies

Enter The Palace Of Tears – The Tränenpalast

Walk Along Karl Marx Allee

Visit The Oldest Church In Berlin – The Nikolaikirche

Explore The Berliner Dom

Stand On The Platz Des Volksaufstandes

Visit The Soviet War Memorial In The Tiergarten

Visit The Soviet War Memorial In Treptower Park

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

PHOTO CREDITS

ONE HOUR
EXPERIENCES

HALF DAY
EXPERIENCES

FULL DAY
EXPERIENCES

Our
Top Articles

BOOK ONLINE

LIFE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN

The REPUBLIC OF FEAR Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

TOUR GUIDES

Matt

Jim

Jörg

Forrest

Nick

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

PHOTO CREDITS

ONE HOUR EXPERIENCES

HALF DAY EXPERIENCES

FULL DAY EXPERIENCES

Our Top Articles

The REPUBLIC
OF FEAR Tour

ONE HOUR
EXPERIENCES

HALF DAY
EXPERIENCES

FULL DAY
EXPERIENCES

Our
Top Articles