Jewish Heritage in Berlin

This tour traces the complex, 800-year history of the Jewish population in Berlin. In the company of a social, cultural, or political historian, we will explore the triumphs that Jewish thinkers, artists, public figures and common people achieved in this city while also investigating the tragedies that they suffered.

Although Jews first arrived in Berlin in the 13th century, the first synagogue—the so-called Old Synagogue—was only established in 1714 in the wake of the Friedrich Wilhelm I’s tentative steps toward religious toleration. We will begin our walk there to build up an image of Jewish history during the Medieval and Renaissance periods.