taffsimon
| Forum role | Member since | Last activity | Topics created | Replies created |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Apr 9, 2015 (11 years) |
6 years | 1 | 1 |
- Forum role
- Member
- Member since
Apr 9, 2015 (11 years)
- Last activity
- 6 years
- Topics created
- 1
- Replies created
- 1
Bio
David is an archaeologist and tour guide in Munich. Originally from Wales, he has lived in Germany for many years, initially in Berlin, latterly, Bavaria.
He graduated from King Alfred´s College (now the University of Winchester) in 1999 after submitting a comparative archaeological study of the WWII Atlantic Wall defences of Normandy and the Channel Islands as a thesis.
He has worked extensively on a broad spectrum of archaeological sites in the both the UK and Germany, ranging from Roman military sites on Hadrian´s Wall, early Medieval Bajuvarian settlement and grave sites near Munich, to WW2 aircraft crash sites and defensive structures. As an archaeologist he has worked in excavation, field survey with TST and supervisory roles, almost entirely in rescue situations. As such he is used to working to deadlines and budgets, either as part of a large team or as part of a discrete group.
Outside of archaeology, one his main research interests has been and continues to be the social and emotional impact of conflict, particularly that of German and Soviet veterans of WWII, as well as civilians who lived through this period. Living in Berlin in the years 2000 - 2 placed him in an ideal situation to collect oral histories from veterans, be they elderly Soviet pilots and Frontnoviki, German panzer crewmen or Fallschirmjäger.
Soon after moving to Munich in 2008 he founded Dark History Tours which offers a range of tours reflecting his specialisms and research interests, with a focus on 20th century topics such as the rise of extremism in post-Versailles Bavaria and the impacts of WW2 on the city, with particular emphasis on the Allied bombing campaign. He is also a qualified guide for the Dachau Memorial, having pursued the official study course and passed the relevant exams.