200,00 €*
90 – 120 min
Max. 20
Ca. 2,5 km
Karlsplatz / Stachus at the Karlstor gate
Available languages
YourMunichTour
Jewish Munich
A walk along uncomfortable truths
The hard way into a fragile presence
You can book your private Jewish Munich tour right here
In 1803, Johann Christoph Freiherr von Aretin published probably the first ever comprehensive work on the history of the Jews in Bavaria: “Geschichte der Juden in Baiern” (History of the Jews in Bavaria). Additionally, the author noted:
„The first historical news we have of the existence of the Jews in Bavaria are at the same time the first news of their mistreatment.“
Actually, the history of the Jews in Munich is determined by cruel actions against the community of Jewish populations. As in the rest of the Holy Roman Empire, the Jews in medieval Munich suffered inhuman pogroms: the Jews became “scapegoats” for everything that seemed inexplicable: whether for the thesis of “ritual murders” or for the plague epidemics of the 14th century.
Expulsion and regulated return
1442 was the year of the final expulsion of the Jews from Munich and for almost 300 years there was practically no Jewish life in Munich. Only in 1763 did Jews return to the electoral court under strict conditions as so-called “court Jews” and became the bankers of the lavish Wittelsbach rulers.
1813 heralded a new age with the “Juden-Edikt” and the Kingdom of Bavaria opened up to Jewish citizens, but under the strictest immigration controls. Jews yes, but in manageable numbers and always regulated. Only after the fall of this regulation in 1861 there was an increased immigration of Jews to Munich. Jewish culture flourished and the community grew in such a way that the desire for a larger synagogue became louder. With the opening of the Old Main Synagogue on Herzog-Max-Strasse, Jews seemed to have arrived in the center of society. What a deceptive security!
Darkest years and the hard way back
All this was destroyed by the National Socialists with their almost pathological idea of a “Jewish world conspiracy“. After years of harassment and deprivation, the Reichspogromnacht marked a turning point in terms of violence against Jews. A silent German population watched the events largely unmoved, and now everything seemed possible for the Nazis. For Munich’s Jews, their inhumanity climaxed in the deportations beginning in November 1941 and the subsequent Holocaust.
The end of National Socialism allowed new Jewish life to emerge, albeit very slowly. Long was the road from the first institutions in Möhlstraße in the post-war period to the successful buildings of the Israelite religious community at St.-Jakobs-Platz with its all-dominating synagogue Ohel Jakob.
Come with us on a walk through centuries of changeful history in Jewish Munich.
YourMunichTour
Most important questions
This is your exclusive, all private tour
- You determine your desired date and start time
- You determine the duration of the tour
- You determine the number of participants (if the maximum number of participants is reached, it is necessary to book a second guide)
Yes, the tour is barrier-free. It is based in large parts on the route of our Old Town Tour.
Our Old Town Tour – The Classic has been classified according to the criteria of the nationwide label “Travel for All” and is entitled to carry the label “Accessibility Tested” in the period February 2022 – January 2025.
However, please feel free to contact us in advance so that we can plan minor route changes if necessary
Basically yes, as long as your hotel is close to the route. Otherwise we recommend the described standard meeting point
In order for a guided tour to take place, a binding booking must be made. This can be done under “BOOK NOW” and is done within two minutes.
If explicitly requested, there is also the possibility of payment by invoice
Please send a message here. Or call us under: 0176 556 151 14
* Price up to two hours incl. VAT. | Each additional hour or part thereof € 60.00
