Jewish Heritage Tours
Jewish Heritage Tours
Jewish History in Berlin
The history of Jews in Berlin is a fascinating one and it is as old as the city itself. Jewish presence in the area around Berlin is traced back to the 13th Century. Their history in the early days was not significantly different from the history of Jews in many other parts of Central Europe. They were mostly quite poor, orthodox, living in self-enclosed communities and speaking Yiddish. They were subjected to many limitations and at times also pogroms. Only few became rich by becoming what was called “Court Jews”; personal bankers and advisers to the local princes. The integration of Jews into the surrounding German society is a process that started at the end of the 18th Century, with the Enlightenment period and the Haskalah, the Jewish Enlightenment. The latter centered around the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Over a period of about 70 years – between 1780 and 1850 – they made a huge transformation. They integrated into German life, started to speak German, rather than Yiddish and became quite successful, some even extremely successful. They became present in all facets of life. On our tour we follow the Jewish history in Berlin from its early beginnings. We shall discuss the process of integration and assimilation – including its setbacks – from its beginning in the late 18th Century to its zenith in the first half of the 20th Century. We shall discuss the destruction of this community once the Nazi’s came to power, and we shall also discuss how the confrontation of this horrible past has been dealt with in Germany throughout the years and how the latter is reflected in the monuments that have been erected since. The sites included in the list on the right-hand side, represent the Classic Jewish Tour in the Old Jewish Quarter. Below, we offer some options for extensions.
Included Sites*
- The remains of the Alte Synagogue, the oldest Synagogue in Berlin.
- The Memorial on the site of Moses Mendelssohn’s Home
- The Memorial to the Women’s Protest from Rosenstraße (Rosen Street)
- The Hackesche Höfe (the courtyards’ area)
- The Otto Weidt Museum – the site of Otto Wiedt’s Workshop for the Blind
- The Jewish Cemetery in Große Hamburger Street
- The former Jewish Boys’ School (today Jewish High School)
- The Missing-House Memorial
- The Neue Synagogue (New Synagogue)
* The above is a suggestion. All our Tours are tailor-made and the exact itinerary depends on your time and interests. The order of the sites may change depending on your selected starting point.
Extended Jewish Herritage Tour
There are many options for an extended Jewish tour. We have put together a few popular variations.
In addition to the above-mentioned 3-hour Classic Jewish tour:
- The site of the Große Jüdenhof (the medival Jewish area).
- Nicolai Quarter and Veitel Heine Ephraim House.
- The site of the Nathan Israel Department Store and the story of Wilfried Israel who saved the lifes of thousends of jews.
- The St. Hedwig Katholic Hospital and the story of Bernard Lichtenberg.
- The former Jewish Girls’ School
- The former Jewish Hospital, later Beit Ahava (House of Love) Children’s Home.
- The Abandoned Room Memorial.
This option incorporates the Classic Jewish Tour and a visit to Track 17 in the no-longer active, freight train station of Grunewald. It was from that station that the deportations of the Berlin Jews began in October 18th, 1941.
There are four monuments at this emotional site located on the outskirts of the city. These monuments allow us to trace the changes in the memorialization culture in Germany throughout the years.
This option combines the basic Jewish tour with a visit to the Bavarian Quarter in the neighborhood of Schöneberg. It is an area where many assimilated, upper-middle class, Jews used to live. It even got the nick-name ‘the Jewish Switzerland’. Many Jewish scholars, doctors, lawyers and engineers lived in this neighborhood, including also Albert Einstein. The area is home to some fascinating projects of commemoration.
If you have a specific itinerary in mind or a disired combination, not listed above, we will be happy to design a tailor-made route that best suits your time and interests. In such cases please contact our office and we will be glad to assist.
Depending on your time and interests we can adjust your tour itinerary to include the following sites:
- The Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe **
- The Book Burning Memorial **
- The Monument of the Kindertransport – the children sent to England.
- Memorial to the Jewish Fashion and Clothing Industry in Huasvogteiplatz.
- Jewish cemeteries in general, but in particular the Jewish Cemetery in Weissensee, and the Jewish Cemetery in Schönhauser Allee, where some of Berlin’s prominent figures are buried.
- Villa Wannsee Museum, the site of the infamous Wannsee Conference.
- Many more…
** This site is usually included in the Berlin Highlights Tour. If you plan on taking that tour as well, then you will already have seen this site.
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Fees & Costs
All prices include VAT, booking and guiding fees and mandatory German tour insurance. Whats not included? Public Transportation tickets, entry fees (where applicable), food and beverages (unless stated otherwise) and gratuities.
Flexible
We will pick you up from your hotel lobby or other desired starting point at the time of your choice.
Cancellation Policy
100% refund at least 7 days prior to date of tour. 50% refund 3-6 days prior to date of tour. Thereafter (72 hours and less) no refund.
Simple & Safe
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal and bank transfer.
Pricing Chart
Choose one of the following options
- 3 hour tour
- Hotel Pickup
- walking and using Public Transportation
- 4 hour tour
- Hotel Pickup
- Walking and using Public Transportation
- 5 hour tour
- Hotel Pickup
- walking and using Public Transportation
- 5 hour tour
- Hotel Pickup
- walking and using Public Transoprtation