About this experience
Today in Babelsberg, located on the border between Berlin and Potsdam along the picturesque Lake Griebnitzsee, people enjoy a quiet, measured, and affluent life. Yet in the twentieth century, events of global significance unfolded here. During the tour, you will get acquainted with the past and present of the village and learn many interesting facts about the creation of the German Empire, the era of the Third Reich, and post-war history.
What to expect
The Rise of the German Empire. The rich history of Babelsberg begins with the German Empire. I will tell you how the village was adorned with magnificent villas at the end of the 19th century when bankers and factory owners decided to settle next to the newly crowned Kaiser of Germany. You will also see where the wealthiest resident of the German Empire lived and what role he played in its creation.
Third Reich. With the opening of the Babelsberg film studio, it turned into the German 'Beverly Hills.' During the walk, you will learn how the film industry became the main tool of power in the hands of Minister of Propaganda Goebbels and why a Czech actress found herself at the center of the most scandalous incident of the Third Reich. I will also tell you about other propaganda mechanisms, such as how luxury was used to mobilize the population by the fascist regime. We will then see where a group of Wehrmacht officers planned the assassination of the Führer in July 1944.
Two Germanys. Perhaps the most famous residents of Babelsberg were Stalin, Truman, and Churchill. During the tour, you will see where they resided during the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945 and learn about the planning of a new world order. The fate of Babelsberg in post-war Germany is equally fascinating. I will tell you why the construction of fences on the shores of Lake Griebnitzsee is a particularly sensitive issue for the local residents of Babelsberg today.
You will also see the early works of famous architects, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and learn where world cinema stars like Marlene Dietrich and Jean Gabin loved to visit.
