Günter Archenhold is forced out of office due to his Jewish
origin by the Nazis. The family is also ousted from the
observatory, their life's work, under the most shameful of
circumstances. The observatory was transferred without
compensation to the possession of the city of Berlin and
subordinated to the school administration. A civil servant
became administrative chairman, who was completely unacquainted
with astronomy. The observatory was closed due to construction
work. Up till then, the observatory had a total number of
2,666,567 visitors, since its opening. F.S. Archenhold died in
Berlin on the 14th of October, 1939. Archenhold’s wife Alice and
their daughter Hilde died in the concentration camp
Theresienstadt. The sons Günter and Horst found refuge and were
able to emigrate to England.