Berlin Travel Answers

I really cannot imagine that you will encounter any problems whatsoever, although having never been to Berlin I cannot say for 100% certain. But how will people know you are Jewish anyway? Do you wear a yarmulke as a norm?

I am also Jewish and spent a very lovely 5 days in Berlin three years ago, with not even a hint of a problem. I am actually pretty amazed by this question. I am sure there are skinheads and racists everywhere (we have them in the US, too) but Germany is the last place I would expect to be bothered by them, given the legal prohibitions on this sort of behavior. I have noticed anti-Semitic graffiti in Poland and Russia, where it is mildly disturbing, but not enough for me to stop going to either place. Poland's anti-Semitism is a lot worse than Germany's, by the way, so if this is going to be a big deal for you then you might think hard about going there. Oddly, at the same time, Jewish culture has also become weirdly fashionable and hip among some social circles in Poland. So you will see plenty of nostalgic Jew-philia there (which is a bit bizarre, given Polish history with its Jewish population--now almost zero). The whole thing is a bit cracked.

Most antisemit crimes in Berlin are commitd by young immigrants from Arab countries, but even these incidents happen rarely.

The best way to find out about any potential problem is to contact the Jewish Community in Berlin, the largest in Germany. http://www.jg-berlin.org/en.html I don't remember hearing about any problems with skinheads or neo-nazis in the last years, certainly not in the touristy parts of Berlin. I do remember reading about a Jewish shop owner who was harrassed by young Arabs so much that he gave up and emigrated to Israel. There is also a recent movie about young Palestinian boys in Berlin suburbs having to harrass Jewish citizens in order to be admitted to their gang.I don't know how much of this is true. Again your best place to get information is the Jewish community.

During my travels to both East and West Germany (very frequent ones since ca. 1980) I had one single unpleasant encounter - that was on an S-Bahn and that was a very stupid lady who loudly did praise Hitler. Needless to say, all travelers look at her in disbelief and did shake heads. @Travelmad: if challenged and if NOT IN THE GROUP the Polish / Hungarian / Russian / Ukrainian / etc. verbal offenders in 99.99% cases will stutter something like "uh-oh, I did not mean really specific people and did not want to offend anyone, just the known bad guys" (or something like that). The problem is if they are in a large, aggressive group or there is a demo in the area. Or in general there are some areas in Munich or Berlin or Budapest or even Milpitas, California where I would not enter to begin with. @OP: no one knows anything about you being a Jew as long as you do not walk without underwear while wearing a yarmulka. Just in case - don't do that on streets of Berlin. But in Englisches Garten of Munich that's just fine. Even on the Danube shore (Dnepr shore, Moscow River shore) in Budapest / Kiev / Moscow, provided the day is hot. I am sure, in some areas of Berlin that is OK, too, just not in the downtown but don't think you will be arrested. :-P

It never crossed my mind until my mother said something. I am sure its safe. But I do remember large gatherings, rallies, by skin-heads and neo-nazis back in the 80s.

Maybe...but that, if it were anti-Semitic in nature (and I do not recall that being the case) was in the 80s. European neo-Nazis/'skinheads'/extreme right-wingers tend nowadays to have foci other than Jews for their hatred. Such groups are found in tiny minorities in all European countries, by the way. I am pretty sure there are minorities with very similar beliefs in the US and elsewhere. But no-one will be able to tell you are a Jew anyway, unless you wear a yarmulke. So it seems a strange concern to have.

Well, I said the 80s. The rallies were quite large if I recall, in the hundreds if not the thousands. I think there may have been similar rallies in Hamburg. I do wear a yarmukle, but only in temple.

What you may be alluding to J, here in the USA are white supremists. Timothy Mcveigh and the other individual charged and executed for the Oklahoma City bombing were amongst them. There may be similar groups in other parts of Europe, but Germany has been a hotbed in the past. It is true I have not seen anything like that however since the governments of Gerhard Schröder or Angela Merkel. Those rallies were held during the governments of Helmut Kohl and his predecessor. Prior to that when Germany was still split, I dont recall.

I really don't think it is appropriate to discuss this in detail on the travel forum, so I will desist. Please be reassured by those of us who have replied that there is no issue about which you need to be concerned. Especially as no-one will be able to tell from your appearance that you are Jewish.

A bit of understatement to say that Germany has been a hotbed of anti-Semitism in the past (!!) but really, there is nothing to worry about. And we have plenty of neo-Nazis right here in the US; more here than in Germany, I'd bet, given that in the US there is no law against it. Listening to your elderly Jewish mother about anti-Semitism in Germany is a recipe for paranoia. :-) My dad would never buy a Volkswagen because of the Nazis, but I did, and my Passat is a great car. You will be fine.

Hi travelmad. Well, I have to say this about my mother. She is paranoid and a bit prejudiced. But she is a other and she is concerned for her youngest child. To J (Leics): It is a travel related issue, so very appropiate just like past discussions about terrorism, especially after the attacks in London and Madrid.

Oops, a typo. I meant to say mother.

I've been tourguiding with US tourists/US soldiers since the mid 1980s and I've heard this very often, parents in the US are worried about their children going to Germany because of neo-nazis. It's a parents' birthright to worry, I worry about my adult children and my mother still worries about me. I've never met anyone of these tourists/army personell who said their parents were right ,after they had been in Germany for a while. Most of them said they were surprised how many non-whites, non-blue-eyed Germans there are. That's not to say the neo-nazis don't exist, unfortunately they do and a group of murderers has just been caught, after far too many years and apparently police blunders.

Yep. Agree 100%. And my mother is no exception.

Neo-nazi and fascist groups exist in all European countries, as they do in the USA (and almost certainly other countries as well). I did not mean this thread was inappropriate, Stephen. If I had felt that I would not have responded to it at all. I mean that further discussion of neo-nazism in the US and elsewhere was not appropriate in this instance. I do hope the posts on this thread have been able to reassure you in a way that I, in our previous email conversations, have clearly failed to do.

The question is certainly not inappropriate, after all we have our history, and Nazis sadly still do exist. When I was living in Hamburg and later in Berlin I was harassed by some brutes - whites and of Arad descent -, even though I am white, male and german. Perhaps it is because I have a hearing aid, perhaps it is because I was at wrong place the wrong time. You never know, it is a big city, and there are some drooling idiots who should populate the dark side of the moon rather than this earth. As for bing Jewish: I hear Berlin is a favorite city to visit for many Israeli twenty-somethings, and German weekly Die Zeit recently published a report titled "The Praised Country" on Germany's - and first and foremost Berlin's - Jewish communities. I consider it a late triumph over Hitler that Jews praise Germany for being a safe harbor. Thousands of Nazis at one spot in the 80s? Hardly. Perhaps you confused them with Anti-Nazis. Both groups are usually dressed in black.

I must re-state...and re-state very clearly indeed...that at *no* point did I intend to suggest the question was inappropriate. Of course it is not. My comment related to further, detailed discussion of right-wing and neo-nazism in the US, which I consider inappropriate in this thread.

> I must re-state...and re-state very clearly indeed...that > at *no* point did I intend to suggest the question was inappropriate. If this is directed at me: No need to do so. My first sentence merely expressed agreement with your stance. All calm here ...

Thank you. It is simply that, having spent my teenage and adult life speaking out against fascism, racism and neo-nazism, it is very important to me that I am not misinterpreted on this issue. Whilst his mother's concerns are entirely understandable, Roamer himself has absolutely no need to be concerned, imo.

I just returned from Berlin and found it to be an exceptionally safe city. No one should be concerned about their safety in the Berlin of today. Regardless of your religion, you will be made to feel welcome and secure.

Given you do not have any outward signs of Judaism, you should enjoy your holiday as normal. Those with outward signs or symbols of Jewish faith (kippah, magen david, Hasidic garb) should exercise normal cautions as they would in any Western country, including the US.

Berlin is an amazing city as safe or unsafe as any other major cities. I have been there lots of times and always felt incredibly free and safe. There are lots of tourists visiting from all different cultures and religions, including from the Jewish community. You should relax and go because you will have a very awesome time.... it is a mother's job to worry, even if sometimes it is unnecessary ;-)

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I knew it was a safe city, but just needed to hear from the majority.

How should anyone recognise you as being Jewish if you do not wear a kippah. The times when Jews were marked with insignia to be distinguished from Arian Germans have long been over in Germany.

I wear a yarmukle when going to temple. And i will be visiting numerous ones on this trip, and not only in Berlin.

When you put on your yarmulke to enter the synagogue you will of course not be alone. You will amongst other Jews (including, of course, those who staff the various synagogues you intend to visit) as well as non-Jewish visitors. Are you expecting abuse during the time you put on your yarmulke in synagogue? Without the yarmulke no-one can possibly know that you are Jewish unless you tell them. Really, you are (imo) worrying entirely unnecessarily.

When I was living in Berlin I have seen Jews wearing the yarmulke in the street, while others displayed the Star of David on their shirt. And they didn't look as if they were harassed every five minutes. In some districts of Berlin with a large number of Arab emmigrants this would probably considered provocative. But in downtown Berlin?