Jewish Life in Berlin Half Day Walking Tour

Take a morning stroll through Berlin and its pre-war Jewish neighborhoods. Accompanied by an expert guide, Berlin's Jewish history will come alive on this fascinating walking tour.

In the 1920s Berlin's Jewish community was the largest in Germany, numbering 200,000 at its height. From the early 1930s until 1945, the community was all but obliterated through immigration, persecution and finally the Holocaust.

On this morning walking tour you'll visit all the major sites and buildings associated with the Jewish community in its heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries. Included are the sites of the first synagogue in Berlin; the Boys School, founded by Moses Mendelssohn in the 1780s; the Old Cemetery site on Gross Hamburger Strasse; and the spectacular New Synagogue, now rebuilt as a museum about the pre-war Jewish community and about the synagogue itself.

While you walk, you'll learn about the years of persecution from 1933 to 1945 by visiting the site of the main detention center used by the Nazis (the former Old People's Home). You'll hear about Otto Weidt and his workshop, and how he helped save the lives of many members of the Jewish community. You'll also see the site of the Women's Protest in 1943, perhaps the only mass protest against the Holocaust that ever took place.

This tour is recommended in the Goldapple Guide to Jewish Berlin by Andrew Roth.

Schedule Details Departs: Seasonal
April 01 to October 31
Monday Departure Point: DEPART EAST BERLIN: Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station outside Haagen-Dazs ice cafe at 10:30am
DEPART WEST BERLIN: At the taxi stand at Zoo station (Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten) at 10:00am Departure Time: Please refer to Departure Point Return details: Tour concludes near the New Synagogue at approximately 1:00pm Hotel Pickup: Hotel pickup is not available

Additional Information