Protest and the City: Berlin and the History of Resistance
Protest is at the heart of Berlin. Uprisings and demonstrations have defined the character and spirit of the city throughout its 800 years.
Duration: 2 h
Meeting Point: outside Rotes Rathaus underground station opposite the Red Town Hall (Rotes Rathaus). Look for the orange umbrella!
Price: 20 €
About
Tour in a nutshell
Protest is at the heart of Berlin. Uprisings and demonstrations have defined the character and spirit of the city throughout its 800 years. A public square that is on the must-see list of every tourist visiting Berlin, Alexanderplatz today is a prime display of socialist architecture. But hidden behind the impressive concrete landmarks is the entire history of Berlin. On this walking tour, we will take an alternative look at Berlin’s busiest square and seek out the traces of some of the most momentous protests in its history as well as lesser-known acts of civil courage. From rebellious beginnings to the peak of Nazi terror, Alexanderplatz and its surroundings have borne witness to it all.
Want to know more?
Berlin’s protest history started just a short walk away where the reconstructed Berlin Palace is standing today. When the ruler of Berlin started the construction of the original Palace in the 15th century, the citizens protested against it by flooding the building site. This action, known as the Berlin Indignation, set the course for the city’s history of disobedience.
A monument in a courtyard nearby commemorates the bravery of hundreds of women who protested for seven days in the cold winter of 1943 outside a house in Rosenstrasse where their Jewish husbands were being held by Nazis. This protest was the largest spontaneous demonstration during the years of the Third Reich – a rare flicker of courage in the darkest days of Berlin.
A tour about protest in Berlin would be incomplete without the demonstrations of 1989 – a remarkable act of peaceful dissent. Thousands of people flooded Alexanderplatz, helping to bring down the Berlin Wall and shape the future of Germany.
Meeting Point
Protest and the City: Berlin and the History of Resistance starts outside Rotes Rathaus underground station opposite the Red Town Hall (Rotes Rathaus). Look for the orange umbrella!
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Reviews
This was just the most fantastic walking tour. Martina is a natural historian and a brilliant tour guide—it was a really small group and this felt like having a personalised tour with the most astoundingly knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. It was so refreshing to get a history of Berlin which went beyond the twentieth-century, and I found the use of the Alexanderplatz area really inventive, too—I usually hear it dismissed but there is so much to see if you know where to look.
“Protest history in Alexanderplatz” – having lived in Berlin for a while, I was curious about this tour – yes, there are lots of protests there nowadays, but when did it begin? Martina takes us through over 500 years of history and her knowledge and enthusiasm transcends any expectations one might have for the tour. I completely recommend a tour with them the next time you are in Berlin. What a gem! We loved it!
This is not just an ordinary tour from one spot to another. “Beyond and Beneath” will take you on an exciting adventure with a story about history of medicine, protests and other topics that have shaped Berlin and Germany.