querstadtein e.V.

What querstadtein e.V. does

querstadtein e.V. is a Berlin-based non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in June 2013 by Katharina Kühn and Sally Ollech and operated under the parent/trustee association Stadtsichten e.V. The organization designs and sells city tours in Berlin and Essen that are led by people with lived experience of homelessness or forced migration, plus accompanying digital formats (audio walks, digital tours, and a learning app) and classroom workshops. Customers include educational institutions, companies, NGOs, and individual consumers, with named clients spanning Berliner Stadtreinigung, DAAD, Axel Springer SE, Malteser Hilfsdienst, and the Bettina-von-Arnim-Schule. Cumulative reach stands at approximately 125,000 participants over 12 years of operation.

The business mixes commercial and philanthropic revenue streams. Tour fees for educational institutions are priced at EUR 170-210 per tour (1.5-2 hours, up to 20-40 participants), while corporate and NGO bookings range from EUR 300 to EUR 1,350 depending on group size and content. Gift vouchers and digital format tickets are sold through the online shop. A large share of operating capital, however, comes from project-based grants and donations from foundations and lottery organizations, including Stiftung Berliner Sparkasse (since 2018, seventh consecutive year in 2025), Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Aktion Mensch, Beisheim Stiftung (new in 2025), Auerbach Stiftung, and the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. The pricing model is unit-based, with flexible accommodations and subsidized quotas available.

The organization is led by Executive Director Jennifer Fielding and a board comprising Katrin Elsemann, Nandita Wegehaupt, and Marvin Wiek. Headcount is 8 employees, supplemented by a network of volunteer and contract tour guides. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a WordPress-based website with an online booking system, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) for newsletter delivery, Matomo for privacy-focused analytics, and Real Cookie Banner for consent management. Digital product formats include the 'Stimmen vom Bahnhof Zoo' audio walk, location-independent digital tours, and the Klima.Migration.Dialog learning app launched in March 2025. The organization has won multiple awards including the Hidden Movers Award 2025 (Deloitte-Stiftung), Roman Herzog Preis 2023, Deutscher Engagementpreis 2019, and startsocial-Bundessieger 2013.

Name

querstadtein e.V.

Legal name

querstadtein e.V.

Website

https://querstadtein.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berlin-based non-profit founded in 2013 that organizes city tours led by people with lived experience of homelessness or migration, serving educational institutions, companies, NGOs, and the general public across Berlin, Essen, and digital channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social-Impact Experiential Tours

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Guided city tours
• Social impact tours
• Experiential learning tours
• Diversity training tours
• Audio walking tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour Fees - Educational Institutions: Guided tours for schools and educational institutions at discounted rates. Schools pay reduced prices for tours conducted by people with lived experience of homelessness or migration.
2. Tour Fees - Companies & NGOs: Corporate tours for diversity training, team building, and educational purposes at standard commercial rates.
3. Donations & Project Funding: The organization receives funding from foundations and lottery organizations for specific projects and general operations.
4. Voucher Sales: Gift vouchers for tours sold through the online shop.
5. Digital Format Tickets: Tickets for digital formats including audio walks and learning apps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

querstadtein e.V. sells guided city tours and educational formats in Berlin and Essen, led by people with lived experience of homelessness, migration, or refugee status. Offerings include in-person themed tours on homelessness, migration stories, and climate/migration; classroom workshops for schools and adult groups; digital audio walks and location-independent online tours; and an interactive learning app on climate and migration. The organization also distributes gift vouchers and tickets via its online shop and receives donations and project grants from foundations and lottery organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berlin City Tours — Homelessness & Living on the Streets Guided in-person city tours in Berlin led by (formerly) homeless tour guides sharing first-person experiences of life on the streets across neighborhoods such as Schöneberg, Mitte, Charlottenburg, and Neukölln. Available as open weekend tours, group bookings, and family tours; for individuals, schools, companies, and NGOs.
• Berlin Migration Stories Tours (Berliner Migrationsgeschichten) Guided in-person city tours in Berlin led by refugees and migrants sharing their personal migration stories across the city. Available to individuals, schools, companies, and NGOs as open or private group tours.
• Climate & Migration Tours (Klima.Migration.Dialog) Guided tours on climate migration in Berlin led by guides with lived experience, including a tour by Muhammed Lamin Jadama on climate migration ('Small Fish and Big Players'). Bookable for individuals, schools, companies, and NGOs.
• Tours for Children & Youth Age-appropriate guided tours and family tours for children (ages 7–13) and youth groups on homelessness and migration themes, bookable by schools, families, and youth organizations.
• Essen City Tours Guided city tours in Essen on homelessness and life on the streets, plus classroom workshops, available as group bookings for schools, companies, and NGOs.
• Audio Walk 'Stimmen vom Bahnhof Zoo' Location-dependent digital audio tour featuring first-person narratives from people living on the streets around Bahnhof Zoo and Ku'damm in Berlin. Accessible worldwide online as a digital ticket.
• Location-Independent Digital Tours Online-accessible digital tours on homelessness ('Digitale Tour – Leben auf der Straße') and contract-worker stories ('Digitale Tour – Vertragsarbeiter*innen-Geschichten'), with optional live online seminars, available worldwide.
• Learning App – Klima.Migration.Dialog Interactive learning app enabling users worldwide to learn about the connections between climate change and migration through a self-paced digital experience. Targeted at schools, learners, and individuals.
• School & Adult Workshops (Berlin and Essen) Classroom-based educational workshops for schools, youth groups, and adults in Berlin and Essen covering homelessness and migration themes, often delivered as complements to the in-person city tours.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 125,000 participants in 12 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Janita-Marja Juvonen / Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und EhrenamtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Project 'Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt durch Begegnung' in Essen, funded by Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt.
• Universität Hildesheim - Migration Lab GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Selected as High Impact Institution to be part of Migration Lab network and develop new project on 'Migrationsgeschichten'.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung - Netzwerk 'Die Verantwortlichen'minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Sandra from querstadtein was admitted to the 'Die Verantwortlichen' network. 18-month development program with training and organizational consulting.
• Surprise (Verein Surprise, Basel)minorOthersSwiss NGO network partner. Surprise develops similar city tours in Basel. Regular exchange between the organizations.
• Social Impact Lab Berlin / Social Impact gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWon Social Impact Start Pitch in 2013. Received workspace, coaching, and mentoring. ANKOMMER stipend also through Social Impact gGmbH.
• Sharehaus / Sharehaus Refugio (Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANKOMMER partnership with Sharehaus Refugio. Former location for events. Co-produced book 'Draußen schlafen ist eine Kunst' with Sven Lager from Sharehaus.
• Humboldt Forum / BERLIN GLOBALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition 'Mitten unter uns. Wohnungslose Frauen* in Berlin' displayed as part of BERLIN GLOBAL from October 2023. 28 square meters of exhibition space.
• Die Arche Kinderstiftung BerlinminorOthersBeneficiary of Soli-Tour donations. Uwe's solidarity tours donate 100% of ticket revenue to the organization.
• Stadtmission Berlin (Bahnhofsmission Zoo)minorOthersOne of the first social organizations contacted when founding querstadtein. Source of tour guide referrals and partner for cold-weather tours.
• GEBEWO (Berlin)minorOthersSocial organization through which first tour guide Carsten was recruited. Klaus Seilwinder was active at the Brückeladen of GEBEWO.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• shadesBERLIN: Berlin-based social enterprise running tours and workshops around topics of migration, racism, and identity. Closely overlapping thematic territory with querstadtein's Berlin Migrationsgeschichten offering.
• Streetwise Opera: UK charity using arts and storytelling to support people affected by homelessness. Same mission space (recentering marginalized voices) but uses performance rather than city tours as delivery vehicle.

Direct peers

• Verein Surprise: Swiss non-profit operating city tours in Basel led by people affected by homelessness or poverty — explicitly identified as querstadtein's network partner with regular exchange. Closest direct peer structurally, from the same template.
• Migrantour: Italian inter-cultural city tour network led by immigrant guides — sister-network model in the lived-experience tourism space, with comparable community and educational positioning.
• Invisible Tours Athens: Athens-based tours led by refugees and locals affected by migration and homelessness — parallel lived-experience city tour model in another European capital.
• Unseen Tours: London-based social enterprise running tours led by guides who have experienced homelessness. Direct, mature international peer of the same lived-experience city-tour model.

Broad incumbents

• Stadtsichten e.V. Parent / trustee organization of querstadtein e.V. Operates the broader umbrella and additional social-touring initiatives in Germany. Listed in the source data as the parent nonprofit entity.

Others

• Urban Nation Museum: Berlin street art museum and adjacent tour organizer. Adjacent ecosystem player in the alternative/cultural Berlin city-tour market; not a direct competitor but an overlapping attraction for the same tourist audience.

Regional players

• Alternative Berlin Tours: Berlin operator offering alternative urban tours including street art and counter-culture themes. Competes for the same 'alternative Berlin tourism' audience as querstadtein's themed city walks.
• Free Walking Tours Berlin: Berlin-based tips-based city tour operator sharing the same German capital market as querstadtein. Offers alternative Berlin city tours targeting tourists, providing a competitive baseline for the local tour market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/querstadtein
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/querstadtein

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about querstadtein e.V.