About STADTGEIST
Learning in urban spaces: Experience, Discover, Understand
STADGEIST is my project. I’m Tom Bergrath, born and raised in the Netherlands and now based in Berlin. Since 2010, I’ve been working as an independent professional in cultural and heritage tourism. As an entrepreneur, I create projects at the intersection of non-formal adult education and educational travel. I am purpose-driven, guided by the belief that lifelong learning and cultural exchange — when done well — can inspire meaningful, positive change in society.
Learning through discovery
The core principle of STADTGEIST is that in the public spaces of our cities, we can learn a great deal about our world and the major issues of our time. By traveling and truly immersing yourself
in a city, you learn in a unique and profound way — through experience, encounter, and curiosity.
Meaningful travel experiences
With STADTGEIST, I aim to create meaningful, non-formal learning experiences and transformative travel experiences for socially engaged travel groups, conscious travelers, and people who remain
curious throughout their lives. The excursions offered by myself or partners, my tailor-made travel programs, as well as my seminars, take you into the stories and processes that shape cities:
from history and culture to power, technology, trade, identity, and social change.
More consciously
STADTGEIST’s main focus is initially on the German cities of Berlin, Hamburg, and Potsdam, and the Dutch cities of Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Maastricht. These are cities I know well and
where I have valuable contacts. Soon, I plan to add more places and cities to the selection on this website. STADTGEIST stands for conscious, reflective, and critical learning through experience
and discovery. In this way, I aim to make travel the most valuable way to better understand the world around us — and our place within it.