World War 2 Hamburg Private Guided Tour
Description
Hamburg's period under Nazi rule remains to this day one of the darkest periods of the city's history. Come discover the many events that would lead to the devastating bombing of 1943 and learn about how this topic is dealt with today. This tour is ideal for those who want to know the ins and outs of Hamburg under the third reich. This dark but facinating period has shaped the city we see today and is a must see tour for those who wanting to know more about this topic. This tour will cover the following topics: From monarcy to dictatorship The Arts under Hitler 1933 discriminatory laws The Feldstraße tower bunker Execution capital Hamburg Architecture in Nazi Hamburg Human Zoos Concentration Camp Neuengamme The Bombing of Hamburg Deserters memorial Nazi memorials to WW1 Hamburgs surrender A culture of memory Please note Neuengamme will be covered as a topic without visiting the camp itself due to time constraints. For customizations please contact us in advance.
Tour Options
Itinerary
At this location we will begin by looking at the interwar period by discovering the lesser known history of WW1, the hyperinflation of the 1920's, the rise of anisemitism and the treaty of Versaille.
Here we will dive into the downfall of Hamburgs judicial and political system in the 1930s while looking at the detrimental consequences this would have.
This location is marked to this day by one of the largest bunkers build during the second world war currently being repurposed as a skyline garden.
Now one of the most scenic locations in the city of Hamburg this idyllic location has a much forgotten and much darker past as a central location for executions during WW2, a propaganda project, a human zoo and a displaced persons camp.
5 different war memorial from different periods shape not only the physical landscape of this location but also the contempary culture of remembrance in Modern Hamburg.
What appears to be a water tower is one of the over 2,000 bunkers built in Hamburg during the second world war.
The Grindel district was once a district which hosted a vibrant jewish community. Here we look at how this area came to be, who lived there, what happened here during the war and what life looks like here today. Some topics of intrest include: - The place of the deported jewish persons of Hamburg - Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass) 1938 - Book burning 1933 - The Born Synagogue - The Talmud Torah School
Here Hamburg tried to build a decoy city centre to avoid bombings in the second world war.
The Townhall was and remains the symbolic and literal seat of power in Hamburg. At this location we will learn how this location was used by the Nazi party during WW2. The square is dotted with several memorials to: - Political opposition the Nazi party - The book burnings of 1933 - WW1 Prpaganda in Nazi Germany
A leftover from the German colonial period. This period of history although often forgotten is essential to understand racial segregation and genocide in WW2 Germany.
This church serves a memorial to the victims of war and the rule of terror. The site itself is the remains of the former church bombed along with the rest of city in 1943. The church displays several memorials to the bombing of Hamburg, the victims of the concentration camp Neuengamme and the reconcilliation between post-war Germany and the Uk. At this location there is also a museum and atower with a elevator for a spectaular view of the city.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(7)
Our tour guide, Evan Ladd, gave a fantastic tour. Walked almost 6 miles, which was good with us, but please note, LOTS of walking, including walking up A LOT of stairs!! This was ok with us, but would be difficult for someone in a wheelchair or someone with walking as a challenge. We learned a lot of history about World War 2 from the German point of view, very interesting!! Evan was informative, and very patient with all of our questions. I would definitely recommend for any World 2 history buff!!
Thank you so much for your wonderfully positive review. I’m truly glad you enjoyed the tour, learned a lot about WWII from the German perspective, and would recommend it to others. I also had a great time getting to know you both. I really appreciate your honest feedback about the amount of walking. You're right that a 5‑hour walking tour involves more extensive walking than a typical 2‑hour format. I will update the tour description to make this much clearer for future guests – thank you for that helpful suggestion. Just to offer a little more context: during the tour, I checked with you six separate times to see if you’d like to take a break – to sit down, grab a coffee or a snack. Each time, you kindly said you preferred to keep going without a break. I completely respect your decision but most groups do take one or two breaks, which naturally makes the pace more relaxed. When a group chooses not to take any breaks at all in 5 hours, the tour does become physically more demanding – but of course, that was your choice, and I was happy to follow your lead. Regarding the distance: my own step counter and phone GPS tracking showed about 4km (roughly 3 miles), with longer distances covered by public transit. I realize that walking without breaks can make a route feel much longer, but I was not able to verify an 8km (6 mile) route. As for the stairs at the Feldstraße Bunker: there are 400 steps to the top for able‑bodied visitors. However, for guests in wheelchairs or with walking difficulties, the bunker does have a dedicated elevator – we have successfully given this tour to multiple wheelchair users before. The elevator is reserved for those which a medical need, which is a rule set by the historical site that I as a guide must follow. As all three of us were able bodied the only way to visit the bunker was via steps. Once again, thank you for your candid and very helpful feedback. I’m taking your point about clarifying the walking on board, and I hope the above helps explain my perspective as well. Wishing you both a truly wonderful rest of your trip in Germay!
It was really great to spend time with Ilka she lead the group very well. I am so happy that I joined This experience. Ilka was really friendly
Thank you so much for your review! We are delighted that you had such a positive experience and would love to see you back on another tour in the future! Evan :-)
This was an amazing experience! Evan was incredible and tailored the tour to our needs. We had 3 generations, and everyone enjoyed it!
Thanks so much for the wonderful review. It was great to meet you all and explore the topic of WW2 in Hamburg. Safe travels!
Terrific tour and our guide Ilka was amazing and knowledgeable! My leg was hurting like crazy that day and ilka adapted the tour so I could participate. I am so greatful and I learned a lot from her anecdotes!
I am delighted you had a good time on the tour (despite a bad leg)! Thanks for the great review and hope to see you back again in the future :-)
We loved our personal walking tour of Hamburg by Evan Ladd...great info about the city and WW2, he's very personable and a pleasure to spend our day with...also took us to Neuengamme Concentration Camp.
Thanks a million for the great review! Delighted you got to learn about this facinating topic. It was also great to spontaneously get out to Neuengamme too. Hope to see you both back in the city again, Evan.
We took a WW2 tour with Evan. We are history buffs but we learned a lot from Evan. He welcomed questions and took us to hidden places we would never find on our own.
I really appreciate the positive review. Am delighted you were able to take plenty away from the tour and get to see a few more hidden sites.
Sarah was so knowledgeable about what happened in World War II and what the Germans done to fool the British and showed me all the monuments and the bomb shelter. It was a very impressive tour and I learned a lot. I wish I could’ve take notes. She is definitely the best tour guide I’ve ever had. Sarah is great she earned her money.
Thanks a million for your great review! I am glad you had an enjoyable time with sarah and will be sure to pass on your kind words! Hope to see you back in Hamburg again :-)
