Tue, 9 Feb
13°
5°
This 3-hour walking tour explores Jewish life in Berlin pre-1933, and the subsequent destruction of Berlin’s Jewish community under Nazism.
In the early twentieth century, Berlin had one of the largest Jewish populations of any city in Europe and Jews were well integrated in the fabric of life in the German capital. They occupied prominent positions in government, made essential contributions in the fields of art and science, worked in factories and owned small businesses. Albert Einstein lectured at several Berlin universities and also played violin concerts at the New Synagogue.
This thriving community, and others like it across Europe, would then be ruthlessly destroyed under National Socialism. Jewish culture in Germany became synonymous with sites of Nazi atrocity, with names such as Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Dachau.
On this tour our expert local guides will walk you through areas of Jewish Heritage, sites of Jewish cultural significance, and address in detail the tragedy of the Holocaust – telling the stories of people and places with passion, tact, and respect.
You will journey through the iconic concrete stelae of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe; stand in the grand shadow of the reconstructed facade of the New Synagogue, formerly the largest synagogue in Germany. You will also take time to pause on the streets to pay tribute to victims of Nazism at the Stölperteine, myriad memorials to victims of Nazism, and visit the grave of Moses Mendelssohn and more.
Your guide will then accompany you back to your hotel, or to a drop-off point of your choosing. They will also give you tips and recommendations to help you make the most out of your stay.
As always your experience can be tailored to you, so please let us know if you have any special requests or needs. We are also more than happy to help you with restaurant reservations and museum or gallery visits.
Sights included: Former Jewish Quarter, Jewish Memorial, New Synagogue, Jewish Graveyard and Mendelssohn’s Gravesite, Stolpersteine, Auschwitz Trees, Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind, 'Trains to Life, Trains to Death'.
Your professional, local guide will pick you up from your hotel and introduce the tour.
At our first stop you have the chance to explore the workshop where blind German brush-maker Otto Weidt sheltered his Jewish workers from the deportation and persecution at the hands of the SS and Gestapo.
Next we marvel at the ornate golden domes of the New Synagogue – formerly the largest synagogue in Germany and targeted during the violent pogroms of November 1938.
Moving deeper into the old Jewish Quarter you will walk the corridors of the former Jewish Girl's School – forcibly closed under Nazism, it's students and teachers deported – now a centre for art, history and gastronomy.
Time will then be taken to search out these poignant memorials to victims of Nazism, inlaid in the sidewalks in front of buildings where those murdered by the regime used to live, work or study.
Next we learn about the horrors of the Nazi extermination camp system beneath the boughs of birch trees brought to Berlin from the grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Next we will explore the oldest Jewish Graveyard in the city and see the gravesite of Moses Mendelssohn.
After a short train ride we then pay tribute to the young and infant victims of Nazism at this poignant memorial at the Friedrichstraße Station – where children were transported to the safety of the west after the Nazi pogroms of 1938, and also deported by the regime eastwards after 1942, to the extermination centers of the occupied East.
Finally, plenty of time will be taken to journey through the iconic field of concrete blocks, and learn about the legacy of the crimes of Nazism in Germany today. The tour ends here.
Your guide will accompany you back to your hotel.
You will be picked up directly from your hotel or a prearranged meeting point.
At the end of the tour you will be dropped off at your hotel or, if you wish to remain in the city, your guide can give you recommendations for further exploration.
- For groups of 1-6 people: free cancellation up to 48 hours in advance.
- For groups of 7+ people: free cancellation up to up to 7 days ahead. From 6 days in advance to 48 hours in advance, a 50% fee will apply.
- Cancellations less than 48 hours ahead or no-shows result in no refund.
We have received your inquiry. We will contact you as soon as possible!
