Shows
History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastLive Bonus Episode! Wilhelm II and Empress FrederickWe went in hard on this one… you’re getting a 2 for 1. A live spectacular on Kaiser Wilhelm II and his mother Empress Frederick AND some musings from us afterwards because we couldn’t get enough of this German/British collab that ended, well… terribly.Follow Vicky, daughter of Queen Victoria and liberal reformer Prince Albert, as she dives into the absolute viper’s nest that was the 19th Century court of Prussia ruled over by the Hohenzollerns. She’s got a gorgeous, kind husband, representing the hopes of German reformers. But first born Kaiser Wilhelm will fall terribl...
2025-12-171h 23History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastBerlin Wall Escapes - LIVE from the Vault!Hello Dear History Flakes Listener!We miss you all most cruelly. To tide you over until Season 4 begins in 2026, here's a live show all the way from August 2024. It was over 30 degrees but Jonny rallied valliantly (and only mentioned it 7, 8, or 100 times). We share with you some of the more ingenious and puzzling escapes from East to West Berlin. Air, land, sea, and even an inflatable mattress - you name it, it's here. So settle in for some daring escapes to freedom in the West, home of demorcracy, Hasselhoff, and Ikea: everything a growing boy o...
2025-11-1952 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastSeason 4 - coming in 2026!Hello there! Just a reminder that we will return...most likely in the new year with season 4!!! Thank you to all our listeners and supporters, it's a genuine pleasure to think about what you might enjoy hearing and getting your feedback!We have a couple of live episodes in our back pocket to keep you tied over until the new year so look out for those.Bis bald and take good care! Jonny and Pip++++++ 💸 Donations keep us running.Click below to support the show
2025-10-0303 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E10: The Double Cross: Spies in WWII - LIVE at Comedy Cafe Berlin!Agent ZigZag, Agent Garbo, Mutt and Jeff…who are these people? Are they or have they ever been Portuguese wine merchants? How is running a spy ring like a running a cricket club? All this and more in…The Double Cross, LIVE!!!!! A special treat we recorded back in March at the Comedy Cafe Berlin! Bringing to an end our series marking the 80 year anniversary of the end of WWII.We revisit John C Masterman, formerly playing football for the Ruhleben FC whilst a British POW in Berlin, he has a plan to exploit Germany’s lack...
2025-08-2054 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E9: Wernher von BraunThis episode we dive into the ins and outs of Wernher von Braun’s wartime credentials, before the Americans would be faced with the decision of whether or not his file needed a paperclip to begin with. (It did!) Contrasting heavily from last episode’s Klaus Fuchs, we look at someone whose humanity always came second to his ambition as a scientist in Nazi Germany, and contextualise his role into the broader scope of the Nazi concentration camp system. Who were some of the more sinister characters he met along the way? What did the Summer of 1945 look like for...
2025-08-0657 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E8: Klaus Fuchs: WW2 Nuclear Weapons Physicist and SpyExcellent at mathematics, physics, and possibly even better at being an all round nice guy. Jonny tells us about the life of Klaus Fuchs and his roll in the melodrama of THE BOMB in 1945. Fleeing the Nazi regime, his relationship with Max Born, life as a German in WW2 Britain, his traumatic journey to Canada and his triumphant journey to the US and... spying!Also we talk a bit about Werner von Braun as if we've already done an episode...Pip got a little turned around on the release dates...von Braun is coming up next, you...
2025-07-2357 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E7: Emil Jannings and Marlene DietrichMarlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings were two of the biggest stars in both Weimar Germany and Hollywood in the early 20th century…they’re not that bothered about each other, but they would star together in The Blue Angel, filmed precisely as Wall Street crashed, catapulting them off into wildly different directions, personally, professionally and politically. This episode began as an attempt to check in with these two people in 1945, and whilst we do that, they're too interesting to confine to that one time! We kick off with Jannings, because you have to eat your slight...
2025-07-091h 04History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E6: The Potsdam ConferenceThe Potsdam Conference... The Pozi Confs for those in the know, as you are soon to be. It’s like summer camp for if you’ve been a good boy and defeated Nazi Germany in Europe. You all get together and decide what the hell do we do now? Stalin and Molotov are there, having a BLAST. The newly elected Labour Party of the UK forgot their swimming trunks and no-one knows who this Truman guy is.Seriously though…who’s in charge? Who’s not in charge? Who’s dead? Who’s been voted out? Who’s playing good c...
2025-06-2553 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E5: Nazi WWII Surrender in BerlinWorld War II is over in Europe. But technically, like how? Who's involved? What's in Karlshorst? What will Marshall Zhukov be drinking and who IS Julie Busted? Inquiring minds want to know. Join us as we start to find a bit more brevity & levity in this series of War and despair. And reflect on the madness of a few people making decisions for huge numbers of us in medium sized rooms. ++++++ 💸 Donations keep us running.Click below to support the show. 🤩 Donate €50😆 Donate €20😄 Donate €10 🙂 Donate €5
2025-06-1148 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E4: The Battle of Berlin++++Content warning for violence and sexual violence, not one for youngsters or those of a senitive nature to these topics ++++The Curse of the Dodgy Microphone! We've been trying to find ways to record remotely, and Pip had a bit of trouble this time, but you'll pull through, we believe in you!In this episode Jonny leads Pip through some of the key moments of the Battle of Berlin, from the Red Army entering the city on April 21 to the surrender of the Berlin garrison on May 2. We look at the human cost of the...
2025-05-281h 17History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E3: The Battle of Seelow Heights80 years ago the Battle of Seelow Heights was the final hurdle for Stalin’s Red Army before reaching Hitler’s fascist capital, Berlin. Before the Battle of Berlin could begin, Soviet troops needed to cross the Oder river, break through several lines of German defences, and capture all the small towns and villages on the approach to Berlin.In this episode, Jonny tells Pip all about the four-day fight that opened the gates to Berlin in April 1945.Listen out for:Zhukov’s mistakes and Stalin’s angerThe blinding Moscow searchlightsGerman kamikaze pilots and tanks protecte...
2025-05-1437 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E2: Ravensbrück Concentration Camp Part 2: Prisoner Stories with Berlin con PabloWe continue our discussion about Ravensbrück concentration camp and to reflect on the 80 year anniversary of its liberation with Pablo aka Berlin con Pablo, who's been guiding Spanish language vistiors to Berlin for many years!We each bring a story of an individual woman's survival of Ravensbrück: Neus Català, Yevgenia Lasarevna Klemm, and Odette Sansom.This was a tough one to record because of the sheer horror of the content and apologies everyone, it's not our best audio quality. But we hope you get something from these incredible and at moments truly devestating sto...
2025-04-301h 14History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS3E1: Ravensbrück Concentration Camp Part 1: The History of the CampSpring 2025 marks the 80th Anniversary of the end of World War II. We're kicking off this season, focused on WWII, by discussing Ravensbrück concentration camp, the only camp purpose built for women under the Nazi regime. In this first of two parts, we take a look at whom this camp was built for, who ran it day to day, and how it changed dramatically over the course of it's life. We also discuss the concentration camp system more generally, contextualising it along side our knowledge as guides of the former concentration camp Sachsenhausen....
2025-04-161h 06History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2E11: Berlin: The Early Days with History of the GermansDearest Listener! Please enjoy this very special bonus episode! We welcome Dirk Hoffmann-Becking, from The History of the Germans Podcast. If there’s something this man doesn’t know about the Wittelsbachs, I sure as hell don’t want to hear about it!Dirk takes Jonny and I from the earliest context surrounding the founding of Berlin and introduces us to some real characters like Henry the Fowler, all round nice guy, Uta von Ballenstedt, popped collar, cold hard stare, medieval FOX; As well as the painfully incontinent and hateful Saint Bernard of Clairva...
2025-03-191h 10History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastSpecial Announcement - Women's Day Tour, 11:00, Sat Mar 8‼️👉 Click here to sign up! 👈‼️Link not working? Look up “Pay What You Want Tour - International Women's Day Special with Pip Roper” on eventbrite.comPay What You Want Tour - International Women's Day Special with Pip RoperIt’s international Women’s Day! Come along for a special tour led by Pip Roper of History Flakes, Gender Historian and highly experienced Berlin Tour Guide. Learn about some of our more famous figures, Marlene Dietrich, Rosa Luxemburg, that most beloved Queen Luise, and discover some lesser know stories like that...
2025-03-0300 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2E9: Josephine BakerJosephine Baker...Josi Bakes as we've taken to calling her, respectfully. Fizzing with energy, talent, and pure GUMPTION. The only African American woman to be inducted in the Pantheon of France. Her story takes us from the poverty and violence of segregated St. Louis, to the scandalously modern revues of interwar Europe. Beloved in Berlin, but finding herself most at home in Paris, she would tirelessly work for the French resistance during the Second World War, only to return to rejection and racial prejudice in the united states, until being one of only 2 women to speak at the 1963 March...
2025-02-191h 03
Super Powered: Leadership, Strategy, Decision Making & Peak Performance - Stories & Strategies from World-Class Performers for Executive SuccessHow to Build Influence Like a History Expert - Jonny WhitlamEver wonder how to turn your expertise into online influence?Jonny Whitlam transformed from a Berlin tour guide into the city's leading history creator, amassing over 50,000 followers by sharing fascinating stories about the German capital. His unique approach proves that deep knowledge and authentic storytelling can build a loyal following - even in traditionally offline industries.From managing 60+ tour guides to creating viral content about Berlin's hidden history, Jonny's journey shows how consistency and genuine passion connect with audiences. But it wasn't all smooth sailing - he openly shares how even "obvious" content can flop...
2025-02-0737 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2E8: Stella Goldschlag with Matti GeyerJoin us for a discussion with Berlin tour guiding legend Matti Geyer, as we tackle the sad, mad and certainly very bad Stella Goldschlag. Born and raised to a secular Jewish Berlin family, she would take advantage of her ability to pass as 'aryan' to aid the Gestapo as a chief ‘Greifer’ or ‘catcher’ of Jewish people during the Nazi period. We talk about her role alongside that of husband Rolf Isaaksohn, and discuss why it might be that his actions as well as 30 other Greifer in Berlin are largely forgotten, whilst Stella’s story has become infamous.++++++
2025-02-0554 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2E7: Stalinallee & Karl-Marx-AlleeHow to build a new countryStep 1: No, not like that!Step 2: Stalin, do you like your birthday present?Step 3: We must make Stalin a nice birthday present, this time while singing a catchy song.Step 4: Oh, Stalin, are you dead?This episode Pip & Jonny explore how the grand buildings on Karl-Marx-Allee, formerly Stalinallee, came to be. The story of these momentous buildings is filled with hard work, hope, optimism, and trying to impress daddy. ++++++ToursW...
2025-01-2257 min
Berlin Companion PodcastTHE WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING: BERLIN AND "MANOLI LINKSRUM"Send us a textThe sky over Berlin is never dark. Even at night. The main cause is the city's heavy light pollution. Berlin's streetlights, its signs, its permanently illuminated buildings - all they contribute to the problem. So much so that for the past two decades the city's observatories, like the Planetarium am Insulaner, have not been able to see the Milky Road. Light spreads over Berlin like a massive dome.One of the main contributors to light pollution in big cities like Berlin are light advertisements - former neon signs have been almost...
2025-01-0811 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2E6: Angela DavisWhat happened when civil rights activist, one-time FBI’s most wanted, scourge of J Edgar Hoover, Angela Davis met the GDR? A lot actually. Want to find out? Join us as we dive into Angela’s early years and into her eventful 20s, growing up surrounded by threats of death and violence in the southern US to studying in Paris, Frankfurt and Berlin. And discover why she holds cult status for an entire generation of children and youngsters who grew up under the leadership of the GDR. Oh… and there’s a Mitford sister in there, just for laughs! (Pip misp...
2025-01-0847 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2E5: 2024 Christmas Special with Berlin CompanionAnd what a special it is! We're joined by the Berlin Companion herself, Beata Gontarczyk-Krampe, author of the wonderful Berlin Companion blog. Beata's deep dives into Berlin history most people have never heard of are consitently fascinating and delightful. If you like this show, you'll love her blog!Beata blessed us with surprising stories of Berlin Christmases past over wine and Christmas treats - What is a Christmas Pyramide? What didn't Prince Albert bring to Britain, and if you're not actually feeling that festive we did manage to slip in some WAR!++++++Love l...
2024-12-2153 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2 E4: Frederick the GreatWhat makes a king “Great”? In this episode, we follow up on our exploration of Frederick’s intense and domineering father, the Soldier King, to uncover what shaped Frederick into a true Renaissance man. With secret lessons in music and literature, famously philosphers, the flute, and an incredible instinct for survival, Frederick became one of history’s most intriguing monarchs.Sure, he invaded another kingdom early in his reign - young and impulsive, we all are (or were) - but even he admitted it was totes silly and he won't do it again, promise - don't hold it again...
2024-12-111h 01History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2 E3: The Soldier KingTHIS guy...This. Guy.Meet Friedrich Wilhelm II. The Soldier King. Father of Friedrich the Great, second ever King of Prussia. He's a fighter not a lover, unless you're over 6 foot, in which case watch out, he might love you so hard you'll be taken away to join his battalion of giant human toy soldiers.In what was a surprisingly fulfilling fall down a Prussian rabbit hole, we discuss the Passion of the Soldier King, to the great disappointment of his mother and the brutalisation of his children and subjects. You never thought y...
2024-11-231h 02History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2 E2: The East German Coffee CrisisWanna have a coffee? Well, I hope you're not an East German in the '70s & '80s, 'cos it's gonna be tough (and taste like wood).On this episode of History Flakes Pip & Jonny dive deep into the lukewarm cup of coffee that is East Germany's struggle to procure the brown stuff for its people. To do that we've enlisted the help of TikTok's own Call Me Steve. If you follow Jonny on various socials you may have bumped into Steve's excellent, deep, engaging, and humorous East German/Cold War content. He takes us on a...
2024-11-1344 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastSpecial Episode - Tour of Zentralfriedhof FriedrichsfeldeCome enjoy an atmospheric walk around a cemetery bursting with history! Let's explore the Zentralfriedhof Friedrichsfelde in this beautiful, golden Autumn together.Listen at home, or follow along with a blog post, map, and photos - you could even follow the route as you walk through the cemetery!How do you do that? Check out this link to find a map, exact locations of all the graves, photos to make it easier to find them, and information on each of the people we discuss.To celebrate the beautfiul change...
2024-10-311h 21History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastS2 E1: Nosferatu and F.W. MurnauDear Listener, Come closer to the fire, pull your shawl a little tighter about your shoulders...pay no attention to the pale looking figure staring longingly at your neck from the shadows. It is our great pleasure to kick off History Flakes Season 2 with a celebration of Halloween and the story of film maker F. W. Murnau and his most infamous film NOSFERATU.We've missed you most cruelly, but now we're back to accompany you through the harsh depths of winter. ALSO...Pip's mic went a bit weird on this one, apo...
2024-10-3051 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 13: History Flakes Live! Max SchmelingLet's dive into the wild and bruising life of Germany’s best-known pugilist, Max Schmeling—the man who went from Weimar wonder to darling of Nazi propaganda, and somehow managed to emerge in post-WWII West Germany with an intact reputation.Schmeling’s life reads like a script from the golden age of cinema—coming of age in the chaos of Weimar Germany, he punched his way to the top, becoming a national hero with a controversial world title and a shocking victory over Joe Louis. But it wasn’t all champagne and glory. A short turn in the movies...
2024-09-0430 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 12: History Flakes Live! Anita BerberAnita Berber, pioneering dance performer extraordinaire, or violent thieving drug-addled lunatic? Why not both!?Join us during our first live recording as we talk about the life and times of Anita Berber, the ultimate performance wunderkind of Weimar Berlin. There’s quite a bit bubbling up under the surface, and the inter-war peace feels pretty tenuous. Much like the era itself, her nihilist self-destruction and sexual decadence flickers brightly and briefly, leaving a vacuum for the horrors to come that we know all too well.Recorded at the Comedy Cafe BerlinPart 2 coming so...
2024-08-2131 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 11: Markus Wolf, Stasi Foreign Intelligence Chief - Part TwoFinally, the most important part of any super spy’s career… Le Sex. Markus Wolf continues to prove himself second to none in spy mastery. We hear about his highs and lows…but mostly highs because he wrote the book on himself which we’re using and he’s both humble but amazing actually (and epic in bed).Join us as we try to remain un-seduced by Markus Wolf’s account of his own life. Infiltrating the highest office of West Germany, building his roster of Romeo spies, to his final act, publishing a book in a very unexpec...
2024-08-041h 08
Cigawi Podcast with Eric FennellJonny WhitlamEpisode 18! This was a fun one. Jonny Whitlam is a Berlin tour guide and very active on social media as well. Make sure to check out his Instagram/TikTok @whitlamsberlintours and his website: www.whitlam-berlin-tours.com. He also co-hosts a podcast with Pip Roper called History Flakes-The Berlin History Podcast. I talk a lot of shit especially about history and it was refreshing to have Jonny fact check me :-D. I should follow up a little about the Spanish Inquisition. It officially ended 1834, but the Vatican still has an office/tribunal called "Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith" intended to root...
2024-07-302h 39
Check-In with BryanIn Berlin with tour guide and history buff, Jonny WhitlamJeremy and Guest Jonny Whitlam sit down at the JW Marriott in Berlin to discuss his experience as a Tour Guide in one of the most historical cities of the 20th century, how to plan a trip to somewhere new, and his incredible journey of how he ended up where he is today!Explore more at:https://destinationsbyreliance.com/check-in-podcast/
2024-07-2959 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 10: Markus Wolf, Stasi Foreign Intelligence Chief - Part OneWho’s the greatest spy that ever spied and love machine spreading Communism throughout the world? WOLF!Markus Wolf that is. Join us as we discuss the early days of the elusive and seductive spy master of East Germany. Born in Germany, raised partially in the Soviet Union during WWII to committed communist parents, Wolf is perfectly placed to establish one of the most nebulous and far reaching intelligence networks of the cold war.And because this guy is so fascinating we’ve split this into a two parter!++++++You can...
2024-07-2248 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 9: Tempelhofer FeldWhere can you find a former air field, military parading ground, amusement park, Turkish cemetery, concentration camp and kite surfer’s paradise?! Not all at the same time, it’s Tempelhofer Feld of course!!!We’re going through the history of this one incredible site which dates back over 800 years, starting on the fringes of what will become the metropolis of Berlin. Those lads coming back from the crusades need keeping somewhere out of trouble, and it all kicks off from there.It would be especially fun to grab something nice to drink at the Späti...
2024-07-0249 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 8: Ruhleben Football AssociationAre you enjoying the Football? Or do you feel like it’s very much happening at you?! Either way, enjoy the latest episode of History Flakes! How else would you know that there was an English Football league in Berlin during WWI? Crazy!Find about Derby Legend Steve Bloomer and what the hell Bumberino is, I think you’re gonna like it!++++++You can get in touch and book Jonny or Pip for a tour of Berlin via www.whitlams-berlin-tours.com. Don't forget to subscribe for more Berlin history every two weeks!...
2024-06-2439 min
Decades From Home - A Podcast About GermanyEp 182: Großes TorThis week on the podcast, we're joined by guest co-host and Berlin tour guide extraordinaire Jonny Whitlam. With Euro 2024 on the horizon, Berlin is abuzz with preparations for the influx of football fans. From the excitement of a newly constructed fan zone to the appearance of pop-up Adidas stores, the city is fully embracing football fever. In addition to the football excitement, we delve into a contentious poll by TV channel ARD that has sparked accusations of racism from the German national team. Shifting away from the sporting world, we also address the significant flooding...
2024-06-0846 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 7: Broadcasting to the Enemy in WWIIThis episode is a 3 in 1! We talk about 3 distinct characters broadcasting to enemy soldiers during WW2. William Joyce, aka Lord Haw Haw, a seemingly confused Irishman with a pretty serious alcohol problem. Mildred Gillers, aka Axis Sally, a failing, racist actress, who would be labelled as particularly stupid by the FBI, and Iva Toguri D'Aquino aka Tokyo Rose, someone who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to survive in Wartime Tokyo. All of them are utilised by the Nazi regime and Imperial Japan during the conflict to varying degrees of success.++++++
2024-06-0839 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 6: Law & Justice in Nazi Germany (Part 2)Ok, let’s see how this guy ends. In part 2 of our episode on Law and Justice in Nazi Germany we talk about some of the big legal events which make life increasingly difficult for those categorised 'undesirable' by the Nazi regime and sees Roland progress in his attempt to gain full control of the Nazi legal system, right the way up to this sudden and the visually appealing way he (probably) died.++++++You can get in touch and book Jonny or Pip for a tour of Berlin via www.whitlams-berlin-tours.com. Don't forget to sub...
2024-05-2548 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 5: Law & Justice in Nazi Germany Part 1: Establishing the DictatorshipStrap in nerds. In the first episode of our first two-parter, we use the career of Roland Freisler to track some of the huge legal changes that would secure the dictatorship of the Third Reich. We get up to 1934 here, where the Nazis are on the cusp of becoming the one and only political force in the country, having outlawed all other parties.Watch out for the next episode to hear about how Freisler himself would weaponise the law for the Nazi’s murderous means and his ultimate and quite satisfying death. ++++++You...
2024-05-1152 min
Radio Spaetkauf BerlinRSxEAB: Sharing Urban Space RSxEAB: "Sharing Urban Space". Radio Spaetkauf host Daniel Stern dives into a discussion of public spaces informed by three insightful guests. Johnny Whitlam (Whitlam's Berlin Tours) shares his passion for Berlin's history and hidden stories. Martin Aarts, the former head of spatial planning in Rotterdam emphasizes child-friendly cities and nature's role in urban design. Lea Fink (Strassenverlauf) offers a philosophical angle, stressing the need for accessible spaces that encourage learning and reflection. In this episode we explore the balance between historical preservation and contemporary needs, the transformation of places like Tempelhof and...
2024-05-081h 08
Radio Spaetkauf PresentsRSxEAB: Sharing Urban Space RSxEAB: "Sharing Urban Space". Radio Spaetkauf host Daniel Stern dives into a discussion of public spaces informed by three insightful guests. Johnny Whitlam (Whitlam's Berlin Tours) shares his passion for Berlin's history and hidden stories. Martin Aarts, the former head of spatial planning in Rotterdam emphasizes child-friendly cities and nature's role in urban design. Lea Fink (Strassenverlauf) offers a philosophical angle, stressing the need for accessible spaces that encourage learning and reflection. In this episode we explore the balance between historical preservation and contemporary needs, the transformation of places like Tempelhof and...
2024-05-071h 08History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 4: All That Jazz in BerlinThis episode we'll be talking about Jazz's reception in Berlin and Germany more broadly, from its early arrival in the 20s to the Third Reich's attempts to stamp it out. Minister for Propaganada and Enlightenment Joseph Goebbels has a plan to make really cool and great white supremacist music actually… but the results are as one might expect. We also take a look at the rebellious teens of Nazi Germany; the Swing-Jugend, a youth subculture already inclined to scoff at the Nazis will find their anthem in the music of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.++++++...
2024-04-2948 min
Berlin & ElsewhereTour Guide Explains Germany's History: Prussia, WWI, Cold War, Berlin Wall | JONNY WHITLAM #08Jonny Whitlam is a tour guide in Berlin, podcaster, content creator, and entrepreneur. He offers fascinating private tours of Berlin, sharing untold stories of the city's history. In addition to his tours, Jonny creates engaging content on TikTok and Instagram, where he shares interesting facts about Berlin's past.
Originally from the UK, Jonny has been living in Berlin since 2012. He began as a free tour guide and has since gained enough experience to run his own successful private tours.
OUR SPONSOR: WUNDERTAX: https://gutentag.wundertax.de/en/
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2024-04-281h 21History Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 3: S-Bahn MurdererJust weeks before the beginning of the Second World War, a dark spectre begins to stalk a particular section of the S-Bahn train line in Berlin. The press under Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels is loathe to publish news of anything but glorious German victory and the crimes of their supposed enemies within and without. As more and more women are violently attacked and eventually murdered, a decision is made to let the public in on what is happening, and inadvertently, the murderer. Against the backdrop of an extraordinarily violent regime, we take a look at an historically mundane...
2024-04-1358 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 2: Salka ViertelYou know how it is, you want Greta Garbo in your next Hollywood Talkie, but she's awkward and weird and won't get on the phone, you need Salka Viertel.Weimar Theatre Actress, Consummate Hostess, tireless anti-fascist, Garbo whisperer.You might not have heard of Salka Viertel but some of the greatest connections and collaborations made in the early years of Hollywood happened in Salka Viertel’s Santa Monica living room. A life touched over and over by tragedy but always focussed on love and togetherness, Salka’s life has become somewhat forgotten, showing our habit of over...
2024-04-0342 min
Decades From Home - A Podcast About GermanyEpi 172: Jonny B. GoodeThis week we have Berlin tour guide extraordinaire Jonny Whitlam joining Nic & producer Simon for an Easter trip through the world of tour guiding in the German capital. We find out how Jonny first started taking tours, despite not enjoying history much at school, and gradually became one of the most popular guides in the city.We quiz Jonny on what makes a good tour group, the most visited spots, and why he doesn’t buy into Berliners’ nostalgia for the “good old days”. We also learn about the tourist traps to avoid and Jonny’s recommendation for the be...
2024-03-301h 02
Germany in FocusGermany's citizenship test shake-up explained and the Holocaust-era film winning OscarsGermany in Focus is made possible by the support of subscribers to The Local - find out more here about becoming a member.In this episode, Rachel Loxton is joined by journalists Rachel Stern and Imogen Goodman. Our guest this week is historian and tour guide Jonny Whitlam. Our sound engineer is Rhys Edwards. Here are some links to the stories we talk about:Germany's citizenship law passes final hurdle and why the citizenship test is being shaken up:Elation and worry as Germany's citizenship law passes final hurdleWhy Germany is shaking up citizens...
2024-03-2936 minHistory Flakes - The Berlin History PodcastEpisode 1: The November RevolutionIt’s November in Germany, so you know that there's History afoot. Join Jonny Whitlam and Pip Roper as we discuss some of the context leading up to the November Revolution, (29th October-9th November) and try to detangle the confusion of those in the thick of it. Kaiser Wilhelm II doesn’t know when to leave the party, Rosa Luxemburg’s fresh out of prison and she told you this war was a bad idea all along, and there’s a town full of sailor’s who aren’t that keen on pointlessly dying actually. Join us as we, and they...
2024-03-2045 min
Cold War Conversations PodcastGunfire in the Woods: A foiled escape and imprisonment in Cold War East GermanyThis is part two of Henrik’s story. You can hear the first part in episode 307. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode307It’s the late 1980s and Henrik and his friends plan to escape from East Germany via Czechoslovakia.Henrik provides a very vivid account of their discovery by Czechoslovak border guards in a forest near the Austrian border. He describes the moment the guards open fire to get them to stop.Henrik is separated from his friends and held in various Czechoslovak prisons, before being flown back to East Germany. There he is inte...
2023-09-091h 29
Cold War Conversations PodcastGrowing up in Cold War East Germany's Valley of the CluelessHenrik was born in the late 1960s near Dresden in East Germany. The area was sarcastically known as the Tal der Ahnungslosen or Valley of the Clueless, as the area generally was not able to receive TV from West Germany from the mid-to-late 1950s.He describes his childhood growing up in a Uranium mining area. His mother was a teacher and his father was required to be a member of the Communist Party as his role at the university involved in map making which was classified as secret work.It’s not until he is 8 or 9...
2023-09-021h 14
Can't Find My Way Home...Jonny Whitlam - " I think the more unique stuff outside of me and my personality, is to come..." | Can't Find My Way Home | S4 EP13In this episode of Can't Find My Way Home, I was joined by Jonny Whitlam.
Jonny has been a Berlin tour guide since 2010, and has been showing travellers from across the world the fascinating history of Berlin ever since.
We talk about the tour industry in Berlin, Jonny's favourite tour that he offers, embracing your inner-nerd, the online video map that you'll find on his excellent website, as well as working as a freelancer.
Jonny talks us through the leading a tour to the former concentration camp in Sachsenhausen, how to not pull...
2023-07-231h 25
Cold War Conversations PodcastThe ultimate guide to Cold War locations in BerlinJonny Whitlam has been a Berlin tour guide since 2010, and since then he’s been showing travellers from across the world the fascinating history of Berlin.We met via social media after I noticed his great videos describing well-known and lesser know 20th-century historical locations in Berlin.We discussed doing an episode to help you see Cold War Berlin sites without needing a tour guide and this episode is the result. However, if you would like a personal tour check out Jonny’s tours on this link. Book your Berlin private tour experience now (whitlams-berlin-tours.com...
2023-06-211h 14
The Life and Times of Frederick the GreatVisiting Potsdam with Jonny WhitlamThe History of Frederick the Great still lives in Potsdam! Hear how Tour Guide Jonny Whitlam interacts with this history. Jonny's Links: Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/whitlamsberlintours/Potsdam Tour https://www.whitlams-berlin-tours.com/potsdam-day-trip-from-berlin-palaces-parks-prussians-and-the-cold-warSelf-guided walk https://www.whitlams-berlin-tours.com/tips-for-your-trip/tag/PotsdamMy Links: Amazon Wishlist for Books: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/UZK1RES5MF5F?ref_=wl_shareAd-free Episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/frederick_the_great_podcastEmail for questions: aavdakov01@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.i...
2023-05-1037 min
Dev Game ClubDGC Ep 059: Planescape: Torment (part two)Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing 1999 Infinity Engine classic Planescape: Torment. We talk a bit about franchise fatigue, turning tropes on their heads, turning back historical design choices, and discuss some of what we saw as we played. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up through the Undercity Podcast breakdown: 0:37 Segment 1: PST Talk 49:53 Break 50:26 Segment 2: Feedback, next time (51:28 Aw Jeez) Issues covered: Tim's bachelor party (really!), franchise fatigue, turning tropes on their head...
2017-04-261h 18