The German colony in Haifa was built by the Templars in 1868, near the seashore. The basis of the German colony is the meticulous Templar construction, which remains intact even today, 150 years later.
A little history
The Templars is a religious movement founded in the 19th century in southern Germany by the Protestant clergyman Christoph Hoffmann. The Templars left Germany and arrived in the Land of Israel out of their belief that the redemption of the world and the coming of Jesus for the second time, will come through settlement in the Holy Land.
It took the Templars 7 years from the moment they arrived in Israel to their arrival in Haifa. They recognized great potential in the city, which was then small and undeveloped. It was in the days when the construction of an anchorage in Haifa Bay began, which ensured trading activity and the possibility of bringing raw materials for construction overseas.
Beyond the extensive construction of the Templars in Haifa, they are also the ones who promoted transportation in the area. Until their arrival, the transition between the settlements was carried out in caravans, the Templars began to use carriages to transport goods and passengers and operated passenger lines to Jaffa, Nazareth and Acre, and thanks to them, for the first time, mail was transferred between the settlements.
to earn a living. At first the Templars mainly engaged in agriculture, as they did in Germany, but encountered difficulties with the local farmers and because of their move to engage in tourism and industry.
A German town in the heart of Haifa
One of the special things about the German colony is that it is a kind of replica of a German town from the 19th century that was built in the heart of the Land of Israel. In the German colony there was the only doctor in the area, and only one building engineer. When the Ottoman occupation ended, the German colony had 100 residences and about 750 residents.
The world wars did not favor the Templars, since they were Germans and supported Germany, their views were not well received in Israel. When World War II broke out, the Templars were expelled and transferred to concentration camps and then deported from the country.
The German colony stood neglected until the 90s of the last century, several attempts by former mayor Abba Khushi to renovate the place were unsuccessful.
The establishment of the Mahai Center
When the project to build the gardens of the World Baha'i Center began, the buildings were renovated again and today the place is one of Haifa's most prosperous and impressive entertainment and tourism centers. One thing that promoted its success, among other things, was the narrowing of the travel lanes and the widening of the sidewalks.
Many tourist tours are held in the German colony, where you can hear about the history of the place as well as enjoy tastings in the special local restaurants.
Students
In 2004, the "Vizzo" Design Academy was moved from the Hadar neighborhood to a building in the German colony. In doing so, Witso became the first academic institution in the lower city. Since then, there has already been an influx of academic institutions to the place, and student dormitories have also been established.
Haifa's bastion of coexistence
In recent years, the German colony has become a recreation area that attracts many Haifa residents as well as people from outside the city. One of the things that contributed to this is the proximity to the lower city, which in recent years has undergone a facelift and has also become an attractive entertainment area. In the German colony on one side are the sea and the harbor, and on the other are the Baha'i gardens. This is truly the pinnacle of Haifa in many respects. Many restaurants and pubs are found along Ben Gurion Boulevard as well as hotels and another thing that adds to the charm is the feeling that there, in the German colony, you can actually see the Haifa coexistence that the city's residents love to talk about.
The holiday of holidays
For the past 20 years, every December, the German colony celebrates the "Holiday of Holidays" events. In this month, the holidays of the three religions are noted: Hanukkah, Christmas and the Feast of the Sacrifice, and in the central square the symbols of each of them are placed in Gaon.
Every December all the streets are filled with lights and people who come from all over the country to see the Haifa coexistence with their own eyes. Food and drink stalls are scattered in the streets and people walk around buying and enjoying themselves. There are also those who are less fond of the events surrounding these celebrations. Many of those who live in the German colony claim that the month of December is one of their least favorite of the year, due to the traffic jams, the bustle, the noise and the dirt that make their lives miserable throughout the period.
The event that survived
At the beginning of her term, Mayor Dr. Einat Kalish Rotem declared that in her opinion a municipality should not amuse the residents, therefore she canceled many events that were customary in the city, such as "Tzubachos", "Klevat Shabbat", various races and more. By a miracle the "Holiday of Holidays" survived , and this year was also very invested.
balance
One of the oldest meat shops in Haifa is Izan. People come from all over the city to buy fresh and frozen meat. Around Independence Day and in general when it gets hot and people start going out and grilling, the line at the store gets longer and longer, but there are many residents who won't grill meat if the meat didn't come from here.
Ben Gurion Avenues
Ben Gurion Boulevard was named in memory of the first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion. Without a doubt, Ben-Gurion was one of the greatest leaders ever here and although I don't think he ever held a weapon, he was a very brave man. Ben-Gurion prepared the Jewish settlement in the years preceding the establishment of the state, and in May 1948 he was the one who read the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv before the War of Independence broke out.
Ben-Gurion knew that Arab countries would invade the State of Israel as soon as it was established, and when asked if he wanted the British to stay here and despite the great risk, he took a bet that ultimately succeeded. I have no doubt that if there is a 'world to come' and Ben-Gurion sits in it with Peres, they look at what is happening here, and are often shocked. The fact that delinquency and immorality have become an entry ticket to politics is sure to make them grab their heads.
Aroma Square
In front of Aroma, the most stormy demonstrations in Haifa take place from time to time. I can't remember how many times I've covered demonstrations in which PLO flags were raised on Ben Gurion Boulevard. Certain circles really like to start demonstrations from here, from the whole political spectrum the atmosphere has started to ferment here. Personally, I have no problem with the fact that you can have a good cup of coffee before the shouting starting
against the Russian attack
Just last night (Thursday 24/2/22) a demonstration against the Russian attack on Ukraine was held in the German colony. Hundreds of residents who immigrated from Russia and Ukraine in recent years came to Ben Gurion Boulevard with flags and balloons and called on Putin to leave Ukraine in peace. During the demonstration, the demonstrators went up from Ben Gurion Boulevard to Persimim Street, and continued until the entrance to the Russian Embassy, where they stopped and continued to demonstrate.
I LOVE HAIFA
And at the same point is also the "City Center" mall, which brands itself as a surplus mall and offers clothes and shoes at cheap prices. Behind the mall there is also a large parking lot and at the entrance to it there is a large and colorful inscription "I LOVE HAIFA", which has become a kind of attraction to come and take a picture next to it.
Doctor visit
There isn't a Haifa parent whose family belongs to the Kopah Klalit, who hasn't found himself waiting in line at a "doctor's visit" during the hours when the Kopa branches are closed. The children are less interested in public reception hours, so when some medical event happens at night or on Saturdays, the parents will come here with their children .
Golden Crown Hotel
One of the few hotels I've been to in Haifa is the "Golden Crown" hotel. After the fire in November 2016, the municipality allowed the residents whose houses were damaged by the fire to spend some time in hotels, we spent two enjoyable weekends in this hotel. It was just in December, so the street was already decorated and it was nice to leave the hotel and walk outside. The German colony has several hotels, some are small boutique hotels and some are larger. Haifa is not a particularly outstanding tourist city, but the hotels in the colony are considered attractive.
Bahai gardens
Haifa has a large bahai center and the entrance to visit the gardens is through Yaffe Nof street. The gardens are spectacular in their beauty. When my girls were little we used to come to the German colony a lot and I used to tell them that the Bahá'í gardens were a home of princesses. Years after that it was hard to convince them that it wasn't really a palace of princesses, but today it worked out, thank God. It is possible to enter the Baha'i gardens and walk in them. The entrance is from the center of Carmel. From any point in the German colony you can see the beauty of the gardens. When it gets dark the gardens are illuminated and also very impressive in their beauty.
The vineyard house
One of Haifa's strengths is the fact that, after all, it can really be seen as a beautiful example of coexistence. In other mixed cities there is sometimes friction between the Arab and Jewish population. In Haifa, for a variety of reasons, life together is usually conducted in a normal manner. It is understood that even in Haifa there are elements that try to agitate, but the large majority in the city is interested in cooperation and tolerance.
Beit Hagafen is an Arab-Jewish cultural center, which for many years has been trying to build a common society in the city. Beit Hagafen offers exhibitions, lectures, seminars, plays and various events, related to the theme of shared life.
How much does it cost?
A two-room apartment (85 square meters) was sold on Hagafen Street for NIS 855,000. A 4-room apartment on Ben Gurion Boulevard (98 square meters) was sold for 1,750,000 NIS.
It's a shame you didn't mention the Haifa City Museum located at 1 Ben Gurion Blvd
Ben Gurion Boulevard was called Carmel Boulevard until Ben Gurion's death
A doctor's visit was indeed a British officers' club
Cheeky!
You have a claim against Ben-Gurion who did not hold a weapon in his hands!!!
Did I say cheeky?
Okay. Interesting article. A doctor's visit building - it's a shame you didn't go deeper - the building was a cafe / club, if I'm not mistaken, from the mandate period. Their name is Coffee Frost. Parties were held there on the Civil Sopshana holiday.
The Proos Templar family (not Frost) is turning over in its grave, from forgetting the first coffee shop in the Middle East... in a European format, back in the Ottoman days.