Get to know me and my team

Jo

My name is Jo Eckardt. I began doing tours as a private guide in 2003, shortly after moving to Berlin after many years in the US. In 2004 I started my own company: A Friend in Berlin.

I have a Ph.D. as well as a MSW from NYU. My oldest son was born in New York, he was part of the reason why I came back to Germany.

Also I recently started creating audio tours. Check out the tours available: https://voicemap.me/publisher/jo-eckardt. In addition I write books, but they are mostly in German. There are just two in English, if you want to check them out, search for “Jo Thun” on amazon.com.

Click here to watch a video of Jo

Andromachi

Andromachi is from Greece originally, but she also speaks fluent English and Italian. Her special interests are history (especially East/West and Nazi era), the bunker system, the art scene of the 70s and 80s as well as the underground art scene, and architecture. She can also guide around the underground, the Olympic Village and Tempelhof airport.

Click here to read in Italian Andromaca è originariamente dalla Grecia e parla correntemente l’inglese, l’italiano e il tedesco. I suoi interessi particolari sono la storia, soprattutto la storia della DDR, il periododel nationalsozialismo a Berlino, il sistema sotterraneo di bunker cioè dei rifugi antiaerei del periodo bellico, la scena artistica degli anni ‘70 e ‘80 a Berlino Est, così come la scena dell’arte underground, e l’architettura. Lei è anche una guida esperta per la metropolitana, il Haus der Kulturen der Welt, il Villaggio Olimpico del 1936 e l’aeroporto di Tempelhof.

Click here to read in Greek Η Ανδρομάχη ειναι γεννημένη στην Ελλάδα αλλά μιλάει άπταιστα αγγλικά, ιταλικά και γερμανικά. Τα κύριά της ενδιαφέροντα είναι η ιστορία (κυρίως η ιστορία τηςΓΛΔ, της περιόδου του εθνικοσοσιαλισμού στο Βερολίνο, του υπογείου συστήματος αντιαεροπορικών καταφυγίων, η ιστορία της καλλιτεχνικής σκηνής του ‘70 και του ‘80 στο Ανατολικό Βερολίνο καθώς και η σύγχρονη καλλιτεχνική ζωή της πόλης και η ιστορία της Αρχιτεκτονικής της). Η Ανδρομάχη είναι μια πολύ έμπειρη ξεναγός και για το σύστημα του μετρό, του Haus der Kulturen der Welt, του Ολυμπιακού χωριού του 1936 και του αεροδρομίου Tempelhof.

Cuihua

Cuihua is from China but has been living in Berlin for many years. She can show you the highlights of Berlin, and also tell you why she loves the city so much that she decided to stay.

Click here to watch a video of Cuihua

Click here to read in Chinese 翠华来自中国河北,2007 年来德学习法律,现定居柏林。她去过很多美丽的国家和城市,但是柏林始终由于其独特的历史、艺术、文化以及闻名世界的柏林墙而吸引着她。翠华自 2012 年起为 A Friend in Berlin 工作。

Konrad

Konrad is a real Berliner. He was here when the Wall went up in 1961, and he was here when the wall came down in 1989. After studying and working as an economist and event manager for some time, his love for Berlin made him become a professional guide in 2000. You will love his knowledge, enthusiasm and friendliness.

Luca

Luca has been living in Berlin for over 10 years, and has been a guide for almost that long. He’s originally from Switzerland and Mexico and studied anthropology in the US and other places. His passion, besides history and Berlin, is music. He is always very happy to show you around the city he loves.

Click here to read in Spanish Luca es un joven guía suizo / mexicano con mucha experiencia y muy amigable.
Viviendo ya 10 años en la capital Alemana , ha estudiado antropología y es músico. Estará muy contento de ensenarte la ciudad que quiere tanto.

Sophie

Sophie is from Canada and has been living in Berlin since 1987. She speaks fluent French and English. She is raising her family in Berlin and she works as a guide for A Friend in Berlin and several museums.

Click here to read in French Sophie vient du Canada. Elle habite à Berlin depuis plus de 25 ans, elle parle le français, l’anglais et l’allemand couramment. Sophie est guide pour „A friend in Berlin“ mais également pour différents musées.

Sven

Sven is half German, half Spanish. He grew up in Germany as well as in Spain and he speaks both languages fluently, and his English is fluent as well. He has been working for A Friend in Berlin since 2010.

Click here to read in Spanish Sven es mitad alemán y mitad español. Ha vivido tanto en Alemania como en España y habla ambosidiomas con fluidez. Lleva trabajando para A Friend in Berlin desde el 2010.

Thomas

Thomas works as a driver/guide. Originally from Prague, he speaks fluent Spanish and English. He can show you not only Berlin, but also Dresden or Prague.

Winfried

Winfried is a retired teacher who has lived in Berlin since 1978. Out of love for his city he became a tour guide in 2020. He speaks English and Russian and has experienced the coming down of the Wall from an East German point of view.

Wolfgang

Wolfgang has been working as a guide for many years. His languages are English, French, and Italian. He has the license for Sachsenhausen and many museums, and he is an avid bicycle rider, though he’d be happy to take you on a walking tour also.

Click here to read in French Wolfgang a fait des études universitaires en histoire et philologie allemande (en Allemagne et en France), en se spécialisant dans les débuts du tourisme à Potsdam au XVIIIe siècle. Il travaille comme guide déjà depuis beaucoup d’années - d’abord exclusivement pour la Fondation des Palais et Jardins à Potsdam et puis aussi à Berlin. Ses langues sont le Français, l’Anglais et l’Italien. Il est un cycliste enthousiasmé même s’il sera aussi heureux de vous amener sur un tour à pied.

Click here to read in Italian Wolfgang ha studiato storia e filologia del tedesco (germanistica) all’università (et in Germania et in Francia) specializzandosi negli inizi del turismo a Potsdam nel XVIII secolo. Lavora come guida già da tanti anni - prima esclusivamente per la Fondazione dei Palazzi e Giardini a Potsdam e poi anche a Berlino. Le sue lingue sono l’Italiano, l’Inglese e il Francese. Ha studiato l’italiano a l’università di Urbino. È un ciclista appassionato anche se il lui farà così bene piacere di portarvi su un giro a piedi.