As much as Berlin is energetic and in love with its history, some aspects related to the topic are best approached with respect. It was a part of the third Reich or the Nazi empire in the late 30’s and it was divided during the cold war. Exploring such significant events and their impacts to the present day does underline the importance of dealing with these subjects to the touristic guides and guests. In this blog post, we share beneficial strategies and recommendations that will help you to avoid foot in mouth situations while speaking about sensitive historical location of Berlin.
Understand the historical context
It is unsafe to joke about such topics as history has it that Berlin was and still is very sensitive in some of these areas. Thus the recommendation that one should read books, watch credible documentaries and get professional opinions to develop a clear understanding on events and their implications. Arguably, this knowledge will enable you to present factual information to your audience to enhance their understanding.
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Every chronicling must come with its timeline of the historical events to be covered, this way, the students will have a clear understanding of the chronology of events to observe and analyze. This will also enable you to arrange the information in a chronological manner so that you give your tour a good structure.
Adapt your language and tone
It is especially important not to offend the historical memory of some peoples, as well as to read between the lines and do not choose metaphors with a sexual undertone. Template 3 Learn to write without bias or offending the participants be it actively or passively, use formal language or non-offensive terms. Always make sure that what you are doing is informing or educating the audience; do not bring prejudice into it.
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Understand the variation of the backgrounds and the state of mind of every person attending the event. Be open-minded and do not use language that is sensitive to other people’s opinions or beliefs.
Facilitate open dialogue
This means promote questions and conversational setting for those who wish to participate. The participants should be encouraged to understand that there are different perceived views about the issues under discussion and facilitate the disclosures of participants’ feelings towards such issues. This fosters interest as well as enhanced comprehension among learners.
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In the beginning of any tour set out some guidelines for debate so as to avoid nursing any form of hate speech between people. Assist participants in paying more attention to what needs to be said by other participants and focus on responding with compassion.
Provide personal stories and testimonials
Different narratives, in this case, make history come alive and draw a line between the past and the present. Include stories of insiders of the events that you are analyzing in your capacity as a Netnografica. These stories make it easier develop a human interest towards history and this makes helps one remember history.
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As you’ll be writing a history paper, make sure to use plenty of examples of such stories so as to broaden the view on history. This aids the participants to reason with elements of the human aspect within history.
Consider the emotional impact
It is for this reason that some historical topics can compel certain feelings like grief, anger or possibly sadness. It is important for the researcher to be aware of these reactions and to ensure they offer support to the participant when necessary. I suggest that it is useful to design some breaks wherein the child can spend time to contemplate and engage in self-introspection.
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Some of the items which can be included are the helplines or counseling services that the participants can seek in case they need further assistance after the tour.
Provide opportunities for further learning
Based on the learning objectives and information discussed in your tour, ensure that you escort the participants and refer them to the next level of learning in history. Suggest them the books that outlined the themes mentioned above, documentaries, or museums that can help them dive deeper into the subjects. This leaves them with extra information that will enable them to further their studies beyond a given tour.
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Prepare a folded paper or an online sheet containing the information on the sources and recommendations for the participants to use after the tour.
Conclusion
Dealing with socially painful topics while strolling through the various locations of Berlin means taking precautions, feeling for the audience, and introducing only truthful facts. Therefore if one can take time, adjust the language and the mode of speech, encourage an active discussion, share personal experiences, make people feel the emotions, and present more information for further discussion, everyone would easily go round an interesting and informative trip.
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