Jewish Heritage and World War II History Tour in Wrocław
A historical tour focused on Wrocław’s Jewish heritage and WWII: we trace the Haskalah legacy, Nazi persecution, and postwar revival beginning at the Fredro Statue, then continue through Pokoyhof Passage, Freedom Square, Salt Square, as well as the Four Denominations District, and the White Stork Synagogue.
Basic Information
Total time
2h
Language
English, Spanish (check the calendar for availability)
Price
„Pay what you wish” tours do not have a fixed price. It is up to you to evaluate your guide’s work and reward it. Some people give 10€, others 50€ depending on their satisfaction and abilities.
Meeting point
Aleksander Fredro’s statue, Market Square Nearest public transport: Oławska tram stop; Zamkowa tram stop
Additional info
☂︎ This tour is organised by Walkative Wrocław guides. Look for the guide with the yellow umbrella.
♿️ Tour suitable for people with reduced mobility and strollers
❗Our tours run no matter the weather. High or low temperatures, rain or snow is not a reason for us to cancel our tours. We are always here for you. The only reason for cancellations are extreme weather conditions (like heavy storms…), guide's sudden sickness or no minimum number of people (5) to run the tour, but we will always let you know using the data you provided during registration for the tour.Booking rules
Booking is obligatory. Our pay as you wish tours are designed for individual travellers and small groups. We don’t accept parties of more than 7 people on them. If you travel in a party of 8 or more (school groups, bigger groups of friends etc.), please choose a paid option of 18€ per person or book a Private Tour. For more information on the latter, please contact us.
About the tour
Wrocław lies in the very heart of Europe. For centuries, it was one of the main centers of Jewish life in Central Europe. Jews alongside Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians were shaping the prosperity of what was one of the richest cities in the German Empire. Though expelled in the Middle Ages, they returned and 19th-century Wrocław became a major center of Haskalah, the Jewish enlightenment, a movement that changed Judaism forever. Without the generations of rabbis from Wrocław it would be simply impossible to describe modern Judaism.
This diverse and rich world came to a sudden end in the 1930s when the Nazis took over. Humiliated and persecuted, the Jews of Wrocław soon shared the fate of other European Jews murdered by the Germans and their accomplices during the Holocaust. But the tides of war changed and in 1945 the Third Reich crumbled in the face of the ferocious and bloodthirsty Red Army. Adolf Hitler ordered Wrocław to be turned into a Festung – a fortress to guard the dream of the thousand-year Reich till the last drop of blood and the last bullet. As a result, the city has become the scene of one of the most fierce urban battles of World War II, eventually falling to the Allies even later than Berlin itself.
Join us to learn about Wrocław’s Jewish past and present and the destruction of the city at the end of WWII. Walk through the most interesting area in the city center – the four denominations district. Discover a place where you can not only learn about Wrocław’s long and fascinating history, but also witness the cultural revival and changes that happened here in the last 20 years.
Highlights
- 1
Jewish Heritage
Discover the history of one of Central Europe's most important centers of Jewish life and culture.
- 2
Four Denominations District
Walk through a unique area where four different religions have their temples in close proximity.
- 3
Festung Breslau
Learn about the fierce WWII siege that left the city in ruins at the end of the war.
- 4
White Stork Synagogue
Visit the city's main synagogue, a symbol of the revival of Jewish life in Wrocław.
- 5
Salt Square
Stroll through a historic market square adjacent to the Rynek, known for its 24-hour flower market.
- 6
Historic Passages
Explore hidden courtyards like Pokoyhof and Niepold, revealing the city's unique urban fabric and secrets.
7Franckel Foundation
See the site of the former Jewish Theological Seminary, a key center for the Jewish enlightenment.
Map
Aleksander Fredro’s statue, Market Square Nearest public transport: Oławska tram stop; Zamkowa tram stop
