Nazi-Era Sites and Government Buildings
Site of Hitler’s Führerbunker (Hitler’s Bunker; Gertrud-Kolmar-Straße 14, in a car park, Berlin, Mitte.)
The location of Adolf Hitler’s underground bunker, where he spent his final days in April 1945. The bunker itself was destroyed; today the site is marked by an informational panel near apartment buildings.
Former Reich Chancellery (Reichskanzlei / New Reich Chancellery)
Once the seat of Nazi power, the New Reich Chancellery was largely demolished after the war. Its remains lie beneath modern buildings along the entire northern side of Voßstraße, with entrances at Voßstraße 4 & 6.
https://www.youtube.com/Whitlam’s Berlin Tours
Aviation Ministry of Berlin (Detlev Rohwedder Building)
Built in 1936 as the Reich Aviation Ministry, this massive stone building survived the war and later served the GDR. It now houses the German Federal Ministry of Finance.
https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/EN/Ministry/Ministry-Building/ministry-building.html
Jewish History and Memory
Old Jewish Quarter (Scheunenviertel), Berlin-Mitte
A historic center of Jewish life in Berlin before the Holocaust, later reshaped by war damage and postwar redevelopment. Today it contains memorials, restored synagogues, and residential streets.
Streets and sites associated with the Old Jewish Quarter:
- Sophienstraße – Home to the Sophienkirche and nearby Jewish historical sites
- Große Hamburger Straße – Location of a former Jewish cemetery and deportation memorial
- Oranienburger Straße – Site of the New Synagogue
- Auguststraße – Once a working-class Jewish area, now known for galleries
- Mulackstraße – Historically part of the Jewish neighborhood
- Rosenthaler Straße – Near former Jewish businesses and residences
- Hackesche Höfe – Courtyards built in 1906, later home to Jewish residents and artisans
- Stolpersteine – Small brass plaques embedded in sidewalks marking victims of Nazi persecution
General background:
https://www.visitberlin.de/en/jewish-berlin
New Synagogue (Neue Synagoge)
An iconic 19th-century synagogue on Oranienburger Straße, partially restored after wartime damage.
https://www.centrumjudaicum.de/en/
History and Memorials
Bebelplatz
A public square best known as the site of the 1933 Nazi book burning. A memorial beneath a glass panel commemorates the destroyed works.
https://www.visitberlin.de/en/bebelplatz
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
A large field of concrete stelae commemorating six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, with an underground documentation center.
https://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/en/memorials/memorial-to-the-murdered-jews-of-europe/
Neue Wache (Käthe Kollwitz sculpture: Mother with Her Dead Son)
Germany’s central memorial to the victims of war and dictatorship, featuring Kollwitz’s powerful sculpture under an open oculus.
https://www.visitberlin.de/en/neue-wache-memorial
Berlin Wall and 20th-Century History
Berlin Wall Memorial (Bernauer Straße)
The most complete preserved section of the Berlin Wall, including the border strip, watchtower, and documentation center.
https://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en/
East Side Gallery
A 1.3-km stretch of the Berlin Wall painted by international artists after 1989, now an open-air gallery.
https://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/en/museums/east-side-gallery/
Topography of Terror
An outdoor and indoor exhibition on the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters, documenting Nazi terror institutions.
https://www.topographie.de/en/
DDR Museum
An interactive museum focused on everyday life in the GDR, including housing, work, and state surveillance.
https://www.ddr-museum.de/en
Food, Coffee, and Beer in Prenzlauer Berg
Zacharias Kaffeebar (Kollwitzstraße 44)
Zacharias Tagesbar (Oderberger Straße 7)
Two small neighborhood cafés known for solid espresso and a relaxed, local atmosphere.
https://www.zacharias-berlin.com/
Bonanza Coffee Roasters (Oderberger Straße 35)
A well-known Berlin roaster focused on lighter roasts and careful brewing.
https://bonanzacoffee.de/locations
Prater Biergarten Restaurant (Kastanienallee 7–9)
Berlin’s oldest beer garden, operating since 1837, with classic food and a large outdoor space.
Beer Garden: https://www.pratergarten.de/en/beergarden
Restaurant: https://www.pratergarten.de/en/restaurant