Whether you’re short on time or just looking to hit the ground running, this crash course intro to some of Berlin’s most important historic sites & stories will leave you set up to explore further and hungry to tour again.
Following the route of Hitler’s dramatic rise and fall from power and consider the social, political and architectural ramifications of National Socialism while visiting the landmark locations of twelve years of tyranny.
Discover the traces of a conflict that took the world to the brink of annihilation and back. Explore how East and West – capitalism and communism – clashed within the confines of the divided German capital.
Explore what remains of the pomp and grandeur of the Kingdom of Prussia – when Berlin emerged from the so-called ‘Sandbox of the Holy Roman Empire’ to become the capital of one of Europe’s mightiest military powers.
Visit the East German secret police (Stasi) headquarters and learn about the war of surveillance the East German state waged on its citizens, about the ordinary people turned into informers and the tools of Cold War spycraft.
Find out what remains of the world’s most famous concrete barrier and visit the most important remaining section of the Berlin Wall. Learn about the heroic escapes, the tragic deaths, and the reality of life lived inside the divided city.
Step back in time to the height of post-WWII Socialist Utopianism and explore the showcase ‘Stalin Street’ of East Germany – behold the palaces of the people lining this wedding-cake style ‘boulevard of broken dreams’.
Consider the history of Jewish life in Berlin in light of and beyond the Shoa; exploring antisemitism and assimilation in the heart of what was once – and now is again – one of the world’s most important Jewish communities.
