Guided tours and city walks

In the overview tour through our exhibition “Schmidt! Living Democracy”, we take a multi-perspective look at Helmut Schmidt and his time. The focus is on the theme of our namesake's life: democracy. Freedom of expression and, if necessary, controversial debate as well as the competition of ideas in the interests of the common good were central concerns for him. We want to keep these principles alive together with our visitors and invite discussion at various points in the exhibition. Registration is not required.

Duration: 60 minutes
Dates: Every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 2.30 pm
Individual enquiries: Please contact us at buchung(at)helmut-schmidt.de (also available for school groups and as a curator-led tour)

Helmut Schmidt was a staunch European. Schmidt believed that only as a community could Europe overcome the challenges of the 21st century. This guided tour of the exhibition “Schmidt! Living Democracy” takes visitors through the life of Helmut Schmidt, touching on a wide range of political and biographical themes that were close to his heart as a European. This guided tour is particularly suitable for school groups when combined with our escape game “Unlock Europe”.

Duration: 60 minutes
Dates: Please check our events calendar for current dates; for individual enquiries, please contact buchung(at)helmut-schmidt.de (also available for school groups)

These themed tours explore the development of right-wing extremism in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1945 through to the 1980s: from the networks of former Nazi officials in the post-war period, through the New Right, to the social and political conditions that facilitated the NSU’s terrorist activities. An examination of continuities, breaks and state responses illustrates how far-right ideologies and structures have changed since the end of the Second World War – and highlights the gaps that remain in historical writing and the culture of remembrance regarding right-wing violence from 1945 to the present day.

Duration: 60 minutes
Dates: Please check our events calendar for current dates; for individual enquiries, please contact buchung(at)helmut-schmidt.de

Politics needs images. This is truer than ever in the age of social media, but media chancellor Helmut Schmidt already knew how to utilise the effect of images and symbols to convey his political messages. With his fact-orientated style, Schmidt played a decisive role in shaping the visual self-image of the young Federal Republic of Germany. Since then, the importance of images in society has steadily increased. This applies to political actors, but also to democracy itself, whose image is constantly coming under pressure in times of crisis. But how can democratic values be portrayed with images? How do different groups deal with this challenge? And which images threaten democracy then and now?

In this themed tour through the exhibition “Schmidt! Living Democracy” exhibition, we will examine the development of the media, political images and phenomena in political communication in the 20th and 21st centuries based on the life and work of Helmut Schmidt and ask the question: What could the democracy of tomorrow look like?

Duration: 60 minutes
Group size: max. 15 people
Costs: Participation free of charge
Dates: As part of the Hamburg Freedom of the Press Week and otherwise on request

Why do we need archives, and what role do they play in our democracy? We explore these questions in this themed tour of our permanent exhibition “Schmidt! Living Democracy”. We examine what information has been compiled thanks to the documents preserved in the Helmut Schmidt Archive, and how the objects from Helmut and Loki Schmidt’s home came to be included in the exhibition. We will follow in the footsteps of Helmut Schmidt and his private archive, showing how it came into being and what documents are kept there.

Duration: 60 minutes
Dates: buchung(at)helmut-schmidt.de

For groups from the German Armed Forces, we offer guided tours that focus in particular on Helmut Schmidt as a soldier and defence politician. On request, the exhibition tours can be tailored to the Federal Ministry of Defence’s current guidelines on personal development.

Duration: 60–120 minutes
Enquiries: buchung(at)helmut-schmidt.de

From the Kontorhaus district to the town hall: follow in Helmut Schmidt's footsteps in Hamburg and discover well-known and surprising places that are reminiscent of his life and work together with our guides. The walk takes place every second Sunday of the month, weather permitting. Booking is not necessary.

Duration: 90 minutes
Meeting point: Kattrepel 10 - in front of our exhibition
Dates: Every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 12 noon, individual enquiries via buchung(at)helmut-schmidt.de
Not barrier-free

“The real Hamburgers come from Barmbek!” said Helmut Schmidt in an election advert from 1957. In fact, the future chancellor had a lot in common with Barmbek and the neighbouring districts. He used to play in the garden with his brother Wolfgang in Richardstraße, and his route to piano lessons in Uhlenhorst took him along the Eilbek Canal. And in the middle of the war, Helmut Schmidt moved into his first flat with his wife Loki in Gluckstraße. His childhood and youth in the former working-class neighbourhood and his proximity to the Alster left their mark on him throughout his life. On this walk, we follow the young Helmut Schmidt from his birth in the former Finkenau Women's Clinic to his time as a soldier in the Second World War.

Duration: 90 minutes
Meeting point: Ritterstraße underground station (Maxstraße exit)
Dates: 16. November 2025, 11:30 am and on request by email to
Not barrier-free