Tour Overview
Join your private tour guide for this four-hour tour of the Jewish Quarter of Berlin, including visits to the former Jewish cemetery, the Old and New Synagogues as well as many more significant sights in the city’s Jewish history and culture.
Expect to hear personal anecdotes and stories from Berlin’s Jewish community as well as plenty of historical detail. Your guide will be happy to adjust the itinerary to suit your interests. Looking for a full day tour? Click here.
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Berlin’s Jewish History
Before the Second World War and the rise of the Nazis, Berlin had the largest Jewish community in Germany. After reunification, it began to flourish and today is once again one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing in the world!
Let us take you on a historical journey through the former Spandau Neighbourhood, one of the oldest in Berlin and once the epicentre of Jewish life. Nowadays part of Berlin’s Mitte district, the area’s compact nature makes it perfect for exploring on foot while soaking up its complex history.
As we stroll around, we’ll visit significant museums, memorials and monuments, following and discussing the changing fates of Berlin’s Jewish people at every step.
Tour Highlights
The Old Synagogue, Berlin
Our first stop is the location of the first synagogue in Berlin, on Heidereutergasse Strasse. Here we will learn about the origins of the Jewish community which dates back as far as 1671, as well as the destruction of this important monument.
Otto Weidt Museum
Next we’ll visit the Otto Weidt museum, named after the famous workshop-owner who employed and protected many blind and deaf Jewish Berliners during the Nazi era and Holocaust. His former workshop is preserved for visitors, so that you can see for yourself where his inspiring efforts took place.
Grosse Hamburger Strasse – Jewish Cemetery Berlin Mitte, Jewish Nursing Home, Jewish School & more
We continue to Grosse Hamburger Strasse, which was of central importance for Jewish life in the city.
Monuments to Jewish life present themselves at every turn. Here we find the oldest Jewish cemetery in Berlin, the former Jewish girls’ school (today the address of chic restaurants and a gallery) and the home of Regina Jonas, the first female rabbi in the world.
In the Jewish Cemetery, visit the grave of Moses Mendelssohn, an influential Jewish intellectual and founding representative of the Haskala movement – or ‘Jewish Enlightenment’ – during the 18th Century.
As we walk between sights, we cannot help but remember the thousands of Jewish Berliners who were deported to Nazi concentration camps from these very streets.
The New Synagogue
Finally, we’ll make our way towards the most important architectural testimony to affluent Jewish culture in Berlin: The New Synagogue.
This impressive building dates from the 19th century – however much of it was in a state of disrepair following the second world war. Under communism it continued to suffer, however restoration efforts finally began in earnest after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
This was the stimulus required for the wider Jewish community in Mitte to stage a powerful comeback. Nowadays, we find Hackesche Höfe as an upmarket district where beautifully restored courtyards, charming boutiques, trendy cafes and trendy galleries await visitors.
Tour Flexibility
Wherever possible, we will take you to the original sites that are still standing, but will also refer to those that are no longer visible via visual material and stories.
This private tour is flexible and customisable – if there are specific sights or periods that you would like to focus on please let us know and we can adjust the itinerary to suit your interests. For more details on our full day Jewish History Tour, click here.
Use the contact form below to book, or alternatively you can book online in just a few clicks.
