Hitler's Vienna: Empire, War & the Holocaust

Overview

Step into Vienna's final decades as an imperial capital on this walking tour along the Ringstrasse Boulevard and through the Hofburg Palace. Discover the empire's mounting crises, and how this city shaped the mind of a young Adolf Hitler. Presented in a balanced way, this tour suits newcomers and history buffs alike. We'll examine the geopolitical, social, and racial tensions of Vienna's final imperial decades — from Mayor Karl Lueger's populist politics to the rise and persecution of Vienna's Jewish community — and trace how these forces shaped young Hitler's worldview. We'll also follow Vienna through both World Wars: the empire's collapse in 1918, wartime bombing damage still visible on grand buildings, and the Nazi era's impact on the city's Jews. At Judenplatz, we pause at the Holocaust Memorial, a quiet tribute to Austria's Jewish victims of the Shoah. Throughout, we uncover forgotten stories behind history's most consequential events.