Munich is closely associated with the origins of National Socialism and with Adolf Hitler, who became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party in 1921 and lived in the city throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, until he became Chancellor in 1933. Munich would serve as both his personal base and the headquarters of the Nazi party during its formative years and was dubbed the "Capital of the Movement" (Hauptstadt der Bewegung). On our private half-day history tour, you will delve into this turbulent chapter of Munich’s history, visiting important sites related to Hitler and National Socialism, learning about the circumstances around the movement’s rise to power, and uncovering the stories behind those who resisted them.
On this 3-hour private tour, you will:
- Get an in-depth look at the rise of National Socialism in Munich with a local expert guide;
- Begin in the historic heart of Munich and hear about Adolf Hitler’s first stint in the city as an aspiring artist in 1913, as you contemplate one of the buildings he painted;
- Learn about the devastating impact of WWI on life in Bavaria and how Munich became a hotbed of political unrest;
- See the Sterneckerbräu, which served as a meeting place for the first branch of the German Workers' Party (DAP) that later evolved into the National Socialist German Workers’ Party;
- Pass by the Hofbräuhaus, where the National Socialists held their first meetings;
- Make your way through Odeonsplatz, where the failed Beer Hall Putsch came to a dramatic conclusion in 1923;
- Discover Viscardigasse, a small, narrow street that became a symbol of quiet resistance once the Nazis came to power;
- Pause at the Square for the Victims of National Socialism;
- Head to Führerbau, the main headquarters of the Nazi Party from 1937 onwards and the site of the signing of the Munich Agreement;
- Take in Königsplatz, an impressive neoclassical square that once held Nazi rallies and hear how it has been transformed since the end of WWII as Munich confronts its past.
Over the course of your time together, your guide, a local well-versed in Munich’s history, will lead you on a thoughtful private journey through the places where the Nazi Party emerged, rose to power, and left a lasting imprint on Munich’s identity.
The tour begins in Marienplatz, the city’s historic heart, where you’ll hear how the destruction and disillusionment that followed World War I turned Munich into a hotbed of political unrest. At the Alter Hof, once a medieval royal palace, you’ll learn about Adolf Hitler’s first years in the city as a struggling painter before his radicalisation in the aftermath of the war. Just a short walk away, you’ll find the Sterneckerbräu, the beer hall where the German Workers’ Party was founded, and your guide will explain how this modest movement would evolve into the Nazi Party.
Nearby, the Hofbräuhaus reveals another part of the story: this world-famous beer hall was not only a social hub but also a meeting place for early National Socialist gatherings and the birthplace of the SA. At Odeonsplatz, you’ll retrace the route of the infamous Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Hitler’s failed coup attempt that ended in bloodshed on this very square. From there, your guide will lead you into the Viscardigasse to tell a very different side of Munich’s story. You’ll learn how this unassuming alleyway became a discreet path of resistance for citizens unwilling to salute Nazi monuments.
As the walk continues, you’ll pause at the Square for the Victims of National Socialism, a solemn site of remembrance, before arriving at the Führerbau on Königsplatz. Once Hitler’s Munich headquarters, this is the site of the signing of the 1938 Munich Agreement, where Britain and France signed off on German plans to annexe the Sudetenland, thus emboldening Hitler to continue on his expansionist path. Your guide will illustrate how the building stands as a stark example of Nazi monumental architecture, and how it has since been repurposed as the University of Music and Performing Arts.
On Königsplatz itself, you’ll see how the neoclassical square that once staged Nazi rallies has been reshaped for modern Munich, a striking example of the city’s ongoing effort to confront its past. The tour concludes at the book burning memorial, a poignant reminder of how National Socialism sought to erase ideas and voices it feared, and how today’s Munich reflects openly on these events.
More than just a walk through history, this experience offers a nuanced exploration of how National Socialism took root in Munich, the impact it had on the city and the world, and the ways Munich has reckoned with its legacy in the decades since. For travellers with a deep interest in 20th-century history, it is both an orientation to key sites and an invitation to reflect on the lessons they hold today.
