Nazi History of Munich: A Tour with Context

(20 reviews)

Munich audio tour: Nazi History of Munich: A Tour with Context

This is a 2.1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 120 mins to complete.

Munich

Germany

$19.99

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About the Tour

Munich wasn’t just another place during the Nazi regime. It was where it all started. In the darkest days of German history, it was officially known as the “Capital of the Movement” and awarded the honorary title of a “Führerstadt.”

On this walking tour with historian, writer, and Context Travel expert, Achim Wigand, you’ll see the birthplaces of national socialism. You’ll also find out how the Nazi years have impacted German society today.

The tour starts on Marienplatz, the square at the heart of Munich’s old town. From there, you’ll weave through the city centre, taking in the Feldherrnhalle monument (Field Marshals’ Hall) and Platz der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus, a column dedicated to the victims of National Socialism.

As you make your way to Königsplatz (King’s Square), Achim will tell you how a developed and educated country fell under the spell of a bunch of racist criminals. You’ll walk through Maxvorstadt, a Munich neighbourhood originally dedicated to arts, education and culture that was transformed into Parteiviertel (the Party quarter). After taking in this urban area with the highest concentration of Nazi buildings in the country, the tour ends in the Old Botanical Garden in front of Neptunbrunnen (the Neptune Fountain).

On this two-hour tour, you’ll have an opportunity to:

Discover the importance of beer in Bavaria’s political discourse at Tal 38 restaurant
Take a trip through the wild days of hyperinflation and its consequences in 1923
Understand how the German people have come to terms with the pitch-black spot in their history, and hear about the few who had the courage to speak up against state-sanctioned murder
Learn about the mass murder of the European Jews and how it was connected to National Socialist ideology
Grasp the enormous destructive potential of air warfare that already existed at the beginning of the 1900s
Find out how a relatively small party on the fringes of politics grew in prominence in war-ridden Germany, and a failing artist called Adolf Hitler rose to power

By the end of this tour, you’ll have a deeper understanding not only of what led to the downfall of humanity in Germany, but also the lessons the country has learned from its dark past under the Nazi regime.

Tour Producer

Context Travel

92 tours

Context was founded in Rome in 2003 by Paul Bennett and Lani Bevacqua an expat couple eager to curate experiences for travelers, not tourists. Since then Context has taken over 200,000 people to 60+ destinations around the world – accompanied by thousands of leading experts. What started as a dream to create cross-cultural connections is now a worldwide network and community of thoughtful, engaged travelers and experts.

Join a live private or small group tour in destinations around the world at contexttravel.com.

Preview Location

Location 18

Odeonsplatz

Stop here.

Although Hitler had been sentenced for his crime, the future dictator put his time in prison to good use. He wrote the first part of “Mein Kampf,” and thought over his strategies to seize power until coming to the conclusion that he had to go the legal way by wi... Stop here.

Although Hitler had been sentenced for his crime, the future dictator put his time in prison to good use. He wrote the first part of “Mein Kampf,” and thought over his strategies to seize power until coming to the conclusion that he had to go the legal way by winning elections. This arguably worked out greatly; when he finally became chancellor of the country in January 1933 he did that legally. The backing of just 32.8% of the votes was enough, and he was able to form a coalition with another right-wing party. And then the Nazi comrades were shot in November 1923. They were promoted to “the Fallen of November,” and in 1933 whatever was left of them in their graves was exhumed and they received bombastic honorary tombs at Königsplatz, which we'll see later on.

For the NS ideology, sacrifice was definitely a key element. Those 16 men had died for their party, their country, and also for their superior German race. The Field Marshall’s Hall received its new name in 1933; an epitaph with their names was put on the left side facing the Residence, and every morning SS men in parade uniforms served as guards of honour just beneath it. From this point any person passing by had to present the Nazi Salute.

It turned out that not all the citizens of Munich wanted to do that and decided rather to take a shortcut through the Viscardigasse where we have just been, and that is why it received the nickname “Dodger’s Alley,” since it was the way for anyone who wanted to dodge the salute. This might seem like a very small sign of resistance, and maybe it was, but it was already dangerous. From time to time the Gestapo (“Secret State Police”) placed a plain-clothed officer in that very alleyway to check on those who dared to refuse to salute the martyrs of the regime, and being caught doing so could lead to people being taken to prison or even concentration camps. That is why in 1992 the city of Munich decided to honour them with the bronze path in the stones on the ground. These people took a risk and sometimes had to pay a high price for it.

Let’s leave this square to head into Brienner Straße while I tell you more. Head to the top of the square and turn left.

In the years from 1933 to 1943 the Field Marshall’s Hall hosted numerous events, especially on November 9th, the most important holiday of the NSDAP. A reenactment march with Hitler leading paraded to the Epitaph, speeches were held, new troops were sworn in, and what in fact was a complete disaster in 1923 had become the hero story of the Nazi movement.

“The right history is worth a hundred divisions” is a quote ascribed to Hitler and gives us a good idea of what Hitler thought history was: just another useful lie.

But Hitler didn’t do it all alone. He did not single-handedly kill millions of people, although that was a very common story told by the Germans after the downfall of the regime. He had his henchmen and there were many who simply had forgotten about all standards of morale and decency when they saw their potential economic advantage. These are dubbed Hitler’s Willing Executioners and some were very normal people, whereas many others were at the very top of the German society on the upper echelons of the German industry.

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Major Landmarks

Marienplatz
Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
Hofbräuhaus München
Königsplatz
Karolinenplatz
Platz der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus
Tal 38
Toy Museum Munich
Munich Residence
Feldherrnhalle
Old Botanical Garden
NS-Dokumentationszentrum München

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Marienplatz, 80331 München-Altstadt-Lehel, Germany
Total distance

3km
Final location
Sophienstraße 7, 80333 München, Germany
Distance back to start location

877.98m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts on Marienplatz (Marienplatz, 80331 München-Altstadt-Lehel, Germany). When you're in the square, stand opposite the townhall.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Dürrnbräu brewery
Hofbräuhaus
Café Luitpold
NS-Dokumentationszentrum
Park-Café

Best time of day

any time during daylight hours. Adjust your gear to weather conditions.

Precautions

be aware of bike lanes!

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