Off-the-Beaten-Path Berlin WW2 Attractions

Off-the-Beaten-Path Berlin WW2 Attractions

In this video, I’m going to
take you to ten off the beaten trail sites that tell the story
of Berlin during the Second World War and the era of the
Third Reich. If you’re planning a trip to Berlin, you almost
certainly have the big central World War two sites on your
must-visit list. However, Berlin has so many more
attractions that are equally worth a visit. But these are
locations that the first time visitor either doesn’t have
time for or doesn’t even know about. And I put these locations
on a map that I will link to in the description so that you can
visit these sites when you come to Berlin or you can hire me,
Steve from Experience Berlin Tours to show you around. I’ll
also leave my contact details in the description below.
Alright, let’s get started. And for our first stop, we
start in Mitte. You’ve heard of Shindler’s List. But have
you heard of Otto Weidt? Right here in the heart of Berlin,
this small workshop became a quiet battlefield of
resistance. And with so many museums and memorials in the
city focusing on the terrible crimes perpetrated by the
Nazis, this museum’s focus on heroism is a welcome change.
Otto Weidt ran a broom and brush factory for the blind. But
behind the walls, he was forging papers, bribing
officials, and hiding his Jewish employees from the
Gestapo. Despite his courageous efforts, Weidt was ultimately
only able to save a few from being murdered, though he never
stopped trying. He wasn’t famous, no movie or book was
made about him, but to the people he saved, he was
everything. And inside you’ll learn how Weidt, an anarchist,
who himself was legally blind, managed to keep his people out
of the hands of the Gestapo as long as he did. You’ll learn about
his employees, how they made their brooms, and what their
ultimate fates were. You will also learn about the people who
helped Weidt, including the officers in a local police
precinct, who tipped off fight on impending raids. The museum
delves into the complex system of racial rules and injustices
and tells the story of the struggle for decency. The
museum is only a few rooms and there’s a free audio guide that
will guide you through the museum. You probably won’t
spend more than 45 minutes to an hour here at most. The
museum is free to visit and it’s located in a passage
adjacent to the Hackescher Hoefe and its central location within walking
distance to both Alexander Platz and Museum Island means
that there’s much to do and see nearby. Okay, moving on. In the Western Berlin District
of Grunewald adjacent to the Grunewald S-Bahn station perhaps
Berlin’s most evocative memorials to the horrors of the
Third Reich. When you arrive at the station, just follow the
signs for Gleis 17 or Track 17. Grunewald was one of
three train stations in Berlin where Jews were expelled from
the city and sent to ghettos and labor and concentration
camps. Most were murdered or died from inhumane conditions.
The memorial was dedicated in 1998 under the direction of the
Deusche Bahn which was acknowledging the role of its
predecessor the Reichbahn in these atrocities. The memorial
features one hundred and eighty-six steel plates embedded along the
platform’s edges all in chronological order. Each plate
records the date, the destination, and the number of
deportees on a specific transport. Sometimes only a few
dozen passengers are recorded but often it was over one
thousand. The tracks are weathered, rusty, and overgrown
with vegetation, and I found the tracks leading into the
wilderness to be an app metaphor for the realities of
these unfortunate souls almost a century ago. On the side of
the tracks, on the leading up from the train station’s main
entrance is a monument that predates this memorial. It’s a
long concrete wall with the indentations of human forms
walking to the platform which I took as representing a void of
humanity. And, according to the memorial marker over 50,000
Jews were deported from here alone. In my opinion, there’s
something particularly moving about this location, as you are
on the spot where this terrible history played out. So be sure
to carve out some time to pay your respects on your visit to
Berlin. This giant concrete cylinder
was never meant to survive but it tells the story of a world
that could have been. The Schwerbelastungskoeper or heavy
load bearing body was a test. Hitler wanted to rebuild Berlin
into a new Nazi capital called Germania. The redesigned German
capital would be home to several monumental structures
the most fantastic being the 300 meters square and 300 meter
tall Volkshalle, but this mastrocity was built to test
Berlin sandy soil to see if it can hold another one of his
delusions of grander. This test for a planned arc to triumph.
Only this German arch would be twice as tall and four times as
wide as the one found in Paris. The structure actually consist
of two concrete cylinders weighing a combined 12, 000
tons. The lower cylinder has a diameter of eleven meters and
reaches 18 meters underground. On top of that is the more
visible concrete cylinder which has a diameter of 21 meters and
rises 15 meters above the ground. Plans for the arch were
put on hold due to the war and it was instead used as an air
raid shelter. After the war, it was determined that the
structure had indeed sunk roughly 20 centimeters and was
slightly off kilter. So, Hitler’s plans for this arch
would likely not have been possible at least not at such a
grand scale. It was deemed too risky to nearby residential
areas to blow up so it was left eventually becoming the
documentation center that it is today. It’s only enough to keep
you here for about 30 minutes. You could wonder inside and see
some rusted equipment and peek down below into the lower
chamber. There are some signs explaining the structure as
well as how French forced laborers were in its
construction. And, climb up the adjacent tower for views of the
structure from above as well as nice 360 degree views of
Berlin. It’s free to enter but donations are accepted and if
you’re interested in Nazi architecture, this is
definitely a stop that you need to make. Hidden in a quiet neighborhood
in Southeast Berlin is one of the city’s most chilling World
War two sites you’ve probably never heard of. This was once a
Nazi forced labour camp. One of more than 3000 that existed in
Berlin alone and the only one to survive intact to this day.
Roughly 30 million people mostly from Europe. Are
estimated have been forced into labor by the Nazis inside of
the German Reich as well as occupied territories. These
workers were teenagers, mothers, carpenters, farmers.
They were torn from their homes shipped to camps like this one
and forced to build Hitler’s war machine. And many would
never make it back, but their voices and stories can still be heard
within the walls of these buildings today. This former
camp now houses the Nazi Zwangsarbeitzentrum or in
English the Nazi forced labor documentation center. Its 14
stone barracks all still exist of which half are reserved for
exhibit in event spaces. The camp was designed under the
supervision of Albert Spear to house roughly 2000 interees at
a time and using this camp as a backdrop, the center aims to
tell the story of the Nazi forced labor programs. Through
documents, artifacts, as well as eyewitness accounts, you
will learn how the Nazis rounded up in documented forced
laborers. You will also learn about how these workers were
treated and the many rules and regulations that they had to
follow. Rules and regulations that were largely based on a
workers racial identity with Soviet citizens and Jews
receiving the most appalling treatments. And lastly you will
learn about the liberation of the camps. At the time of
filming a special exhibition covering the liberation of the
camps for the eightieth anniversary of the end of World
War two is taking place. The buildings of the other half of the
camp are used for other enterprises including an auto
body shop and what seemed to me to be a garden center. If a
deep dive into Berlin’s World War two history is what you are
after, then put this important memorial on your bucket list. On the northern edges of
Berlin’s inner ring lies humble time, a leafy city park named
after the Prussian Renaissance man Alexander Von Humboldt. But
the park has something interesting that makes this a
place of interest for those interested in World War Two
history. On the northern edge of the park is an artificial
hill consisting of debris resulting from the war. And
this rubble fills in parts of the remains of a flak tower.
Three of these towers were constructed during the war to
ward off allied bombing raids on the city. And this one
measured 70 meters wide by 40 meters in height. And sitting
atop each of the four turrets were 128 millimeter flack 40
guns, some of the most powerful guns in use during World War
2. Additionally, the tower also housed several 37 and 20
millimeter guns to counter low and mid range enemy fighter
planes. The fortress is potmarked from bullet and
artillery rounds. Two of the three towers were destroyed
during the war, but by chance circumstances the tower in
Humboldthain was only partially destroyed. And you can even
tour part to the inside with the Berliner Unterwelten group from April
through October. It’s also a great location for free views
of Berlin mostly to the north and west of the tower. The
Flack Tower is also used as a climbing wall and each gun
tower has an accompanying radio and command tower. These towers
housed radar and range finding equipment and provided
coordinates for the gunners on the main tower to fire at. And
the ruins of one of these are also here on the southern side
of Volkspark Humboldthain. Okay, moving on. In Berlin, there are three
rather large memorials dedicated to Soviet Red Army
soldiers, particularly those who fought and died in the
Battle of Berlin. Many visitors will visit the one in Tiergarten,
just 1 hundred meters away from the Brandenburg Gate.
Still others will visit the even more monumental Soviet War
Memorial in Treptower Park. But few will venture out to the
northern edge of the city to visit the Soviet War Memorial
in the district of Pankow. And although it is smaller than its
Treptow Park counterpart, it is the largest in terms of burials
with just over 13000 of the roughly eighty red army
soldiers who fell during the Battle of Berlin. It has the
outward expression of grandiosness that I’ve come to
expect from Soviet War Memorials and you’re greeted at
the entrance to a track leading into the center flanked by
poplar trees. The main focal point of the memorial is the
stone obilesk and the statue of Mother Russia. There are
bronze reliefs to picking heroic scenes, bronze insignias
for the different branches of the Soviet military. Fanking
both sides of the main axis are the burial chambers, eight on
each side, each containing 1,182 of the fallen. The names of
identified are listed on the panels. It’s the most peaceful
of the three Soviet Red Army Memorials but it’s the least
visited due to its location. It’s on the route towards Sachsenhausen
Concentration Camp or you could transfer to a bus
from Pankow station. Okay, on to our next location. Here’s an off-the-beaten path
World War two location that you’re likely not aware of.
Located in Southeastern Berlin is the Museum of Berlin
Karlshost. Previously known as the Russian German Museum of
Berlin Karshost. The building was originally built for
officers in training in the German Wehrmacht Fortress
Engineering School. It was captured by the Red Army and
used as a command post during the latter stages of the Battle
of Berlin. Its officers was the location where part two of the
unconditional surrender of Germany’s arm forces took place
on May 8th of 1945. The Soviet Military Administration would
use the building as its headquarters in the immediate
years following the war. The building in the surrounding
campus would be a Soviet enclave in the 1990s hosting
the largest foreign field office of the KGB. Today it’s a
museum that focuses on German Russian relations particularly
during the war. The ground level is dedicated almost
exclusively to the surrender. Where you can see the actual
surrender documents in several languages. The upper floors
contain an exhibition that covers the war relations
between Germany and the Soviet Union as well as German rule in
the occupied areas. Soviet prisoners of war, how the
Soviets rallied and built a coalition against the Nazis and
ending with the battle of Berlin. There’s also an
open-air exhibit that shows various pieces of Soviet armor
that was used in the assault on Berlin including tanks,
self-propelled guns and there’s also a Soviet T-34 tank
as well as a piece of the Berlin Wall on the other side
of the building. This is one of those places visit where
history was made and one that I recommend for those who are
interested in World War 2 history. Now, on to our next
stop. In the Berlin District of
Schoeneberg is another Berlin’s off the beaten path
World War two related sites and in my opinion it’s a must visit
especially for visitors from the Commonwealth this is the
location of the Berlin War Cemetery the final resting
place of more than 3,600 souls, the majority of who flew under
the direction of the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command. The
sign at the entry informs you the airmen buried here died
flying sorties over Germany, in particular around Berlin during
the Second World War. Roughly 55,000 airmen of the Bomber
Command died the result of an astonishing 44% death rate.
Respect earned and honor given at this cemetery. And it starts
with the comforting grass carpeted walkway flanked by
what I believe are poplar trees. A short incline brings
you to the entrance gate where there is a guest book as well
as a graves directory. The graves fan out from the
entrance in five main aisles of white Portland stones. It’s
immediately obvious how well kept this cemetery is. The
central aisle leads to the Stone of Remembrance in the
middle of the cemetery and the Cross of Sacrifice at its far
end. I lost count how many different branch insignias that
I saw. And as expected, there were fallen from all members of
the Commonwealth. Roughly 80% of the burials here are from
the Royal Air Forces and roughly 10% are unidentified.
The ages of those who died really stand out with most
ranging from 19 to 24. There are mementos, photos, and
cards left by family members, some writing to the fathers
they never met. Some buried here were prisoners of war who
died in captivity. There are also five members of the Polish
Armed Forces in Britain and also buried here are 265
occupation administration staff and family members including
young children. As an American, this cemetery really reminded
me of the connection between the military traditions of my
country and the Commonwealth. There’s an app available for
virtual or on-site self-guided tours that you could download.
Be sure to add this to your bucket list of things to see in
Berlin and you can visit it in conjunction with a visit to
Olympic Stadium or Teufelsberg. Now this next suggestion is not
limited to just one location. The city cemeteries in Berlin
are well-kept and often very beautiful places to have a
wander. I don’t think many visitors to the city actually
visit them. I touched upon this in the previous video but if
you enter cemeteries such as the Old Garrison Cemetery,
Berlin’s Mitte district, you will find reminders of the
tragedy of the Second World War. Take a look around and you
will notice that many of the tombs and gravestones still
show signs that they were hit by small arms, fire, and mortar
blasts. But even more jarring is when you come across the mass
graves of locals who died during numerous air raids or
fighting during the Battle of Berlin. And in this cemetery,
there are over 1300, mostly civilians who died in the very
last days of the war and they’re all buried in this one
large mass grave. There are many unknowns as well as
peoples whose date of death could not be determined and
you’re likely to find graves of similar victims, if not mass
graves at most of Berlin cemeteries, especially the
closer you are to the city center. In Kreuzberg, there
are number of cemeteries and close of one another where you
will stumble upon these graves, as well as damaged tombs. Not
your typical tourist attraction, I agree but meaningful ones if
you want to really understand Berlin during the second world
war. Okay, moving on. Here is another stop where
history took place. This time we are leaving Berlin and
heading into the neighbouring city of Potsdam to Cecilianhof.
Built in 1917 for Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilia,
this English tutor style palace is unlike any other royal
residence in Germany. But Cecilianfof is best known as
the site of the Potsdam Conference, the third major
conference between the allied powers. In 1945, Churchill,
Truman and Stalin met right here to decide the fate of
post-war Europe. It was the last major meeting between the Allies
and the only one to take place after Germany surrendered. It
was here that the world map was redrawn and the Cold War began
to take shape. That you can walk through the very rooms
where history was made exploring exhibits on World War
two in the Cold War and enjoy peaceful strolls in the
surrounding UNESCO listed New Garden. And there’s so much to
experience here. So put this on your list for consideration.
Now there are several locations that I have left off this list.
Mostly for time considerations. Though In the comment section,
let me know what locations you think I should cover in a
potential future video and check out this video which is
part one of a two-part series where I walk around Berlin and
show you battle damage from World War two in the Battle
Berlin or this playlist here with tips for the visitor to
Berlin and I’ll see you in the

In this video, I’m going to take you to 10 off-the-beaten-path attractions and museums that help tell the story of Berlin during the era of the Third Reich and Second World War.

If you are planning a trip to the city, you almost certainly have big central sites on your must see list.

However, Berlin has so many more attractions that are equally worth a visit.

But, these are locations that most first-time visitors don’t have time to visit, or more likely don’t even know exist.

00:51 – Otto Weidt Workshop for the Blind
02:26 – Gleis 17, Track 17 Memorial
04:45 – Schwerbelastungskoeper
05:57 – Nazi Forced Labor Camp
07:47 – Flak Tower Humboldthain
09:21 – Soviet War Memorial Pankow
10:55 – Surrender Museum Berlin-Karlshorst
12:36 – Commonwealth Berlin War Cemetery
14:47 – Berlin Mass Graves in Cemeteries
16:07 – Cecilienhof Palace Potsdam Conference

Map – https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1dANro7oP5gVVefDkKzFBg2bWyE0&usp=sharing

Contact Steve
www.experienceberlintours.com
https://www.facebook.com/ExperienceBerlinTours/