Rebels & Exiles: A West Berlin Literary Walking Tour
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Explore the West Berlin haunts of legendary writers Joseph Roth, Walter Benjamin, Vicki Baum, Irmgard Keun and many others, and learn more about the history and impact of Berlin literature. This tour visits the sites of legendary bars and café when the area around Ku’damm was the epicentre of Berlin publishing in the Weimar Republic and the stories of those who frequented them, and loops back through Kantstrasse in the 1960s and 1980 when the area again was home to a new generation of writing rebels escaping conservative West Germany to the frontier city of Berlin. Ever wanted to know why Kurt Tucholsky had a “book bar” and where Jörg Fauser went to bed with Kommune 1?
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
Europa-Center
We will finish the our at the Romanisches Cafe exhibition in Europa-Center
Our first stop is the Stolperstein of John Hoexter here.
Options
Rebels & Exiles: A West Berlin Literary Walking Tour
What‘s Included
Admission to Romanisches Cafe exhibition and small surprises.
Coffee and/or Tea
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
6 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour, not to miss !
113ifigeneiak,May 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful man’s very interesting tour with the exceptionally knowledgeable Marcel ! It’s ever so intriguing to walk on the steps of the personalities chosen and who loved and flourished in the area. Thank you Marcel and looking forward to reading your book 😍
This tour is a real gem!
klausw463,Apr 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00As a city guide living in Berlin, I’m always interested in tours that offer a different perspective on the city, and Marcel’s literary tour definitely does that! It’s a fascinating journey through places that were home to Berlin’s literary scene around the buzzing pre-war City West of the Weimar Republic to the rebellious writers in the West-Berlin of the 60s and 80s. Marcel brings the stories of authors like Joseph Roth, Walter Benjamin, and Kurt Tucholsky to life Whether you’re a Berliner or just visiting, this tour is a real gem. I highly recommend it!
West Berlin comes alive!
adrianneo251,Apr 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Marcel curated this tour for a group of writers in town for the European Writing Salon. We walked all around the most "sanitized" looking parts of West Berlin, and Marcel's narration and historical photos allowed us to see it all with new eyes. It was especially powerful to learn about that history as writers in this current political moment. Marcel kept the tour fast-paced and interesting while at the same time in-depth and nuanced. Would highly recommend to anyone who loves literary history and who thinks West Berlin is just a boring outdoor shopping mall :)
History and Literature in West Berlin
cario295,Mar 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a brilliant walking tour; one that made me feel like I was right there in one of the famous Berlin cafes in the 1930s, writing and working alongside some of the best and most impactful artists and writers in Europe. What I loved about this tour was not only the history and the interesting cultural and political movements that Marcel so thoroughly covered, but the fact that he would stop and read us some of the work that was written, read, and appreciated in the very neighborhoods in which we were standing. It was a truly special experience. Thank you, Marcel!
A deep dive into the bravery and bravo of writers and poets in Berlin.
carlamM9008HB,Mar 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you're a Berlin junkie like me and you have a penchant for good stories, this tour's for you. A friend once remarked that "Berlin is bottomless," and this tour did a fantastic job of adding new angles and nuance to my understanding of this city. Marcel is a brilliant historian/storyteller and his passion for the people and texture of the city will have you on the edge of your seat for two hours (even though it's a walking tour). Learn about some of the people and the eras that have defined Berlin though poems, novels, and acts of defiance and courage. Highly recommended.
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Operated by Marcel Krueger