If you are visiting Berlin and are a history buff looking or some espionage, you’ll be in for a treat with the amazing tales of the spies and traitors who played a part in what befell the city. Explore the secrets and scandals of Berlin’s secret world on a fascinating walking tour of the city. This tour of districts will feature them from infamous traitors to Cold War spies.
The Cold War Era: Spies Amidst the Divide
During the Cold War era the East and the West operated in intense capacities of espionage and counterintelligence. Because Berlin was at the very centre of the battle of wits, the struggle in the East played a key part in this battle of wills. Traces an exploration of the spy games that took place behind the fabled Berlin Wall.
1. Checkpoint Charlie: The Frontline of Espionage
Begin at Checkpoint Charlie, one of the world’s most famous East–West Berlin crossings. Learn how both sides infiltrated enemy lines using all sorts of elaborate methods. Find out about Günther Guillaume, a East German spy who was successful at infiltrating the West German government, and of the infamous Soviet spy Rudolf Abel for U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers.
2. Stasi Headquarters: The Dark Secrets of East Germany’s Secret Police
A visit to the former Stasi Headquarters was an essential part of no spy tour in Berlin. Find out how the East German secret police strained every sinew to keep track of their own citizens. Sort through the stories of Stasi informants and double agents who worked inside East Berlin’s tightly controlled society.
World War II and the Rise of Nazi Espionage
Under Nazi regime, Adolf Hitler, extensive spy network was known. Discover the lives of spies and traitors during World War II and learn the stories of the men and women who put their lives on the line to pass on the vital information they have to the Allies.
1. Abwehr Headquarters: The Birthplace of Nazi Spying
Nazi surveillance operation planing took place inside the former Abwehr Headquarters. Learn about double agents like Juan Pujol García, aka ‘Agent Garbo,’ who helped fool the Nazis about D-Day.
2. Bendlerblock Memorial: The White Rose Resistance Movement
Bear witness at the Bendlerblock Memorial to the brave men and women of the White Rose resistance movement. Find out what they did when they were called to service, learn of their courageous acts of defiance against the Nazi regime, and how their activities were uncovered by the Gestapo.
Post-War Espionage: The East vs West
After World War II, the subject of espionage was rewritten in a new chapter, with Berlin serving as the main battlefield for US, Soviet and their allies’ intelligence services. Find out what spies were doing during this tense period.
1. Teufelsberg: The NSA Listening Station
Manmade hill built from the rubble of World War II, ascension of the Teufelsberg, becomes the spot to find the NSA listening station. Find out what the United States did to act as a monitor in regards to the communications of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries.
2. BND Headquarters: West Germany’s Counterintelligence
Near the headquarters of the Bundensnachtendienst (BND) West Germany’s intelligence agency, end your walking tour. Find out about postwar counterintelligence operations and the race between East and West to gather intelligence during the Cold War.
With this walking tour, you are not only embarking on the history of Berlin, but will also learn more about the world of espionage, and those who put their lives on the line for their cause. Get ready for tales of spies, of traitors, and of a people and place you may have never even heard of.
And if you have your walking shoes on, you, too, are ready for an adventure like no other and are welcome to join us on a trip through Berlin’s fascinating spy history.
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