JEWISH VIENNA

Vienna would not be Vienna without the significant contribution of the Jewish community throughout history. The first traces take us back to the early Middle Ages and the beginning of our tour takes us to where Vienna's oldest synagogue still stands today. Stones of remembrance and fountains with hidden Jewish symbolism accompany us on our way to the Hoher Markt Square. Judenplatz, with the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust Memorial, illustrates the first glory days of the Middle Ages as well as the darkest hours of Jewish history with expulsion and the Holocaust.

On the way to the imperial Hofburg Palace, we immerse ourselves in the glorious times of Vienna around 1900, marvel at the important cultural contribution of the Jewish community and meet Gustav Klimt and Sigmund Freud. How did the Habsburgs behave with regard to Judaism, what role did anti-Semitism play in the empire and how should Austria's coming to terms with the Holocaust after the Second World War be assessed? These are difficult questions that we will address around the Hofburg Palace and Heldenplatz. At the end of our tour, things get musical with Johann Strauss and Gustav Mahler at the State Opera - are we still surprised that we are also following in the footsteps of Jewish history here?

Tour duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
Number of participants: Up to 25 people