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. 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.

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.