Oberammergau & Oktoberfest 6 seats left
Join us for this unique, small group tour of Germany, including the Passion Play in Oberammergau, and Oktoberfest in Munich!
If you are planning to visit Germany on your own, and just need tickets to the Passion Play in Oberammergau, we can help!
In 1633, with the plague ravaging Europe, the people of Oberammergau, Germany made a promise to God: spare our village, and we will honor you by performing a play about the passion of Christ every 10 years. The village was spared, and the citizens of Oberammergau have kept their promise, performing the Passion Play every decade for almost 400 years.
The tour will start September 16, 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany and end on September 29, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. You would need to leave the US on September 15, 2010 to arrive in Frankfurt on the morning of September 16. You will need to arrive at Frankfurt airport before noon on September 16 in order to meet your guide for transportation to our first hotel. Departure from Berlin can be any time on September 29.
The tour is 13 nights, 14 days, and the cost is $4190 per person, based on double occupancy. A deposit of $500 per person is due at the time of booking; a second payment of $500 is due by September 15, 2009. The balance is due 60 days prior to the trip departure date (ie, July 15, 2010).
Not included: airfare to and from Europe; meals not shown in the itinerary; free time sightseeing admissions or transportation.
Price includes: accommodations in comfortable, characteristic hotels, all in central locations and with private bathrooms; all ground transportation from arrival in Frankfurt to departure from Berlin; breakfast each morning; other meals as indicated in the itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner); entry and tour of all sights mentioned in the itinerary; category 1 seats for the Passion Play; the services of your Hand Crafted guide, who also acts as driver, interpreter, and window on European culture and history.
For information on joining this tour, or to schedule a tour like this for your own private group, please contact us.
The tour is 13 nights, 14 days, and the cost is $4190 per person, based on double occupancy. A deposit of $500 per person is due at the time of booking; a second payment of $500 is due by September 15, 2009. The balance is due 60 days prior to the trip departure date (ie, July 15, 2010).
Not included: airfare to and from Europe; meals not shown in the itinerary; free time sightseeing admissions or transportation.
Price includes: accommodations in comfortable, characteristic hotels, all in central locations and with private bathrooms; all ground transportation from arrival in Frankfurt to departure from Berlin; breakfast each morning; other meals as indicated in the itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner); entry and tour of all sights mentioned in the itinerary; category 1 seats for the Passion Play; the services of your Hand Crafted guide, who also acts as driver, interpreter, and window on European culture and history.
For information on joining this tour, or to schedule a tour like this for your own private group, please contact us.
Day 1: Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany
From the airport we’ll drive about 90 minutes to the Mosel River. The steep banks of this romantic valley are lined with vineyards, and the hills topped by castles. After arrival in our little wine village you’ll have a chance to freshen up, then we’ll take a guided walk through the town history (D).
Day 2: Castles and Grapes
Today we’ll tour Burg Eltz. One of the best preserved castles in Europe, it’s still furnished as it was in the 15th century and still owned by the family who built it in the 12th century. Afterwards we’ll stop at a local vineyard for a wine tasting, then return to our small village where you’ll have free time to relax, watch the swans in the river, and enjoy the people watching (B).
Day 3: Rhine Cruise and Black Forest
This morning we depart the Mosel and hop over the hill to the busier Rhine River. Here we’ll board a river boat for a short cruise past a gaggle of castles and through the legendary Lorelei, where a siren lured sailors to their doom on the hidden rocks. After some free time in one of the Rhine villages, we’ll continue south to our next hotel, deep in the Black Forest (B, D).
Day 4: Myths and Legends
At a local clock museum we’ll learn how the Black Forest became the center of clock design and manufacturing, and see the development of the cuckoo clock. Afterwards we’ll explore an outdoor museum that is home to centuries-old farmhouses. These have been collected from various areas of the Black Forest, and relocated here to the museum to preserve and protect the region’s heritage. Many of the houses have displays about the daily life and culture of the people, as well as demonstrations of traditional crafts and dress (B).
Day 5: Lake Constance and Munich
We’ll leave behind the hills of the Black Forest and make our way to Bavaria. Along the way we’ll stop at Lake Constance, the largest lake in the German-speaking world, where you’ll have time to explore the island village of Lindau on your own. Afterwards we continue on to Munich, where we’ll take a guided tour of the pedestrian heart of the city, including a visit to the cathedral, the Town Hall, and the Glockenspiel (B, D).
Day 6: Oktoberfest.
All day free. Attend the Oktoberfest, which is in full swing, visit one of Munich’s many museums, or take a stroll in the huge English Garden (B).
Day 7: Fairy Tale Castles
From Munich we head south, to the edge of the Bavarian Alps. We’ll tour two of Mad King Ludwig’s fairy tale castles: Neuschwanstein, the model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle, and Linderhof, where Ludwig lived during his final years. In the late afternoon we arrive at our hotel to prepare for tomorrow’s Passion Play (B, D).
Day 8: Passion Play
Morning free to explore the village of Oberammergau, including the local history museum and the many wood carver’s shops. Later, attend the Passion Play, where you have category 1 seats (B, L, D).
Day 9: Concentration Camp and The Romantic Road
From Bavaria we’ll head north to Dachau, where we’ll visit the first concentration camp built by the Nazi’s, a reminder that travel is always educational, but not always fun. Later we’ll head north along the The Romantic Road, arriving in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the best preserved of the medieval villages on The Romantic Road. During our guided walk through the heart of town we’ll see an altar piece carved by a man some call the “Michelangelo of Wood” and then leave you free time to explore on your own. You can walk on top of the old city walls, shop in the world’s largest Christmas store, or take a walk with the Night Watchman (B).
Day 10: Porcelain and Fire
We head east today, into the part of Germany that was held by the Communists until 1989. Our first stop will be in Meissen, home to Europe’s first porcelain manufacturer. We’ll take a tour of the factory and have a chance to browse the showroom. Afterwards we’ll drive along the banks of the Elbe River to Dresden. Once likened to Florence for its architectural beauty, the city was almost completely destroyed by bombing in 1945, and has only recently been returned to its former glory. Before dinner we’ll take a guide walk, to learn about the city’s history (B, D).
Day 11: Dresden Gems
In the morning we’ll tour the Zwinger Museum, one of the finest collections of paintings in Germany, including works by Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Dürer and others. Afternoon and evening free for visiting some of Dresden’s other sights, or take a boat ride on the river.
Day 12: Divided Europe: the Protestant Reformation and the Cold War
Our final leg of the trip takes us to Berlin. Along the way we’ll stop in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door, igniting a fire storm that still burns 500 years later. We’ll visit the church, and tour the home where Luther lived. After Wittenberg we’ll drive into Berlin, the modern capital of Germany. Here we’ll see the remnants of the wall that divided Europe for almost 50 years, visit Checkpoint Charlie, and Potsdamer Platz (B, D).
Day 13: Ancient Rome and Babylon in down town Berlin
This morning we’ll tour the Pergamon Museum, home to antiquities from the ancient near east. Here we’ll see the massive Pergamon Altar, a Roman altar discovered in what is today Turkey and transported block by block to Germany early in the 20th century. We’ll also see the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, built by Nebuchadnezzar II. Afternoon free for some last minute sightseeing or shopping before we meet for our farewell dinner (B, D).
Day 14: Departure
Tour over after breakfast. Transportation to the airport, or stay on in Berlin on your own.
(Itinerary specifics subject to change)
From the airport we’ll drive about 90 minutes to the Mosel River. The steep banks of this romantic valley are lined with vineyards, and the hills topped by castles. After arrival in our little wine village you’ll have a chance to freshen up, then we’ll take a guided walk through the town history (D).
Day 2: Castles and Grapes
Today we’ll tour Burg Eltz. One of the best preserved castles in Europe, it’s still furnished as it was in the 15th century and still owned by the family who built it in the 12th century. Afterwards we’ll stop at a local vineyard for a wine tasting, then return to our small village where you’ll have free time to relax, watch the swans in the river, and enjoy the people watching (B).
Day 3: Rhine Cruise and Black Forest
This morning we depart the Mosel and hop over the hill to the busier Rhine River. Here we’ll board a river boat for a short cruise past a gaggle of castles and through the legendary Lorelei, where a siren lured sailors to their doom on the hidden rocks. After some free time in one of the Rhine villages, we’ll continue south to our next hotel, deep in the Black Forest (B, D).
Day 4: Myths and Legends
At a local clock museum we’ll learn how the Black Forest became the center of clock design and manufacturing, and see the development of the cuckoo clock. Afterwards we’ll explore an outdoor museum that is home to centuries-old farmhouses. These have been collected from various areas of the Black Forest, and relocated here to the museum to preserve and protect the region’s heritage. Many of the houses have displays about the daily life and culture of the people, as well as demonstrations of traditional crafts and dress (B).
Day 5: Lake Constance and Munich
We’ll leave behind the hills of the Black Forest and make our way to Bavaria. Along the way we’ll stop at Lake Constance, the largest lake in the German-speaking world, where you’ll have time to explore the island village of Lindau on your own. Afterwards we continue on to Munich, where we’ll take a guided tour of the pedestrian heart of the city, including a visit to the cathedral, the Town Hall, and the Glockenspiel (B, D).
Day 6: Oktoberfest.
All day free. Attend the Oktoberfest, which is in full swing, visit one of Munich’s many museums, or take a stroll in the huge English Garden (B).
Day 7: Fairy Tale Castles
From Munich we head south, to the edge of the Bavarian Alps. We’ll tour two of Mad King Ludwig’s fairy tale castles: Neuschwanstein, the model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle, and Linderhof, where Ludwig lived during his final years. In the late afternoon we arrive at our hotel to prepare for tomorrow’s Passion Play (B, D).
Day 8: Passion Play
Morning free to explore the village of Oberammergau, including the local history museum and the many wood carver’s shops. Later, attend the Passion Play, where you have category 1 seats (B, L, D).
Day 9: Concentration Camp and The Romantic Road
From Bavaria we’ll head north to Dachau, where we’ll visit the first concentration camp built by the Nazi’s, a reminder that travel is always educational, but not always fun. Later we’ll head north along the The Romantic Road, arriving in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the best preserved of the medieval villages on The Romantic Road. During our guided walk through the heart of town we’ll see an altar piece carved by a man some call the “Michelangelo of Wood” and then leave you free time to explore on your own. You can walk on top of the old city walls, shop in the world’s largest Christmas store, or take a walk with the Night Watchman (B).
Day 10: Porcelain and Fire
We head east today, into the part of Germany that was held by the Communists until 1989. Our first stop will be in Meissen, home to Europe’s first porcelain manufacturer. We’ll take a tour of the factory and have a chance to browse the showroom. Afterwards we’ll drive along the banks of the Elbe River to Dresden. Once likened to Florence for its architectural beauty, the city was almost completely destroyed by bombing in 1945, and has only recently been returned to its former glory. Before dinner we’ll take a guide walk, to learn about the city’s history (B, D).
Day 11: Dresden Gems
In the morning we’ll tour the Zwinger Museum, one of the finest collections of paintings in Germany, including works by Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Dürer and others. Afternoon and evening free for visiting some of Dresden’s other sights, or take a boat ride on the river.
Day 12: Divided Europe: the Protestant Reformation and the Cold War
Our final leg of the trip takes us to Berlin. Along the way we’ll stop in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door, igniting a fire storm that still burns 500 years later. We’ll visit the church, and tour the home where Luther lived. After Wittenberg we’ll drive into Berlin, the modern capital of Germany. Here we’ll see the remnants of the wall that divided Europe for almost 50 years, visit Checkpoint Charlie, and Potsdamer Platz (B, D).
Day 13: Ancient Rome and Babylon in down town Berlin
This morning we’ll tour the Pergamon Museum, home to antiquities from the ancient near east. Here we’ll see the massive Pergamon Altar, a Roman altar discovered in what is today Turkey and transported block by block to Germany early in the 20th century. We’ll also see the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, built by Nebuchadnezzar II. Afternoon free for some last minute sightseeing or shopping before we meet for our farewell dinner (B, D).
Day 14: Departure
Tour over after breakfast. Transportation to the airport, or stay on in Berlin on your own.
(Itinerary specifics subject to change)
Listed below are some recommended books to help get you in the mood and better prepare you for your trip. By no means do I think you should read all of them, but read through the descriptions and pick out a few that grab you.
A Tramp Abroad, by Mark Twain
In this tongue-in-cheek travelogue, Twain and his mysterious traveling companion make their way through Germany and across the Alps into Italy.
All But My Life: A Memoir, by Gerda Weissmann Klein
From her comfortable home in Bielitz (present-day Bielsko) in Poland to her miraculous survival and her liberation by American troops in Volary, Czechoslovakia, in 1945, Gerda takes the reader on a terrifying journey. Gerda’s beautifully written story gives an invaluable message to everyone. It introduces them to last century’s terrible history of devastation and prejudice, yet offers them hope that the effects of hatred can be overcome.
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
One of the most remarkable war novels ever written, AQWF tosses you into the trenches of WWI. By the end you’ll be crouching in the mud, listening nervously for the whistle of an incoming shell, and just maybe have a greater understanding of why Europeans are so fervently anti-war.
Berlin Noir: 3 Novels in one Volume, by Philip Kerr
Available in one paperback volume, these three mysteries make for easier, more enjoyable reading than the typical non-fiction history book, but still manage to give an insightful look into what life was like in Nazi Germany.
Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War, by Sebastien Faulks
Gloomy, brooding novel about the experiences of trench warfare during The Great War (the war to end all wars). By the end you'll understand what it was like to be mired in mud and random body parts for days on end, waiting to be sent over the side into a hail of machine gun fire and almost certain, but always random death. WWI had a greater effect on the young generation than any war before or since, and this helps explain why.
Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
One of the best known books in the world, Anne’s diary gives us a fascinating blend of the daily rigors of life in hiding combined with a voyeuristic view of the thoughts of a teenager coming of age. No one who reads the book can fail to be touched by her spirit, and pained at her loss.
Germany: A New History, by Hagen Schulze
Consciously written for the person with no previous knowledge of German history, Schulze provides an engaging text that traces Germany's roots in the Nomadic tribes up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Throughout the book he links events with what was happening in society, music, theater and art in Germany, as well as placing them in a larger context of events in Europe and the world.
Inside the Third Reich, by Albert Speer
Originally published in German as Erinnerungen ("Recollections"), Inside the Third Reich is the autobiography of Albert Speer, focusing heavily on the years 1933 to 1945. As one of Hitler's closest associates Speer was privy to the intimate details of the government operation, and provides the best portrayal of life within Hitler's inner circle.
Menu Master for Germany, by Marling
A phrasebook devoted to food, and organized like the typical menu. The brilliant part is that it gives you not just a translation, but a description of how the dish is usually prepared.
Saints and Villains, by Denise Giardina
A fictionalized account of the real life and death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who stuck to his convictions regardless of the cost. Bonhoeffer joined the small Protestant movement against the Nazis during the early days of their rise. Arrested and imprisoned for speaking out against the Nazi Party, he was hanged in the final days of the war.
Sophie Scholl & the White Rose, by Jud Newborn
A very readable and engaging account of the White Rose movement, which attempted to rouse the German nation into overthrowing Hitler and the Nazis.
The German Empire: A Short History, by Michael Sturmer
Focused primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, the lively narrative digs into the social, political and economic forces that propelled Germany from a collection of proud and disparate independent regions to an industrial powerhouse tried to conquer the world.
The Haunted Land, by Tina Rosenberg
When any oppressive regime falls, the newly freed people must deal with questions of guilt and punishment. Rosenberg confronts these issues in the minefield of Eastern Europe, where secret police did what they had been taught was right, and where virtually every citizen was an informant.
The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink
How does the post-war generation of Germans deal with the Holocaust? How do people born after the events, innocent of any crimes, relate to a generation that perpetrated, or at least enabled, some of the worst crimes in history?
Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman.
One day he discovers she is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. Originally published in Switzerland, The Reader is a brief tale about sex, love, and shame in post-war Germany.
The Silent Angel, by Heinrich Böll
Böll's first novel, written in 1950, wasn't published until 1992 because no German publisher at the time would take on the piece. Still reeling in the aftermath of WWII, Germans were unprepared and unwilling to read such a novel, one that hit far too close to their daily reality.
The novel traces the life of Hans Schnitzler, beginning with him as a proud young recruit in the early days of the war, but quickly finding him as a deserter, haunting the streets of a bombed out, post-war Cologne. Beaten and disillusioned, life is a daily struggle for food, water and shelter, but in the midst of despair Hans manages to find love and compassion.
The Tin Drum, by Günter Grass
Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing.
The Warwolf, by Hermann Löns
This novel, originally written in German, details the lives of a small group of farmers drawn into the conflict of the 30 Years War. A frighteningly perceptive look at the effect of long-term warfare on people and society.
The White Rose, by Inge Scholl
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistence, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
A Tramp Abroad, by Mark Twain
In this tongue-in-cheek travelogue, Twain and his mysterious traveling companion make their way through Germany and across the Alps into Italy.
All But My Life: A Memoir, by Gerda Weissmann Klein
From her comfortable home in Bielitz (present-day Bielsko) in Poland to her miraculous survival and her liberation by American troops in Volary, Czechoslovakia, in 1945, Gerda takes the reader on a terrifying journey. Gerda’s beautifully written story gives an invaluable message to everyone. It introduces them to last century’s terrible history of devastation and prejudice, yet offers them hope that the effects of hatred can be overcome.
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
One of the most remarkable war novels ever written, AQWF tosses you into the trenches of WWI. By the end you’ll be crouching in the mud, listening nervously for the whistle of an incoming shell, and just maybe have a greater understanding of why Europeans are so fervently anti-war.
Berlin Noir: 3 Novels in one Volume, by Philip Kerr
Available in one paperback volume, these three mysteries make for easier, more enjoyable reading than the typical non-fiction history book, but still manage to give an insightful look into what life was like in Nazi Germany.
Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War, by Sebastien Faulks
Gloomy, brooding novel about the experiences of trench warfare during The Great War (the war to end all wars). By the end you'll understand what it was like to be mired in mud and random body parts for days on end, waiting to be sent over the side into a hail of machine gun fire and almost certain, but always random death. WWI had a greater effect on the young generation than any war before or since, and this helps explain why.
Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
One of the best known books in the world, Anne’s diary gives us a fascinating blend of the daily rigors of life in hiding combined with a voyeuristic view of the thoughts of a teenager coming of age. No one who reads the book can fail to be touched by her spirit, and pained at her loss.
Germany: A New History, by Hagen Schulze
Consciously written for the person with no previous knowledge of German history, Schulze provides an engaging text that traces Germany's roots in the Nomadic tribes up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Throughout the book he links events with what was happening in society, music, theater and art in Germany, as well as placing them in a larger context of events in Europe and the world.
Inside the Third Reich, by Albert Speer
Originally published in German as Erinnerungen ("Recollections"), Inside the Third Reich is the autobiography of Albert Speer, focusing heavily on the years 1933 to 1945. As one of Hitler's closest associates Speer was privy to the intimate details of the government operation, and provides the best portrayal of life within Hitler's inner circle.
Menu Master for Germany, by Marling
A phrasebook devoted to food, and organized like the typical menu. The brilliant part is that it gives you not just a translation, but a description of how the dish is usually prepared.
Saints and Villains, by Denise Giardina
A fictionalized account of the real life and death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who stuck to his convictions regardless of the cost. Bonhoeffer joined the small Protestant movement against the Nazis during the early days of their rise. Arrested and imprisoned for speaking out against the Nazi Party, he was hanged in the final days of the war.
Sophie Scholl & the White Rose, by Jud Newborn
A very readable and engaging account of the White Rose movement, which attempted to rouse the German nation into overthrowing Hitler and the Nazis.
The German Empire: A Short History, by Michael Sturmer
Focused primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, the lively narrative digs into the social, political and economic forces that propelled Germany from a collection of proud and disparate independent regions to an industrial powerhouse tried to conquer the world.
The Haunted Land, by Tina Rosenberg
When any oppressive regime falls, the newly freed people must deal with questions of guilt and punishment. Rosenberg confronts these issues in the minefield of Eastern Europe, where secret police did what they had been taught was right, and where virtually every citizen was an informant.
The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink
How does the post-war generation of Germans deal with the Holocaust? How do people born after the events, innocent of any crimes, relate to a generation that perpetrated, or at least enabled, some of the worst crimes in history?
Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman.
One day he discovers she is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. Originally published in Switzerland, The Reader is a brief tale about sex, love, and shame in post-war Germany.
The Silent Angel, by Heinrich Böll
Böll's first novel, written in 1950, wasn't published until 1992 because no German publisher at the time would take on the piece. Still reeling in the aftermath of WWII, Germans were unprepared and unwilling to read such a novel, one that hit far too close to their daily reality.
The novel traces the life of Hans Schnitzler, beginning with him as a proud young recruit in the early days of the war, but quickly finding him as a deserter, haunting the streets of a bombed out, post-war Cologne. Beaten and disillusioned, life is a daily struggle for food, water and shelter, but in the midst of despair Hans manages to find love and compassion.
The Tin Drum, by Günter Grass
Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing.
The Warwolf, by Hermann Löns
This novel, originally written in German, details the lives of a small group of farmers drawn into the conflict of the 30 Years War. A frighteningly perceptive look at the effect of long-term warfare on people and society.
The White Rose, by Inge Scholl
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistence, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
Listed below are some recommended movies to help get you in the mood and better prepare you for your trip. By no means do I think you should watch all of them, but read through the descriptions and pick out a few that grab you.
Immortal Beloved, with Gary Oldman
Amongst Beethoven's many love affairs, there was one woman he referred to as his 'immortal beloved.' Nobody is quite sure who she was. Set against this mystery a series of flashbacks brings to life the tragic, stormy personality of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Cabaret, Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Gray
A Berlin night club is the focal point for this story that involves an American, an Englishman, and a German as they swirl through the morally decadent, frenetic, and emotionally charged months leading up to WWII. Outside the world is plunging into darkness, but inside the club the show goes on. If you liked the recent smash musical Chicago, you’ll love Cabaret. Winner of eight Academy Awards.
Far Away So Close, directed by Wim Wenders
The sequel to the 1987 masterpiece Wings of Desire, this time taking place in post-Cold War Berlin.
Judgement at Nuremberg, all star cast includes Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, William Shatner, and Maximillian Schell
A stark and realistic film about one of the most pivotal events of modern times, the post-war trial of citizens and soldiers for crimes against humanity.
Lives of Others
When a member of the East German secret police is assigned to monitor the subversive activities of a couple, he becomes involved in their lives more than he intended.
Swing Kids
Great music and dancing set the scene in pre-war WWII Germany in a story that brilliantly demonstrates how ordinary, normal people can be lured into supporting a monstrous government. In most movies Nazi officials and the Gestapo are portrayed as two-dimensional stereotypes, absurd buffoons who are mocked behind their backs. Swing Kids presents the frightening reality of a friendly, smiling character, who gradually indoctrinates and manipulates those around him until there is no escape.
The Marriage of Maria Braun, Veronika Voss, Lola
A masterpiece trilogy from director Rainer Fassbinder, the stories symbolizes the experience of post-WWII Germany, as it emerges from the ashes and battles to reinvent itself.
The Tin Drum
Based on the Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing. Academy Award winner in 1979.
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistance, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl
Forced by the Nazi’s to make propaganda films for the Third Reich, the young Riefenstahl produced powerful, groundbreaking films that today still rank as cinematic masterpieces despite the themes. This is her greatest film, a record of the Nazi rally at Nuremberg with Hitler pumping up 200,000 screaming fans. Popular and well respected prior to the war, Riefenstahl did her work too well and suffered for it. She was essentially blacklisted after the war and never made films again.
Wings of Desire, directed by Wim Wenders
This is a tear jerker with great scenes of a divided Berlin. Clad in dark overcoats, angels observe the city’s inhabitants and listen to their thoughts, from worn and weary to young and hopeful. Hollywood remade it as City of Angels with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, but that film is a pale shadow of the original. Also see Wender’s sequel, Faraway So Close.
Schindler’s List, with Liam Neison, Ralf Fiennes
Spielburg’s haunting look at the true story of Oscar Schindler, an ordinary German business man who took extraordinary risks to save Jews from the extermination camps.
Immortal Beloved, with Gary Oldman
Amongst Beethoven's many love affairs, there was one woman he referred to as his 'immortal beloved.' Nobody is quite sure who she was. Set against this mystery a series of flashbacks brings to life the tragic, stormy personality of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Cabaret, Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Gray
A Berlin night club is the focal point for this story that involves an American, an Englishman, and a German as they swirl through the morally decadent, frenetic, and emotionally charged months leading up to WWII. Outside the world is plunging into darkness, but inside the club the show goes on. If you liked the recent smash musical Chicago, you’ll love Cabaret. Winner of eight Academy Awards.
Far Away So Close, directed by Wim Wenders
The sequel to the 1987 masterpiece Wings of Desire, this time taking place in post-Cold War Berlin.
Judgement at Nuremberg, all star cast includes Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, William Shatner, and Maximillian Schell
A stark and realistic film about one of the most pivotal events of modern times, the post-war trial of citizens and soldiers for crimes against humanity.
Lives of Others
When a member of the East German secret police is assigned to monitor the subversive activities of a couple, he becomes involved in their lives more than he intended.
Swing Kids
Great music and dancing set the scene in pre-war WWII Germany in a story that brilliantly demonstrates how ordinary, normal people can be lured into supporting a monstrous government. In most movies Nazi officials and the Gestapo are portrayed as two-dimensional stereotypes, absurd buffoons who are mocked behind their backs. Swing Kids presents the frightening reality of a friendly, smiling character, who gradually indoctrinates and manipulates those around him until there is no escape.
The Marriage of Maria Braun, Veronika Voss, Lola
A masterpiece trilogy from director Rainer Fassbinder, the stories symbolizes the experience of post-WWII Germany, as it emerges from the ashes and battles to reinvent itself.
The Tin Drum
Based on the Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing. Academy Award winner in 1979.
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistance, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl
Forced by the Nazi’s to make propaganda films for the Third Reich, the young Riefenstahl produced powerful, groundbreaking films that today still rank as cinematic masterpieces despite the themes. This is her greatest film, a record of the Nazi rally at Nuremberg with Hitler pumping up 200,000 screaming fans. Popular and well respected prior to the war, Riefenstahl did her work too well and suffered for it. She was essentially blacklisted after the war and never made films again.
Wings of Desire, directed by Wim Wenders
This is a tear jerker with great scenes of a divided Berlin. Clad in dark overcoats, angels observe the city’s inhabitants and listen to their thoughts, from worn and weary to young and hopeful. Hollywood remade it as City of Angels with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, but that film is a pale shadow of the original. Also see Wender’s sequel, Faraway So Close.
Schindler’s List, with Liam Neison, Ralf Fiennes
Spielburg’s haunting look at the true story of Oscar Schindler, an ordinary German business man who took extraordinary risks to save Jews from the extermination camps.