English-speaking history club
Who We Are
this is a place to feel at home in its history.

Who We Are

BHA members walking out through the Tiergarten on a spring tour
Walking out through the Tiergarten on a spring tour.

The Berlin Historical Association brings together English-speaking Berliners — expats, long-timers, and curious locals — to explore the city’s history together. We run regular tours, invite speakers on fascinating topics, and hold social events, all in English.

Our visits go to sites of historical significance in and outside Berlin, roughly monthly and mostly at weekends, with occasional lectures on weekday evenings. From time to time the Allied Museum and BHA organise joint events, and the Allied Museum has been the home and regular meeting point for BHA gatherings for decades.

What we do

BHA members at the Johann Gottfried Schadow exhibition, gathered before his marble tomb monument for the young Count von der Mark
At the Johann Gottfried Schadow exhibition, January 2023: his tomb for the young Count von der Mark.
A BHA member examining a silver ceremonial vessel inside Schloss Königs Wusterhausen
On a trip out of the city: Schloss Königs Wusterhausen.
BHA members seated at tables for the annual trivia night, the quizmaster standing before a projected slide
Trivia night: thirty questions, one long evening.

Monthly walking tours

We organise regular guided tours to locations of historical significance in and around Berlin. These tours, especially if further afield, mostly take place on weekends. Recent visits have included the Marienkirche, Jagdschloss Grunewald, and exclusive tours of Cold War intelligence sites in Berlin and Brandenburg.

BHA members at the Johann Gottfried Schadow exhibition, gathered before his marble tomb monument for the young Count von der Mark
At the Johann Gottfried Schadow exhibition, January 2023: his tomb for the young Count von der Mark.

Evening lectures

Enjoy evening talks by visiting experts, historians and researchers. We frequently collaborate with the Allied Museum and other institutions to bring you high-quality scholarship about Berlin.

BHA members seated at tables for the annual trivia night, the quizmaster standing before a projected slide
Trivia night: thirty questions, one long evening.

Trips outside Berlin

We arrange occasional trips to explore history outside the city limits. These excursions offer a chance to discover palaces, museums and hidden landmarks in the surrounding regions. Recent excursions include Magdeburg and Königs Wusterhausen.

A BHA member examining a silver ceremonial vessel inside Schloss Königs Wusterhausen
On a trip out of the city: Schloss Königs Wusterhausen.

Social highlights

Beyond history, we are a community. A centrepiece of our social calendar is the annual Christmas dinner held every December — a festive tradition for members to celebrate the year together. We also host trivia quizzes and other gatherings to keep the spirit lively.

Our history

Four smiling BHA members on the Glienicke Bridge on a summer tour
Members on the Glienicke Bridge.

There’s history within our history, too. The BHA was founded in 1995 as the successor to the American Historical Association of Berlin, which met regularly in the American Sector until the Allies left the city in 1994 — a direct legacy of Berlin’s postwar division among the Allied powers. Today our membership reflects modern Berlin in all its international variety, but every year we still hold our Christmas dinner in the original US Officers’ Club.

BHA Board Members 2025-2027

Position Name
President Nick Barnard
Vice President Bernd von Kostka
Treasurer Oliver Pade
Secretary Bruce Greenwood
Programme Jessie McCrary
Programme Sarah Chevaillier
Public Relations Eston McKeague

President Emerita

Jill Horwitz

Honorary Members

  • Nancy Baltrusch
  • Dr. Gundula Bavendamm
  • Colonel Winfried Heinemann
  • Jill Horwitz (President Emerita)
  • Dr. Jürgen Lillteicher
  • Alfons Schöps
  • Dr. Helmut Trotnow OBE
  • Bernd von Kostka (Vice President)
The BHA board, seven members standing together for a group portrait
The cover of the BHA 2026 brochure (opens the PDF)

Our 2026 brochure

Everything on this page, folded into one leaflet: who we are, our programme, membership and our history. Read it on screen, print it, or pass it on to someone who has just arrived in Berlin.

Download the brochure (PDF, 430 KB)

President Reagan waving beside Chancellor Schmidt and Mayor von Weizsäcker at Checkpoint Charlie, June 1982

We hope you’ll join us.

Guests are welcome at most of our events — come to one before you decide. Membership starts at €20 a year, with a 50% reduction for anyone joining after 1 July.

Annual membership · Students €20 · Singles €35 · Family €50 · Associate member €23 · plus a one-time €10 joining fee

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