Who is Berlin Companion and why subscribe?
Did you know that a Berlin inventor once climbed up Berlin’s 141-metre tall radio tower carrying a car? Or that Berlin in sign language is symbolised by a bear’s ear? Or that trams once travelled through a tunnel under the city’s historic boulevard, Unter den Linden? Well, neither did I - not before I arrived in Berlin over twenty years ago and curious for answers, began asking questions.
Questions like, why are Berlin’s streets so wide? Why are old pavements built with large slabs of stone in the middle and a mosaic of much smaller stones on both sides (by the way, those large granite slabs are called “Pig Bellies” - if you saw them from below, you’d immediately know why).
Back then the city was also still full of gaps and question marks - missing buildings, streets ending abruptly, lines of house numbers with “15” and “17” but no “16” in-between (it is still the case and has nothing to do with the Second World War). Curiosity and love for the city had me learn German well enough to make enquiries at the archives and museums. It had me learn to read old German typeface like Fraktur (hard to avoid thanks to the Nazi obsession with it), blackletter typefaces and often fiendishly difficult to decipher handwriting script known as Sütterlin (a never-ending exercise in patience and persistence).
I’m here for all big and small historic events in Berlin’s past, for all kinds of historic and current Berlin trivia, for things lesser-known and often forgotten. For things both solemn and silly, as well as highly educational and plain entertaining. Berlin has it all.
And this is what you will get, subscribing to my Substack and my blog: knowledge that might not get you a PhD in History at Oxford (although it may well inspire you to get one), but which will definitely give you a small “Aha!” moment and perhaps even win you the next pub quiz at your local.
I will be posting both texts - about things I consider fascinating and/or amusing about and in Berlin - as well as (launched each Wednesday) new episodes of “Berlin Companion Podcast”.
In my new series “Berlin Calendar” I am introducing a single and completely subjectively selected page from Berlin’s daily history - the series is fully available to all paying patrons who will have it delivered straight to their mailbox. Free subscribers, who, of course, also have access to some other texts and stories meant for all supporters, will receive one calendar entry per week.
Paying patrons, or “Berlin Companion’s Companions”, will also have an opportunity to suggest topics for future texts and podcast episodes, and will be named and thanked for (unless it should not be wished) in the future episodes of the podcast. Annual subscription will also get you exclusive access to one of my Berlin audio-walks offered through my own Berlin Companion App (created via Stqry).
You can also find me and Berlin Companion on:
Bluesky (@berlincompanion.bsky.social)
Instagram (@theberlincompanion)
Threads (theberlincompanion)
Buzzsprout (the podcast - berlincompanionpodcast)
You will, however, no longer find me on Twitter - the account (which by the end prided itself on nearly 20,000 Berlin-loving followers) still exists to prevent identity theft but is no longer active.
This place, like Bluesky, is much more friendly and exciting grounds.
My name is Beata - “B” for friends - and I am Polish by birth, German by choice and a Berlinerin by adverse possession:-)
I hope to see you on Substack again and thank you for subscribing to Berlin Companion.
Welcome to Berlin’s treasure trove!